Book Review: Taken, by Robert Crais
Taken is another Joe Pike novel in the wonderful, entertaining series that features Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. In the majority of the books, Elvis takes the lead, with Joe providing oh-so timely back up to help or rescue Elvis.
This addition to the series, the author’s latest to date, involved both, enough so that I’m not sure why Mr. Crais calls it a Joe Pike novel. No matter what you call it, it was a very timely and intense story that kept me reading until the end.
The world’s greatest detective is on the job
Elvis Cole, the world’s greatest detective, is hired to find a woman’s missing daughter. The young woman went to Palm Springs with her boyfriend for the weekend, and never came back. The mother believes the boyfriend has convinced her to run off, not that she is in danger.
When clues lead Elvis to the desert, to a scene with many footprints, large tire tracks, and blood, it looks like he has stumbled upon something dangerous and deadly. People are being smuggling across the Mexican border, people from Mexico, people from Korea. People from middle east. Once across, they are kidnapped again. Mexican gangs, Syrian crime lords, and the bajadores that steal all along the border all want control. As usual, Elvis isn’t afraid to use the conflict to accomplish his goal.
People are dying. Then Elvis too goes missing, even as Joe Pike watches. Joe will not stop until he finds his friend. He will go to any extreme he must to find his location.
It’s another great entry in the series, one I was sorry to see end. There wasn’t quite as much of Elvis’ sardonic humor in this novel, not when he is in the middle of it all, yet the tight bond between Elvis and Joe still is there. Even knowing the two will survive it all, it is still so exciting to watch how it happens.
News for Robert Crais fans
I’m sad to say this brings me up to date with Robert’s Crais’ novels. Thankfully he has a new one coming out in November of 2015. Can’t wait for that pre-order to arrive in my library! The Promise is going to feature Elvis Cole and Joe Pike as well as Scott and Maggie from the fantastic book, Suspect. Click here to read my review.
Suspect is a fantastic story of a policeman who was seriously injured when his partner was killed, and an injured military dog who’s soldier was killed. The two of them must learn to trust each other even while they hunt for those responsible.
If you haven’t read any of Mr. Crais’ book, I urge you to start now! Depending how much time you have, I would suggest Suspect to start, so you will know and understand Scott and Maggie’s relationship. But any of the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike stories will get you in the mood. I love this author. It took me a long time to find him, but he has become a very favorite. Drama, humor, and mystery, all rolled into one amazing series!
The Promise will be released on November 10th! In it, Elvis is hired to find a woman gone missing after an online connection is made. The investigation shows she was being blackmailed into obtaining explosives for someone unidentified. Scott James and his partner, Maggie, are searching for a thief when they enter a building filled with explosives. As they become targets themselves, Elvis and Joe find their cases cross. It’s a race to see if they will find the missing woman before any of them are killed first.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
