Customer Reviews

Chasing Darkness

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

So I'm beginning to feel like all of the big names in pop thriller/crime fiction - Lee Childs, James Lee Burke, James Patterson, and now Robert Crais, are getting either bored or lazy, or have somehow managed to misplace the passion and fiery writing that placed them in their well deserved positions (well, except perhaps Patterson) on the big best seller lists. Yes, I'm a Robert Crais fan. The early Elvis Cole was smart, funny, and in your face - definitely an updated, more hip, and slightly more irreverent version of the venerable Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe and today's answer to the hard boiled LA that Chandler invented. And Joe Pike? In Crais' prime, can you think of a supporting cast member more menacing - a more cleverly and intelligently rendered butt-kicker - the hands down candidate for the guy you'd least want to have on the other side of a street fight - or any kind of fight? Leaves me yearning for "LA Requiem", "The Monkey's Raincoat", or Crais' outstanding stand alone effort, "The Hostage".

To be fair, "Chasing Darkness" is by no means a bad read. In fact, it starts out with an intriguing "murder in a locked room-like" premise that is genuinely gripping, and definitely held my attention. And without the distraction and baggage of Cole's annoying girlfriend Lucy hanging around to mush up the action, I was getting ready to declare that "Crais is back" after what a thought were a couple of sub-par installments. But before long it starts feeling a bit tired with crooked cop conspiracy theories and all too familiar themes. And the intimidating Pike is relegated to a near cameo role, emerging with only enough adrenaline to help Elvis beat up some kids. At the end of the day, the enigma unravels too easily, and if you devote more than a few seconds to dissecting the mystery, you'll find a hole big enough for Cole's 'vette and Pike's Jeep to drive through - side-by-side.

When all is said and done, "Chasing Darkness" is mostly an entertaining ride, but essentially flat - a journeyman's effort that had that "got-to-do-this-to-meet-my contract" feel to it. The Crais aficionado - like me - will want to read it, but it is far from his best effort, and a sure sign that the talented Mr. Crais should take the hint from Dennis Lehane and William Lashner, and take some well deserved time off to recharge his classic crime-busting mojo. And should he take this hiatus, Crais fans take heart - their are plenty of great new writers - Huston, Swierczynski, Gischler, McKinty, Doolittle and more - to fill the gaps while the old guys like Crais and Child take a vacation to remember the kind of writing that got them to the top.

Joe PIke is along as well and so is Carol Starkey, but this is Elvis' story. A putative suicide is found as the result of a fire, a man exonerated by Elvis in the past. Now it appears that the man was a serial killer and Elvis was responsible for providing him the freedom to kill others. Elvis goes to work, sorting things out. The result is a classic novel of detection, in which the protagonist knocks on doors, asks people questions, knocks on more doors, asks more questions and does not stop (no matter how many obstacles are placed in his path) until he has the answers he seeks.

While Elvis gets off a few good one-liners this is less the wisecracking Elvis Cole of the early novels and more the serious one of the more recent books. The plot is suitably complex, but the pace is perfect--a driving narrative that hurtles toward a plausible but unexpected conclusion. The ethos is pure Chandler, with apparent villainy in high places and a complete tour of L.A. from the dark booths of the Pacific Dining Car to the gritty, sad cottages of Sylmar and the sunny, but blood-soaked lawns of Santa Monica.

It is hard to say if this is Crais's best book, because he consistently sets and meets a high standard. Suffice to say it is an excellent one, one of the best of the summer. It is exceptionally well-written, with memorable observations and descriptions that are delivered economically and with great skill. The polish on the individual sentences gleams. Highly recommended.

A fire in the hills and canyons above Los Angeles leads to the discovery of the body of a man detective Elvis Cole had, years before, shown to be innocent of the murder accusations leveled against him.

But evidence found with the body seems to indicate that Cole may have made the biggest mistake of his career, and helped set a serial killer free to kill again.

This is a darker and more brooding novel than that which we typically associate with Crais's Elvis Cole character, and given the nature of the issues at stake, that's entirely appropriate and actually welcome. It adds another layer of humanity and complexity to the character, and makes it all too clear that though Elvis is usually the master of the arch wisecrack, he does take his work and life seriously when the bottom line is reached.

The complexities of the case are masterfully addressed; a blend of LA politics thrown into the mix with dogged detective work. The characterizations are richly realized with the deft strokes Crais has mastered so well: the telling movement, the revealing phrase, the details of place and setting. Few do it as well as Crais, and he brings all his skills and talents to bear in this book.

Of course, Joe Pike is there to cover Elvis's "six", as well as former LAPD bomb expert Starkey to lend a much-needed hand.

But the real joy was in seeing this other side of Elvis; as much fun as the character's always been, he's now so much more.

A very strong five stars. Read this book.

The forest fire remains out of control so police are evacuating homes in the blaze's path in Laurel Canyon. In one of the houses the cops find the corpse of Lionel Byrd; he apparently committed suicide.

When Los Angeles private investigator Elvis Cole learns of the death, he is stunned and filled with remorse. Three years earlier, Byrd was accused of a homicide; working for the defense, Cole found proof that his client was innocent; the charges were dropped. However, recently new evidence has been found that strongly implies Byrd committed that murder, four known others before being caught and at least two more since Cole found the prof that freed him. Wracked by guilt for those who died perhaps by his actions, Cole investigates determined to learn whether he was duped, erred, or was right three years ago.

Returning to Cole after his partner Joe Pike starred in THE WATCHMAN, fans of the series will see a different hero as he is obstinately determined to learn the truth; thus there are less amusing asides than usual and few scenes with friends; the plot fits the tone of his demeanor, as Cole suffers from crippling guilt. The story line is fast-paced from the onset, filled with plenty of action, and plausible but powerful twists and red herrings. CHASING DARKNESS is a strong tale as a more introspective Cole than ever before battles personal demons.

Harriet Klausner

Let me preface this by saying I am a huge Robert Crais fan; I have read all of his previous books, and with the exception of Demolition Angel, I thought they were all five star material. This is not five star material. It is more like a first draft; I felt like I was reading the outline not the book. There was no depth to the characters in this book, which R.C. usually provides in abundance. He tries to surprise us with the true identity of the villain, but I was only half surprised. In this case, I think he could have made the book more interesting by giving us a first person glimpse of the perpetrator(s), even if he wanted to keep the characters anonymous. Elvis' meager observations of the criminal(s) did little to peak my interest, and I think Elvis was frustrated with his lack of ingenuity as well. All in all, the book was as flat as week old ginger ale. I have seen this happen with several of my favorite authors, and perhaps it is because their publishers push too hard for that next book to be released and the next book tour to begin. I say let the book age properly and don't release it too soon.

Where's the spark? Elvis Cole is nothing close to his chirpy, irreverant self, Pike is a pale shadow of his usual formidable presence and Starkey seems like a caricature of herself. Towards the end, the book becomes mildly interesting when Cole finally figures out whodunit, but then Crais cheats his audience with the ending. After a break from Cole in which Crais penned two other novels, I'd a-thunk he'd have brought Elvis back well rested and in fine form, but Elvis Cole seems as bored as I was in this latest addition to the series.

Personally, I was glad to have Elvis back at the center of the story again, and thrilled that Lucy was relegated to nothing more than a single phone call. Joe Pike takes a back door as well, but that didn't bother me this time. I think for any of these mystery writers who have had characters that continue in multiple books it becomes a huge challenge to make the plots fresh while moving the characters forward. I think Crais does it here, and for me this was a page turning fun summer thrill ride.

Robert Crais is one of my fav authors. He can weave a spell binding suspense that keeps you turning pages. In Chasing Darkness, Elvis is stunned to learn the man he proved innocent of killing a young woman may have been guilty. In fact, he may have killed more young women. Cole thinks his original investigation was sound. He and his partner, the enigmatic Joe Pike set off to find out who the real killer is. To solve the case they must cut though a web of corruption and heavy-duty LAPD politics. When the killer is finally revealed in the book's last pages, it's a shocker.

It's a classic sleuth novel where Cole does the kind of grunt, door-to-door dectective work that breaks open real life cases. As in his more recent novels in the series, Crais has Elvis leaving behind his high-jinx, wise-cracking days. This is a more tempered Elvis Cole.

Carol Starkey was in the novel and I would've liked to have seen more of her. I definitely would like to see more Joe Pike. I'm not happy with Crais' recent trend to give us less of Pike. I was happy to see Lucy fading from the picture, though I do miss her son.

Ever made a mistake and regretted it? Well, Elvis Cole knows he didn't make a mistake and so sets out to prove it. This completely absorbing novel of two of my favorite characters -- Elvis and Joe Pike (I like the cat too) -- sets out with a hard to believe premise. It carries you along through page after page of entertaining and mind-bending questions. How could this happen? How could Elvis have been SO wrong? After all these years, I still find myself writing Robert Crais' name down on slips of paper to give to friends. He's SO good at what he does! Thanks for another thoroughly enjoyable read, Robert!

I have read all of the Elvis Cole novels, so I know what I'm talking about when I say Mr. Crais has been on a downslide as of late. For me, his high point was L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole Novels), but since that, all of his Elvis Cole novels and his one outing with Joe Pike The Watchman: A Joe Pike Novel (Joe Pike Novels) have been exercises in self-indulgence, much like the TV series Moonlighting - Seasons 1 & 2 once Dave and Maddie hooked up. These novels of which I speak have become more and more about the main character and less about the case at hand, and I for one am losing my patience. The only good I can say is that I am glad I checked this out from a library rather than plunking down money to read this.