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Taken (Elvis Cole #13)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 4,933 ratings · 571 reviews

When Nita Morales hires Elvis Cole to find her missing adult daughter, she isn’t afraid, even though she’s gotten a phone call asking for ransom. She knows it’s a fake, that her daughter is off with the guy Nita will only call "that boy," and that they need money: "Even smart girls do stupid things when they think a boy loves them."

But Nita is wrong. The girl and her boyfr...more

Hardcover, 341 pages

Published January 24th 2012 by Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

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Dec 03, 2012 Dan Schwent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-and-mystery, 2012

A woman hires Elvis Cole to find her kidnapped daughter. Elvis takes the case, only to find himself kidnapped. Can Joe Pike find Elvis before the kidnappers decide to silence him... permanently?

So now I'm finally completely caught up on the adventures of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. How did this effort stack up to the rest of them? It held its own, that's for certain.

With Taken, Robert Crais put to rest my fears that maybe Crais might start phoning it in. He took a fairly basic kidnapping plot and d...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Melanie (aka Serial Reader) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who likes a good mystery

Shelves: library-hardcopy, 2012-challenge

As a "serial reader", I still sometimes start with the latest novel from an author I haven't read before. This is the case now with 'Taken' by Robert Crais. Of course, now I have to make a decision - stop all current "reads" and go to the beginning of RC's Elvis and Joe novels, or wait to a more fortuitous time. Hmmm.

Here's the reasons I LOVED this novel.
1) The protagonists - laconic Joe Pike, verbose Elvis Cole and sidekick Jon. Great friendship amongst the men, so much that they willingly dro...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Randy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Elvis Cole is hired by a mother to find her missing daughter. The woman came into this country at age seven as an illegal from Mexico. Her daughter was born here and has a bright future. She received ransom demands over the phone for a ridiculously low sum, $500.00, and her daughter spoke with a thick Mexican accent. She thinks the girl ran off with her boy friend, who she doesn't like, and this ransom demand is dome kind of ploy.

It doesn't take Cole long to learn the truth. She'd been following...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Martin Sutherland rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's a good thriller, but it's not a great Elvis Cole book.

As the series has progressed, Crais has kept on raising the physical and emotional stakes for his protagonists. Early on in the series, bad things happen to strangers and clients. Then bad things happen to people close to the main characters. Then bad things happen to the heroes directly. By now, it's almost impossible to conceive of an Elvis Cole/Joe Pike story where the two of them are not in mortal danger on every page.

It gets tiring....more

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Apr 21, 2013 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Krista and Jack, a young couple, are out looking at the stars in the desert near Palm Springs when they accidentally get mixed in with a group of people from various countries who are being smuggled into the States. They are kidnapped by some of the creepiest villains I have ever encountered in literature. I don't know if there is any truth upon which to base such a fictional story, but I wouldn't be surprised. We all know about the "coyotes" who smuggle people from Mexico to the US, and we have...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Harry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: detective-mystery

Ok, a few rambling thoughts on Robert Crais. Who is this guy, where'd he come from, how'd he get so popular? Well the first thing to know is that Crais is not from California at all. He is a native of Louisiana, grew up in a blue collar family, and read his first crime novel The Little Sister when he was 15. And that's all it took. Chandler gave him his love for writing. Other authors that have inspired him were Hammett, Hemingway (seems like that's true of all the crime writers), Parker, and St...more Ok, a few rambling thoughts on Robert Crais. Who is this guy, where'd he come from, how'd he get so popular? Well the first thing to know is that Crais is not from California at all. He is a native of Louisiana, grew up in a blue collar family, and read his first crime novel The Little Sister when he was 15. And that's all it took. Chandler gave him his love for writing. Other authors that have inspired him were Hammett, Hemingway (seems like that's true of all the crime writers), Parker, and Steinbeck (huh?).

How'd he get so popular? In short: television and L.A. Requim. Robert Crais has a very impressive resume as a screenwriter for such television series as Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice (damn, I loved that show too!), Cagney & Lacey. But what hits home the most with Crais himself is his work on the 4 hour mini series Cross of Fire which is about the Ku Klux Klan and is probably more relevant to his home state of Louisiana than it is to Hollywood. Following a growing dissatsifaction of a screen writer's constraints, Crais began writing novels. L.A. Requim, which is the 8th Elvis Cole novel, is what landed him as an author that defied all genres and in it outsurpassed even the legendary Ross Macdonald.

Enough about Crais, the guy's good. So, what about Elvis Cole? Naming someone Elvis had to have been a fairly deliberate decision. To me the name seems iconic, Warholish, Disneylandish, a bit theatrical if not cynical. In fact his novels and trinkets therein are suffused with cultural icons: Spider Man mug, Jiminy Cricket (latent fantasy of wanting to be Peter Pan?), and his yellow Corvette. Even his slogan seems hamstrung with Hollywood's obsession with icons: Elvis Cole is The world's Greatest Detective! But in reality there's nothing ridiculous about Cole: he's tough, honest, ponders morality and ambiguity and hypocrasies while staring out the balcony window in his office.Yes, he's cynical, a smart ass, a comic relief in many ways...but behind the seeming humor lies a Dan Wesson .38, the Vietnam War, martial arts and his biggest gun of all: Joe Pike.

Joe Pike, the avenging angel, is a tool used sparingly by Crais. Use him too much and you wonder why he isn't the main character (we know Crais has struggled with this as he produced 4 separate novels featuring Pike as the hero); use him too little and you start wondering why the big guns aren't being pulled out by Elvis. What you want to do is increase the anxiety level of the reader towards the hero, not get the reader frustrated with him. Crais handles this expertly...and uses Pike to increase the anticipation in readers.

The Elvis Cole novels should be considered hard boiled detectives primarily in that Crais deviates from the traditional Romantic tradition found in detective stories and crime fiction by introducing Cole as a detective with a decidedly cynical attitude towards the emotions (i.e. apprehension, horror, terror, and awe such as are found in other crime and thriller stories). And yet, we find sprinkled throughout the books insightful observations of the world as seen through Elvis's eyes. In the following passage, Elvis observes the effects of dry brush fires raging through L.A.:

Picture the detective at work in his office, fourth floor, Hollywood, as the Devil's Wind freight-trains down from the desert. Though dry and brutally harsh, the desert wind is clean. It pushes the smog south to the sea and scrubs the sky to a crystalline blue. The air, jittery from the heat, rises in swaying tendrils like kelp from the seabed, making the city shimmer. We are never more beautiful than when we are burning.

Like I said, it really came together following the publication of his 8th Elvis Cole novel. Pike his side kick, Lou Poitras (Cole's detective friend) gruffy as ever, shifting view points, a relaxation of Cole's zany character...it all came together following L.A. Requim. So, believe me. All in all, you will not be disappointed with the Elvis Cole series. There are a lot of these novels so sit back and enjoy! I most certainly did.

As with all series reviews, this one covers all the Elvis Cole books. So if you've read this review of mine than you've read 'em all.(less)

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Jan 20, 2013 Jack Getze rated it 4 of 5 stars

Four stars because it's hanging out with two of my favorite characters, Joe and Elvis, but RC's attempts here at ratcheting up the tension with time-zone jumping falls flat on its face. In fact, I'm betting that's why RC was late with this one. (Read the acknowledgments.) I wasn't the only reader who had problems understanding what was going on. The way RC moved back and forth between dates and times, I still have a question after finishing. One big problem was telling us early that Elvis is goi...more

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Jan 19, 2013 James Thane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-fiction, robert-crais

Krista Morales and Jack Berman are young and in love. After meeting a group of friends one night out in the California desert, Krista and Jack remain behind when everyone else leaves. Even the most casual reader will understand that this is a huge mistake.

A few days later, Krista's mother, Nita, retains Elvis Cole, the World's Greatest Detective, to find her daughter. Nita assumes that Krista, an honor student who is about to graduate from college, is simply dallying with a boyfriend that Nita d...more Krista Morales and Jack Berman are young and in love. After meeting a group of friends one night out in the California desert, Krista and Jack remain behind when everyone else leaves. Even the most casual reader will understand that this is a huge mistake.

A few days later, Krista's mother, Nita, retains Elvis Cole, the World's Greatest Detective, to find her daughter. Nita assumes that Krista, an honor student who is about to graduate from college, is simply dallying with a boyfriend that Nita does not approve of. But Nita, a successful business woman, has also received a couple of strange phone calls from Krista, claiming that she has been kidnapped and asking for a ransom of $500.00.

