Voodoo River (Elvis Cole 05) [Paperback]

Elvis Cole is the star attraction, the co-owner of The Elvis Cole Detective Agency. He's now 40ish, ex-Army, served in Vietnam, ex-security guard, has two years of college, learned to be a detective by working under George Feider, a licensed P.I. for over 40 years, does martial arts as enthusiastically as most people do lunch, and is fearless but not foolish. He's out to right the wrongs of the world as much as he is to earn a living. Elvis has a thing for Disney characters (including a Pinocchio clock), kids, cats, scared clients and rapid fire repartee. He drives a Jamaica yellow 1966 Corvette Stingray convertible, and usually carries a Dan Wesson .38 Special.

His main foil is partner, Joe Pike, an ex-Marine, ex-cop who moves quietly and mysteriously wearing shades even in the dark . . . when he's not scaring the bad guys with the red arrows tattooed on his deltoids, which are usually bare in sleeveless shirts. Although he has an office with Elvis, Pike spends all of his time at his gun shop when not routing the bad guys with martial arts while carrying and often using enough firepower to stop a tank. Pike rarely speaks . . . and never smiles. A standing gag is trying to catch Pike with a little twitch of his lips indicating he might possibly be amused. But he's there when you need him. He drives a spotless red Jeep.

Robert Parker's Spenser is the obvious character parallel for Elvis, but Spenser and Elvis are different in some ways. Cole is more solitary, usually being alone when he's not working. Cole is very much L.A. and Spenser is ultra blue collar Boston. Cole is martial arts while Spenser boxes and jogs. What they have in common is that they're both out to do the right thing, with money being unimportant. They both love to crack wise as they take on the bad guys. The bad guys hate the "humor" in both cases, and can't do much about it. The dialogue written for each is intensely rich.

Mr. Crais has a special talent for making you care about his characters, especially the clients and their kids. You'll want to know what happens to them. With a lot of experience in script writing, Mr. Crais also knows how to set the scene physically and make you feel it. He may be out finest fiction writer about physical movement. He gives you all the clues to picture what's going on . . . but draws back from giving so much detail that you can't use your own imagination to make things better.

On to Voodoo River, the fifth book in the series. The title refers the mysterious evils that can lurk amid the Louisiana bayous. Mr. Crais is from Louisiana originally, and he credibly moves the locale for this story from Los Angeles to his first home. Those who love the L.A. color to his novels will be disappointed. Those who want a little more mysterious and colorful backdrop will feel rewarded. It takes a little work to follow all of the bayou and food references in the book. I've been to Louisiana many times, and I was stretched. Keep your dictionary handy.

Television star Jodi Taylor hires Elvis to find her biological parents so she can understand her health history better. Elvis travels to Louisiana to work with an attorney, Lucy Chenier, who specializes in handling the delicate Louisiana law for arranging such contacts. He quickly uncovers the answer, and finds out that there are lots of hidden motives involved in his assignment. From there, he has to take on some truly imposing villains to right the wrongs that began many years before. In the process, Elvis falls deeply in love with Lucy. Now, he has something to lose when he faces the bad guys . . . and it makes him both more vulnerable and appealing as a character.

It was only a matter of time before Elvis climbed down off of his pedestal and became a regular, vulnerable human being. Voodoo River marks the first of several novels that develop around his relationship with Lucy and her son, Ben. Those who like a love interest in their detective novels will see this as a major plus. Those who do not will like the series much less well from here.

Pay particular attention to the evolution of the characters of Elvis Cole and Jodi Taylor. Mr. Crais stresses both to their core, and they come out changed by the experience.

The book's story-telling style differs from the earlier books in the series. Voodoo River reads like a series of novellas strung together like jewels on a necklace by a common theme. Since I liked all but the last novella quite a bit, this structure made the book more appealing. It was like getting five stories for the price of one.

After you finish the book, I suggest that you think about what your values are. To defeat a great evil, which of your values could you feel compelled to abandon?

