The Promise by Robert Crais

First Line: The woman stood in the corner of the dimly lit room, hiding in shadows like a fish in gray water.

Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are the kind of men who keep their promises. Whatever it takes. When Elvis is secretly hired to find a grief-stricken mother, he finds himself at a house in Echo Park containing a desperate fugitive and a secretive criminal who will stop at nothing to continue his murderous ways.

LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and Maggie track the fugitive to the same house and come face-to-face with Mr. Rollins, who's just killed the man Maggie was tracking. One of Mr. Rollins' rules is to never leave a witness alive-- and Scott is the only person who can identify him.

Scott and Maggie have been targeted by Rollins. Elvis Cole has been targeted by the LAPD. (That pesky vow of secrecy.) There's only one way to survive: Elvis and Joe must join forces with Scott and Maggie to put an end to Mr. Rollins and to find the missing woman.

Robert Crais's Suspect was one of my best reads in 2015, and Scott and Maggie were the main reasons why I read The Promise. (I stopped reading the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels before Crais hit his stride.) I found this book to be another page-turner just when I was in the mood for lots of action.

All in all, I thought there needed to be a bit more from Mr. Rollins because his threats to Scott and Maggie really ratcheted up the anxiety levels. But that could've been a slippery slope. Although Scott and Maggie's scenes really played up the dog's intelligence and training, readers tend to be very touchy when danger to animals is concerned. (Almost better for the human characters to come to harm!) 

Yes, I was fully engaged in reading this book and rooting for the good guys. I would love to give it my highest rating, but when all is said and done, the characterizations fell a bit short for me. Joe Pike seemed to be an afterthought, and Elvis's wit and wisecracks were missing. Even Scott seemed subdued. Only Maggie earned all her kibble. However, The Promise still ranks high as a thriller.
   

The Promise by Robert Crais

ISBN: 9780399161490

G.P. Putnam's Sons © 2015

Hardcover, 416 pages

Private Investigator, #16 Elvis Cole and Joe Pike mystery

Also features Scott James and Maggie

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.  


 

Suspect by Robert Crais

First Line: Maggie stared at Pete with rapt, undivided focus.

Two post-traumatic stress disorder sufferers come together and heal each other in Robert Crais's novel Suspect. 

Nine months ago LAPD officer Scott James saw his partner killed and was almost killed himself. He's a man filled with anger and shame, and all he wants to do is find his partner's killers. Unfit for duty in his original unit, he asks for a transfer to the K-9 unit. Accompanied by just a dog, he doesn't have to worry about losing another partner. He's teamed with Maggie, a war dog who survived two tours in Afghanistan sniffing out explosives before losing her handler in a firefight.

They are each other's last chance, and they'll be investigating the one case no one wants them to touch: identifying the men who killed Scott's partner. If only the case were as simple as that....

Before I go any farther, I have a warning: have a hankie in hand as you begin reading the prologue-- especially if you are a dog lover. I found the prologue in Suspect to be gut-wrenching, and although I wanted to wait a few minutes to calm down before continuing to read, I was already hooked.

Crais provides excellent insight into the mind of a dog, in particular the mind of a war or police dog. When Scott and Maggie are partnered, it's a learning experience for both of them, and it was so rewarding to watch them heal each other. 

This isn't just the Scott and Maggie Show, however. Crais gives us some marvelous secondary characters in fellow police officers Cowley, Leland, and Budress. Leland as the hard-as-nails head of the K-9 unit and Budress who constantly risks reprimand for helping Scott may be a touch two-dimensional, but they're the sort of characters you love regardless of their cardboard tan tinge. The female detective Cowley is another story. You're never quite sure what she thinks of Scott. You're never quite sure what she's willing to do to help. You're never quite sure how tough she is. By book's end, your questions will be answered.

The investigation into Scott's partner's death is filled with plenty of danger. Crais is a pro at ratcheting up the suspense. As is always the case when a dog is a member of the cast, readers always wonder about Old Yeller Syndrome, especially in a story involving the police and lots of flying bullets. I'm not about to enlighten you here. All I'll say is that I was hooked from the prologue and couldn't read fast enough. Scott and Maggie are going to stay with me for a long time. They're that good.

Suspect by Robert Crais

ISBN: 9780425278277

Berkley © 2014

Paperback, 416 pages

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen