Sunset Express

I should probably be embarrassed, but I didn't realize until reading other reviews that the plot of Sunset Express, sixth in the Elvis Cole series, was a take on the O.J. Simpson case. Probably means 1) kudos to Crais for not being too obvious, and 2) I don't pay attention to celebrity drama. I remember the part about the white bronco, and about the obviousnessness of OJ's guilt, but Crais puts enough twist on the details that it wasn't initially recognizable. The role of media is explored.

This was easily one of the stronger stories of the series, with solid plotting, characterization that felt both real and appropriate, and an ending that dared step outside the mystery format box. Once again, the L.A. landscape and cultural enclaves show more come to life. For those who might be tempted to read out of order (as I did), there is a sub-arc through the series about a woman Cole meets in book 5 that continues to develop here. It brings a human touch and gives Cole moments of emotional depth beyond the smartass World's Greatest Detective. I ended up doing one of those 'just one more chapter' and staying up too late on a work night.

Update 2024: interestingly good and surprisingly gooey from a male point of view. This is quite different from the action-thriller vibe the series will eventually take. show less

Gosh, Robert Crais! I really want to like you, but after lots of books in and it still feels like gawky blind dating rather than true love. I should be really digging these Crais novels, but I’m not. A smart-aleck gauntleting detective with a mean-as-hell friend is something that I can’t get enough of in other books. But something just isn’t coalescing here. From Crais first novel, I thought that Crais was doing a west coast version of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser novels and that feeling continues here. It isn’t Crais’ fault that I’m reading these over many years after he wrote them and that they seem dated in a lot of ways to me; having said this, there are still just too many clichés for me to overlook in this. Plus, show more Elvis is just such a dogged know-it-all that he tends to get on my nerves. Characters like Marlowe, Spenser or Lehane’s Patrick Kenzie can be wise asses and tough guys, but it feels like Cole can’t let the mildest thing go by without trying to act like a comic at karaoke night. What saves this book Cole’s quick jokes. So quick, he had me laughing like crazy a few pages in. That's pretty darn quick.

NB: According to BL/GR/LT this is my 400th/396th/394th book review. I believe BL is correct. show less

The sixth novel featuring private investigators Elvis Cole and Joe Pike begins with the discovery of a woman's body, partially enclosed in plastic garbage bags, who had been bludgeoned to death and thrown down a steep hillside. The woman turns out to be the wife of wealthy restaurateur Teddy Martin. Police officer Angela Rossi quickly finds a bloody hammer that was used to murder the woman and Martin is arrested for murdering his wife.

Cole is hired by renowned defense attorney Jonathan Green to investigate officer Rossi. Green explains that Rossi was accused of planting evidence in a previous case and the conviction in that case gained her a significant promotion. Recently she had a setback and Green is concerned that she is attempting show more to get her career back on the fast track by planting evidence that implicates Martin. He hires Cole to investigate that possibility. Cole accepts with the proviso that he will conduct an impartial investigation and report his findings without bias.

That investigation turns out to be only the beginning. In a manner reminiscent of Crais' previous novel, Voodoo River, Cole quickly concludes his investigation and reports his findings to Green, who then hires him to follow upon a number of the tips that have been flooding in to the tip line Green established. Cole quickly turns up evidence of a plot by suspects who have no connection to Martin. The number of suspects grows, additional murders occur, and Cole's focus begins to shift to Green.

A subplot concerns the visit of Lucy Chenier and her son Ben. Elvis met Lucy, a Baton Rouge attorney, in Voodoo River and fell in love. Lucy and Ben visit during this case. Their romantic attachment grows but then quickly encounters complications, the nature of which are not clear to Elvis.

The one complaint I have is the jarringly out of character insensitivity demonstrated by Cole in a minor throw-away scene. While seeing Lucy and Ben off at the airport Cole encounters an elderly man whose grandchildren are departing. The man comments that the parting is emotional because at his age he may never see his grandchildren again. Cole's reaction is, "Too bad you couldn't get a restraining order against negativity." Crais has consistently depicted Cole as an emotionally sensitive man but this blatant insensitivity to an aging man contemplating the end of his life is so out of character it gave me pause.

Despite this scene, I think this is perhaps the best novel up to this point in the Cole/Pike series. I particularly like that Crais is beginning to flesh out the Joe Pike character. Joe gained greater exposure and depth in Voodoo River and in this outing he actually identifies the implications of a couple of developments more quickly than Elvis. Crais still relies on a grand shootout to resolve the problem confronting Cole and Pike, but in this instance the shootout occurs in the penultimate scene and involves the assistant bad guys. The resolution of the issue with the primary culprits is more nuanced than Crais' previous solution of killing off all the bad guys. The triple layer mystery also expands on the pattern established in Voodoo River so it will be interesting to see what Crais comes up in his next Cole/Pike offering. show less

Yet another solid outing from Crais. No surprises in the plot. One knows, almost from the beginning, that the Dream Team of lawyers is really a nightmare. The ending was excellent, showing that with imagination one can get even without being straight-jacketed by the court system. Best line of any Crais novel -- "So sue me."

I rarely read this type of literature and this one I picked up because I was in a tropical resort and out of reading material. Found this item at the pool side book exchange amongst the German & Russian titles left by other guests. It turned out to be fortuitous for as you can see by my rating, this was a very good read.
I wish I had had access to Google Maps as I was reading it for Crais gives turn by turn details of where he is going in the Los Angeles area. That in itself gave the story authenticity although there is the usual bad guys one can figure out quickly. The real police are treated with respect here and that isn't always the case. Recommended for a pleasant afternoon of escape.

I read one of this Elvis Cole series way back when and was not impressed enough to try another but this paperback landed in my hands when I was between books so I thought I'd give at least the first 50 pages a try. I ended up enjoying it thoroughly! Private detective, Elvis Cole, is hired to help out high profile lawyer Jonathan Green on a high profile case. The case gets tricky and the story gets very very good. Now, I'm going to have to go back and find the rest of the series and catch up!

This is my first Robert Crais novel, after having to return a previous attempt to the library - stupid overdue fees! For Sunset Express I was well prepared, I bought a copy so that I would definitely have the chance to read an Elvis Cole and Joe Pike mystery. A very worthy investment.

While I'm indifferent about some of the characters in the novel, Elvis is a great narrator and has just the right amount of wit and humour. Robert has certainly crafted an interesting series of investigative twists, while at the same time retaining a level of reality. I really did enjoy this book and will be picking up the rest of the series soon.

On a side note, Robert's style of writing is similar to the style I am pursuing in my writing. A serious novel show more with wit and humour, while also avoiding some of the neatly tied up ending cliches. From what I've read in Sunset Express, I'd be very pleased to have my WIP first novel, Overturned Stone, be comparable to Robert's work. show less