Elvis Cole and Joe Pike--sign me up! I quite enjoy Robert Crais' books so was looking forward to his latest read; it's been a while!

The setting: "Adele Schumacher isn't a typical worried mom. When she hires Elvis to find her missing son ... she brings a bag filled with cash, bizarre tales of government conspiracies, and ... [two] professional bodyguards. Finding Josh should be simple, but Elvis quickly learns he isn't alone in the hunt -- a deadly team of mysterious strangers are determined to find Josh and his adult film star friend first." Add in corrupt politicians, Chinese businessmen, reintroduce his flame Lucy Chenier and her son Ben -- there's a whole lot going on! And of course his cat.

Robert Crais always delivers a fast read and he does so here. BUT, my biggest complaint--NOT enough Joe Pike and he doesn't even enter the fray until nearly a quarter in!

Adele is an eccentric former Stanford professor. Her husband, Corbin, same. Neither wins a parenting award. Josh and his BFF from forever, Ryan, have a podcast--"Josh Shoe in Your Face." Rachel Belle Bohlen, aka Skylar Lawless--the porn star, is on Josh's podcasts, BUT in a separate/sideline, they have uncovered corruption, payoffs, and dirty deals. Skylar's paintings figure into this--what are they? Read on.

Add in Area 51, aliens, a quirky neighbor, Skylar's best friend -- Kimmie, and there are more twists. And, Jon Stone [another blast from the past], also figures in briefly.

So, this was a fast, entertaining read, but I was disappointed--just not as good as some of his others. And the ending--very neat and tidy, maybe too much.

3.5, sadly not rounding up.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Elvis Cole is between clients when a wacky older woman appears at his office with two bodyguards and wants to hire him to find her missing son. The police are not interested because the son is a grown man and he has disappeared before. But his mother thinks aliens may have abducted him, because of his podcast dealing with the unknown. Elvis has his doubts, but he takes the case. And, par for Elvis, this case is a LOT more complicated than he thought!

Trying to locate the missing man's friends, Elvis finds a former porn star and call girl who has been talking to him a LOT lately, and NOT about Area 51. And why are all those government types interested in this case? And what is his interest in recent construction in LA? And just exactly WHO are the parents of this guy, and what have they been involved with?

Another twisty Elvis story, but with the help of his partner, Joe Pike, Elvis finds the guy and returns him to his parents. Whether he will stay is their problem.

We also get the return of Lucy Chenier, and a possible future for them?

This is a good addition to the Elvis Cole series, tho it could be read as a stand alone. Elvis is hired to find a missing young man. His search turns out to be more complicated than he expects. What starts out as a missing young man turn into a rush to find him before others looking for him get to him. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Reliable author which sounds trite, but it is truly welcome. Great plotting and pacing, engaging characters, and escapist reading that is always welcome. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to the next.

Robert Crais has done it again. This book has something for everyone. Lots of technology and government corruption, some information about how escorting works and even some romance. A missing podcaster leads Elvis and Joe on a wild ride through the streets of Los Angeles. The descriptions of the different areas as well as the wonderful sunrises and sunsets that LA is noted for make you almost believe you're seeing them yourself. Elvis's sense of humor and Joe's one word answers are legendary. This book is sure to be a best seller. It's like a warm blanket on a chilly night. Full of action, romance and a catch up with old friends. A true page turner.

It's been three years! Good to see you again friends.

Elvis Cole is a PI in Los Angeles and his partner Joe Pike are back! I enjoyed every book in this series that I've read so far. This is book #19, <i>Racing the Light</i> can be read as a standalone. I still have some catching up to do as there are recurring characters that I want to know how they initially met.

A retired Stanford professor hires Cole to find her missing adult son Josh. Josh is elevating his podcast show "In Your Face" to the next level with his next secret project. Co-producing the show is his childhood buddy (Ryan) who appears to be hiding something from Cole. Another friend, Skylar an ex-porn star & escort is a guest on the show who also can't be reached.

As Cole digs deeper, he starts to wonder about the mom. Why does a retired professor have security protection? Why is Josh's house bugged with foreign surveillance system? It doesn't look like Cole is the only one searching for Josh. Cole asked Jon Stone, an old friend in private military contracting to help as well. And what a character this guy is! Stone is a cool guy that brings a lot of humor to lighten the intensity.

This is a suspenseful detective story with interesting characters. I enjoy the pace and witty humor along with the mystery that keeps me on my toes. Towards the ending, the short chapters really add extra tension. Highly recommended!

NG only *Possible spoiler*
[Not quite sure, but the last few pages seem like Cole is getting soft. What's with the crying and hugging? It just felt really strange.]

It’s always a joy to return to the stories of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, but reading this, I realized I haven’t read a book in this series for quite a while, which meant I missed a whole lot of what happened in private detective Elvis Cole’s personal life. At some point I’ll go back and get myself up to date.

The case he’s on, however, can be read as a standalone. Adele Schumacher hires Elvis to find her missing adult son, who works as a controversial podcaster. The more Elvis investigates, the clearer it becomes that Josh has managed to pique the interest of characters who are unsavory enough to also be following him. Elvis calls in Joe Pike to assist. Their investigation uncovers government conspiracies, aliens, and adult film star/escorts.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES NOVEMBER 1, 2022.

Racing The Light by Robert Crais may very well be his finest Cole/Pike novel to date. I was highly entertained and invested in this story. There are a wide range of characters and they are all interesting and necessary to propel the story forward. This story left me rooting for Elvis Cole in both his professional and personal endeavors. I also was rooting for those on the side of good as they expose those up to no good. I highly encourage you to read this series and preorder this book. Racing The LIght publishes on 11/1/22 and I thank Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

I always look forward to an Elvis Cole & Joe Pike novel! This one does not disappoint at all! Cole is hired to find a missing podcaster and along the way enlists the help of his partner & muscle Joe Pike. Fast paced with no lag, you will find RACING THE LIGHT a detective delight.

Thank you to NetGalley & G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the opportunity to read this great novel.

Racing The Light by Robert Crais( Elvis Cole & Joe Pike)- The Latest in a long running series finds Elvis Cole asked by a strange family to find their missing son, who is on the run because of the secrets he and a friend have uncovered. What seems like a simple missing persons case becomes anything but simple, and the players become more and more dangerous. Of course, Joe Pike is always there to handle the rough stuff and keep Elvis going. I haven't read one of these books in a while and it's nice to see the series isn't running out of steam, still relevant. The engaging prose sucks you in right away and it's difficult to stop reading. Highly recommended! Thanks NetGalley for a great ARC!

As I have stated before, I have been a diehard fan of Robert Crais/Elvis Cole/Joe Pike for over THIRTY YEARS. Seriously, when The Monkey’s Raincoat was published in 1987, I was working in a public library, grabbed it as soon as it came in, and was HOOKED. Since then, this has been one of the most reliable series in the mystery genre – consistent as in “OMG, <blank> has a new book coming out! YAY!” So I was happy to receive a copy of Racing The Light from Penguin Group/G.P.Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley in return for my honest review.

This one was great fun! It features both Elvis Cole and his partner/sidekick/friend Joe Pike, who are working on behalf of a worried mom Adele Schumacher, whose adult son, Josh Shoe, is missing. Josh has a controversial podcast, an adult film star girlfriend, and a ton of theories about topics like Area 51. Josh and his long-time buddy Ryan had been obsessed for years with old radio shows about UFOs. alien encounters, and how the government misled the public. They were “obsessed with learning the truth…(it) was out there, as real as a white light on a horizon They devoted themselves to catching it, but thelight had remained out of reach. It was like a race they vowed not to quit. If they could reach the light, the truth would be revealed.

It turns out that Adele is a retired scientist, and her work was so highly classified she still has a security detail to protect her. She brings “a bag filled with cash, bizarre tales of government conspiracies, and a squad of professional bodyguards.” It seems like finding Josh should be simple, right? But Elvis knows better: “The people who hired me to find someone they love, almost never wanted the truth. And when I found the truth, I often wished I hadn’t found it.”

Elvis and Joe soon find out they aren’t the only ones searching for Josh, and the hunt brings them into a boatload of interesting characters and action, including “porn stars, conspiracy theorists, retired black ops weapons designers, Chinese thugs, crooked city councilmen, bent real estate developers and a homeless man living in Griffith Park. “

In addition to Joe Pike, Elvis’ old flame Lucy Chenier and her son Ben show up, in LA for a visit. It is classic Elvis Cole, and it is as much fun to read today as it was way back in 1987. The descriptions of LA are perfect: “Driving to the far end of the Valley was like driving to Mars.” Doesn’t get more LA than that!

