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L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole #8)

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 5,662 ratings · 280 reviews

The day starts like any other in L.A. The sun burns hot as the Santa Ana winds blow ash from mountain fires to coat the glittering city. But for private investigator Joe Pike, the city will never be the same again. His ex-lover, Karen Garcia, is dead, brutally murdered with a gun shot to the head.

Now Karen's powerful father calls on Pike (a former cop) and his partner, Elv...more

Paperback, 416 pages

Published February 1st 2000 by Ballantine Books (first published January 1st 1999)

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Jun 19, 2012 Kemper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, crime-mystery, detectives, elvis-cole

What’s this? Joe Pike has a personal history? And emotions? I was thinking he was just another Bad Ass Friend of the lead in a crime novel. Is this even allowed?

Elvis Cole gets a call from Joe asking for help. Elvis is shocked when he finds wealthy Frank Garcia treating Joe like a son and begging him to find his missing daughter Karen. Even more shocking, Joe used to date Karen and admits to Elvis that he broke her heart. The two detectives start looking, but the LAPD quickly shows up to break t...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Dan Schwent rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-and-mystery, 2012

A woman Joe Pike used to be involved with is murdered and her father hires Elvis Cole and Joe Pike the find the killer. Things take a dark turn when it turns out the woman was murdered by a serial killer and that serial killer appears to be... Joe Pike?

As I've mentioned in pretty much ever review I've done for an Elvis Cole book so far, I thought he was a Spenser ripoff for the first book or two. This one leaves my initial impression in the dust like a drag racer trying to set a world land spee...more

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Apr 09, 2008 Karen Fyke rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Parker fans, Los Angeles readers

Shelves: mysteries

This is about the 7th of the series wherein Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are partners in a detective agency. It's good that I read this one first, because in it we discover Joe's past that causes him to be what he is. There's a faint resemblance between this series and the Parker series, but the action in this one isn't as humorous and the book takes longer to read. The funniest biplay was when Cole tells someone to "call me Elvis," and the other character says, "I don't think I can do that."

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May 26, 2008 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Number 8. The first one I read. As a stand alone story, its great. However, when I went back and read the series, I realized this book is far more then a quick ass piece of noir detective fiction. This novel brings Joe Pike, Elvis' partner and protector, to the fore front. His ex girlfriend is murdered, and the leading suspect in none other then Pike himself, which is impossible, as Pike has an airtight alibi when the murder took place. Another great example of how Crais can take a near superhum...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Harry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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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Mar 04, 2013 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense, pi-mystery

4 stars for the Joe parts. 2 stars for the Elvis parts. Some plot issues were not well thought out.

This is book 8 in the Elvis Cole series with two main characters Elvis and Joe Pike. The Elvis parts were done in first person. I did not care about Elvis. The Joe parts were done in third person and were excellent. I enjoyed reading about Joe and his back story. I would have preferred the entire book be third person.

I had a minor problem with two characters: Eugene Dirsh and Edward Deej. The names...more 4 stars for the Joe parts. 2 stars for the Elvis parts. Some plot issues were not well thought out.

This is book 8 in the Elvis Cole series with two main characters Elvis and Joe Pike. The Elvis parts were done in first person. I did not care about Elvis. The Joe parts were done in third person and were excellent. I enjoyed reading about Joe and his back story. I would have preferred the entire book be third person.

I had a minor problem with two characters: Eugene Dirsh and Edward Deej. The names were too similar and I had a hard time keeping them straight - especially as an audiobook.

There were references to sex about four times. Three were hinted at or referred to with no details, for example “she was in his bed as he woke up.” The other was described as “we made love on the couch.” There was nothing more detailed than that.

I don’t mind suspending disbelief when something is fun. But here it wasn’t fun enough, so the plot problems annoyed me. For example, Joe took large bullets to the chest and walked away. The FBI were involved in the case and then sort of vanished. The author never completed that thought. Another problem is described in Spoiler below. It was the major climactic scene and made me angry.

(view spoiler)

The narrator was Ron McLarty. I can’t remember how I felt about him. I think he was fine.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Elvis. 3rd person Joe. Unabridged audiobook length: 13 hrs and 35 mins. Swearing language: moderate including religious swear words. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: about 4. Setting: current day Los Angeles, California. Book copyright: 1999. Genre: mystery suspense, PI mystery.

SERIES:
I’ve read the following books in the Elvis Cole series.
2 ½ stars. The Monkey’s Raincoat, Book 1
3 stars. L.A. Requiem, Book 8(less)

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Sep 14, 2012 Pat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read all the Cole and Pike stories to date and this is the most revealing. Im not sure if that is a good thing, though I guess it was needed in order for the series to develop. Till now all the stories have been based around the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike detective agency who always seem to get themselves involved in some high profile and dangerous shenanigans. Cole is the wise cracking hot shot detective and Pike is his cool as fuck cold blooded side kick who speaks little but impresses gre...more

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May 06, 2012 Rob Kitchin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Without wishing to offend either author, LA Requiem reminded a lot of Michael Connelly's LA stories, especially those concerning Harry Bosch. The writing style, setting and focus seemed very similar to me - LA, Robbery-Homicide, serial killer, investigators who are Vietnam vets. This is no bad thing as I think both are very fine writers, rather just an observation. LA Requiem rattles along at quick, steady pace. Crais writes with an assured hand. The story is well crafted, with a nice layering o...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-and-half-stars_rating, cole-and-pike-series

4.5 stars
Dang!!!

This is probably the BEST and my FAVORITE Elvis Cole book yet. Why? Because it digs deeper into Joe Pike's past; his childhood, why he left L.A.P.D, and the women in his past. Over the course of previous six books, Pike came as an enigmatic man with little words to say. Here, he fleshes out more and in impact, sort of pushing Cole aside, even this is still Cole's book (I think this is a foundation for Joe Pike's own spin-off series).

I love the writing, how it switches from Cole...more

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Oct 20, 2009 Tony rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Robert Crais- L.A. Requiem (Ballantine Books 2000) 3.75 Stars

Private Investigator Joe Pike’s ex-girlfriend, Karen Garcia, has just turned up dead. Karen’s father, an important man on the city council, is calling on Pike and his partner Cole to work with the LAPD to find the killer. The pair suddenly finds themselves in a maze of conspiracy. This case could cost them more than just their jobs, or even their friendship, their lives are at stake.

This is a great thrill ride. L.A. Requiem has twists...more

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Sep 08, 2009 Johnny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

My brothers are so cruel. All of them have, at one time or another, given me a novel late in a series (Doug gave me a Robert Vardeman fantasy novel that was #3 in the series and, naturally, I had to buy the first two and fill out the rest of The Cenotaph Road series. James introduced me to Martha Grimes' Richard Jury series with Jerusalem Inn (somewhere around #5 or #6). And now, my brother David gives me #8 in a series.) Well, you'd better believe I'm going to read the first seven and probably...more My brothers are so cruel. All of them have, at one time or another, given me a novel late in a series (Doug gave me a Robert Vardeman fantasy novel that was #3 in the series and, naturally, I had to buy the first two and fill out the rest of The Cenotaph Road series. James introduced me to Martha Grimes' Richard Jury series with Jerusalem Inn (somewhere around #5 or #6). And now, my brother David gives me #8 in a series.) Well, you'd better believe I'm going to read the first seven and probably any others that he writes.

To me, Crais' writing is crisper than Wambaugh's and right up there with Connolly's (my favorite). It isn't as disturbing as Ellroy's (which are well-written enough to keep me coming back like a morbid curiosity seeker to a train wreck--I hate myself for enjoying Ellroy, but I do) or quite as nuanced as Dunning's novels. To paraphrase a cliche, he had me at "the a.c. jacked to meat locker."

The only reason I didn't give this book a 5-star rating was because I felt Crais was somewhat ham-handed with his red herring. I can't say more than that without spoiling the mystery, but he was very careful with his red herring--so careful that it wasn't a surprise when the hook was bared. But did I feel like he knew Southern California from San Gabriel to Mulholland to Santa Monica and all the way to Palm Springs and 29 Palms? I spent my college years and a few more in Southern California and this book had me going crazy with the Santa Ana winds and longing for Dodger Stadium (Ironic, since my first loyalties were to the Giants and the Angels--of course, the Angels played in Dodger Stadium/Chavez Ravine when I first started rooting for them).