Nita thinks that the calls are a joke, especially given the amount of the desired ransom. But Elvis isn't so sure. He investigates the spot from which Krista and Jack disappeared and discovers evidence suggesting that the two have, in fact, been kidnapped by bajadores. The bajadores are bad-ass bandits who rip off other criminals who smuggle drugs and illegal immigrants into the U.S. from Mexico. Their standard M.O. is to bleed the families of the immigrants they seize until the families can pay no more. At that point, the bajadores kill their victims and dump the bodies in the desert so that there are no witnesses left to identify them.

Elvis recruits his best friend and partner, Joe Pike, to assist in the investigation. But then, after attempting to infiltrate the bad guys, Elvis disappears. Anyone who has read an Elvis/Joe Pike novel will understand that Pike is going to be enormously upset about this and that this is going to be very bad news for the outlaws who might have taken his friend.

This is a furiously fast-paced thriller that should delight the fans of Robert Crais, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Crais cuts back and forth in time and place, watching Elvis search for Krista and Pike searching for Cole, leaving the reader with scarcely any time to catch his or her breath. All in all, it's an excellent addition to the series.(less)

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Dec 04, 2012 Somi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had never read any books by Robert Crais before I picked up this one. I was hooked from the beginning to the end.... and extremely scared that it wouldn't end well.

Somewhere in the desert lies the wreckage of a plane, which crashed years ago bringing drugs into the United States. Across the border in Mexico, hundreds have paid all they have to a cartel so they can be smuggled into the USA, and a ‘coyote’ makes plans to drop them off at the site of the crashed air plane. In the US, a renegade c...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Jeanette rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recently finished T. Jefferson Parker's "Jaguar", about the Mexican drug cartels, kidnapping, ransom, and killing. I was ready for something new, but was drawn to Robert Crais's latest, "Taken", about Mexican drug cartels, kidnapping, ransom, and killing. But this is where the similarity ends. In "Taken" we have my favorite sleuth duo, Joe Pike and Elvis Cole. No matter how dangerous a situation might be, Pike is stoic, and Cole has a smart mouth. Cole is hired to find the daughter of Nita Mor...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love me some Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, and I highly recommend that you read this series from the beginning (The Monkey's Raincoat) if you have not yet discovered Elvis Cole.

Most of the series is told from Elvis' view point, and there are some later entries told by Joe's view. This book has Elvis in the first half, and then Joe takes over for the second, and I thought it worked pretty well.

A couple of young adults get caught up in a kidnapping of illegal immigrants, who were sneaking into the co...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-level-mystery

Robert Crais is one of my favorite super-edgy mystery writers now. Elvis Cole and Joe Pike solve crimes their own way, and you had better not ask. I am a hopeless mystery-genre devotee, and I do enjoy Crais novels. I've discovered a hidden pocket of them in our library since I just retired, so I am a happy camper at the moment. Taken is disturbing in that the plot deals with groups of people who are help for ransom by what we used to call "coyotes," but they have moved far beyond that. These peo...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Craig rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked it, but didn't "love" it, if you know what I mean. It feels like Crais is staking out the same territory over and over and I'm not so sure that raising Joe Pike to equal-protagonist status with detective Elvis Cole was the right decision. The earlier Cole books had a sense of humor to them that more recent books seem to be missing entirely, and the focus on mercenaries and the way the operate (and excessive detail given to guns and weapons) just isn't as interesting to me as watching Col...more

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May 18, 2012 Dan Hays rated it 4 of 5 stars

I began reading the Elvis Cole novels very early. I had the author autograph my copy of Sunset Express when it was just released, and when Robert Crais was still not that well known. I have followed ever since, and have really enjoyed the evolution of the Elvis Cole character and the series.

The latest entry, Taken, was very compelling, and I wanted to like it. But the way it unfolded - with numerous point of view shifts - was very distracting, didn't seem to enhance the story, and in my opinion,...more

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May 14, 2012 Gloria Feit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Those who have been waiting for their fix of Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels [and I count myself among them] need wait no more. “Taken,” the fifteenth book in the series, brings their return, and introduces yet another protag cut from the same cloth: trustworthy, brilliant at what he does, and letting nothing stop him.

The opening paragraphs take the reader to a spot in the CA desert Jack Berman and Krista Morales, five months plus into their passionate relationship, are kidnapped in what one would th...more Those who have been waiting for their fix of Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels [and I count myself among them] need wait no more. “Taken,” the fifteenth book in the series, brings their return, and introduces yet another protag cut from the same cloth: trustworthy, brilliant at what he does, and letting nothing stop him.

