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Elvis Cole and Joe Pike #7
Indigo Slam
Available for the first time as an ebook!
Life in the California sun suits Elvis Cole--until the day a fifteen-year-old girl and her two younger siblings walk into his office. Then everything changes.
Three years ago, a Seattle family ran for their lives in a hail of bullets. Hired by three kids to find their missing father, Elvis now must pick up the cold pieces of a drama that began that night. What he finds is a sordid tale of high crimes and illicit drugs. As clues to a man's secret life emerge from the shadows, Elvis knows he's not just up against ruthless mobsters and some very angry Feds. He's facing a storm of desperation and conspiracy--bearing down on three children whose only crime was their survival...
Life in the California sun suits Elvis Cole--until the day a fifteen-year-old girl and her two younger siblings walk into his office. Then everything changes.
Three years ago, a Seattle family ran for their lives in a hail of bullets. Hired by three kids to find their missing father, Elvis now must pick up the cold pieces of a drama that began that night. What he finds is a sordid tale of high crimes and illicit drugs. As clues to a man's secret life emerge from the shadows, Elvis knows he's not just up against ruthless mobsters and some very angry Feds. He's facing a storm of desperation and conspiracy--bearing down on three children whose only crime was their survival...
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 1997
1063 people are currently reading
2554 people want to read
About the author
Robert Crais
179 books4,555 followers Robert Crais is the author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels. A native of Louisiana, he grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River in a blue collar family of oil refinery workers and police officers. He purchased a secondhand paperback of Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister when he was fifteen, which inspired his lifelong love of writing, Los Angeles, and the literature of crime fiction. Other literary influences include Dashiell Hammett, Ernest Hemingway, Robert B. Parker, and John Steinbeck.
After years of amateur film-making and writing short fiction, he journeyed to Hollywood in 1976 where he quickly found work writing scripts for such major television series as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice, as well as numerous series pilots and Movies-of-the-Week for the major networks. He received an Emmy nomination for his work on Hill Street Blues, but is most proud of his 4-hour NBC miniseries, Cross of Fire, which the New York Times declared: "A searing and powerful documentation of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to national prominence in the 20s."
In the mid-eighties, feeling constrained by the collaborative working requirements of Hollywood, Crais resigned from a lucrative position as a contract writer and television producer in order to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. His first efforts proved unsuccessful, but upon the death of his father in 1985, Crais was inspired to create Elvis Cole, using elements of his own life as the basis of the story. The resulting novel, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award. It has since been selected as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.
Crais conceived of the novel as a stand-alone, but realized that—in Elvis Cole—he had created an ideal and powerful character through which to comment upon his life and times. (See the WORKS section for additional titles.) Elvis Cole’s readership and fan base grew with each new book, then skyrocketed in 1999 upon the publication of L. A. Requiem, which was a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and forever changed the way Crais conceived of and structured his novels. In this new way of telling his stories, Crais combined the classic ‘first person’ narrative of the American detective novel with flashbacks, multiple story lines, multiple points-of-view, and literary elements to better illuminate his themes. Larger and deeper in scope, Publishers Weekly wrote of L. A. Requiem, "Crais has stretched himself the way another Southern California writer—Ross Macdonald—always tried to do, to write a mystery novel with a solid literary base." Booklist added, "This is an extraordinary crime novel that should not be pigeonholed by genre. The best books always land outside preset boundaries. A wonderful experience."
Crais followed with his first non-series novel, Demolition Angel, which was published in 2000 and featured former Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Technician Carol Starkey. Starkey has since become a leading character in the Elvis Cole series. In 2001, Crais published his second non-series novel, Hostage, which was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times and was a world-wide bestseller. Additionally, the editors of Amazon.com selected Hostage as the #1 thriller of the year. A film adaptation of Hostage was released in 2005, starring Bruce Willis as ex-LAPD SWAT negotiator Jeff Talley.
Elvis Cole returned in 2003 with the publication of The Last Detective, followed by the tenth Elvis Cole novel, The Forgotten Man, in 2005. Both novels explore with increasing depth the natures and characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. RC’s third stand-alone novel, The Two Minute Rule, was published in 2006. The eleventh entry in the Elvis Cole series, The Watchman, will be published sometime in 2007.
After years of amateur film-making and writing short fiction, he journeyed to Hollywood in 1976 where he quickly found work writing scripts for such major television series as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice, as well as numerous series pilots and Movies-of-the-Week for the major networks. He received an Emmy nomination for his work on Hill Street Blues, but is most proud of his 4-hour NBC miniseries, Cross of Fire, which the New York Times declared: "A searing and powerful documentation of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to national prominence in the 20s."
In the mid-eighties, feeling constrained by the collaborative working requirements of Hollywood, Crais resigned from a lucrative position as a contract writer and television producer in order to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. His first efforts proved unsuccessful, but upon the death of his father in 1985, Crais was inspired to create Elvis Cole, using elements of his own life as the basis of the story. The resulting novel, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award. It has since been selected as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.