Elvis Cole is the star attraction, the co-owner of The Elvis Cole Detective Agency. He's now 40ish, ex-Army, served in Vietnam, ex-security guard, has two years of college, learned to be a detective by working under George Feider, a licensed P.I. for over 40 years, does martial arts as enthusiastically as most people do lunch, and is fearless but not foolish. He's out to right the wrongs of the world as much as he is to earn a living. Elvis has a thing for Disney characters (including a Pinocchio clock), kids, cats, scared clients and rapid fire repartee. He drives a Jamaica yellow 1966 Corvette Stingray convertible, and usually carries a Dan Wesson .38 Special.

His main foil is partner, Joe Pike, an ex-Marine, ex-cop who moves quietly and mysteriously wearing shades even in the dark . . . when he's not scaring the bad guys with the red arrows tattooed on his deltoids, which are usually bare in sleeveless shirts. Although he has an office with Elvis, Pike spends all of his time at his gun shop when not routing the bad guys with martial arts while carrying and often using enough firepower to stop a tank. Pike rarely speaks . . . and never smiles. A standing gag is trying to catch Pike with a little twitch of his lips indicating he might possibly be amused. But he's there when you need him. He drives a spotless red Jeep.

Robert Parker's Spenser is the obvious character parallel for Elvis, but Spenser and Elvis are different in some ways. Cole is more solitary, usually being alone when he's not working. Cole is very much L.A. and Spenser is ultra blue collar Boston. Cole is martial arts while Spenser boxes and jogs. What they have in common is that they're both out to do the right thing, with money being unimportant. They both love to crack wise as they take on the bad guys. The bad guys hate the "humor" in both cases, and can't do much about it. The dialogue written for each is intensely rich.

Mr. Crais has a special talent for making you care about his characters, especially the clients and their kids. You'll want to know what happens to them. With a lot of experience in script writing, Mr. Crais also knows how to set the scene physically and make you feel it. He may be out finest fiction writer about physical movement. He gives you all the clues to picture what's going on . . . but draws back from giving so much detail that you can't use your own imagination to make things better.

On to Voodoo River, the fifth book in the series. The title refers the mysterious evils that can lurk amid the Louisiana bayous. Mr. Crais is from Louisiana originally, and he credibly moves the locale for this story from Los Angeles to his first home. Those who love the L.A. color to his novels will be disappointed. Those who want a little more mysterious and colorful backdrop will feel rewarded. It takes a little work to follow all of the bayou and food references in the book. I've been to Louisiana many times, and I was stretched. Keep your dictionary handy.

Television star Jodi Taylor hires Elvis to find her biological parents so she can understand her health history better. Elvis travels to Louisiana to work with an attorney, Lucy Chenier, who specializes in handling the delicate Louisiana law for arranging such contacts. He quickly uncovers the answer, and finds out that there are lots of hidden motives involved in his assignment. From there, he has to take on some truly imposing villains to right the wrongs that began many years before. In the process, Elvis falls deeply in love with Lucy. Now, he has something to lose when he faces the bad guys . . . and it makes him both more vulnerable and appealing as a character.

It was only a matter of time before Elvis climbed down off of his pedestal and became a regular, vulnerable human being. Voodoo River marks the first of several novels that develop around his relationship with Lucy and her son, Ben. Those who like a love interest in their detective novels will see this as a major plus. Those who do not will like the series much less well from here.

Pay particular attention to the evolution of the characters of Elvis Cole and Jodi Taylor. Mr. Crais stresses both to their core, and they come out changed by the experience.

The book's story-telling style differs from the earlier books in the series. Voodoo River reads like a series of novellas strung together like jewels on a necklace by a common theme. Since I liked all but the last novella quite a bit, this structure made the book more appealing. It was like getting five stories for the price of one.

After you finish the book, I suggest that you think about what your values are. To defeat a great evil, which of your values could you feel compelled to abandon?