Racing the light: Elvis and Joe are back!

Racing the light is a return to one of my favourite authors, Robert Crais who started his career writing for TV shows like Cagney and Lacey and Hill Street Blues. Crais is now 70 years of age but his latest novel shows that he's still in peak writing form.

I've been reading the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series for around 20 years. The latest novel in the series remains as faithful to the characters as the first book, published in 1987.

I have a literary crush on Elvis, a tough, wise-cracking war veteran with a soft spot for the underdog, who partners in an LA detective agency with friend and fellow vet, the enigmatic Joe Pike. Elvis and Joe make an interesting duo, and their friendship is just as big a part of the story as the people they are trying to help. Elvis and Joe are like old friends to me now, and I slip easily into each new story.

Racing the light | Book 19| Published November 2022 | Read August 2023

Racing the light centres around Josh Shoe, a nerdy podcaster who stumbles upon information that he pursues that lands him in trouble with the bad guys. Enter Elvis and Joe. The story unfolds as a quest not only to find Josh but to uncover corrupt politicians and organisational cartels running the city. There's a clever and intriguing connection between the bad guys and Josh's mother, Elvis's client, who has a lot more going on than just being a retired Stanford professor.

The Elvis and Joe stories are underscored by themes of friendship and loyalty and bringing down the bad guys while protecting the ordinary folk caught in their crosshairs. The novels evoke a sense of the noir, particularly with the LA setting. The dialogue is snappy and witty while using pathos to make the reader ponder good and evil.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Update: Check out my review of book 20 here.