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The Watchman (Hardcover)

by Robert Crais (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
RRP: £14.99
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The Watchman + Chasing Darkness + Indigo Slam (Elvis Cole Novels)
Price For All Three: £21.38

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Orion (21 Mar 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0752873792
  • ISBN-13: 978-0752873794
  • Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.6 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 191,024 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #21 in  Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Authors, A-Z > C > Crais, Robert

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk

In Robert Crais’ The Watchman, we have the author firing on all cylinders – and Crais aficionados will know that’s an experience to savour. It’s one of the tough long-term Crais protagonists, Joe Pike, who sets the edgy narrative in motion here, and the narrative barely pauses for breath once one of Crais most high adrenaline novels is in motion. Joe has been asked to look after a young female witness in a case involving a very dangerous gangster. The witness, Larkin Conner Barkely, couldn’t be more different from the close-mouthed Joe: she's rich, wilful and very much used to getting her own way. The uneasy alliance between the two is not much helped when some very violent men start breathing down their necks. Joe realises that he has to drag a reluctant Larkin from her privileged background and hide her from view in the more downmarket areas of L.A., while at the same time bloodily taking the battle to the enemy.

All of this is handled with the aplomb that we expect from the ever-reliable Crais, and admirers of the author will be pleased to hear that Joe Pike calls upon his partner Elvis Cole to help them stay alive and track down those wanting to eliminate Joe’s wealthy charge. Crais calls upon some classic elements of the L.A. detective story here (corrupt cops are a feature of such novels all the way back to Philip Marlowe), but there's no sense of clichés being warmed over. Rather, this is a satisfying juggling of comfortable elements, with the mix shaken up by some new and surprising ones -- such as the fact that the girl Pike and Cole are trying to protect seems to have a pronounced death wish -- a death wish that looks set to take down her protectors along with her. Crais fans can safely start reaching for their credit cards. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to the Paperback edition.



Marcel Berlins, The Times

"It's a simple enough plot, but Crais packs it with terrific action and dialogue. He gets better and better."
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Customer Reviews

26 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (13)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Strong , Silent and Deadly Pike, 28 April 2007
By Scully Bloke (Wiltshire, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)      
First let me say I have read all Robert Crais books and he is probably my favourite author. This is another very enjoyable book both for Crais fans and for newcomers to Crais work.

Strong and silent Pike takes the lead in this novel as a watchman for a pretty rich girl who is being tracked by people trying to kill her.

As the story unfolds Pike gets help from his partner Elvis Cole as the pace hots up to a very exciting finale.

But this is the first Crais book I have given only 4 stars too, as it loses points for its too complex plot, in terms of why the girl is being hunted and in the lack of humour normally associated with Crais novels.

Its a below average Crais novel, but still much better than most authors and well worth the read.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Watchman by Robert Crais, 16 April 2007
By HKR (Leamington Spa, Warwickshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This is the first Robert Crais book I've read and it captured my attention immediately. The Watchman is an action-packed thriller that's difficult to put down.

The story revolves around Joe Pike protecting a federal witness, Larkin Barkley as a favour for Jon Stone who provides "security" personnel. Larkin is the spoilt, feisty daughter of billionaire Conner Barkley and there have already been two attempts on her life - what started out as a simple car accident has turned into a nightmare. Larkin is determined to make things difficult for Joe until she realises that he is the only one that can protect her from the men who have been sent to hunt her. Joe knows the only way to protect Larkin is to become the hunter and uses all his skills and resources to do so. In the process they unravel the truth behind the attempts on Larkin's life.

It's hard to imagine that a tense and fast paced story could revolve round Joe Pike's character - he is a man who never smiles and never says more than four words. As the story unfolds we learn about Joe's background and what has made him the honourable, strong and self-reliant man that he is. To begin with you can't imagine Larkin and Joe having anything in common, but as we discover more about their childhoods you can clearly see the undemanding and selfless love they have for their respective fathers, even when that love is not returned.

The Watchman is written in a punchy fashion that keeps the adrenalin of the reader pumping. It's also refreshing to read a book that's part of a series where the characters can be understood without having to read long narrative passages or previous books. I would definitely read another Robert Crais novel.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Crais back at his best, 9 Jul 2007
By Mr. Warren M. Fisher (East Grinstead, West Sussex United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
Definitely Crais' best novel since HOSTAGE, maybe even his best since the classic LA REQUIEM. Like REQUIEM Joe Pike is slam-bang centre-stage (indeed this is the first book billed as 'a Joe Pike Novel'), with Elvis Cole sidelined (where his trademark snappy one-liners are less irritating), and the book is all the better for it. There are only two flaws with this near-perfect thriller: One, it is on the short side (292 pages); and secondly and more importantly Crais doesn't seem to be aware that Pike and Cole as Vietnam vets the pair must be in the their mid-to-late 50s, but they show no signs of the passing years, and the putative romance between Pike and his youthful (20s) charge is more than a little unconvincing especially given Pike's age, background and essential character. Crais should look to James Lee Burke's Robicheaux novels, where Dave and Clete, both vets, accrue the years and age takes it's inevitable toll.

That all said this is a near faultless cocktail of deadpan characterisation and thrilling action. Dark, relentless and utterly gripping this is Crais back near his unmatched best.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Every Step You Take
Robert Crais has established a great dynamic in his Elvis Cole novels between the witty PI and his silent partner, the menacing Joe Pike. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Sam

2.0 out of 5 stars A warning for Joe Pike fans.
I've read all the Elvis Cole books and I loved them all (as well as the authors another novels) but I really didn't like this one. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mrs. F. L. Marney

5.0 out of 5 stars One of his very best
This is one of Robert Crais' best novels to date, and I think I read almost all of them. A captivating and intricate story with lots of action. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Louis Hersom

5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read...
I've read a number of Robert Crais novels, and I'm alway's impressed by the style he writes with. His ability to draw the reader in hook, line, and sinker is refined and never... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Sarah Gooding

1.0 out of 5 stars Garbage
Clunky, as exciting as a hangnail,with all the character dimension of Peanuts. Pike is bad enough as the lip-twitching silent sidekick of Elvis Cole. Read more
Published 20 months ago by A. Friswell

3.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but what happened with the plot?
Joe Pike, the sociopathic, but on our team sidekick of the Elvis Cole series, gets his own book here and its mostly very good. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Kentspur

4.0 out of 5 stars Well plotted thriller
Joe Pike, tough PI of few words finds himself guarding a wealthy but wild young heiress from unknown killers bent on some kind of vengeance following a mysterious car accident... Read more
Published 20 months ago by pointone

4.0 out of 5 stars Joe is still the man of mystery
but we now know a little more about him, I hope Crais reveals no more, a good book, but not Crais best
Published 20 months ago by Don's thoughts

4.0 out of 5 stars Go Joe Go
Having read all the Elvis Cole novels to date, this was an obvious choice for me but I found the beginning a little stilted. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Stephy B

5.0 out of 5 stars the arrows point forward
Another smashing book in the cole/pike series for us to enjoy.A very good story as always,and more focus on joe Pike who is protecting a key witness from a murderous drug... Read more
Published 21 months ago by C.Elder

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