Customer Reviews

Voodoo River (Elvis Cole/Joe Pike Series)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I freely confess that I judged this book, initially at least, by its cover. If it hadn't had such a snappy title I might never have picked it up. But Voodoo River caught my eye and once I opened it up, I was hooked. After all, how can you not love a detective named Elvis? I picked up this book shortly after reading one of Robert B. Parker's recent disappointing Spenser offerings, and Voodoo River made me understand exactly why Parker had been disappointing me. Voodoo River is the first book I've read in years with dialogue as snappy as Parker's early Spenser books had. It's the first mystery book I've read in ages that made me laugh out loud at some of the conversations. But Voodoo River had something else - a plot that kept me reading till the last page. I realized as I finished this book that not many recent mysteries have caught me the way Voodoo River did. Not many writers give me characters I care about anymore. Voodoo River added Robert Crais to my list of mystery writers to watch. I can't wait for the next Elvis Cole novel. And this time, I won't care what the title is. I'll pick it up in a heartbeat. PS. I used to think you couldn't have anyone better than Hawk watching your back. That was before I met Joe Pike. Sorry, Hawk.

Robert Crais grew up in Louisiana and for the fifth installment of the series he sends Elvis Cole down to the Bayou State. Jodi Taylor is a popular actress who was given up for adoption at birth in the state of Louisiana. She hires Elvis to search out her biological parents for medical reasons. She has also retained the rights of a Louisiana lawyer who specializes in situations like hers. Elvis heads down to Baton Rouge to meet the lawyer and search for the parents. When Elvis walks into Lucy Chenier's office, he is immediately head over heels in love. The chapters where this initial meeting takes place and a dinner between the two are classics. The story takes us through the small town south and we met less than honorable police chiefs, parish officials, double dealers and a killer snapper turtle. Elvis eventual does find Jodi's biological parents and that turns out to be a major surprise. All throughout the story, the relationship between Elvis and Lucy begins to take shape and grow. This is the first time that a real love interest for Elvis is introduced and it gives the character another dimension. After the Monkey's Raincoat, the three subsequent books were entertaining but were threatening to get predictable. With Voodoo River, Mr. Crais ups the ante and comes back strong. Just as he did with his adopted home of Los Angeles, Mr. Crais takes us through the nooks and crannies of his birthplace. This is an immensely enjoyable read and is right up there with the Monkey's Raincoat.

I was hooked from the minute I started reading.

I didnt realise the book was several years old but its timeless in its compelling storyline. It mixes hollywood with the fascinating world of bayous and Louisiana culture. A search for a woman's past leads the detective into all sorts of trouble.

Absolutely one of the best mysteries I read in a long time.

Im a norterner who loves the south and this book is very southern fried. Realistic in its ambience. I simply loved it!!!

This is the fifth book for me in this series. I think I liked it least of all. I am so glad I did not read the Booklist Review before I bought the book or I would not have bought it. Why they had to give the main information I do not know. Elvis is in Cajun country, Crais is at home. But, I was not pleased with a lot of pages of talk, talk and more talk with Lucy. Elvis does his job, see review, but thought a lot of the book just drug. The ending was good but only lasted a few pages. Would also like a lot more of Pike. He is so good. Can do without Lucy in future books but I gather she is going to be in them. If you have not read a Crais book before do not start with this one. Any of the first four are better, I think.

I heard this as a book on tape - it was not my first choice but I gave it a shot and I was very pleased. The story was convoluted but had a real feel to it. Elvis is tough, but not Superman. The situation was complicated but not impossible.

The book on tape was well-read and the reader added a lot to it with his great command of the mix of accents of the region.

So, how much did I like this book. I went out and bought another Elvis Cole novel less than a week after I finished my first!

Robert Crais' Elvis Cole is everything you want in a private eye. He wisecracks, he wears his heart on his sleeve, and he can set-em-up and knock-em-down. Plus, there's always Joe Pike for when things get really nasty. Voodoo River is a sensational book, and Crais has never been better.

To know Elvis Cole is to enjoy him. Once again, Craig brings his excellent dialogue, intriguing plot lines and sense of humor to life. Crais writes as well as anyone in this genre. Additionally, each time he takes on different topics in which to set his mysteries. In Voodoo River Elvis takes his "world's greatest detective" agency to Louisiana and enters the worlds of adopted children growing to middle age and immigration. Despite the change in locale away from LA, Mr. Crais does not a miss a beat. If you are an Elvis fan this is everything you have come to expect. If you have not yet met him, you will enjoy him and look forward to finding another Elvis book. Crais' writing style enhances the telling of terrific story lines.

Robert Crais's detective, Elvis Cole, is a wise-cracking P.I. working in Los Angeles whose office is adorned with Disney characters. In "Voodoo River," an actress hires Elvis to check into her background and, specifically, her adoption years ago. Elvis takes the case and goes to Louisiana on what should be a fairly easy case. Much to his surprise, though, he finds that another detective is already investigating and that people's lives are soon at stake.

The plot of any Crais novel is almost unnecessary, though, since the writing is so good and so enjoyable. That's not to say that the plots are not well crafted and exciting; they are. Crais is a gifted writer, and his creation of Elvis Cole (along with the tight-lipped Joe Pike) is an engaging and thoroughly entertaining character. What sets "Voodoo River" apart from the previous series entries ("The Monkey's Raincoat," "Stalking the Angel," "Lullaby Town," and "Free Fall," in that order) is that Cole is both at his most personable and most vulnerable here, largely due to the introduction of Lucy, a Louisiana attorney in whom Elvis develops a romantic interest. As always, Joe Pike and Elvis's cat are along for the ride and add color, but this entry into the series thrives on how personal it gets. A great deal of the power of the book comes from the issue of adoption, one Crais has taken from his own life. The actress's motive for seeking information is not that she has an insatiable, talk-show desire to learn about her "real" family. Rather, she needs medical information. With so many adopted children, that's the way it is--they're happy with their adoptive families and consider them in every respect their "real" families.

As with all the novels in the series, Crais gives great attention to the setting, portraying faithfully the flavor, look, and feel of the locale while never forgetting the action and suspense that have made him a best-selling and award-winning author. As in any series, there are good and bad places to begin. The Elvis Cole series does not depend to a great extent on sequence, and "Voodoo River" therefore is an ideal place to jump in.

I loved this book, and am a new die-hard fan of Elvis Cole. Crais has replaced John & Fae Kellerman, McBain, and even Grafton as my favorite mystery writer! Elvis and his 'silent' partner Joe Pike really captured my interest - and their sardonic humor keep my attention throughout the twists and turns of this novel. Crais has a wonderful ability of really 'seeing' all of his characters with his in-depth descriptions - and you certainly meet a wide variety of Voodoo River. I highly recommend this and any other Robert Crais novel for mystery lovers everywhere

I've read most of the Elvis Cole series, and this is by far one of the worst ones. This book has the feel of two different novels pasted together. The first half is very intriguing, where Elvis has to search for a Television star's biological parents. Elvis searches Louisiana and comes up with even more mysteries and secrets, making it interesting and a page turner. I almost felt the anxiety and the hot muggy air when I read the first half.

Then, all of a sudden, a horrible travesty of a book breaks out. Suddenly, Elvis somehow becomes involved in multi mob-boss fighting and immigration issues involving government stings, racial tensions from long ago, and horribly over-sentimental goals. The fluidity of the book is lost. The motivations and character involvement's are convoluted at best. Compared to the first half of the book, the second half is pure garbage.

Crais took a good book and sabotaged it.