The “world’s greatest detective” is back in the house, and after thirty+ years, I still love reading about him. Five stars.

My thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons, as well as to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Racing the Light.

I have loved private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner Joe Pike for so many years! Racing the Light is filled with quite the cast of quirky characters! Possibly a few too many...

This time around Elvis is hired by an eccentric older woman who is trying to locate her missing son, and Elvis is pulled in every way imaginable as he follows clues. (It's too bad his Felix the Cat clock doesn't help him out once in a while!) I was thrilled to see Lucy and Ben again but I wish Joe had played a larger part in this book.

As usual, this Elvis/Joe book is filled with heart, humor, and suspense. I think I would have appreciated it even more if the plot had been a wee bit less convoluted. Having said that, however, I can't wait to read the next book (or books) in the series!!!

Hooray, Elvis Cole , Joe Pike and the cat are back! In this latest installment, Elvis is hired to find a missing man by his uniquely quirky mom. Josh Schumacher, a small time podcaster, has disappeared. As Elvis investigates, with the assistance of Joe Pike and the oddly charmingly eccentric Jon Sone, the case becomes so much deeper than a simple missing person. Elvis learns that Josh has become privy to some explosive news which if revealed will topple the lives of some very important people. Factor in porn stars, a deadly assassination team of Chinese nationals and the secret black ops agency Josh's mother and father once (maybe still?) worked for and the scene is set for a thrilling ride through this case to bring Josh home again. There are some good human themes here too. Do we ever stop seeking the approval of our parents? Can we ever fully walk away from the loves of our lives? On a welcome note, Lucy Chenier and her son are back in Elvis' life and I’m already looking forward to seeing how this storyline works out. This book was like catching up with old friends, and a totally entertaining read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the early read opportunity.

Elvis Cole, P.I. extraordinaire, is hired by an eccentric woman, Adele Schumacher to find her nerdy twenty something son. Adele is a middle aged, divorced and ex-CIA (or some other highly classified government agency) opertive. She was so deep under cover that even in retirement bodyguards follow her around. Her son, Josh Shoe is a self-employed podcaster who with information from an artist/ call girl, Skylar has uncovered a pay to play scheme by an L.A. councilman and his chief of staff to take bribes from Chinese nationalists to grease the skids for their real estate projects in California. When the perps find out that Skylar has evidence enough to expose the scam, she is murdered and Josh disappears. With Joe Pike’s and Jon Stone’s help, Cole finds the bad guys who are also looking for Josh. Meanwhile, Cole’s former girl friend and almost wife, Lucy returns from Baton Rouge and they must decide if it’s time to continue their relationship.
Racing the Light is pretty much what you would expect from a Robert Crais novel. Fast paced, smart, and entertaining with no question about who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Welcome back Robert Crais.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance look.

Have you ever used up all your words? Where you think you can't find another word, a different word, for the likes of brilliance, action dominated or sketchy genius? When your brain is so fried that it's a wasteland because you have simply used them all?
I have sang the song of the Craisies for so long, that I now naturally believe that Robert Crais needs no introduction, no build up, no avalanche of pretty words that try to outdo each other to tell THE READER how good this guy is. So I won't.
I won't tell you how human, and flawed, and martial Cole & Pike are. I won't try to describe the poetry that marks their relationship or death's exhale when it evades their focus. Nor will I breathe a word about their whacked out buddies (JON STONE U BAAADASSS, CALL ME).
Nope. I'm just going to tell you that there's intrigue, action, techie shit, blood, and snark. (CALL ME!)
Buy the book. I like it.

n You Face by Josh Shoe is the name of the podcast. Josh Shoe is actually Schumacher, clever, eh? He and his best friend Ryan Seborg have been doing this podcast for a couple years. Josh fancies himself a journalist who reveals what the mainstream media can’t, or won’t, tell the public. Conspiracies, government coverups, Area 51, black helicopters are his bread and butter. He doesn’t have much of an audience.
One recent guest on his show was Stacy Lawless/Rachel Bohlen, an artist/porn actress/escort. He’s been interviewing her about her artwork, not her ‘other’ work. Not long after the episode dropped, Stacy/Rachel messages him for hush hush meet. She passes him a thumb drive. She says he’ll love it. Right up his alley.