Crais conceived of the novel as a stand-alone, but realized that—in Elvis Cole—he had created an ideal and powerful character through which to comment upon his life and times. (See the WORKS section for additional titles.) Elvis Cole’s readership and fan base grew with each new book, then skyrocketed in 1999 upon the publication of L. A. Requiem, which was a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and forever changed the way Crais conceived of and structured his novels. In this new way of telling his stories, Crais combined the classic ‘first person’ narrative of the American detective novel with flashbacks, multiple story lines, multiple points-of-view, and literary elements to better illuminate his themes. Larger and deeper in scope, Publishers Weekly wrote of L. A. Requiem, "Crais has stretched himself the way another Southern California writer—Ross Macdonald—always tried to do, to write a mystery novel with a solid literary base." Booklist added, "This is an extraordinary crime novel that should not be pigeonholed by genre. The best books always land outside preset boundaries. A wonderful experience."
Crais followed with his first non-series novel, Demolition Angel, which was published in 2000 and featured former Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Technician Carol Starkey. Starkey has since become a leading character in the Elvis Cole series. In 2001, Crais published his second non-series novel, Hostage, which was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times and was a world-wide bestseller. Additionally, the editors of Amazon.com selected Hostage as the #1 thriller of the year. A film adaptation of Hostage was released in 2005, starring Bruce Willis as ex-LAPD SWAT negotiator Jeff Talley.
Elvis Cole returned in 2003 with the publication of The Last Detective, followed by the tenth Elvis Cole novel, The Forgotten Man, in 2005. Both novels explore with increasing depth the natures and characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. RC’s third stand-alone novel, The Two Minute Rule, was published in 2006. The eleventh entry in the Elvis Cole series, The Watchman, will be published sometime in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 547 reviews
October 30, 2017
Fast, solid ride. A great beginning, where the reader witnesses the moment three children and their father leave their home in company with the U.S. Marshals. Cut to Elvis Cole in the office, being visited three years later by said children, who want him to look for their father. It's a nice way to build the sense of anticipation for the reader, waiting for Elvis to discover and explain what happened so long ago, but it turns out that was just the surface. The Space Needle on the cover implies Seattle, and it's true, there is a section in Seattle, but it's strangely limited. Most of the time is still in L.A.
Meanwhile, on the personal front, Elvis' S.O. Lucy is negotiating for a job in Los Angeles. Although Elvis finds his attention is split between his relationship issues and the children's case, Lucy's situation is generally a less interesting one. I appreciate that Crais didn't go into expected territory with the ex-husband, keeping attention more on the children's missing father. I understand wanting to give your main character a personal life, but at times the situation with Lucy is just distracting. I suppose he might be trying to counter the 'lonely private eye' trope.
The case escalates fast, somewhat unrealistically and into thriller territory, somewhat similar to the plotting pattern in Voodoo Blues. I found it worked less well for me than the last book, but I still enjoyed the story. Wrangling the children and their wayward father certainly made the case more challenging. I found one of the revelations at the end (mild spoiler) to be mildly eye-rolling, but as Crais has earned a lot of leniency from me, I ignored it. It felt like a crutch, both with the earlier actions and with resolving the case lawfully. Still, overall, a pleasant way to spend the afternoon on a cold, rainy day. Tucked up in a comforter with two dogs as heating pads and a good story--what more could one want?
Meanwhile, on the personal front, Elvis' S.O. Lucy is negotiating for a job in Los Angeles. Although Elvis finds his attention is split between his relationship issues and the children's case, Lucy's situation is generally a less interesting one. I appreciate that Crais didn't go into expected territory with the ex-husband, keeping attention more on the children's missing father. I understand wanting to give your main character a personal life, but at times the situation with Lucy is just distracting. I suppose he might be trying to counter the 'lonely private eye' trope.
The case escalates fast, somewhat unrealistically and into thriller territory, somewhat similar to the plotting pattern in Voodoo Blues. I found it worked less well for me than the last book, but I still enjoyed the story. Wrangling the children and their wayward father certainly made the case more challenging. I found one of the revelations at the end (mild spoiler) to be mildly eye-rolling, but as Crais has earned a lot of leniency from me, I ignored it. It felt like a crutch, both with the earlier actions and with resolving the case lawfully. Still, overall, a pleasant way to spend the afternoon on a cold, rainy day. Tucked up in a comforter with two dogs as heating pads and a good story--what more could one want?
October 23, 2012
When a fifteen year old girl hires Elvis Cole to find her missing father, a printer named Clark Haines, Elvis soon finds himself snared in a web of drugs, counterfeit money, and the Russian mob. To top it off, Lucy's ex-husband is trying to sabotage her attempts to find a job and move to LA to be with Elvis. What's the World's Greatest Detective to do?
While I've been dabbling in sf and graphic novels quite a bit the last couple months, sometimes you just need a good mystery. Once again, Robert Crais delivers the goods.
Indigo Slam proved to be a lot more than I originally thought. The Haines family's status in the witness relocation program complicated Clark's missing, as did what originally seemed to be a drug habit. Crais is pretty good at misdirection and he had me going a few times during this.
My favorite part of this book was Elvis and Joe interacting with Clark's kids. I'm hoping Lucy's ex-husband makes further appearances. Actually, I'm hoping the Elvis-Lucy subplot gets resolved in the next book, one way or another. Long distance relationships never work.
As always, Elvis and Joe walk around, asking questions and stirring up trouble until things boil over. The action was great when the tidal wave finally hit the beach. The twists kept coming and though I suspected the final one, it still caught me off guard.
That's about all I can say without spoiling big plot points. Crais gave me the exciting read I was craving. Right on the edge of 3 and 4 out of five.
While I've been dabbling in sf and graphic novels quite a bit the last couple months, sometimes you just need a good mystery. Once again, Robert Crais delivers the goods.