The opening paragraphs take the reader to a spot in the CA desert Jack Berman and Krista Morales, five months plus into their passionate relationship, are kidnapped in what one would think is that unlikeliest of settings. The story picks up six days later, when Elvis Cole, his reputation having preceded him after an LA Times Magazine story depicts him, tongue only slightly in cheek, as the World’s Greatest Detective, is hired by Krista’s mother following receipt of a ransom demand. We next come to a point several days after that scene, when Joe Pike enters the picture. The tale flashes back to pick up the story line from each of these starting points in turn. This device only serves to heighten the suspense, contrary to what might be expected

To the uninitiated, quoting Elvis Cole: “Pike, Joseph, no middle initial, learned the tracking arts as a boy who grew up at the edge of a logging town, and later refined those same arts when he hunted men first as a combat Marine, then later as an LAPD police officer and a private military contractor in Africa, Central America, and the Middle East. If I was good at hunting men, Pike was better. Pike had also been my partner in the agency since we bought it together, and my friend for even longer.” And now we meet, for what I believe is the first time, Jon Stone: “Jon Stone was a professional military contractor - - a PMC, also known as a mercenary . . . though occasionally he still worked as a special teams operator for certain corporations and governments, namely the good ol’ U.S. of A.” Stone is a man who loved challenges, believing that they “made life interesting.” And there is no dearth of challenges ahead of him in this tale. There is much more going on here than a simple case of kidnapping. We learn about the bajadores, predators who preyed upon other criminals, under whose control the lives of several of the players lie.

The first person p.o.v. is that of Pike, changing to third person according to the scenario unfolding. The book is very well-written, with just enough humor [usually within the Pike p.o.v.] to lighten the tension. Mr. Crais’ many fans will not be disappointed, and “Taken” is sure to add to that number. Recommended.
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Apr 20, 2012 Pipistrelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Is there a frisson of sexual tension between the laconic Joe Pike and Elvis Cole?

Another well written tale by Crais. He manages to walk the fine line between flippant humor (for me, a little of this goes a long way, and Crais gets it just right) and fast-moving tension.

But the description of Pike washing Cole's car was downright homoerotic. In Cole's absence, he soaps it, rinses it, carefully washes the dust and dirt away, wishing Cole would take better care of it, and dries it with soft towels....more

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Feb 25, 2012 Jay Connor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another strong outing for Robert Crais. He is quickly moving up on Michael Connelly as the LA noir writer extraordinaire.

After the recent "The Sentry," which was billed as a Joe Pike Novel, we shift leads back to the more approachable Elvis Cole as the lead and Joe Pike as the helpful/merciless assistant. But either way, the true lead is LA -- this time around it's desert and Coachella Valley communities spreading toward the bleak from Palm Springs. As I wrote last year, "in organic ways the el...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Tony rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thrillers

TAKEN. (2012). Robert Crais. ***.
In this latest thriller from Mr. Crais, he uses his usual cut-and-paste style of assembly, along with a hopscotch through time technique to move the plot forward. I can’t complain, though, it all seems to work very well. In this episode, Elvis Cole, the World’s Greatest Detective is hired by a woman to find her daughter. She has been gone for a week with her boyfriend and her mother has received two different ransom demands by phone. What makes her worried is th...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

For me this was an audiobook listen. I have loved the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike books from the start. Taken has both Elvis Cole and Joe Pike along with another character John Stone lending support. Yes, Elvis Cole is the Worlds greatest detective but in this book Joe Pike and John Stone have all the action. I found myself interested in the John Stone character and would like to read more about him. This novel has a good storyline and keeps you reading or in my case listening.

When Nita Morales hir...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Luanne Ollivier rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am always so excited when Robert Crais releases a new book - I just know I'm in for a night of great reading. Yes, a night - because once I start, I can't stop until I turn the last page. Crais' latest book - Taken - was no exception!

A group of young people, partying out in the desert by an old abandoned plane. Two of them - Jack and Krista - decide to hang back after the others have left. They unexpectedly find themselves witness to a local coyote (human smuggler) unloading his cargo. And thi...more I am always so excited when Robert Crais releases a new book - I just know I'm in for a night of great reading. Yes, a night - because once I start, I can't stop until I turn the last page. Crais' latest book - Taken - was no exception!