The book handled the LAPD right. I knew some LAPD and LA Sheriff's Department guys. This book reads like stories they would tell--especially the stories about crummy cops who were promoted because they knew where to plant their lips and the secondary story line about the female detective who accumulated about as much respect as Rodney Dangerfield's stand-up routine.

And one of the main characters, Joe Pike, reminds me so much of an FBI agent I once met. I was only a peripheral witness in a fraud case, but when Crais describes those cold blue eyes and that humorless expression, I see that FBI agent in my mind's eye--time traveling right back, coincidentally enough, to Los Angeles. And when the main protagonist and narrator, Elvis Cole, takes a drive across familiar roads to clear his head and proclaims that he loves L.A., it reminded me of some special drives I had taken in some of those same areas just to get away from some bad situations and clear my head.

The mystery itself was handled very well. One finds oneself truly debating whether this perpetrator is merely a serial killer or has a design. I was several chapters into the book before I made up my mind on that one, even though I was pretty sure early on. I like it when an author makes me doubt my original assumptions. (less)

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May 20, 2009 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've only read one Elvis Cole book previously, but this was the third Robert Crais novel I've read. Trust me, I'll be reading more.

This novel deals more with Cole's partner, Joe Pike, and the story unwinds with the help of some flashbacks and dreams. One would think that Joe would be seriously messed up, and he is indeed one violent character, but glimpses of good and morality keep coming through. However, in this case, the two private detectives are called in to investigate the disappearance of...more

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Aug 05, 2010 Greg rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, cleaning-house

According to a blurb, Robert Crais is the descendant of Ross MacDonald, who is the literary heir to James Cain, who is the direct inheritor of Raymond Chandler's crown. People who write reviews professionally love saying shit like that, and as in most cases they are wrong. James Ellroy is the heir to Chandler's position. Everyone else is just writing some genre fiction, like Chandler Ellroy is creating art of the the dirt and shit that make up Los Angeles. I'd agree that these other guys maybe a...more

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May 17, 2012 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: police, mystery

Excellent crime novel. This is apparently #8 in the Elvis Cole series, which I only learned now as I'm trying to put my feelings about this book into words. I thought it was a stand alone book; I never felt anything was missing - so, well done Mr. Crais. Elvis Cole is a private investigator whose partner in the business, Joe Pike, asks Elvis to help him find a missing girl - the daughter of a friend and oh by the way, Joe's ex. The police find her first, dead, and they'd love to pin the murder o...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Vannessagrace Vannessagrace rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: robert-crais

John Chen, Crime Science Investigator, 6’1” and 124 pounds, while investigating crime scenes is always comparing himself to other men and the reason why they’re getting laid and he isn’t, and he refers to his car and the tang mobile.

In this installment Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are looking for the man or men who killed Joe Pike’s ex-girlfriend Karen Garcia.

Yeah! That’s right! I said Joe Pike’s ex-girlfriend one he really cared for and one whom her father, Frank Garcia, wanted his daughter to marry...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Jbunn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pretty good story but poor characterization. Most of the characters are more sketched than three-dimensional. This is true even/especially of the main detective and the killer. The sidekick detective gets fleshed out a bit via flashback scenes, which makes him more interesting than the others, although he's still something of a cartoon, and the plot elements associated with him are mostly absurd. The female characters/love interests are insipid. I liked the LA backdrop but it wasn't really integ...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Dale rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great Elvis Cole novel

L.A. Requiem is a wonderful hard-boiled detective novel - a real pleasure, especially since I've run across a string of sub-par books lately.

No worries with that here.

The reader does not have to have read the previous Elvis Cole novels to read and enjoy this one - in fact, you will discover more about Cole's mysterious partner, Joe Pike, in this one book than you will have read about in all of the previous books combined.

L.A. Requiem is book #8 in the Elvis Cole serie...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Gina Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, favorites, series, mystery

Best of the series yet! This one has it all: friendship, romance, family, trust, and betrayal, all wrapped up in one small package that delivers a hefty wallop.