Indigo Slam proved to be a lot more than I originally thought. The Haines family's status in the witness relocation program complicated Clark's missing, as did what originally seemed to be a drug habit. Crais is pretty good at misdirection and he had me going a few times during this.
My favorite part of this book was Elvis and Joe interacting with Clark's kids. I'm hoping Lucy's ex-husband makes further appearances. Actually, I'm hoping the Elvis-Lucy subplot gets resolved in the next book, one way or another. Long distance relationships never work.
As always, Elvis and Joe walk around, asking questions and stirring up trouble until things boil over. The action was great when the tidal wave finally hit the beach. The twists kept coming and though I suspected the final one, it still caught me off guard.
That's about all I can say without spoiling big plot points. Crais gave me the exciting read I was craving. Right on the edge of 3 and 4 out of five.
April 30, 2021
Indigo Slam begins in a driving rain storm in Seattle as United States Marshals hustle a man named Clark Hewitt and his three children into a van on their way to the Witness Protection Program. But everything blows up when Russian mobsters appear on the scene, intent on killing Hewitt. A gunfight ensues and the Hewitts narrowly escape. But with that, the novel is off and running.
Fast-forward three years to the office of Elvis Cole, the self-described World's Greatest Detective, in Los Angeles. The three children, now using the last name Haines, appear in Elvis's office wanting to hire him to find their father who disappeared eleven days earlier. The oldest child, fifteen-year-old Teresa, is very mature for her age and has obviously assumed the role of being responsible for her younger siblings. She flashes a roll of hundred-dollar bills and asks Cole what it will cost too retain his services.
The first of many dilemmas that Cole will face in this novel is the decision about whether or not he should immediately call the social welfare people and get these kids into the custody of (hopefully) responsible adults. He visits the kids in their home and decides that Teresa is taking reasonably good care of them, so he decides to leave them on their own while he searches for the missing father.
Elvis takes two hundred bucks from the kids for his trouble and immediately loses money when he has to follow a lead that takes him to Seattle. There he discovers that the father, Clark, has bolted from the WPP and is involved with some very scary people. It turns out that Clark is a master counterfeiter and he has foolishly ripped off the Russian mob. The mobsters are determined to kill him.
What follows is a roller-coaster ride as Elvis, assisted, of course, by his partner Joe Pike, attempts to find Clark, keep the kids safe, fend off the mobsters and keep any number of federal agents off his back. But that's all in a day's work for Elvis. At the same time, his relationship with Lucy, the woman who he met in Louisiana in his last outing is progressing. Lucy is planning to move to L. A. so that she and Elvis can be together, but complications pop up there too.
This is a fast-paced ride with lots of unexpected twists and turns. There's action galore and, as always in these novels, a fair amount of wry humor. All in all, the book is a lot of fun.
Fast-forward three years to the office of Elvis Cole, the self-described World's Greatest Detective, in Los Angeles. The three children, now using the last name Haines, appear in Elvis's office wanting to hire him to find their father who disappeared eleven days earlier. The oldest child, fifteen-year-old Teresa, is very mature for her age and has obviously assumed the role of being responsible for her younger siblings. She flashes a roll of hundred-dollar bills and asks Cole what it will cost too retain his services.
The first of many dilemmas that Cole will face in this novel is the decision about whether or not he should immediately call the social welfare people and get these kids into the custody of (hopefully) responsible adults. He visits the kids in their home and decides that Teresa is taking reasonably good care of them, so he decides to leave them on their own while he searches for the missing father.
Elvis takes two hundred bucks from the kids for his trouble and immediately loses money when he has to follow a lead that takes him to Seattle. There he discovers that the father, Clark, has bolted from the WPP and is involved with some very scary people. It turns out that Clark is a master counterfeiter and he has foolishly ripped off the Russian mob. The mobsters are determined to kill him.
What follows is a roller-coaster ride as Elvis, assisted, of course, by his partner Joe Pike, attempts to find Clark, keep the kids safe, fend off the mobsters and keep any number of federal agents off his back. But that's all in a day's work for Elvis. At the same time, his relationship with Lucy, the woman who he met in Louisiana in his last outing is progressing. Lucy is planning to move to L. A. so that she and Elvis can be together, but complications pop up there too.
This is a fast-paced ride with lots of unexpected twists and turns. There's action galore and, as always in these novels, a fair amount of wry humor. All in all, the book is a lot of fun.
September 6, 2016
Elvis gets hired by three kids to find their missing father and after the trail leads to Seattle, the detective finds himself on the bad side of some Russian mobsters and the U.S. Marshals Service. Sadly, Elvis does not meet Raylan Givens.
Elvis not only has to hunt down the missing dad, he’s also got an interesting dilemma with the kids. The oldest daughter does a good job of taking care of the younger two so Elvis doesn’t want to rat them out to social services, but what he learns about the missing father makes him sure he’s going to have a hard decision at some point.
Once again when the shit hits the fan and things get violent, Elvis and Joe Pike will have risk their lives while trying to strike a balance between doing what’s best for their clients and what’s legal.
This is my favorite book yet in the series. Elvis has to detect his ass off, and then he’s scrambling around while trying to deal with the kids, gangsters and the government. The story takes a lot of good twists and turns, and Crais once again delivers exciting action via his soft-hearted hero.
