This was a good book. I enjoyed the story and the characters - especially Harvey and Stemms (it's a shame they couldn't have stuck around for another book because they were great villains). I'm 99% sure I would have enjoyed this more if I had read even one of the previous Elvis Cole or Joe Pike books because while I did like Elvis and Joe, I think I would've gotten more from their interactions if I knew some of their backstory. This can definitely be read as a standalone - I was able to work out the relationships, and all that, with ease - but I wouldn't recommend it as I think I would have given this five stars if I'd felt more connection to Joe and Elvis. I'll be on the lookout for the first book in the series at my library because now I want to know how Joe and Elvis started working together.

The Wanted has been on my Netgalley to read list for over two years. I don’t know what it was that caused me to keep putting it off. I had never read Robert Crais before. (Where have I been!!)

The main character, Private Investigator Elvis Cole, is easy to like. He is calm, collected and thoughtful. He is a bit of a ladies man so I am interested to read more backstory. His partner, Joe Pike, is dark sunglasses and taciturn but every now and then a softer side will emerge.

Cole is hired by worried mum Devon Connor to find out how her 17 year old son, Tyson, is acquiring designer clothes and a Rolex watch.
As Cole investigates the ownership of the watch he finds it is stolen property and part of a major police investigation involving a large number of burglaries. Cole seems to be one step ahead of the police in this investigation however, there are two thugs, hired to find some of the stolen goods, that are steps ahead of them both and they are leaving dead bodies in their wake. The baddies were bad but they were also laugh out loud funny which was the perfect contrast to lighten the darkness in this story.

The Wanted is fast paced and gritty. The portrayal of the teens, Tyson and his friends, was real. Their skill with technology but also their naivety was well depicted.

I have now found myself a new series and at book #17 I have plenty to catch up on.

Having not read many mystery/thriller novels they always keep me on my toes. The Wanted was no exception, for me this was great and exciting read.

Thoroughly enjoyable read - it's hard to go wrong with the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike formula! A little melodramatic in parts, but full of suspense and a plot that drives you forward at all times. A great weekend read.

I'd never read any Crais before but I enjoyed this! Enough suspense to keep you interested the whole way through.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Seventeen-year-old Tyson is a normal teenaged boy – he’s socially awkward, obsessed with video games, and always hungry. But his mother is worried that her sweet, nerdy son has started to change… and she’s just found a $40,000 Rolex watch under his bed. Suddenly very frightened that Tyson has gotten involved in something illegal, his mother gets in touch with a private investigator named Elvis Cole and asks him to do some digging.
Cole uncovers a connection between Tyson and eighteen unsolved burglaries in LA’s ritziest neighbourhood. Tyson spooks and runs.
And then the bodies start turning up…

What's not to love about a new Cole and Pike novel?

A worried mother thinks her son is involved in selling drugs after finding some expensive items in the house. Cole and Pike find much more...burglaries with two other kids and, when discovered, does the runner and then the chase is on...

Hitmen are trying to find the trio of kids, cops are trying to solve the burglaries, Cole is trying to keep the mother safe and gets Pike to take care of that. Everyone wants the kids - some for not-so-nice reasons...

What Robert Crais is able to do (unlike some of his contemporaries) is keep a long-running series fresh and original. Every novel is different enough to every other that the longevity of the series is guaranteed. While Elvis and Joe remain at the centre of most stories, it is the vast array of secondary characters that keeps this series moving. Always filled with diverse characters and multi-faceted storylines and plots, the Cole and Pike novels are a refreshing change in a world of paint-by-numbers series.


Paul
ARH

Thank you for the chance to read this. But I tried to read it, and didn't manage to complete it, so I plan to try again later this year.

There's a question at the end of this book: "Is your name really Elvis?" The response should have been, "♪ Uh-hu-hu-huh. ♪"

Elvis Cole is called in to figure out how a worried mother's son came by a luxury watch. Elvis and Joe Pike proceed to investigate a series of high-end burglaries, a spate of murders, and why two professional cleaners are looking for the teen boy. They even get to shoot people for a change.

I do enjoy picking up the occasional Robert Crais novel. They are entertaining and well paced, and offer up a slightly different take on the crime-thriller novel. Admittedly, I actually prefer Crais' earlier books in the series as they had more humour, but his later novels are worth a read too.

What stops me recommending this novel more than the 4 stars I've given it is that, like any long-running series, there is a paint-by-numbers feel to the story. It is actually impressive that Crais hasn't resorted to a more obvious formula yet, but that could be a reflection of my not reading every Cole and Pike novel.

The Wanted is another solid Cole and Pike novel, and highly enjoyable.

I received an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

The wanted

This is a riveting book. Well written with interesting characters. Even the psychopathic killers have some detail spun about them, giving them some depth. One jewel of a short story that is triggered by a phone’s ring tone, and told in the midst of a short lull between two action filled scenes, is particularly memorable.