L.A. Requiem starts out with a glimpse into the past when Officer Joe Pike and his partner follow up a lead on a missing girl case.

Jumping forward to the present day, Joe calls on his partner Elvis Cole, World's Greatest Detective, to assist him with another missing person's case. It's the first time Joe's ever asked Elvis for a favor, a...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Marie-jo Fortis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In his article “In the Mind of Others” (shared on Facebook by a friend; and now —surprise, surprise!— on sale online for six bucks or so; sorry I ain’t buyin’) Keith Oatley addresses the fact that psychologists, who for a long time scorned fiction, have recently revised their judgement and declared it beneficial to one’s social skills. The reason for the initial derision was that fiction was “made up.” Not real. In other words, an act of imagination. That Sigmund Freud dug out the expression “O...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Mark Soone rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Crais has crafted yet another high quality mystery featuring Cole & Pike. This has quickly become one of my favorite series and although I only started reading Crais about 2 months ago, I have only one left and am disappointed as I wonder who I can turn to next (any recs???)????

This time Pikes former girlfriend has gone missing, and he and Cole are hired by the firls father to find her....to late she has already been murdered, and apparently Pike was seen in the area. Many people have reason...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Tom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Just finished this book, and it's in the running for one of my top five of the year. Maybe higher. The first quarter of the book sets the stage, and I was starting to get worried about a letdown. After all the rave reviews, maybe I was missing something. Throughout this section, we get tidbits of Pike's boyhood. Finally, we get to peek behind the curtain. Greatness. But the suspense picked up even more til about halfway through, and then the whole thing exploded and never stops through part two....more

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Feb 25, 2012 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

L.A. Requiem is the book in which Robert Crais elevated his game from being simply a great mystery writer to a great writer. The previous books in the Elvis Cole series center around wise-cracking detective Elvis Cole, a smart, moral guy who solves cases. They are usually funny, have good plots and are enjoyable to read.

L.A. Requiem has all of these characteristics, but is a much more powerful book than other Crais efforts. Like its predecessors, Requiem has a good plot: a woman from Elvis' par...more L.A. Requiem is the book in which Robert Crais elevated his game from being simply a great mystery writer to a great writer. The previous books in the Elvis Cole series center around wise-cracking detective Elvis Cole, a smart, moral guy who solves cases. They are usually funny, have good plots and are enjoyable to read.

L.A. Requiem has all of these characteristics, but is a much more powerful book than other Crais efforts. Like its predecessors, Requiem has a good plot: a woman from Elvis' partner, Joe Pike's past is murdered, and Joe and Elvis are tasked with finding the killer. Things quickly move from just a present-day investigation, as slowly, resentments from events long-past are brought into the mix. It is this element that makes the book so good.

The character of Joe Pike has always been a highly original and entertaining one. However, this book takes the time to delve into his boyhood and history in the military in ways that really bring depth to the character. We find out why Joe is persona no grata with the LAPD as well as learn how his childhood affected his present day persona. It is great writing.

At the same time, deeper themes beyond simply moving the plot forward stream throughout the book. Friendship, revenge, humiliation and forbidden love are tied up in the events of the book in ways that make the reader really care about the characters. Lucy Chenier is back, but Elvis also strikes up a friendship with a brash female detective named Samantha Dolan, who is a powerful character. The mousey and resentful Harvey Krantz is another great character.

All of this combines to make the book work on many levels. The mystery unfolds logically and builds over the chapters of the book. Maybe some readers could guess who the killer was, but I was surprised. It builds to a powerful climax and the afterward is powerful as well. L.A. Requiem is not only a good mystery, it works as art. You can read it for fun, but you may find that it makes you feel and think a bit more than you expected to when you picked it up.(less)

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Oct 06, 2011 Greg Gountanis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Robert Crais's L.A. Requiem is a solid PI novel that delves deep into the underworld of L.A. Crais's hero-PI Elvis Cole is still the wise-cracking jokester out to save the day, but Cole's partner Joe Pike gets the spotlight in this story. Readers get a glimpse of the rugged Pike and how he came to be the shade-wearing man of so few words. Crais departs from the typical first-person narrative in L.A. Requiem, effectively interspersing the POV's of the villain, Pike, and Cole.

