"The Last Detective"
by Robert CraisWhat it's about:
Elvis Cole returns at last, with a gripping story of abduction and redemption. Out in LA, attorney girlfriend Lucy and her ten-year-old son Ben have moved in with Elvis, the private investigator. Tension has been mounting between them as Lucy tries to to cope with the violent lifestyle Elvis is a part of. The unthinkable and unexpected happens when Ben disappears from Elvis's house while Lucy is away on business.
The story follows the investigation and pursuit of the kidnappers and Elvis's tortured journey back into his own past. Carol Starkey, LAPD detective and former Bomb Squad Tech last seen in Demolition Angel, joins the search and proves to be a competent partner in solving the crime. Lucy's ex-husband Richard shows up to complicate matters and make things difficult for his rival Elvis. He uses his wealth and influence to slow Elvis down and keep him out of the picture while blaming him for the disappearance of his son Ben.
There are countless twists and turns as the story unfolds, and it's a ride well worth taking.
Why I like it:
Like the return of Harry Bosch, via the keyboard of Michael Connelly, Elvis Cole makes his return through Robert Crais's competent hands. I imagine that writing an ongoing series with Elvis Cole could get stale, so I allowed myself to enjoy the great books Crais wrote in between: Demolition Angel and Hostage. However, I was never ready to let Elvis retire. I knew he had more stories to tell.
And what a story this is! I have to say as I did with Lost Light by Connelly, you can certainly read this book as a stand-alone and enjoy it. However, the depth of understanding about Elvis and Pike and Lucy and Ben is so much greater if you've read the previous books. At last we're shown Elvis's past and we come to understand his drive and his compassion. I shuddered at the atrocities he bore in Viet Nam and I cried when he spoke to the family of a fallen comrade he brought home. How often does a mystery move a reader to tears?
It's not all about emotional resolutions. There is suspense, horror, revenge, and retribution. There is love, hate, murder and mystery. We are racing through the streets of LA with Elvis and Pike and Starkey and we feel the heat and the pain right along with them.
I was exhausted when I finished this book, both emotionally and intellectually. It's that good.
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