My only complaint is that there’s yet another sub-plot dealing with Elvis’s long-distance girlfriend Lucy, and this one also introduces an evil ex-husband into the mix that will probably mean trouble down the line. I’m not sure why but their relationship has all the chemistry of a dead battery to me. I don’t dislike the Lucy character, I just find her kind of blah, and I don’t really buy Elvis’s love for her. Any time the story veered in that direction, I was counting pages until Elvis got back to the main plot again.
Despite that, it’s still a helluva fun and entertaining detective yarn.
Elvis not only has to hunt down the missing dad, he’s also got an interesting dilemma with the kids. The oldest daughter does a good job of taking care of the younger two so Elvis doesn’t want to rat them out to social services, but what he learns about the missing father makes him sure he’s going to have a hard decision at some point.
Once again when the shit hits the fan and things get violent, Elvis and Joe Pike will have risk their lives while trying to strike a balance between doing what’s best for their clients and what’s legal.
This is my favorite book yet in the series. Elvis has to detect his ass off, and then he’s scrambling around while trying to deal with the kids, gangsters and the government. The story takes a lot of good twists and turns, and Crais once again delivers exciting action via his soft-hearted hero.
My only complaint is that there’s yet another sub-plot dealing with Elvis’s long-distance girlfriend Lucy, and this one also introduces an evil ex-husband into the mix that will probably mean trouble down the line. I’m not sure why but their relationship has all the chemistry of a dead battery to me. I don’t dislike the Lucy character, I just find her kind of blah, and I don’t really buy Elvis’s love for her. Any time the story veered in that direction, I was counting pages until Elvis got back to the main plot again.
Despite that, it’s still a helluva fun and entertaining detective yarn.
June 4, 2018
My Rating: 3.4/5
This is a good detective novel. It's more modern and simple with a linear story line. I liked the characters and how Robert Crais told the story even though there are parts that are plain boring. This is actually like seventh part in the series or something. I haven't read the other books but maybe I will.
This is a good detective novel. It's more modern and simple with a linear story line. I liked the characters and how Robert Crais told the story even though there are parts that are plain boring. This is actually like seventh part in the series or something. I haven't read the other books but maybe I will.
July 19, 2014
If you've been following along with the ongoing Elvis Cole saga, you know exactly how these stories go: Elvis gets hired by someone (usually female) with a sob story, he pokes around while employing his signature wise-assery, finds that All Is Not What It Seems, gets beaten up, brings in his Terminator-like bestie Joe Pike, shoots the hell out of the bad guys, fails to get paid, then pops a cold one on the balcony of his Hollywood Hills A-frame. Did I leave out anything? Good.
This one is little different, except this time the female client is 15 and a surrogate mother to two younger moppets. Their ne'er-do-well father went off on business and didn't come home; can Elvis Cole find him? Of course he can...and he also finds the gangsters of various ethnicities who are also after the hapless, wayward dad for a variety of reasons. Kidnappings, gunfights, and threats to Cole's bodily and emotional health ensue.
Cole is an engaging character, and author Crais knows his insides and outsides well by now. His voice is solidly established and consistent throughout. We see the world through his eyes, and luckily Cole can describe a scene well enough for us to picture it easily. Cole has always been a soft touch, and here he gets to ponder the imponderabilities of children in between deadly threats to his life. The prose flows smoothly and quickly. Crais has a knack for creating vivid secondary characters, which is a vital skill when the main protagonists remain the same through the series. Teri, the client, is a pretty convincing high-functioning mid-teen, and her younger brother is an equally convincing brat.
So why the semi-meh rating? If you've ridden with Cole before, nothing happens here that will surprise you much. A good deal of the dialog veers into banter. Cole's wiseass act wears with repetition. He constantly stumbles into situations that call for him to be tied to chairs and beaten by goons, yet he never seems to develop radar for that sort of thing, only one of several indicators of a lack of growth or development. And I'm seriously over Joe Pike as both a character and a type; as the lead's obligatory stone-killer sidekick, he's yet another version of Spenser's Hawk and Easy Rawlins' Mouse, yet with less charisma, and has come to mostly relieve Cole of having to detect his way out of trouble rather than shooting his way out.
This is the seventh Elvis Cole novel and the sixth I've read (I somehow missed Sunset Express ). I remember liking the first couple pretty well, and the next couple well enough, but at this point I'm undecided whether I want to sign up for more. Cole's still good enough company, but the formula has become so well-established that I can call the twists and beats well before they happen. (I get to this point sooner or later with most series, so this isn't unique to Crais.) Other than gaining a steady girlfriend, I can't think of a way that Cole has changed or grown much since his debut in The Monkey's Raincoat .
If you haven't encountered Elvis Cole before and happen to run across this on the airline seat next to you, it's as good an introduction as any. If you're a rabid Cole fan and can't wait to see if Pike finally removes his sunglasses, go ahead and read this. But if you're like me -- on the bubble about this series, hoping the next one will do something different -- you're not going to find "new" in Indigo Slam.
This one is little different, except this time the female client is 15 and a surrogate mother to two younger moppets. Their ne'er-do-well father went off on business and didn't come home; can Elvis Cole find him? Of course he can...and he also finds the gangsters of various ethnicities who are also after the hapless, wayward dad for a variety of reasons. Kidnappings, gunfights, and threats to Cole's bodily and emotional health ensue.
