Synopsis: Dru Rayne and her uncle fled to L.A. after Hurricane Katrina; but now, five years later, they face a different danger. When Joe Pike witnesses Dru's uncle beaten by a protection gang, he offers his help, but neither of them want it - and neither do the federal agents mysteriously watching them.
As the level of violence escalates, and Pike himself becomes a target, he and Elvis Cole learn that Dru and her uncle are not who they seem - and that everything he thought he knew about them has been a lie. A vengeful and murderous force from their past is now catching up to them ... and only Pike and Cole stand in the way.
After reading this I can’t help but conclude that Crais’s management suggested he shift the focus of his series from Cole to Pike so that it would compete better with the Jack Reacher phenomenon. In some ways it does, but it veers sharply off Crais’s normal story-telling path and he covers some new ground. In this 3rd Pike novel his character is largely left unexplored which is good. Unlike Reacher, I don’t want insight into what makes Pike tick. He’s better left mysterious and unknowable.
The action comes at a break-neck pace in the Pike books. There is little room for thought, planning, reflecting or decision making; it’s all go-go-go. Because Pike doesn’t really seem to have a life, he can devote himself to this Dru character and her weird situation no matter how complex or dangerous it becomes. Funny thing that he recognizes that Cole is the idea man and that’s really the big difference between the two series; Cole is thoughtful where Pike is impulsive. That’s not to say he comes off as dumb, he doesn’t, he just makes a decision so fast that it seems he doesn’t give it much thought. The Elvis Cole chapters show up this difference well.
The plot was convoluted and had a lot of players most of which die. I thought the ending while it did tie everything up, was a bit rushed. I kept looking at the number of pages I had left and wondering how in hell he would get it all done in such a short time. The bit about the bags and how many were delivered was a little tease toward the future, I suspect. Also I thought it was funny that the cat is 23 years old now and still as active and ornery as ever.
If you’re new to Crais’s work, start with the first Joe Pike book, The Watchman, instead of this one, although it’s really not that necessary – Crais does a good job of making the newcomer feel oriented. If you like the Cole character start with The Monkey’s Raincoat and work your way through. They are very different, and somewhat dated now, but a lot of fun.
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