A group of young people, partying out in the desert by an old abandoned plane. Two of them - Jack and Krista - decide to hang back after the others have left. They unexpectedly find themselves witness to a local coyote (human smuggler) unloading his cargo. And things go from bad to worse when the coyotes and their load are hijacked - and kidnapped - including Jack and Krista.

Krista's mom calls in Elvis Cole - self proclaimed World's Greatest Detective - to help her find her missing daughter. She's received a ransom request, but thinks it's a joke - they've asked for only five hundred dollars. Elvis calls in his partner and best friend Joe Pike. When Elvis goes missing too, the kidnappers don't know who or what's coming for them - Joe Pike.

Crais has created two of my favourite recurring characters in one series. Elvis is full of snappy one liners and really, he never stops talking - even when he should. Joe Pike - well, he barely speaks at all. Both of them are dangerous men, but Pike - he's in class of his own. With Elvis in trouble, Pike calls in a fellow mercenary this time - Jon Stone. Stone is a great addition to this cast. He's just as tough as Pike, as chatty as Cole and bored when he hasn't got a 'situation' to work on.

Crais has taken an issue that has been in the headlines and exposed it's dirty underbelly - human trafficking is very real. His scenes are gritty, painting realistic pictures of what may befall those looking for a better life.

Taken is told in a unique format. The storyline snaps back and forth telling the story from the view of Jack and Krista, Elvis and Pike. The narrative is told in non linear fashion - the timeline jumps to before and after each was taken. This absolutely ratcheted up the tension (and the speed at which I turned pages!)

Why do I love this series so much? The plotting is great, the action non stop and the characters are fantastic. And at the bottom of it all for me - Joe Pike. Who isn't holding out for a hero? Jack Reacher fans will love Pike. If you're looking for an action packed read, you will have found it with Taken. (By the way it's already #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list!)
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Feb 03, 2012 Grey853 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, detective

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 27, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller-goodies

Okay--first thing off--the blurb attached is wrong. Crais admits in an author note that he was frantically re-writing the book up to the last possible second, so that blurb belongs to an earlier version that never saw the light of day.
In reality, Elvis is hired by the mother of a young woman who has gone missing after heading off to spend the weekend with her boyfriend. Mom doesn't like the guy, so she is all kinds of suspicious, especially of a phone call from her daughter asking for money. Elv...more Okay--first thing off--the blurb attached is wrong. Crais admits in an author note that he was frantically re-writing the book up to the last possible second, so that blurb belongs to an earlier version that never saw the light of day.
In reality, Elvis is hired by the mother of a young woman who has gone missing after heading off to spend the weekend with her boyfriend. Mom doesn't like the guy, so she is all kinds of suspicious, especially of a phone call from her daughter asking for money. Elvis agrees to take the case and is soon neck-deep in the shadowy world of illegal immigrants being smuggled into the US and the bandits who hijack those groups for ransom. Family can't or won't pay the ransom, the immigrant is killed. Looks like Krista and Jack (our young couple)were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and have been taken by the bandits.
Elvis Cole is aided in his search by his long-time friend Joe Pike and we ride along as they follow hints and clues and put a plan in place to get Elvis in close to the kids.
And then everything goes sour and Elvis finds himself taken by the baddies.

The writing is taut; the story unfolds in flashbacks and then segues to real time without a wasted word. I wanted to race through the book to find out What Happens Next. I also wanted to take my time, because it will be another year or so before there's another book out by Crais.

To me Robert Crais is a master of the noir-ish private eye story and I do not understand why he isn't at the top of the best seller lists with each new book. Cole is a wise-cracker and smart; for example, the banter between Elvis and Krista's room mate is a delight. Pike is a totally tight-lipped, stoic, get the job done. I love them both.

Although this is part of a long-running series, the story is self-contained. There are very few references to events and people from past books. You need not have read the other books to enjoy this one.

Warning--the body count is high and the violence fairly graphic before the end of the story is reached.(less)

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Jan 22, 2012 Teena in Toronto rated it 5 of 5 stars

already be too late ...

Though I've been a fan of Elvis Cole for many years, I've found the last few books just okay. The last two have been focused on Joe Pike, Elvis' best friend, and Elvis just had small parts in them. While I like Pike, the books where he is the focus are more serious.