Cole is an engaging character, and author Crais knows his insides and outsides well by now. His voice is solidly established and consistent throughout. We see the world through his eyes, and luckily Cole can describe a scene well enough for us to picture it easily. Cole has always been a soft touch, and here he gets to ponder the imponderabilities of children in between deadly threats to his life. The prose flows smoothly and quickly. Crais has a knack for creating vivid secondary characters, which is a vital skill when the main protagonists remain the same through the series. Teri, the client, is a pretty convincing high-functioning mid-teen, and her younger brother is an equally convincing brat.
So why the semi-meh rating? If you've ridden with Cole before, nothing happens here that will surprise you much. A good deal of the dialog veers into banter. Cole's wiseass act wears with repetition. He constantly stumbles into situations that call for him to be tied to chairs and beaten by goons, yet he never seems to develop radar for that sort of thing, only one of several indicators of a lack of growth or development. And I'm seriously over Joe Pike as both a character and a type; as the lead's obligatory stone-killer sidekick, he's yet another version of Spenser's Hawk and Easy Rawlins' Mouse, yet with less charisma, and has come to mostly relieve Cole of having to detect his way out of trouble rather than shooting his way out.
This is the seventh Elvis Cole novel and the sixth I've read (I somehow missed Sunset Express ). I remember liking the first couple pretty well, and the next couple well enough, but at this point I'm undecided whether I want to sign up for more. Cole's still good enough company, but the formula has become so well-established that I can call the twists and beats well before they happen. (I get to this point sooner or later with most series, so this isn't unique to Crais.) Other than gaining a steady girlfriend, I can't think of a way that Cole has changed or grown much since his debut in The Monkey's Raincoat .
If you haven't encountered Elvis Cole before and happen to run across this on the airline seat next to you, it's as good an introduction as any. If you're a rabid Cole fan and can't wait to see if Pike finally removes his sunglasses, go ahead and read this. But if you're like me -- on the bubble about this series, hoping the next one will do something different -- you're not going to find "new" in Indigo Slam.
July 15, 2024
One of the earlier Elvis Cole/Joe Pike books I missed, so I bought it when Audible was having it's sale. I don't think there's been a Robert Crais book I haven't loved. He's a fantastic storyteller. This was a different narrator than his later books -- good, but not the best of the 3 or 4 who have narrated the series. I think Luke Daniels is my favorite (I think that's his name!)
This story revolves around three kids hiring Elvis to find their father who has been missing for 11 days. It's a strong story with great characters, and not exactly what you think. I enjoyed it. Listened at 1.1X speed.
This story revolves around three kids hiring Elvis to find their father who has been missing for 11 days. It's a strong story with great characters, and not exactly what you think. I enjoyed it. Listened at 1.1X speed.
June 21, 2025
3rd time - 'She said, 'Your ad in the Yellow Pages said you find missing people.'
'That's right. I'm having a special this week. I'll find two missing people for the price of one.'
Fifteen year old Teresa: 'Our father has been missing for eleven days, and we'd like you to find him.'
Thus begins the journey for the World's Greatest Detective, working for a trio of children. Fun action, bad baddies, and pre-ad Charles gives most criminals a run for their money.
2nd reading - An excerpt sums it up "I worked my way back onto the freeway and made the long drive north to LAX, periodically checking the mirror for Russians, federal agents, and Vietnamese thugs with Benelli auto-loading shotguns. If I could bring these guys together, we could have quite a party."
Always enjoyable Elvis and Joe story, as they kick over rocks asking questions, making the scorpions scatter.
1st reading - Elvis is contacted by a 15 year old girl, and her two younger siblings. Their dilemma: their father, a professional printer, has been gone almost two weeks, looking for work. The kids are used to fending for themselves, but not for this long, and hire the private investigator to find him.
In the course of the disappearance, we find ourselves knee-deep in counterfeiters, the Russian mob, Vietnamese patriots, a wife being menaced by her ex-husband, and Disneyland.
'That's right. I'm having a special this week. I'll find two missing people for the price of one.'
Fifteen year old Teresa: 'Our father has been missing for eleven days, and we'd like you to find him.'
Thus begins the journey for the World's Greatest Detective, working for a trio of children. Fun action, bad baddies, and pre-ad Charles gives most criminals a run for their money.
2nd reading - An excerpt sums it up "I worked my way back onto the freeway and made the long drive north to LAX, periodically checking the mirror for Russians, federal agents, and Vietnamese thugs with Benelli auto-loading shotguns. If I could bring these guys together, we could have quite a party."
Always enjoyable Elvis and Joe story, as they kick over rocks asking questions, making the scorpions scatter.
1st reading - Elvis is contacted by a 15 year old girl, and her two younger siblings. Their dilemma: their father, a professional printer, has been gone almost two weeks, looking for work. The kids are used to fending for themselves, but not for this long, and hire the private investigator to find him.
In the course of the disappearance, we find ourselves knee-deep in counterfeiters, the Russian mob, Vietnamese patriots, a wife being menaced by her ex-husband, and Disneyland.
October 18, 2021
I've read everything in this series and really liked them all...so when needing a book for a challenge I revisited them. Elvis and Joe are perfect investing partners and perfectly good friends. What should be a simple missing person case spirals out of control bringing in the Russian mafia with the Feds close on their heels. Staying alive is a struggle...saving three kids looks beyond even Cole's and the world's toughest guy, Joe Pike's abilities. Robert Crais's skill as a story teller plus two wonderful characters combine to make this a good, if not great. Elvis Cole entry. This one was written 25 years ago and it hasn't lost anything over the years.
