The Watchman - Robert Crais

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

Having recently read my first novel by Robert Crais I felt it was time to take a trip down to my local book lending emporium and browse their shelves. I left the place with an armful of books but only one Crais - sadly. 'The Watchman' is the tale of Larkin(?) Conner Barkley who during a mindless act of speeding rear-ends another car. As she exits her vehicle to check on the occupants of the other car she witnesses one passenger running from the scene of the accident. A few days later she is suddenly running for her life. Joe Pike, ex-marine/ex-cop/ex-humour, is recruited to protect the girl and, along with the aid of his friend, Elvis Cole, he ...  Read the complete review