I thought this book was the best one he's written in a while. While it's not as whimsical as past books with Elvis, there were glimpses of Elvis' humour and charm.

The chapter grouping was interesting as they ju...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Marleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Compared to the last Joe Pike/Elvis Cole book (The Sentry), this 13th book was surely a step-up.
With TAKEN Robert Crais presents us with a believable and well-constructed plot. I also enjoyed the out-of-order chronology, working backwards and forwards. It surely kept me on my toes.
The story centers on a young Latina and her Anglo boyfriend who are kidnapped by bandits along the Mexican border. These criminals, what they call "bajadores" are the worst of the worst - stealing immigrants from oth...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Bruce Snell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book number Thirteen in the Elvis Cole series, or book number Four in the Joe Pike series by Robert Crais - 4 stars. Elvis Cole is hired to locate a missing girl, Krista Morales, and her boyfriend, Jack Berman. Elvis quickly learns that the couple has been kidnapped by a team of bajadores (Mexican bandits that steal from other criminals) and they are being held for ransom along with other Hispanic, Korean, and Middle Eastern people who were attempting to enter the US illegally.

The story is told...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book, 2012

I've been reading Robert Crais novels for years and always enjoyed them but occasionally they can seem a bit formulaic. Then along comes something like Taken which makes everything fresh and exciting all over again. The story isn't presented in chronological order, the section headings make it absolutely clear where in the timeline you are at any particular point but if you don't pay attention you are going to be confused by the back and forth of the story and by who is telling the story. It is...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Larry Hoffer rated it 4 of 5 stars

While it's always exciting to discover new writers and unique literary voices, there's something tremendously comforting about reading another installment of a regular series of books. Having familiarity with specific characters, their habits and motivations, and revisiting a particular setting is kind of like visiting an old friend. Obviously, you hope that each book in a series is somewhat distinctive, but some of the enjoyment and excitement comes from returning to people and places you've be...more While it's always exciting to discover new writers and unique literary voices, there's something tremendously comforting about reading another installment of a regular series of books. Having familiarity with specific characters, their habits and motivations, and revisiting a particular setting is kind of like visiting an old friend. Obviously, you hope that each book in a series is somewhat distinctive, but some of the enjoyment and excitement comes from returning to people and places you've been.

I've read all of Robert Crais' books featuring wiseass private detective Elvis Cole and his stoic, steadfast, strong, and sensitive sidekick, Joe Pike, and I absolutely love these characters. I like the way Crais has been switching back and forth over the last few years between allowing Cole and Pike to anchor alternating books, although each features in the other's stories. The loyalty and chemistry between the two, as well as Crais' ability to create tension and terrific action, make all of his books enjoyable, quick reads.

As Taken begins, young couple Krista Morales and Jack Berman are visiting the site of an old plane crash in the desert near Rancho Mirage, CA when they disappear. When Krista's mother, Nita, a successful business owner who recently revealed to Krista that she came to the U.S. illegally as a young child, receives a phone call from Krista demanding money, she thinks that this is a scheme Krista and Jack have cooked up to run off and get married. Nita hires Cole to find Krista and bring her home—but Cole finds out the situation is far worse than anyone imagined.

Krista and Jack were swept up in a gunfight between human traffickers and "bajadores," criminals who prey on other criminals. The two are mistaken for illegal aliens and become pawns in a scheme to extort money from immigrants' family members. The scheme, which leads to the death of many immigrants from all over the world each year, is masterminded by Syrian gangster Ghazi al-Diri and involves a deadly Korean gang as well. When Cole tries to infiltrate al-Diri's operation in an effort to rescue Krista and Jack backfires, Pike and his friend, mercenary Jon Stone, must find him before it's too late. But that's not as easy as it sounds, as Jack has a powerful relative who's searching for him as well.

This book really reads more like a movie, as it switches narration between Jack and Krista, Elvis, Pike, and Jon Stone, and ratchets up the action fairly quickly. Cole is slightly less sarcastic than usual (and in fact, seems a little less of a presence in this book than he normally does), but Pike is at his loyal best. Because of the nature of the plot, Cole and Pike don't interact much, which I missed as well. But Crais' knack for telling a story that grips you quickly remains intact.

