The Two Minute Rule

This story of a bank robber, Max Holman, who on the day of his release from prison learns that his estranged son, an LA cop, has been murdered with 3 other officers, becomes a touching story of a man trying to renounce his past and to reclaim some portion of redemption for the neglect and abandonment of his son due to his drug use and criminal life, when he rejects the official version of his son's death and begins a search for the truth he believes is being buried for reasons he cannot comprehend. Stymied at every turn by the police and officialdom in general, he is a man weighed down by guilt for his past and a timidity born of the taint of being an ex-con. He nonetheless persists as a means to honor the son he never knew, and finally, in desperation reaches out for help from the ex-FBI agent, Katherine Pollard, who busted him, herself a struggling and lost single mother. Together, this odd couple begins a journey of discovery about the mysteries of the case before them, but also about themselves and the content and purpose and meaning of where their lives are in this place and time as well. Crais does a nice job of revealing the facts of the case as guided by the professional proceduralism of Pollard, while also revealing the confusion and conflicts of his main characters. He unfolds their stories simulaneously as the mystery unfolds, all the while employing a convincing sense of people and places they encounter along the way. A fast and good read, it is so hard to rate genre fiction (after all we're not talking War and Peace here), that I am giving it 5 stars for being as good as you get in this fiction. I enjoyed it all the way.

I loved this book. The interesting thing to me is that I got a bit of a slow start because I wasn't enchanted with Holman. For some reason the whole ex-con thing didn't really interest me, and I didn't enjoy watching his depressing start in the shabby motel and the job. Once the plot got rolling, of course, I was hooked, but the thing that made me really love the book is that I got involved in the characters. The vulnerability of Holman and Pollard really drew me in and made me want to see them happy. I am glad I stuck with it and learned a bit about the challenges faced by a con who wants to do the right thing. I would love to see another book featuring Holman and Pollard. And just in case I sound like a romantic sop, I never enjoy Elvis and Joe hooking up because I want them both for myself.

Robert Crais is a member of the LA mystery writer's varsity. His latest, "The Two Minute Rule," is as good as anything he has written. The two-minute rule is the bank robber's truism: get in, get the money and get out in less than two minutes. Max Holman had succeeded heeding this axiom until he stopped to give CPR to a bank customer having a heart attack. That sent him away for ten years. After finishing his stretch, his only real goal is to reconcile with his estranged son---now a family man and rookie cop (everything Max was not). Hours prior to his release, Max is informed his son and three other LA cops were gunned down while having a mysterious meeting in the middle of the night. Now Max wants to learn how his son died, and how he lived. LAPD stonewalls Max. They allege the shooter was a gang member out for revenge, who conveniently committed suicide. The story does not ring true. The only person Max trusts to help him find the truth is Katherine Pollard, the FBI agent who arrested him. Against her better judgment, now ex-agent Pollard, agrees to assist. Once in, her "thrill of the hunt" juices kick in...she is hooked. Skirting the law at every turn, they uncover a police conspiracy---or is it an investigation within the official investigation. Are Max's son and the other cops dirty? This odd couple pairing rings true as each responds to the core of integrity they see in the other. The plotting is superior and the characters grip you early and hold you close right to the phenomenal conclusion. With each twist, you will pick someone else as your chief suspect. To tell more would be a crime and ruin an exceptionally intriguing plot. There is truly nothing as righteous as a good mystery. Like Michael Connelly, Robert Crais elevates crime fiction.

The relationship between father and son has often been a focus in literature. There have been unbreakable bonds between the two, distrust, hate, reconciliation, love, all manner of emotions. Yet, I expect that few examinations of this relationship result in a scenario as explosive as the one devised by Robert Crais. The author's rather catchy title comes from the knowledge that if you're going to rob a bank, you have about two minutes to get away with the money before the police arrive. Protagonist Max Holman knew that dictate well but he lingered long enough during a robbery to help a person suffering a heart attack. The result? Sympathetic press for Max and ten years in jail. Like many other prisoners Max thought of what he would do when he was released. Uppermost in his mind was setting things right with his son, a policeman. Tragically Max learns on the very day of his release that his son and three fellow officers have been shot and killed. The official story is that they have been gunned down by a gang leader, Juarez. Max doesn't buy that but there's no help for him from the LAPD. The only person he can think of who might help is the FBI agent who arrested him - Katharine Pollard. She has retired and living peacefully, comfortably. There are just a few people in this world that she wants to avoid and one of them is Max. Nonetheless, when Juarez becomes an apparent suicide she has to reluctantly agree that the official story doesn't make much sense. She and Max join forces and begin to investigate on their own. What they uncover is not only shocking but dangerous. The pleasure in listening to a story by Crais is his ability to intricately plot and surprise with every turn. Christopher Graybill offers a laudable narration, moving from the determined voice of a father who wants to avenge his son's death to the longing and sadness in the voice of a man who finds himself drawn to a woman he doesn't think he deserves. - Gail Cooke

Flat out great, is how I describe most of the books written by Robert Crais and this book exceeded my high expectations. In the Two Minute Rule, Crais has written bittersweet story of a friendship, of loss, of father's love for his son, and ultimately a story of redemption. All that, between the covers of well told mystery. Max Holman has spent a good portion of his life behind bars. When he was free, he was breaking the law, thinking about ways to break the law, and generally self-absorbed in the pursuit of personal pleasure. Holman's recent ten year prison stint, has however, produced a change, and all Holman wants now, is to know the son he abandoned, well before he ever went to prison. Unlike the father, Holman's son followed a different path. He joined the police force. The night before his release, Max learns that his son has been murdered, and it doesn't stop there. Author Crais continues to take from Holman, to the point, that you find yourself saying "please don't hurt this man anymore." Holman is driven by two desperate needs, the first is his desire to find the killer, and the second is his need to discover the truth about his son. Was Max Holman's son a good cop or a dirty one? This story is superb and it is memorable. The Holman character is a three dimensional flesh and blood person who evokes great empathy from the reader. The dialogue is tight, gritty, realistic, and essentially as good as it gets for a book full of characters living on the marginal fringe of polite society. My highest recommendation! This book will appeal to a wide variety of book lovers. It is a mystery for sure, but one that rises to the level of suspenseful (not nearly enough mysteries do this). I can almost guarantee this book to be a weekend read. There is not one wasted word and you are going wish there were another 100 pages or so, when you get to the end.