My only regret with this story is that I kept delaying starting reading It! I was put off by a glitch on the draft copy I am reviewing. Once past that it was an amazing ride with the young potential victims, the private investigator Elvis Cole and his sidekick. Lots of local detail of places I know nothing of but none the less have a feeling for given the spare but clear sketching of place by the author.

The action is intercut with a feeling of action to happen. I also liked that there was space for characters - particularly the kids who had done wrong - to achieve some redemption and a sense of some hope in their lives. The story line is sufficiently tense and intriguing to keep you hooked all the way through.

Thanks again to NetGalley for the chance to offer an honest review of a new book.

I haven't read all in the Elvis Cole / Joe Pike series, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the half dozen or so I have, and this is no exception.

Elvis is hired by the mother of a teenager to find out how an expensive Rolex has come into the possession of the boy. What seems initially a simple investigation complicates quickly when the boy goes missing, and Elvis is not the only one looking for the boy and his friends.

Fast paced, addictive and a good storyline.

Thanks to NetGalley for the pre-release copy of this one.

I received this free as an ARC from Netgalley, my first ever, which was exciting as Robert Crais is one of my favourite authors and I’ve always envied the people who get to read the latest in a series some time before publication. There was no pressure to review it, but I review everything I read anyway.

It has been a while since the last proper Elvis Cole book, as while Joe Pike does appear here, he features much less prominently than in the last few. The timeline is a bit vague, this is set sometime after the events of The Promise, but can’t be 2017, as Elvis (who fought in Vietnam, remember, would be much too old to be doing all this flirting and fighting. It doesn’t really matter, I suppose. This is number 17 in the series, and while it could just about be read as a stand-alone, you’d get much more out of it by reading the whole series in order - and why wouldn’t you, it’s a great series.

Here Elvis has been hired by the mother of a 17 year old to investigate how he’s come to have large amounts of cash, a Rolex and expensive clothes in his room. Discovering that the boy, Tyson, has been burgling rich people’s houses with two friends, he tries to get him to give himself up, but a pair of killers for hire are also hunting for them, as they have inadvertently taken something of great value. Told from various point of views, including that of the mercenaries - a slightly odd pair with more of a backstory than usual - this is a gripping and enjoyable ride, certainly as good as many of the earlier books, although I like the ones with more Pike and featuring Jon Stone the best, so hope he will return soon.

I loved the drama in this book. Right from the start there is drama and it doesn’t stop until the end.

I am a huge fan of Private Investigator books. They’re more entertaining than your ordinary cop book because the P.I. generally gets a bit dirtier in their tactics than an officer of the law would. So I was really happy to find Elvis Cole is a P.I. hired by a teenage boys mother to find out what he’s up to, after she discovers a watch that is way out of his price range. During the investigation Elvis finds some pretty interesting stuff out about our boy Tyson and his cohorts that lead to some very dangerous times, but you’ll have to read the book to discover this yourself.

Let’s move on to Stemms and Harvey, two heavies hired to find something for their client. These two character are something else. They will stop at nothing to get what they’re after and they always seem to be a step ahead of Cole. Stemms and Harvey have a special bond that reveals itself throughout the book and even makes you stop and go ‘aww’. But it’s not long before they’re back in the thick of the action.

Read the book to find out about these two, Tyson and his cohorts, Elvis Cole, what the heavies are after, who they work for and much more. Enjoy!

Thank you to Netgalley, and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this for an honest review.

Excellent book with great story and characters. Recommended for lovers of a good detective story.

Check out this book on Goodreads: The Wanted (Elvis Cole, #17; Joe Pike, #6) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32336273-the-wanted

Fabulous!! All of the great reviews don't do this book justice. really loved everything about it!!

EXCERPT: "...these kids leave prints and DNA everywhere."
The world slowed when I heard him.
I said, " Kids."
"They're kids. Three morons."
I said it again, just to be sure.
"Kids."
"Teenagers, young adults, whatever. A female and two males. I'm not saying they're little children."
I stared out the window. Wilcox described big nasty mothers and multiple burglaries.
"How many burglaries are we talking about?"
"Seventeen, eighteen, something like that. The number's in play. The task force is playing connect-the-dots with fingerprints."
"A task force has the case?"
"This is big, brudda man. You mess with rich people, you get the fullcourt press."
"They have prints and DNA, but no IDs."
"It happens. Never been busted, so they aren't in the system. They hood up, they're good about ducking the cameras, but the one kid, he finally screwed up. Unknown Male Numero Uno. We got him. First Tier got his face."
Dave was so proud of himself he laughed.
"Can I see his picture?"
"Sure. On the way."
My phone chimed when the picture arrived.
I knew who I would see even before I opened Dave's email.