June 16, 2016
Seven books in and I’m starting to lose steam on wanting to finish this series. Indigo Slam was a pretty slight read for me that never really did much with either of its two leads— PI Elvis Cole and his partner Joe “I Wear My Sunglasses at Night” Pike. More than anything this book felt like the two characters stumbled into a cheesy 80’s action movie, one of those mildly-entertaining but forgettable flicks you find in the bargain bins at Walmart, the kind of movie that is full of hokey shoot-outs, shady foreign criminals, and goofy power rock by some band you’ve never heard of and will never hear again because this flick was their one shot at fame and they blew it.
Man, this book really didn’t do it for me. The story isn’t particularly engaging—some loveably precocious and endearing tykes hire Cole to find their missing daddy. After plenty of “Ah shucks, ain’t children just the dangedest?” moments the story picks up the pace once Cole’s investigation leads him to Seattle and smack-dab in the midst of dangerous Russian mobsters. Too bad Crais opts out for the cookie cutter to make his bad guys this time around. There’s the hardened, blonde Russian killer who is not to be fucked with (although he never really does anything that impressive), the big and burly bruiser of a henchman with the IQ of Elmer Fudd, and, naturally, the fat mob boss with a lot of gold chains. Even Crais seems less than impressed with his baddies because they are barely in the book and only show up for the required scenes of threatening our hero and then the one or two fight scenes that follow.
The thrills are light in this book and the human drama phoned in. There is at least one development in the story that shows Crais has a pair as a writer, but the rest of the book felt the signs of a tired and over-extended series. Crais is a pretty good writer when he’s not trying to be cute…which, you know what? Quit trying to be cute, Crais! I know you want to be successful and I know that your experience as a television writer has conditioned you to think of your audience as a pack of mindless, tasteless idiots, but show me some of that promise that’s been missing in your books since the first three novels! Ditch the kids and girlfriend drama and start plumbing some depths of human darkness, for chrissake. I’m tired of playing softball with you.
Man, this book really didn’t do it for me. The story isn’t particularly engaging—some loveably precocious and endearing tykes hire Cole to find their missing daddy. After plenty of “Ah shucks, ain’t children just the dangedest?” moments the story picks up the pace once Cole’s investigation leads him to Seattle and smack-dab in the midst of dangerous Russian mobsters. Too bad Crais opts out for the cookie cutter to make his bad guys this time around. There’s the hardened, blonde Russian killer who is not to be fucked with (although he never really does anything that impressive), the big and burly bruiser of a henchman with the IQ of Elmer Fudd, and, naturally, the fat mob boss with a lot of gold chains. Even Crais seems less than impressed with his baddies because they are barely in the book and only show up for the required scenes of threatening our hero and then the one or two fight scenes that follow.
The thrills are light in this book and the human drama phoned in. There is at least one development in the story that shows Crais has a pair as a writer, but the rest of the book felt the signs of a tired and over-extended series. Crais is a pretty good writer when he’s not trying to be cute…which, you know what? Quit trying to be cute, Crais! I know you want to be successful and I know that your experience as a television writer has conditioned you to think of your audience as a pack of mindless, tasteless idiots, but show me some of that promise that’s been missing in your books since the first three novels! Ditch the kids and girlfriend drama and start plumbing some depths of human darkness, for chrissake. I’m tired of playing softball with you.
October 29, 2023
This one started strong and then fizzled out around the halfway mark, in my opinion. Up to this point, my favorite Cole/Pike story is Free Fall.
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June 5, 2017
Audio Book 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Another ok Robert Crais "Elvis Cole" novel.
Because of the multiple involvements of American, Vietnamese and Russian crooks, FBI Agents and Federal Marshals, I became confused with who was up whom and who was paying the rent for the first two thirds of the book. The ending was a bit more satisfying amid guns and thunder and goodies turning into baddies, plus Joe Pike as he morphed from baby-sitter to action hero.
Another ok Robert Crais "Elvis Cole" novel.
Because of the multiple involvements of American, Vietnamese and Russian crooks, FBI Agents and Federal Marshals, I became confused with who was up whom and who was paying the rent for the first two thirds of the book. The ending was a bit more satisfying amid guns and thunder and goodies turning into baddies, plus Joe Pike as he morphed from baby-sitter to action hero.
February 25, 2023
5 Stars. My favorite Cole & Pike book yet. Great characters that were easy to like, even Clark and Charles. The mystery was solid and even though I figured it out too soon it worked. Great to see Elvis and Lucy moving forward but I think there’s going to be more to the ex-husband situation. Great to be back on track, I didn’t love the last one but this series it too respected not to except excellence.
April 26, 2025
I’m delving deep in this series to pick off my unread novels, and I’ve arrived at this one. Written close to thirty years ago, the first thing to say is that it’s showing its age a little. This can be partly be attributed to technological developments since the 1990s. But there are other things too - it just feels like a book of its time. I also think the humour here – Elvis’s banter primarily – is overplayed. Is it me, or is this all tuned down a little in later episodes?
The story involves a family involved in a witness protection programme who are being hunted by a group of generic baddie Russians. Each time members of this group are featured, it represents the lowest elements of a pretty weak story. I won’t go into detail but suffice to say it’s all pretty outlandish. I listened to an audio version and tuned out most of it.
The only interesting part for me was the way the book filled in some gaps in the romance between Elvis and his lawyer girlfriend from the Deep South. I’ll undoubtedly read the other outstanding books (it’s only a few) at some point, as despite the fact that I really didn’t warm to this one, it really is a great series.
