Guess I have an Elvis Cole/Joe Pike fixation right now, waiting for new releases later in the fall. I decided to start from the beginning. This is the 2nd Cole/Pike novel by Crais. And while I might say it may be a 'formulaic' Cole novel, that doesn't make it any less entertaining or fun. Based in LA, Cole is doing yoga in his office when he is hired to find a rare book stolen from the home of a wealthy developer with a Japan obsession. And naturally, this family is one seriously messed up clan. Said book is an original rendition of the guidelines that a Samurai warrior lives by - priceless. The trail leads Elvis Cole deep into the depths and dregs of Little Tokyo in LA and all clues lead to a shadowy Japanese mafia-like organization, which Cole, of course, manages to piss off in a big way.
At some award banquet for the book's caretaker, the daughter, Mimi, goes missing and assumed to be kidnapped. While Cole is trying to find her, he learns she is tight with an up and comer in that Japanese crime syndicate. When Cole tracks Mimi down, she says they are in love but all Cole sees is this bum using her to get at this book to raise his standing in the mob. Mimi also says her dad sexually abused her - Cole is seriously pissed now.
In the end, everything was all instigated by Mimi to get back at her father. She kills her father and the ensuing climatic shootout takes down everyone but Mimi. Turns out, that guy really did love Mimi, but we never really know if her dad did what she said. Mimi is a pathologic liar.
This book is typical Crais/Cole. Quickly read, pretty short, funny in many spots, deadly in others. Cole's quick wit is one core of the story, but so is his compassion, even if it is a bit misplaced in this tale. As a Crais fan, would I place it amongst his top 5? Probably not. But that won't stop me from moving forward in his bibliography. The next in line is Lullaby Town, which I've already read. So next up is Free Fall, right after I finish reading an early Bob Less Swagger (aka Bob the Nailer) story by Stephen Hunter.
East Coast Don
p.s. looking for new mystery/thriller writers? Check out Watchlist, edited by Jeffery Deaver. This book has two very entertaining serialized stories with each chapter written by a different author. Check it out to see which author's style trips your trigger. Me? I'll be looking into Jim Fusilli.
This one had Elvis Cole at his most flippant, most outrageous, really almost a cartoon character. This was truly an airplane book, one that I nearly finished on a flight between LA and Denver. It's light literature, entertaining.
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