L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole Novels)
by Robert Crais
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Book Reviews of L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole Novels)
Book Review: Best of the best.
Summary: 5 Stars
Robert Crais took off the gloves for this one.The bar is already high in the private detective novel field, set by such masters as Chandler, Hammett, MacDonald... and Robert Crais. The Elvis Cole series is one of the most infectious, immensely readable series in modern mystery fiction.
With "L.A. Requiem," that bar is raised again.
Crais' first Elvis novel, "The Monkey's Raincoat," won me over, and he's only improved since. I would highly recommend any of them as good reading.
I recommend "Requiem" as much more than that, a huge story peopled by true developed and developing characters, compelling plot, emotional investment- I stayed up half the night to finish it in one day, no exaggeration. I recommend this as more than a mystery novel. This is literature.
As someone who tries to write fiction, I can appreciate Crais' masterful use of structure here in an unwieldly-large plot; but as a reader, as a fan of mystery stories, I stand open-mouthed in awe of "L.A. Requiem."
Read it, just read it.
Book Review: Good--But No Chandler or Ellroy in Terms of LA Noir
Summary: 3 Stars
I picked LA Requiem up during a lazy, rainy weekend in LA, hoping to soak up the dark side of LA. Crais is a competent, sometimes excellent, "fast-paced thriller" writer with characters that, unfortunately, have become something of a cliche. However, judging from editorial and reader reviews, he's being hailed in some quarters as the heir of Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy. Not the case. Chandler and Ellroy draw readers into two overlapping eras of LA Noir with their profound understanding of the human and geographic terrain of that most contradictory of locales. Crais writes as an interested, informed and articulate LA observer--which is a far cry from exposing the dynamics of the genre from within. On that count, Crais remains a solid author who has chosen LA as his stomping ground. But don't expect rereading of Crais' work to offer up the rewards of Chandler and Ellroy in terms of engaging prose, compelling characters and a convincing look into the dark heart of sunbleached Los Angeles.Book Review: Pike Takes Center Stage
Summary: 5 Stars
"L.A. Requiem" is a tight, well-constructed novel with flashbacks that tie directly to the action. Fans of the Elvis Cole series may be surprised at the tone, but the novel is both entertaining and emotionally satisfying. Earlier books in the series have given glimpses of Joe Pike, ex-cop, more a phenomenon of natural science (Tornado? Avalanche?) than fully-fleshed character. Now Robert Crais gives Cole's sidekick center stage, complete with back-story, and the result is a fascinating, and ultimately touching read. How would a person like Pike come to be? I won't be giving anything away to note that someone so powerful and ordered must once have been helpless. Cole and Pike are incredibly appealing because Crais mixes tough street-smarts with a focused, almost naive sense of right and wrong. Early in the novel, Pike, the master of the short answer, explains that he wanted to become a cop because he "wanted to do good." I believed him and cheered. You're going to love these guys.
Book Review: Suspenseful and Excruciatingly Tense
Summary: 4 Stars
Elvis and Joe are at it again. But this time the case hits close to home. Joe's former girlfriend, Karen Garcia, is found murdered. Karen's father, a prominent L.A. businessman, hires Elvis and Joe to supervise the LAPD's investigation, as he has little faith in the police. But the LAPD does not take kindly to the two private investigators interfering with their job. They want Elvis and Joe out of the picture and will do anything to remove them from the case. Meanwhile, a string of other murders eerily similar to Karen Garcia's are taking place. When the police finally name and apprehend their suspect, Elvis and Joe's personal and professional lives are turned upside down. The most unlikely person to commit murder is the prime suspect and the evidence mounts daily to confirm that the party is guilty. As their friendship strains, Elvis and Joe must undertake their most complicated search for the truth. Even if it means facing some inner demons that they did not know existed.Book Review: good cops, bad cops and misbehavior in L.A.
Summary: 4 Stars
I picked up L.A. Requiem, like so many people, at any airport before boarding a flight. Although the amazon.com reviews were favorable I feared somewhat that this would be one of the many vaguely competent yet forgettable popular crime novels. So how did the book measure up? Thankfully, rather well.The story is about serial killings in LA-LA land, with a pair of private investigators out to solve these murders. Things get very sticky when one of these investigators, a former cop, is implicated. Crais does a fine job in delivering a fast pace, complete with rather unpredictable story. It is certainly a page-turner.
However the story has a somewhat familiar feel, resembling more a movie script than literature. The characterizations are a bit two-dimensional, the prose is marginally adequate. While L.A. Requiem is certainly not a classic it certainly rises above the "forgettable" status.
Bottom line: an enjoyable crime novel. Recommended.