Never mind, I’ve yet to read a series (and I’ve read quite a few) that doesn’t include at least one dud.
The story involves a family involved in a witness protection programme who are being hunted by a group of generic baddie Russians. Each time members of this group are featured, it represents the lowest elements of a pretty weak story. I won’t go into detail but suffice to say it’s all pretty outlandish. I listened to an audio version and tuned out most of it.
The only interesting part for me was the way the book filled in some gaps in the romance between Elvis and his lawyer girlfriend from the Deep South. I’ll undoubtedly read the other outstanding books (it’s only a few) at some point, as despite the fact that I really didn’t warm to this one, it really is a great series.
Never mind, I’ve yet to read a series (and I’ve read quite a few) that doesn’t include at least one dud.
November 23, 2016
Nov 2016 I liked it more this time around. Surprise ending!!!
May 2011 I feel liked I've read it before but I don't have a Goodreads entry, so there's a good chance i didn't read it. When a 15-year-old girl , younger brother and little sister all 3 show toElvis Cole for help in finding her errant father, his first impulse is to call Social Services. Money is the key to the story.
May 2011 I feel liked I've read it before but I don't have a Goodreads entry, so there's a good chance i didn't read it. When a 15-year-old girl , younger brother and little sister all 3 show toElvis Cole for help in finding her errant father, his first impulse is to call Social Services. Money is the key to the story.
September 16, 2020
3 Stars in spite of a very dull and confusing final 1/4. The ending is quite stupid and insulting.
I thought this was going to be a breakout book for Crais, as the first half was good. But again he pads sections and drops the ball in others. Very disappointing.
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
Notes and quotes
Chavez Ravine is a broad flat bowl surrounded by low mountains that wall the stadium from the city. Dodger Stadium sits in the center of the bowl, surrounded by black tarmac parking lots like some kind of alien spacecraft resting alone on its launching pad. All you'd need was a big shiny robot, and you'd think Michael Rennie had come back to Earth.
-
This was yet another problem, and all these problems were making me grumpier still. Maybe I should try to get into a problem-free occupation of some kind. Hunting lions, maybe. Or raising the Titanic.
Robert Crais
Full size image here
There are at least two of Robert's works that he wrote from the heart, with visible love and wonder and care, my very favourites:
1. The Man Who Knew Dick Bong
My review of the collection of short stories by authors honouring Marlowe: Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe
2. Suspect about the detective, Scott, and his dog, Maggie. Robert took the 2 month dog handling course at LAPD before writing this book, and he told me personally how much he loved it. I could see how special this experience was to him.
My review of Suspect
I thought this was going to be a breakout book for Crais, as the first half was good. But again he pads sections and drops the ball in others. Very disappointing.
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
Notes and quotes
Chavez Ravine is a broad flat bowl surrounded by low mountains that wall the stadium from the city. Dodger Stadium sits in the center of the bowl, surrounded by black tarmac parking lots like some kind of alien spacecraft resting alone on its launching pad. All you'd need was a big shiny robot, and you'd think Michael Rennie had come back to Earth.
-
This was yet another problem, and all these problems were making me grumpier still. Maybe I should try to get into a problem-free occupation of some kind. Hunting lions, maybe. Or raising the Titanic.
Robert Crais
Full size image here
There are at least two of Robert's works that he wrote from the heart, with visible love and wonder and care, my very favourites:
1. The Man Who Knew Dick Bong
My review of the collection of short stories by authors honouring Marlowe: Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe
2. Suspect about the detective, Scott, and his dog, Maggie. Robert took the 2 month dog handling course at LAPD before writing this book, and he told me personally how much he loved it. I could see how special this experience was to him.
My review of Suspect
April 1, 2010
I write this review with tears in my eyes since I have now finished all the Elvis and Joe books and have nothing to look forward to until First Rule comes out in paperback. Hey, I love these guys. This one was even a bit more enjoyable than the average Crais with Elvis coping with Teri's teenage crush and Charlie's editorial comments while doing his Elvis thing. I give it an extra star for letting the cat bite one of the more obnoxious characters.
February 28, 2017
I really enjoyed this 7th book in his Elvis Cole series!
October 1, 2023
Wow! That was a great addition to the series. Many moments of my heart in my throat, some laughs as usual (especially because of Charles and his attitude), lots of feels because of the kids and Cole’s situation with Lucy, and a bittersweet ending. Left me with a smile on my face. What more can you ask?
August 28, 2021
Well Crais has done it again with Indigo Slam. Elvis is hired by three children to find there dad, a dad who has a habit of going off and not telling them where. It would not be an Elvis novel if everything went smoothly and pretty soon Elvis finds himself in the middle of a mess, the best thing about that is of course Joe Pike is needed. As always the dialogue is spot on as is the humor.
I love the mysteries in these novels but I really think it is the characters of Joe and Elvis that keep me coming back. They are tough as all hell and at the same time gentle and caring. Elvis goes above and beyond for these kids and it is because he cares so much. While Joe is a little harder to get a beat on it is clear that he really cares as well especially so about his friend Elvis. It seems to me that there is a touching moment between the boys in most of the novels and this one is no different, so keep your eye out for it.
Another cracker of a read in the Elvis Cole series.
