Last and Perhaps Least (The Last Detective - Robert Crais)

Member Name: samueltyler

Product:	The Last Detective - Robert Crais
Date:	20/07/09 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Thrilling, great action ending

Disadvantages: Too bogged down in character, no humour

It's always nice to have a laugh when reading about the grim exploits of a hardened Private Eye. As a genre there is a surprising number of PIs who have a wicked sense of humour. Authors suggest this is because the only way to stay sane in a world were they see evil and death is to try and laugh it off. Crime fiction can come across as a little cold with the likes of John Connolly and Karin Slaughter writing violent books with little respite. These books are not for me. I like my crime with a pinch of humour so Robert B Parker and Colin Bateman are more up my alley. However, even the writers of lighter comedy have their darker books. The books were the hero is challenged more than ever before. It is hard to write a dark book about a lighter character and many authors get the tone wrong. Could Robert Crais achieve success when he places the witty Elvis Cole in a situation where there is nothing to laugh about?

Elvis Cole has finally got it sorted. His business as a PI is going well and he is in a stable relationship with the lovely Lucy. He has gained so much trust with Lucy by now that she is happy for him to look after her son whilst she is away on business. However, as Cole knows well the job of a PI can be a dangerous and enemies are made with ease. One day Cole's fears come true when Lucy's son, Ben, is kidnapped from Cole's house. With the kidnappers leaving no clue except a link to Cole's military past it is up to the PI and his silent partner Pike to discover the kidnappers before they become killers.

'The Last Detective' is by far the darkest and moodiest of the Elvis Cole novels so far. As a rule they contain dark character and violence, but are usually light and thrilling. Author Robert Crais has obviously decided to try and explore a different side of Cole's character as he is pushed to the limits. However, is this the side of Cole that I am interested in seeing? Not really. I am not one for overly light fiction, but Crais seems to have press ganged Cole into a book that does not fit him. The ride is a thrilling one as Cole apparently has a race against time to stop the kidnappers. The problem is that I am used to Cole being an amusing character, here he is haunted and no fun to be around.

This main problem comes from Crais writing himself into a fix. He is a successful crime fiction writer and the Elvis Cole novels have been very good to him. However, by now Cole has become too settled. It is very hard to believe that a character with a lover and her child to look after will continue to live a gung ho life. The reason that so many heroes in crime are loners is that it gives them nothing to lose and the edge needed for thrilling fiction. Like many authors in the same situation Crais has to write out people that link their protagonist to the mundane. Whether this occurs or not is for you to read about, but the intentions start to become clear from the first chapter.

This is a book less about a mystery and more about moving the character of Cole on. For that reason we get an intense character session and discover more about him than in the previous 10 books put together. Some people may appreciate this, I find it a little too much and boring. I cannot remember how many series of books I have gone through that have had this relationship novel in them. They are universally below average and do not fit in with the rest of the set.

Not everything is bad with 'The Last Detective'. If it had been the first book in a series I would have been impressed with the thrilling writing and brilliant ending. The characters of Cole and Pike come across as cold. I am used to them being lighter, but under the circumstances their actions make sense. I still enjoyed the book as pure crime fiction as it is clear that Crais is an excellent writer in the genre. He forgoes the classic crime principles of clue searching in favour of action set pieces and deadly encounters. Once in a while this sort of guilty pleasure is perfectly acceptable.

The enjoyment a reader gains from 'The Last Detective' will depend on the number of books they have read in the series and whether they like characterisation to the nth degree. The more books you have read starring Elvis Cole the more you will notice how this book does not fit in with the rest. The humour is gone and it all feels a little too angsty. For a new reader you may feel this is what they are all like and not mind. 'Last' also feels like an intense therapy session for Cole and for my tastes it delved a little too deeply, a little too quickly. Despite the problems though there is still a decent book to be found with a thrilling narrative and an exceptional ending. With its reliance on character I feel that people should try and read the earlier books first to gain a fuller insight.

Author: Robert Crais
Year: 2003
Price: amazon uk - £5.49
play.com - £5.49

Summary: The one were Elvis faces his demons and we get a little bored