Racing the Light

September 5, 2022
The disappearance of podcaster Josh Schumacher drives MWA Grandmaster Crais’s entertaining 19th novel featuring L.A. PI Elvis Cole and his ex-Marine sidekick, Joe Pike (after 2019’s A Dangerous Man). Josh’s mother, Adele, hires Elvis to find Josh and bring him home. Elvis soon discovers that Josh’s latest story, which involves an adult film star and secrets tying city politicians to a corrupt pay-for-play scheme, has mobilized a vortex of competing interests, including a vicious business cartel, Chinese operatives, and the mysterious Adele’s own personal protection team. Once Elvis tracks down Josh, he’s frustrated by the podcaster’s refusal to let the story go, and matters quickly degenerate into murder and mayhem. As usual, Pike’s involvement is minimal and timely, and the novel further advances the on-again, off-again relationship between Elvis and love interest Lucy Chenier, with several effective scenes between Elvis and Lucy’s son, Ben. While the influence of Michael Connelly is apparent and the pace is somewhat uneven, Crais maintains a humorous tone throughout. This long-running series shows no signs of losing steam. Agent: Aaron Priest, Aaron M. Priest Literary.

September 1, 2022
In the latest Elvis Cole mystery, young podcaster Josh Shoe is on the verge of nailing a corrupt city official when the murder of his prime source--a porn actress--sends him into hiding. A hulking 26-year-old, Shoe--short for Schumacher--prides himself on "bringing the truth the mainstream media hides," whether that involves alien visits or conspiracy theories. Following the murder of Skylar, who works as a call girl to support her efforts as a visual artist, Josh's own life is in danger. When it's revealed that sophisticated surveillance equipment used by Chinese intelligence has been installed in his apartment, Elvis suspects the stakes are higher than he thought. The LA detective has other things on his mind: His long-lost girlfriend, Lucy Chenier, has returned to town with her son, Ben, who was traumatized by his father's sick plot to cast himself as a hero. Ben loves Elvis, but does Lucy? But back to the action, which involves a hapless bagman, a city councilman who sells out a low-cost housing project, a Chinese enforcer, and, of course, Cole's taciturn sidekick, the ex-Marine Joe Pike. Though the novel promises intrigue of a higher order than it delivers, Crais' affection for his characters, masterful pacing, and dry wit make this one of his better efforts. An unrepentant classicist, he keeps the traditional detective novel alive and well. An enjoyable mystery from a tried-and-true veteran.

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Starred review from October 15, 2022
Adele Schumacher tells PI Elvis Cole that she believes her son, Josh, a controversial podcaster, is being held by the government at Area 51. Adele has a purse stuffed with cash, a brain full of government conspiracies, and, oddly, a professional bodyguard. Who is this woman? When Cole finally tracks him down, the podcaster reveals that his mother and father were both employed by the government and, quite possibly, reworked captured alien technology. But it turns out that's not really relevant. The real question is, Who are the assorted assassins?, including "Scarecrow and the Meatball," who are looking for Josh? Cole calls in his partner, Joe Pike, to help. Josh's porn-star girlfriend is found brutally murdered, hints of a Silicon Valley conspiracy surface, and Cole's estranged girlfriend, Lucy Chenier, and her son, Ben, decide to come for the weekend. A whirlwind of action, fisticuffs, and stray bullets, along with Crais' usual dose of heart and humor, make for a riveting and satisfying read. No one does the bromance buddy genre better than Crais, and he always keeps it fresh and timely. This is the nineteenth outing for the PI duo, in a series that began with The Monkey's Raincoat in 1987, and Cole and Pike are still relentless, with their humanity, remarkably, fully intact.

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