Free Fall

If you have yet to begin the marvelous Elvis Cole series by Robert Crais, you've got a great treat ahead of you! Few series get off to a stronger start than Mr. Crais did with The Monkey's Raincoat, which won both the Anthony and Macavity awards for best novel while being nominated for the Edgar and Shamus awards as well. Stalking the Angel followed powerfully with classic noir style of the 1930s hard-boiled detective up against evil moderated with wise cracks. Lullaby Town brought Hollywood-oriented detective fiction into the 1990s with style and grace. And the books just keep getting better from there in their characterizations, action, story-telling and excitement.Elvis Cole is the star attraction, the co-owner of The Elvis Cole Detective Agency. He's now 39, 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's got 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 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 loved ones. 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. I grew up near Los Angeles, and get a special pleasure out of reading his descriptions of the differences in

Robert Crais has put forth another masterful novel. The wise-cracking private detective is back again in the fourth book of this excellent series.In FREE FALL, a beautiful young woman hires Elvis Cole to find out what her L.A.P.D. boyfriend is hiding from her. He claims that it is an affair, but she thinks that there is more to it. Upon his investigation, Cole stumbles upon a group of crooked cops, a wrongful death in South Central, and a druglord that seems to be unstoppable. To make matters worse, Cole and his aviator-sunglasses-wearing partner Joe Pike are arrested for murder.Regulars Cole, Pike, and Lou Poitras are back in this thriller, and Crais does an fine job of adding in other interesting, well-developed characters. The snappy dialogue and intricate, cohesive storyline make for truly entertaining reading. His short, fast-paced chapters make this a page-turning, suspense-filled thriller that culminates with an amazing ending. This book is a can't miss.

I was turned onto Robert Crais by my Doctor who knew I was a big fan of mystery writer Michael Connelly. Like Connelly's character Harry Bosch, Crais has created a tough wise cracking LA detective named Elvis Cole. Woman want him. Men want to be him. My suggestion if you've never read him, is to start at the beginning with "The Monkey's Raincoat" and work your way through all of them. One of the greatest things about Crais' novels is Elvis' partner Joe Pike. An aviator glasses wearing silent but deadly killing machine. Think Dirty Harry with a drier sense of humor. In reference to "Free Fall", I always feel like knowing less is more when telling the plot of a mystery. The basic gist is an attractive woman shows up at Cole's office to ask him to investigate what's going on with her boyfriend who's an L.A.P.D. Officer who's been hiding something from her. He claims it's an affair. She thinks it's something deeper. Crap hits the fan, and you'll be off turning pages faster than you thought possible. Great characters, great plot twists, great writing. Long live Elvis & Robert Crais!

Just discovered Mr. Crais and I have read all his books up through Free Fall. They are all terrific but this is the best one so far. Tightly plotted, funny, and suspenseful. Love it!

Robert Crais blew me away with entry (my personal favorite) in his Elvis Cole series. Tons of action, suspense, and plot twists that will keep you reading well into the night.