If you've never read Robert Crais' books before, I'd encourage you to give him a try. And if you're a fan, while Taken might not be one of the strongest in the Elvis Cole series, it's still great to be back amidst Elvis and Joe Pike. (less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Cathy DuPont rated it 4 of 5 stars

Damn, that was good.

About a third of the way through and I was thinking that I was giving this book three stars. Couldn’t possibly be four stars like every other Crais book I’ve read, and I’ve read them all.

After I got over the initial shock of jumping in time and characters, I settled in for an enjoyable ride with both Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Both guys in about equal amounts. I liked that because I like them both. Must fess up here though that Elvis is still my favorite while most people like...more Damn, that was good.

About a third of the way through and I was thinking that I was giving this book three stars. Couldn’t possibly be four stars like every other Crais book I’ve read, and I’ve read them all.

After I got over the initial shock of jumping in time and characters, I settled in for an enjoyable ride with both Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Both guys in about equal amounts. I liked that because I like them both. Must fess up here though that Elvis is still my favorite while most people like Joe more. My reason? Joe is funnier, more light hearted. Joe is all business and as readers know, isn’t very talkative. Taciturn is what the professional reviewers have called him. Taciturn Joe Pike.

Interestingly, Crais introduced a new character called Jon Stone. Blond with spiked hair Stone is a mercenary who commands top dollar and his top employer is the U. S. Government. Jon and Joe seem to be buddies although Jon knows Elvis. Jon isn’t an easy going character either. He sells his services for big bucks unlike Elvis (and Joe for that matter.) The only way Joe gets Jon to agree to assist in finding the missing Elvis is to say Joe will owe him a favor. All it took to get Jon on board. So much for the friend connection but they apparently respect the ability of each other and ‘speak the same language’ which with Joe, isn’t much. They went through similar schools and know intuitively that circling your index finger means you’re going to circle the house, not wrap things up, things like that. The stuff they need to know in order to find the missing Elvis alive.

Thought it was very cool (cool still the right word?) that Crais gave Michael Connelly a nod by saying “She stared at the door as if it were a nightmare painting from Hieronymus Bosch’s personal, tortured hell.” That, to Connelly readers of course, is Harry Bosch’s name.

A real roller coaster read and up to par with all the preceding books in my mind. Really glad because I was not looking forward to giving this book three stars; wanted a four star like all the others. Great job, Robert Crais. Give us another. We’re more than ready for one, two or all three characters once again.

(less)

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Jan 30, 2012 Jeffrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, read-in-2012, thriller

A new Robert Crais book is an occasion to read a master at work. His knowledge of the criminal element and the evil they do is second to none. Also he really does a good job in giving the hostages a presence in the story. The prisoner scenes and the horror there really increases the tension.

One of the more interesting elements of the novel is its non linear plot. The action is broken up into the point of view of various characters and some of the story is told from the point of view of some char...more A new Robert Crais book is an occasion to read a master at work. His knowledge of the criminal element and the evil they do is second to none. Also he really does a good job in giving the hostages a presence in the story. The prisoner scenes and the horror there really increases the tension.

One of the more interesting elements of the novel is its non linear plot. The action is broken up into the point of view of various characters and some of the story is told from the point of view of some characters about events involving other characters that have not yet happened. So you know a little of the future ahead of time. I think Crais used this non linear approach to rachet up the tension and because a straight manhunt for the taken people would be too similar to some of his earlier Pike novels. I understand why Crais chose this approach, but I think it hurt the narrative flow.

Also Crais approaches the Pike character in different ways when the novel has Cole and Pike together than when Pike is the main character. This may be because Cole views Pike as more of a skilled hunter, but we do not get as much of the internal Pike characters as we do in a standalone Pike novel. Jon Stone, a character from prior Pike novels makes an appearance and does add more flavor.

Basically, Cole is hired to find Krista Morales, who with her boyfriend Jake Berman have been kidnapped. Krista's mother thinks the boyfriend is involved, but Cole quickly realizes that this is a real kidnapping by very bad people and calls in his friend Pike for help.

Cole and Pike soon discovers that the Syrian, a bandit who kidnaps illegal immigrants from the coyotes who are trying to get them into the USA and then ransoms them to their families, has taken Krista and Jack. This is a nightmare because when the poor immigrants families cannot pay, the prisoners are killed. At the same time that Krista and Jake are taken, a bunch of Korean immigrants are also taken including the grandson of a local Korean criminal organization. The Koreans want their people freed and want the grandson back.