I love the mysteries in these novels but I really think it is the characters of Joe and Elvis that keep me coming back. They are tough as all hell and at the same time gentle and caring. Elvis goes above and beyond for these kids and it is because he cares so much. While Joe is a little harder to get a beat on it is clear that he really cares as well especially so about his friend Elvis. It seems to me that there is a touching moment between the boys in most of the novels and this one is no different, so keep your eye out for it.
Another cracker of a read in the Elvis Cole series.
March 3, 2016
Again, I register my objection to the five star rating system. It feels so weird to give this book the same rating I gave to The Cider House Rules. They're apples and oranges. But for a short, easy, action listen (I listened to the audiobook version), this was fantastic. The book moved fast and there was never a dull moment.
March 27, 2020
Another series I almost forgot about. This series featuring Elvis Cole and Joe Pike is like the modern version of a Spenser and Hawk series.
This book was about 3 kids who hire Cole to help find their father. He has been missing for 11 days. Elvis is reluctant but his heart leads and he dives into the investigation. What he discovers is a lot more than he bargained for. Not only is the father in real trouble, but he has a soft spot for saving these kids.
In addition, his romance with Lucy flitters throughout the book and we learn a little bit more about her and her past.
I really enjoyed this book.. Can’t wait to read the next one.
I am in a mode now where all I want to do is read murder mysteries. So, I’m going back to all the series I started a long time ago and picking back up where I left off. Perfect time to do this while we are in “Stay at Home” mode in Mecklenburg County during the Corona Virus Pandemic of 2020.....
This book was about 3 kids who hire Cole to help find their father. He has been missing for 11 days. Elvis is reluctant but his heart leads and he dives into the investigation. What he discovers is a lot more than he bargained for. Not only is the father in real trouble, but he has a soft spot for saving these kids.
In addition, his romance with Lucy flitters throughout the book and we learn a little bit more about her and her past.
I really enjoyed this book.. Can’t wait to read the next one.
I am in a mode now where all I want to do is read murder mysteries. So, I’m going back to all the series I started a long time ago and picking back up where I left off. Perfect time to do this while we are in “Stay at Home” mode in Mecklenburg County during the Corona Virus Pandemic of 2020.....
February 9, 2021
Elvis Cole is a good man! His heart gets him into situations because he is unable to walk away from someone needing help. This is very evident in this book. He is approached by a teenage girl with two younger siblings, wanting to hire him to find their father. Elvis agrees to help the kids and the story takes off from there. I’m a big fan of this series!
April 14, 2022
Another fantastic Elvis Cole/Joe Pike story! Elvis is hired by three kids who’s father has disappeared. The hunt will take him to a big mess that was left in Seattle, and then the big mess follows him back to LA. Another part of the book is with Lucy and a job opportunity that could move her and her son close to Elvis. I really like Lucy and feel she and her son are very good for Elvis. I’ve read a few books further down the line in this series and I don’t recall her being in them so I’m somewhat worried. Another thing: where does Elvis come up with all the weird food he eats in these books. This time it was meatloaf he made with carrots and raisins baked in it. And he took himself out for some squid fried rice with honey. Ewwww. Can’t wait to read the next one!
January 9, 2015
My favourite of the series so far, a perfect mix of intrigue, action and character development, and enough Joe Pike - my current favourite action hero now that Reacher and Rapp have gone sociopathic.
Elvis is hired by a 15 yr old girl who is looking after her younger siblings because their father, a master counterfeiter in hiding from the Russian mafia, has gone missing. He's unable to refuse a damsel in distress, but because he's still madly in love with Lucy, he's no longer sleazy about it so I like him a lot more. Really enjoyed this.
Elvis is hired by a 15 yr old girl who is looking after her younger siblings because their father, a master counterfeiter in hiding from the Russian mafia, has gone missing. He's unable to refuse a damsel in distress, but because he's still madly in love with Lucy, he's no longer sleazy about it so I like him a lot more. Really enjoyed this.
May 25, 2015
Keeping the children safe
I had read this book along time ago and forget some of it. It's an awesome book. Elvis couldn't just let the children he found without their parent alone. He stepped in to keep them safe and got much more than he bargained for. It's about the Russian mob and counterfeiting money. The FBI and Secret Service are involved. Of course, Joe Pike is there to help.
This book flows well. The it is written well. The children capture your heart...even Charles that is loud and out of control.
I had read this book along time ago and forget some of it. It's an awesome book. Elvis couldn't just let the children he found without their parent alone. He stepped in to keep them safe and got much more than he bargained for. It's about the Russian mob and counterfeiting money. The FBI and Secret Service are involved. Of course, Joe Pike is there to help.
This book flows well. The it is written well. The children capture your heart...even Charles that is loud and out of control.
February 3, 2014
One of Cole's endearing traits is his dog-bite tenacity - once he's hooked, there's no shunting him aside. I wish the family at the heart of this one had a little more....something. Their characters are uncharacteristically weak, and it squashes the center of this one somewhat.
June 15, 2014
high quality thriller - following mysterious bad guys, with more of the story being revealed as time moves on, from Seattle counterfeiters to Vietnamese revolutionaries
May 20, 2017
Two-haiku review:
Kids' father missing
Fifteen-year-old hires Elvis
Dad's into bad stuff
Russian mob story
Well written, good characters
Exciting thriller
Kids' father missing
Fifteen-year-old hires Elvis
Dad's into bad stuff
Russian mob story
Well written, good characters
Exciting thriller
February 23, 2018
I just want to know..How does Elvis Cole conduct surveillance in a yellow Corvette?
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