A DANGEROUS MAN (Elvis Cole and Joe Pike #18) by Robert Crais (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, August 2019) Hardcover, 339 pages. ISBN # 0525535683 / 978052553683.
Summary from the Goodreads website . . . . .
A brilliant new crime novel from the beloved, bestselling, and award-winning master of the genre--and Joe Pike's most perilous case to date.
Joe Pike didn't expect to rescue a woman that day. He went to the bank same as anyone goes to the bank, and returned to his Jeep. So when Isabel Roland, the lonely young teller who helped him, steps out of the bank on her way to lunch, Joe is on hand when two men abduct her. Joe chases them down, and the two men are arrested. But instead of putting the drama to rest, the arrests are only the beginning of the trouble for Joe and Izzy.
After posting bail, the two abductors are murdered and Izzy disappears. Pike calls on his friend, Elvis Cole, to help learn the truth. What Elvis uncovers is a twisted family story that involves corporate whistleblowing, huge amounts of cash, the Witness Relocation Program, and a long line of lies. But what of all that did Izzy know? Is she a perpetrator or a victim? And how far will Joe go to find out?
My five-star review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
If you're thinking you'd like to pick up a book you can read quickly within a few days and just escape from our dark reality and be thoroughly entertained - - - then you can always count on writer Robert Crais to deliver what you need.
A DANGEROUS MAN is among my top five Crais novels. I'm haven't read them all (and I plan to) but I'm sure that this one would still be in the top five if I had. I always pick up some fiction writing tips every time I read his novels.
What is it about Crais that sets him apart from other current detective novelists? If I had to break down what he does best, then here's my list:
1) Clear crisp language that has a fluidity that moves from chapter to chapter. It's concise but extremely visual. He never uses tons of words or sprinkles in excessive adjectives, and he always manages to make his point with just the basics.
2) Plots that are more complicated than the preliminary information indicates, and details that become known to the reader at the same time his characters detective Elvis Cole and badass partner Joe Pike uncover them.
3) Short chapters with punch. Every time I think I'm going to put the book down after finishing just one more chapter, something happens that compels me to read one or two more.
4) Character depth that goes beyond the main protagonists and includes the secondary and minor characters as well.
5) We learn about his characters not through their thoughts and feelings, but directly through their dialogue and actions. It's amazing how much he conveys with this technique.
6) Every one of these short chapters is told from a different character's point of view, and each chapter is subtitled with the character's name. In conclusion, what a great way to write a crime thriller.
I like A DANGEROUS MAN even more because it's almost a standalone Joe Pike story. Everything centers around him, and he's featured much more this time compared to Elvis Cole. Between these two great characters, he's the most interesting to me, so I was all over this book.
I think I've said enough without even once referring to the plot. No need. Just read this.
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