THE BLURB: It seemed like a simple case before the bodies starting piling up. Investigator Elvis Cole and his partner, Joe Pike, take on the deadliest case of their lives, in the new masterpiece of suspense from the #1 New York Times bestselling author
When single mother Devon Connor hires private investigator Elvis Cole, it's because her troubled teenage son Tyson is flashing cash and she's afraid he's dealing drugs. But the truth is devastatingly different. With two other partners in crime, he's been responsible for a string of high-end burglaries, a crime spree that takes a deadly turn when one of them is murdered and Tyson and his girlfriend disappear.

They stole the wrong thing from the wrong man. Determined to get it back, he has hired a team that is smart and brutal, and to even the odds, Cole calls in his friends Joe Pike and Jon Stone. But even they may be overmatched. The hired killers are leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. A few more won't make any difference.

MY THOUGHTS: In the almost four years since I joined Goodreads.com, so many people have told me that I must read/will enjoy Robert Crais' Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series. They were right. Sometimes I am a little slow . . .

Yes, I know that I have joined the series at #17, but it really doesn't matter. The book is written so that it can be read as a stand alone. References to past history are few and well explained.

The Wanted is fast paced, action filled, and yet is remarkably tender when dealing with the emotions of the teenagers. And the teenagers are teenagers. They play follow the leader; the leader being the most assertive, the one who knows best, the one who is sure that the adults know nothing, the one who can manipulate, the emotionally damaged one.

As I said, this was my first encounter with the Cole/Pike team. It won't be my last. I am joining their massive fan club.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Wanted by Robert Crais for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I was privileged to receive an ARC of The Wanted, by Robert Crais, and I loved it.
This story starts gently enough if you overlook the killing of a busboy for very little apparent reason, but as the murders mount up the tension builds. The more I read, the more engrossed I became.
The Wanted has a rip-snortingly good plot which moves at a clipping pace throughout. Even though you think you know what’s going to happen next, you really don’t. I was on the edge of my chair until the last page.

This book hooked me in...This is book 17 in the Elvis Cole series but the first that I have read. It read fine as a stand alone story but there wasn't too much insight into the characters.

Elvis is hired to look into how a teenager at high school has suddenly come into large amounts of cadh and expensive clothes. This begins a rollercoaster of a mission to get to the bottom of it.

I would like to read more by the author, it was fast paced and I enjoyed the writing style.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Australia for an advance copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions.

‘Harvey and Stemms were making progress, but they couldn’t just blow into the club and flash the picture. The photograph of Unknown Male Subject Number One was dangerous.’

Devon Connor is a single mother, concerned when her teenaged son Tyson suddenly seems to have a lot of money. She’s concerned that he may be dealing drugs, so she contacts private investigator Elvis Cole to see if he can find out what Tyson is up to. Elvis quickly discovers that Tyson, with two others, has been responsible for several burglaries. But Tyson and his friends have stolen something that the owner wants returned at any cost. He’s has employed a team of his own to track down the thieves.

When one of the three is murdered, Tyson and his girlfriend disappear. Will Elvis Cole, with the assistance of Joe Pike, find them before the others do? As Elvis and Joe race to find Devon, they are also trying to find out what was stolen, and to whom it belongs.

‘The window was closing, but not closed.’

While some of the characters seem to be stereotypes (especially the computer geek ‘The Carl’, and the bad guys Harvey and Stemms) they fit into the story perfectly. Bad guys and computer geeks need to be a bit predictable, surely. Especially when there are a number of other layers to the story.

I enjoyed this novel. It is a fast-paced story, and the 17th book in the Elvis Cole series. It isn’t necessary to read the novels in order, each one can be read as a standalone story.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

3.5★s for me.

I have to admit that I’ve never previously read a Robert Crais book. No particular reason. I think that from being such a creature of habit, I tend to stick with Authors that I already know and love. But thanks to NetGalley, I’ve now had my reading tastes shift to now include such interesting characters as Elvis Cole and Joe Pike on my reading menu.

I was truly surprised after finishing this to see that this is book No. 17 in the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series. How did so many books not enter my reading orbit?

Tyson Connor is a troubled teen, who gets in with the “wrong” crowd. His mother is worried with the appearance of a rolex (watch) in his room, along with some very expensive threads (clothing), that he simply could not afford as a student. Enter Elvis Cole, private eye, and (by the sounds of it), all round decent bloke. Elvis endeavours to track down Tyson (who has disappeared), and as these stories tend to go, things get distinctly murky....there’s more to Tyson’s five-fingered discounts, than a stolen rolex.

I really enjoyed the quirkiness of the Elvis Cole character.
"When you live with a cat, you talk to the cat.”

This was an easy page turner, and on this basis of how quickly I finished this book, I’ll definitely consider reading more of Robert Crais’ books.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy to read, in exchange for an honest review. This was my first ever NetGalley read, and I'm looking forward to many more of them.

My review can also be read on Good Reads (link below).