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B0CLKV2LRB, Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, race to find a terrifying, unidentified killer in this twisting, unpredictable thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.
Traci Beller was thirteen when her father disappeared in the sleepy town of Rancha, not far from Los Angeles. The evidence says Tommy Beller abandoned his family, but Traci never believed it. Now, ten years later, Traci is a high-profile influencer with millions of followers and the money to hire the best detective she can find: Elvis Cole.
Elvis heads to Rancha where an ex-con named Sadie Givens and…, 4.5,
Reviewer: Peter Gorobetz
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: a good Crais mystery novel
Review: If you’ve read Robert Crais then you know his style. Tighly written and plotted mysteries with well drawn characters. And of course his protagonists Cole and Pike. That’s what you get here, and it keeps your interest and moves quickly. A good read.
Reviewer: Elizabeth Muir-Chamberlain
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Another Non-Stop Ride
Review: It’s 0433 hours and I just finished the most recent Elivis Cole/Joe Pike novel. It is intense, as they all are. It will take me a while to decompress before I can attempt to get some sleep, but what a ride!I do appreciate the spare style of Robert Crais’ prose. Often, I find myself skimming through paragraphs I feel are ‘bloat’ in other authors’ work. I’m not talking about lyrical prose like James Lee Burke’s, rather the additional background used to flesh out some stories. Unnecessary for the most part in advancing a story line. Often just to draw out a scene, or advance a word count, but basically non-essential prose.Crais has none of that. I find myself reading 99%, no skimming needed. In the past five days, I’ve read the new Dan Brown, likewise, Jesse and Jonathan Kellerman, plus an older work of Jeffery Deaver’s. I read quite a bit and that represents an average week for me, including The Big Empty, which I just finished. So this review is hot off the press, so-to-speak.What stands out to me is Mr Crais economy of words. A style first advanced by the late, great Papa Hemingway, but still exclusive and individual to Crais. I don’t have to skim over any bloat, the story just comes at you, ‘Bam!’Now, on to the story. Elvis is hired to find a missing man. The client is the absent man’s daughter, a personable young influencer whose made in roads toward big time fame. The catch, he’s been gone almost ten years. A case so cold it’s frozen. No one seems to want the case looked into except the client, Traci; not her mother, her managing investor, her sweet pseudo uncle and father’s business partner, nor any of her staff. It is a distraction to her success, not to mention an emotional roller coaster for Traci herself.Elvis likes the kid, loves her cupcakes, and awestruck Ben (lover Lucy’s teenage son) is impressed that he is working for such a cool personality. So he takes the case. It’s a case that’s been worked before by law enforcement and competent competitors, so Elvis has doubts he will uncover much new information.Like a dog with a bone, or a cat with a proverbial ball of yarn, Elvis tugs on threads until unseen facts pop. About that time a second storyline appears. As he digs for more pieces to the puzzle, people get hurt, confusion clouds the picture, and people pressure Elvis to drop the case. Joe Pike joins the investigation to have Elvis’ back. Things start to heat up after Elvis is hospitalized from a severe beating.From that point on, action picks up the pace toward an interesting, ironic conclusion. Another case closed for the Elvis Cole Detective Agency. Don’t forget to feed the cat.
Reviewer: Richard B. Schwartz
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fine Stuff But I Have Some Quibbles
Review: Robert Crais is one of the great crime writers of our time and any new novel issuing from his pen is a significant event. THE BIG EMPTY is a strong novel, but it is flawed in two ways. The ending is a tad flat and, to my lights at least, somewhat predictable. Second, Joe Pike appears in the novel but clearly in a supporting role. While he has Elvis’ back he does not have to use his very considerable physical skills to any great degree. He is what I call the ‘avenging angel’ character (cf. Spenser’s Hawk) and very important to a crime narrative, since he complements the protagonist’s wounds and flaws with an invincibility that is always of narratological significance as well as philosophic significance.The story is a very modern one. A young woman who is part influencer/part podcaster bakes muffins on the internet and makes a great deal of money at it. She hires Elvis to find her long-lost father who may be one of the story’s heroes or one of its villains. Simultaneously, Cole investigates an attack on a young woman who still carries deep psychic wounds from an earlier life experience, an investigation which may overlap/intersect with the primary narrative.The writing is brisk and expert; RC knows L.A. like the back of his hand; in this case we are in the environs of Calabasas. The story is dark and there is very little of the humor we associate with the early Elvis Cole novels. Around 35 years ago a NY editor told me that he thought that the serial killer novel had pretty much run its course; he was off by a few decades at least, because ultimately THE BIG EMPTY is a serial killer novel as well as a story concerning the brutal corruption of innocence.While I can only give it four stars because of my personal tastes I also heartily recommend it to all Crais readers.
Reviewer: Carole T
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I would have given this novel 10 stars if that had been an option!
Review: Holy crap, what a page turner.I loved the plot. I loved the assortment of characters and the author’s writing style.I’ve read quite a few Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novels in the past. Now I’m hoping I’ve missed some and can find one to read really soon.Bravo Robert Crais!
Reviewer: L. M. Stinchcomb
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: always a great read
Review: Elvis Cole and Joe Pike never fail to deliver a great story. I appreciate the humor in books like these. Such trauma and violence. Good to be able to breathe. I also think Joe was softening up a little in this book. Can’t wait for the next one.
Reviewer: Kindle Customerjames sunseri
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The Big Empty
Review: A full bodied story with plenty of twists. A must read that is hard to put down,I hope there will be more Elvis and Pike. I could read about these guys for years
Reviewer: Siesta1422
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: So good!
Review: I’m a long-time fan and am so impressed that Crais still finds ways for missing persons cases to become complex and compelling, and to bring out the best of Elvis, Pike and each other. This one was especially readable, with well-drawn secondary characters, more depth and punch to the conflicts arising, and, while not completely original a storyline, the writing more than makes a difference.
Reviewer: Amazon Purchaser
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This book was a fantastic read, tense and fast paced and as always, a great story with some awesome twists and turns.The Cole/ Pike series is one of my favourites and this book was very well written, can’t wait for another!
Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Always a good story. Cole and Pike are my favorite detective series. Hands down. Read every one and hope there are many more.
Reviewer: Roberto Paulo Fiedler
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Excellent as always
Reviewer: Docham
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Another great book by Crais.. Believable characters, lots of twists and turns, easy read. Looking forward to more Cile and Pike novels
Reviewer: The Doctor
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I like the Cole and Pike books, that said the formula was starting to wear a bit thin on me . Cole investigating and getting invested in his victim, issues from his childhood come to the fore, the suspects who wouldn’t have been found otherwise commit some violence against him which leads to their discovery and a bloody shoot out. All of which I like.This has all that, but it feels smoother and more organic in the telling than more recent outings . I felt engaged with all the characters, there were some genuine twists and the route to the bloody shoot out felt deserved and had a real sense of urgency and suspense.I’d not knock the series as a whole but this one stood out as a really enjoyable read.
, Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Crime > Murder, #Big #Empty #Elvis #Cole #Joe #Pike #Book,
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