Over the course of several novels, Robert Crais has firmly established the character of Elvis Cole, The World's Best Detective, along with his side-kick, Joe Pike, so, after all these years, the author has decided it is finally time to mix things up a bit. Hence The Watchman is something of a depature from his usual fare in that it focuses, for the most part, solely around the character of Pike! A short while ago, Cole found himself racing against time to locate the kidnapped son of his then current girlfriend and Pike was forced to make a promise to do one last job for a shadowy figure from his past in order to help his partner. That promise has lingered over ...  Read the complete review

The sidekick is an important role in fiction. What would Sherlock Holmes have been without Dr Watson? A sidekick is used as much as a reflection on the hero as a character themselves. This means that they are often contrary to the main protagonist. If your hero is a moral compass, then the sidekick may have a dark edge. If your hero is a dope taking genius, then his partner may be a straight laced everyman. The companion is a very useful tool for any author, especially in crime fiction, as it allows them to take the book in a direction that perhaps the hero would not do. A good example of this in recent crime fiction is Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike. Cole ..  Read the complete review