In Racing the Light, Robert Crais' nineteenth Elvis Cole and Joe Pike book (GP Putnam's Sons 2022), Elvis is hired by a distraught mother to find her missing son, Josh Shoe, a podcaster and self-proclaimed investigative journalist. The police won't take her seriously because he's an adult and there's no evidence of foul play. But the mother convinces Elvis that something happened that shouldn't have (the thick envelope of money she offered might have been somewhat persuasive). Elvis as usual pulls a thread and then follows it, to Josh's house, to his friends, to a porn-star-turned-artist that leads to a Chinese conglomerate and foreign spies with high tech equipment that exceeds even DARPA's capabilities (maybe--that's top secret so we don't really know). As any aficionado of this series knows, once Elvis is hooked on a case, he doesn't let go, and to solve this one takes many of his myriad contacts as well as clever intellect.  Mixed in with his sleuthing is his long-distance former girlfriend who has decided to come for a visit and a chat.

As usual, Elvis is witty and quick. Pike is powerful and focused. I have loved every one of the books in this series, including this one. I can't wait for the next.

One point that bugs me but didn’t detract from the rating: What's with the covers? They seem... quirky? At best, or weird. But it doesn't matter. I'll keep reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC.
Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are back! So are Lucy and Ben, which I was so glad about.
Elvis is hired by a worried mother to find her son, who is a podcaster. He hasn't answered his phone, hasn't met his mom for their usual lunch; she's getting desperate and hands Elvis a bunch of hundred dollar bills.
Elvis gets help from Pike, of course, and they dive into a world of dirty real estate dealers, government officials and escort services. They deal with them all in their usual expert and fun manner. Really enjoyed the read!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

It's good to have Elvis Cole and Joe Pike back with us, and even better to have Lucy (and Ben) back in the picture again. The main story is probably similar to others you've read before, but the author still manages to make it enjoyable: young man disappears while attempting to put together an article to expose corruption amongst politicians and land developers, and Elivis must find him and save the day. Which, of course, he does quite handily.

Oh Elvis, how I've missed you! When Elvis is hired by an eccentric woman to find her son, the hunt turns out to be something more than he expected. All of our favorites are here- Joe Pike and Jon Stone are there to assist, and Lucy and Ben make an appearance. Highly recommend for fans of the series and for those who have missed Elvis and Joe.

Welcome back Elvis, you have been missed. Elvis and Pike search for a missing podcaster. LA city council members are up to their ears in shady antics, payoffs, bribes, threats, escorts. Murder and mayhem ensue. A fast paced riveting tale with our favorite characters and some new ones. Enjoy, I did!
Thank you edelweiss and NetGalley for the advance copies it is appreciated.

Couldn't put it down. Fast read. Love Elvis and Joe. They always figure things out even though some good people die