When a girl is found...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Manugw rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

INTERESTING CRIME MYSTERY THRILLER

The murder of Karen Garcia, the daughter of a powerful Hispanic successful immigrant unleashes a whirlwind of stories unresolved in the past which begin to resurface after lying dormant for a long time. From this point Mr. Crais conceive this consistent and very neat "whodunit "crime story with LA flair which did not let go until the very end and with a rich character drawing encompassing private investigator Elvis Cole, former policeman and close friend Joe Pik...more

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Nov 02, 2007 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: detectivenovels

This is the best of the Elvis Cole series by far. Robert Crais portrays the dark side of life in sunny California very nicely, and he has developed Elvis Cole into more than just a wisecracking tough guy. Great plot and great supporting characters, as well. And, we finally find out something more about Joe Pike (I think I'm in love, by the way).

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Aug 27, 2012 Jennifer Sanders rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this book at a thrift store for a quarter. Before reading this book, I was pretty much a author-specific reader. Being the creature of habit that I am, I would go straight to Mary Higgins Clark or Sandra Brown. Love a suspense/mystery/crime page turner. This book opened my literary eyes and broadened my horizons, so to speak. I simply could not put this down. Didn't know who Joe Pike or Elvis Cole was, but got to know them pretty well in this book. Elvis has always got a smart-a** comme...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Tim Warner rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

a little over halfway on my first Robert Crais. Terrific in every way... can't put it down and don't want it to end.

Ok, i finished it. I loved it. It is great and the fellow Goodreads member who recommended Crais to me is my new best friend. Thanks!

Some writers are seemingly looking at the fast track to a big bank account. Some writers recognize that writing is a skill, a craft, an artistic endeavor. In this genre, Robert Crais is the craftsman, the artist, the skilled creator who can make my h...more

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Oct 14, 2009 Debbi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Elvis Cole is a tough guy private eye – but not too tough. He actually has a soft inner core that makes him slightly less hardened than many protagonists of the hard-boiled genre. Yet, he's hardly a cream puff. In fact, he'll kick ass, if need be. And he has a sardonic sense of humor that makes him reminiscent of Robert Parker's Spenser, except he's in Los Angeles.

Cole has a partner, Joe Pike, who's stoic (to say the least). Hard to read behind his ever-present sunglasses, Pike plays even-more-b...more

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Mar 08, 2013 GS Nathan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fine book with appropriately crafted twists. The tension of the choice Cole has to make - between his partner and friend Pike, and his girlfriend - is set up very well. The story of murder and the mystery behind it is also quite gripping. But there are false tones throughout the book, there are diversions and, most importantly, the resolution, the denouement, is not satisfying or dare I say, believable at all. It is like a Tamil movie, all shots fired and the hero gets hit, but still gets up t...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Angela Sweatman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

finally we get some info about Pike and the reasons for the LAPD hating him. which just pisses u off because Pike is one of the most loyal guys u could have at your back. when Pike gets asked by an old girlfriends dad to look for her things heat up fast when shes found dead soon after he and cole start looking. the hunt for the killer isnt easy. the cops arent volunteering any help and pike finds himself accused of the murder of the cops one suspect in many deaths. someone is setting pike up and...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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The Sentry (Elvis Cole, #12, Joe Pike, #3)

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Quotes from L.A. Requiem

“Some of us find our way with a single light to guide us; others lose themselves even when the star field is as sharp as a neon ceiling. Ethics may not be situational, but feelings are. We learn to adjust, and, over time, the stars we use to guide ourselves come to reside within rather than without.” — 6 people liked it

“I love L.A. It's a great, sprawling, spread-to-hell city that protects us by its sheer size. Four hundred sixty-five square miles. Eleven million beating hearts in Los Angeles County, documented and not. Eleven million. What are the odds? The girl raped beneath the Hollywood sign isn't your sister, the boy back-stroking in a red pool isn't your son, the splatter patterns on the ATM machine are sourceless urban art. We're safe that way. When it happens it's going to happen to someone else.” — 3 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/536842.L_A_Requiem?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344371692l/536842.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/536842.L_A_Requiem?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais[/url]

L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole #8)

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