And then Josh just up and disappears. Doesn't even tell Ryan. His mom, Adele Schumacher contacts Elvis Cole because he has the best rep in the LA basin for finding missing persons. She’s in her 80s, former college Stanford prof, lives alone (divorced), tends her bees, and for some reason has 24/7 security (maybe a future book will tell us more about her and her ex?). She and Josh meet weekly for lunch and he’s not been showing up, which is strange because Adele passes Josh a sack of money over lunch. The podcast doesn’t pay well and the rent is always due.

She drops another sack full of money on Elvis’ desk to find him and bring him home. Once the job’s parameters have been fully defined, Elvis starts with Ryan, Josh’s partner who tells Elvis about Stacy/Rachel. And it’s not long before Stacy/Rachel disappears, too. Elvis uncovers her ‘safety’ (the person she calls before and after each escort date), lifelong friend Kimberly Laird. Turns out Kimberly takes notes that include some names of Stacy/Rachel’s dates. And the list includes a smattering of LA politicians, one is the chief of staff for an LA Commissioner who sits on a zoning board that approves proposals by commercial developers.

Bye-bye Area 51 . . . hello City Hall.

At first Elvis thought Josh might’ve pissed off some federal office with his conspiracy ramblings. Now his attention becomes more local and may need the help of his longtime associate, Joe Pike, just in case back-up might be needed. Cole's cases usually need Pike's necessary and timely skills.

This is the 19th Elvis Cole book written by Robert Crais. And unless I’m mistaken, they’ve all been reviewed her by the boys at MRB. Crais is a favorite for good reason. First and foremost, he’s a helluva a storyteller; easily one of the best we’ve reviewed, no question. A worthy member of our elite Power Rotation of top shelf authors. Second, it’s hard not to love Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Elvis the the wise-cracking PI and Pike is the mysterious, quiet, and lethal one.

Crais has worked behind the scenes in Hollywood (mostly writing for TV) and probably knows how ‘they’ can screw up your characters (cases in point: Tom Cruise playing Jack Reacher or any number of John Grisham’s books) so he’s been protective of his work being put on either the big or little screen. No matter. His writing style is taught and bare bones whose wit gives a subtle wink for the reader.

And who wouldn't want Joe Pike as a friend?

Crais is a regular on the NY Time best seller list. A multi-award winner and Emmy nominee (for writing on Hill Street Blues). Bottom line: you’ll never go wrong with a book written by Robert Crais . . . ever.

The one drawback – he doesn’t publish an annual book in the fall (for the Christmas rush) like so many of the big names. It’s been three years since his last book, A Dangerous Man. And three years is just too long, but I'm patient.

Due to be published on November 1, 2022. Thanks for Netgalley for the reviewer copy.

Review by ECD

Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are back! Elvis is hired to find a missing man. Josh Schumacher has disappeared. He is a podcaster with a small following, but one of his interviewees has some explosive news to share. He meets with her, she gets killed and Josh goes underground. A deadly team of Chinese nationals is on his trail as well. Adele Schumacher, Josh's mother, used to work for a secret agency, along with his father. She is protected by a security team that does not want to work with Elvis and Joe. An adrenaline-fueled ride with some romance for Elvis mixed in -- Lucy Chenier and her son are back in Elvis' life. Always an entertaining read.

Robert Crais builds a wonderful noir world within LA but a lack of intriguing and captivating storyline brings down the experience as the bond that should form between characters and readers fails to form effectively even 80% into the story. Elvis and Pike however are a delight to read as always with their quirks.

Robert Crais's RACING THE LIGHT was another great entry in the Elvis Cole series. I love Crais's writing and characters. Elvis continues to be a great protagonist, with so much understated humor, compassion, and integrity. He has some nice personal growth in this book, and it's touching to see him with his adopted son. Joe Pike is also a fun element in these books--he always strikes me as Reacher-esque. My only gripe is the POV switching, which seems to slow the book down and doesn't necessarily seem worth it (some of those voices are much less authentic than Cole's), but overall, a great book.

Elvis is hired by a wealthy, reclusive woman to find her son Josh, a controversial podcaster, who just seems to have vanished. Was it because of his fascination with Area 51, like his mother believes, or something more personal, like his friendship with a local porn star?

Elvis soon finds out that there’s a lot more to the story, and, of course, enlists the help of Joe Pike.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.