The Last Detective [Hardcover]

For The Last Detective Robert Crais fields something of a crime busting dream team; his regular duo, private detective Elvis Cole and enigmatic partner Joe Pike, hook up with Carol Starkey, the feisty, chain-smoking heroine of Demolition Angel in a tautly plotted kidnapping caper.

Crais has always spiced his elaborate LA procedurals with the gamier elements from action thrillers and this book, which pits his gumshoes against a gang of vicious mercenaries as well as the intractable red tape of policing law, is no exception. The drama kicks off when Ben Chenier, Cole's girlfriend Lucy's ten-year-old son, is abducted with military precision from outside Elvis' own home. Stunned by the kidnappers' audacity, Cole receives an even bigger shock when the gang phone. There is no ransom demand; instead the caller reminds him of a horrific incident from his past. As a Ranger in Vietnam, Cole's unit, number Five-Two, had come under heavy attack. Only he had survived the assault. Now more than 20 years later, the kidnappers accuse Cole of murdering his colleagues and maintain that Ben has been taken in retribution. Could the snatcher be a bitter relative with a grudge or perhaps, a disgruntled old army buddy out for vengeance?

Elvis and Pike, along with renegade LAPD cop Carole Starkey, start to hunt for Ben. Meticulously tracking leads and drawing on their military know how they start to build up a profile of their prey. While they make headway Cole is still left feeling "as if each piece of the picture was from a different puzzle and no matter how hard" he tries "to arrange them it made no sense". Their efforts are further hampered by Ben's father, Richard. Richard has always despised Cole and accompanied by Myers, his personal investigator, he begins stirring up trouble for Elvis with Lucy and with the authorities. But when Cole's researches start paying off, things in this page-turner become far, far murkier. --Travis Elborough

'The most intense tale of suspense yet.' (AUDIO BOOKSTAND )

'Thriller with a heart' (OBSERVER )

'Craig reads his own work and, with a few special effects such as authentic-sounding phone calls, this is a satisfying neatly handled entertainment.' (DAILY TELEGRAPH ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The author of LA Requiem, Hostage, Demolition Angel and other big-selling novels has produced a new one which sounds hugely saleable. I have only had a chance to read the opening 50 pages or so, which tell how private eye Elvis Cole is looking after his girlfriend's son Ben when he is kidnapped under Elvis's nose from his house outside LA. The kidnapper telephones saying, "I've got the boy. This is payback." Also mentioned is 'Five-two', which was his unit's designation in Vietnam. That is another part of his life which he has not thought of for 20 years, but it is obvious that retribution is what the kidnappers are after, not money, and he's going to have to look back into his past if he is to secure the future. His latest thriller looks like another big bestseller for this American author, and has an explosive beginning.

'Craig reads his own work and, with a few special effects such as authentic-sounding phone calls, this is a satisfying neatly handled entertainment.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Elvis Cole has got a problem to solve - and this time it's personal. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Elvis Cole is once again coming to terms with his life as a PI on the streets of LA. He loves his girlfriend, Lucy Chenier, but his constant exposure to the Californian underclasses has stretched their relationship to the limit - especially when Cole's job brings danger too close to her beloved son. The young boy, Ben, is rapidly becoming the light in both their lives. Then one sunny afternoon, the demons from Elvis's past finally come to visit. Ben is snatched from Cole's secluded home. The kidnappers call. They don't want money. They only want retribution. But who from his past is capable of such a crime? The only clue is that the kidnappers mention the words 'five-two'. Five-two was his unit designation in Vietnam - a life he has avoided thinking about for over twenty years. Now Elvis must embark on a journey into his own past to try to protect his future. For it seems that this kidnapper is not only someone who knows him, but someone who owes him.

Robert Crais is the author of nine previous novels, including HOSTAGE and the international bestsellers, DEMOLITION ANGEL and the Edgar-nominated L.A. REQUIEM. He has two additional Edgar nominations and Anthony and Macavity Awards for his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series of crime novels. Crais has also written for such acclaimed television shows as L.A. LAW and HILL STREET BLUES. DEMOLITION ANGEL is currently in development as a major motion picture by Columbia/Tristar and producer Laurence Mark (JERRY MAGUIRE, AS GOOD AS IT GETS). He lives in Los Angeles.