Cole the detective gets on the track of the Syrian and midway makes a play with the Korean crime family help to try to fool the Syrian. Meanwhile, Krista, Jack and the grandson have to survive the attentions of the Syrian and his murderous thugs.

Ultimately, its up to Jon Stone and Pike to locate Cole, Krista and Jack, and Pike must use all of his unique skills to put himself in a position to rescue the hostages. The ATF, a bad real estate agent, a worried mother, a bunch of abused desperate prisoners, all are baked into the plot and add the necessary elements that keep the story moving along. Cole is also instrumental in the final battle.

Its a winner.(less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Yvonne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Other than The Sentry, I don't really follow this series which may have put me at a disadvantage. But I didn't love this book. It meanders from one character's point of view to another & from one time frame to another sometimes jumping ahead to let us know the end and then backtracking to the beginning. It felt a little detached and impersonal due to this.

The book starts with the kidnapping of two young people and because they were never fleshed out a lot of the times I was almost indifferen...more

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About Robert Crais

Robert Crais is the author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels. A native of Louisiana, he grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River in a blue collar family of oil refinery workers and police officers. He purchased a secondhand paperback of Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister when he was fifteen, which inspired his lifelong love of writing, Los Angeles, and the literature of crime fiction....more Robert Crais is the author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels. A native of Louisiana, he grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River in a blue collar family of oil refinery workers and police officers. He purchased a secondhand paperback of Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister when he was fifteen, which inspired his lifelong love of writing, Los Angeles, and the literature of crime fiction. Other literary influences include Dashiell Hammett, Ernest Hemingway, Robert B. Parker, and John Steinbeck.
After years of amateur film-making and writing short fiction, he journeyed to Hollywood in 1976 where he quickly found work writing scripts for such major television series as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice, as well as numerous series pilots and Movies-of-the-Week for the major networks. He received an Emmy nomination for his work on Hill Street Blues, but is most proud of his 4-hour NBC miniseries, Cross of Fire, which the New York Times declared: "A searing and powerful documentation of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to national prominence in the 20s."
In the mid-eighties, feeling constrained by the collaborative working requirements of Hollywood, Crais resigned from a lucrative position as a contract writer and television producer in order to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. His first efforts proved unsuccessful, but upon the death of his father in 1985, Crais was inspired to create Elvis Cole, using elements of his own life as the basis of the story. The resulting novel, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award. It has since been selected as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.
Crais conceived of the novel as a stand-alone, but realized that—in Elvis Cole—he had created an ideal and powerful character through which to comment upon his life and times. (See the WORKS section for additional titles.) Elvis Cole’s readership and fan base grew with each new book, then skyrocketed in 1999 upon the publication of L. A. Requiem, which was a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and forever changed the way Crais conceived of and structured his novels. In this new way of telling his stories, Crais combined the classic ‘first person’ narrative of the American detective novel with flashbacks, multiple story lines, multiple points-of-view, and literary elements to better illuminate his themes. Larger and deeper in scope, Publishers Weekly wrote of L. A. Requiem, "Crais has stretched himself the way another Southern California writer—Ross Macdonald—always tried to do, to write a mystery novel with a solid literary base." Booklist added, "This is an extraordinary crime novel that should not be pigeonholed by genre. The best books always land outside preset boundaries. A wonderful experience."
Crais followed with his first non-series novel, Demolition Angel, which was published in 2000 and featured former Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Technician Carol Starkey. Starkey has since become a leading character in the Elvis Cole series. In 2001, Crais published his second non-series novel, Hostage, which was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times and was a world-wide bestseller. Additionally, the editors of Amazon.com selected Hostage as the #1 thriller of the year. A film adaptation of Hostage was released in 2005, starring Bruce Willis as ex-LAPD SWAT negotiator Jeff Talley.
Elvis Cole returned in 2003 with the publication of The Last Detective, followed by the tenth Elvis Cole novel, The Forgotten Man, in 2005. Both novels explore with increasing depth the natures and characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. RC’s third stand-alone novel, The Two Minute Rule, was published in 2006. The eleventh entry in the Elvis Cole series, The Watchman, will be published sometime in 2007.(less)

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Books by Robert Crais

The Sentry (Elvis Cole, #12, Joe Pike, #3)

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Taken (Elvis Cole #13)

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