Mystery

Racing the Light

Racing the Light

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  • Create Date：2022-11-01 21:21:37
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Robert Crais
  • ISBN：B09RP51VDG
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Summary

Private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner Joe Pike are back on the case in this brilliant new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais。

Adele Schumacher isn't a typical worried mom。 When she hires Elvis to find her missing son， a controversial podcaster named Josh Shoe， she brings a bag filled with cash， bizarre tales of government conspiracies， and a squad of professional bodyguards。 Finding Josh should be simple， but Elvis quickly learns he isn't alone in the hunt -- a deadly team of mysterious strangers are determined to find Josh and his adult film star girlfriend first。

With Elvis being watched and dangerous secrets lurking behind every lead， Elvis needs his friend Joe Pike more than ever to uncover the truth about Josh， corrupt politicians， and the vicious business cartels rotting the heart of Los Angeles from within。 And when Elvis Cole's estranged girlfriend Lucy Chenier and her son Ben return， Elvis learns just how much he has to lose。。。if he survives。

Written with the heart， humor， and relentless suspense for which Crais is famous， Racing The Light delivers Elvis Cole's most dangerous case yet。

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Reviews

Eileen Hutton ，

Adele Schumacher isn't a typical worried mom。 When she hires Elvis Cole to find her missing son， a controversial podcaster named Josh Shoe， she brings a bag filled with cash， bizarre tales of government conspiracies， and a squad of professional bodyguards。 Finding Josh should be simple， but Elvis quickly learns he isn't alone in the hunt--a deadly team of mysterious strangers are determined to find Josh and his adult film star girlfriend first。With all the humor and fast-moving suspense that Cra Adele Schumacher isn't a typical worried mom。 When she hires Elvis Cole to find her missing son， a controversial podcaster named Josh Shoe， she brings a bag filled with cash， bizarre tales of government conspiracies， and a squad of professional bodyguards。 Finding Josh should be simple， but Elvis quickly learns he isn't alone in the hunt--a deadly team of mysterious strangers are determined to find Josh and his adult film star girlfriend first。With all the humor and fast-moving suspense that Crais fans desire， Racing the Light reunites， Cole， Joe Pike， and Jon Stone。 Crais gives his readers a lovely surprise when Lucy Chenier and her son Ben arrive for a visit， but we're left wondering if they'll be back to create the family that Elvis desperately wants and needs。 #RacingTheLight #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors 。。。more

Diane Saul ，

This is a good addition to the Elvis Cole series， tho it could be read as a stand alone。 Elvis is hired to find a missing young man。 His search turns out to be more complicated than he expects。 What starts out as a missing young man turn into a rush to find him before others looking for him get to him。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy。

Robin ，

Private detective Elvis Cole is somewhat amused when Adele Schumacher enters his office and requests his help in finding her missing son， podcaster Josh Shoe。 As Adele comes with own body guards， Elvis is understandably curious。 After listening to Adele’s story， he agrees to help her out， thinking this is going to be pretty easy。 Only， as Elvis begins to ask questions he discovers there may be more to the disappearance than just a missing person。 Somebody else is on the hunt for Josh and they ar Private detective Elvis Cole is somewhat amused when Adele Schumacher enters his office and requests his help in finding her missing son， podcaster Josh Shoe。 As Adele comes with own body guards， Elvis is understandably curious。 After listening to Adele’s story， he agrees to help her out， thinking this is going to be pretty easy。 Only， as Elvis begins to ask questions he discovers there may be more to the disappearance than just a missing person。 Somebody else is on the hunt for Josh and they are determined to find him first。tAs Elvis digs deeper， he uncovers a web of lies， intrigue and political greed and corruption going to the highest levels of city government。 Elvis calls in his partner Joe Pike to help untangle the mess Elvis is now in the middle of。 If he doesn’t locate Josh before the bad guys do， it could be deadly for both of them。tHaving never read an Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novel before， I wasn’t sure what to expect， but wasn’t disappointed。 Each turn of the page revealed more questions， while the energy of the story increased through each chapter as stones were unturned and the picture began to come into focus。 It all led to a thrilling conclusion。 I liked Elvis’s casual demeanor and personality， and the humor， nonchalance laced throughout the dialogue and the real emotion that pops up at unexpected times。 I’m always surprised when I choose a book outside my regular reading wheelhouse and find myself lost in the story。 This was one of those books。 。。。more

Elaine Tomasso ，

I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy of Racing the Light， the nineteenth novel to feature Los Angeles based PIs Elvis Cole and Joe Pike。Elvis is contacted by Adele Schumacher who wants him to find her missing adult son， Josh。 She deals in cash， thinks her son， a podcaster， has been abducted by mysterious forces linked to Area 51 and is escorted by professional “helpers”， but she’s also a mother and he accepts the case。 He’s not the only one looking for Jo I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy of Racing the Light， the nineteenth novel to feature Los Angeles based PIs Elvis Cole and Joe Pike。Elvis is contacted by Adele Schumacher who wants him to find her missing adult son， Josh。 She deals in cash， thinks her son， a podcaster， has been abducted by mysterious forces linked to Area 51 and is escorted by professional “helpers”， but she’s also a mother and he accepts the case。 He’s not the only one looking for Josh， because Josh is investigating corruption and these others aren’t playing around。I thoroughly enjoyed Racing the Light， which is a fun read with a believable premise - corrupt politicians and the abuse of power。 There are several points of view in the novel， but Elvis and his first person narrative take centre stage。 It works well with the other voices either fleshing out plot details or adding more questions to the mix。 The plot starts with Elvis trying to get a toehold into Josh’s disappearance by asking questions and trying to find links。 He doesn’t get too far before he discovers that nastier people than him are also looking for Josh。 It’s all go after that with bodies， spyware and conspiracies and Elvis even gets arrested。 Joe Pike， as ever， supplies the muscle silently。 It’s intelligent， well paced and exciting。As I said this is a fun read。 There is Elvis’s wisecracking but there’s also a fair amount of poking fun。 There’s Adele and her Area 51 conspiracies but also her background。 There’s Jon Stone， the mercenary， and his intelligence contacts。 There’s the corruption cash。 There’s Joe Pike。 It all made me laugh。Racing the Light is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more

Linda Beilstein ，

Robert Crais has done it again。 Taken a simple missing person case and made a political and international criminal investigation。 As the detective Elvis Cole investigates， he comes up against some secret government issues that he is unable to decipher， and that cloud his efforts to find the missing man。 In the meantime， he is struggling with personal problems related to his estranged girl friend。 As the investigation becomes more intense he calls on his partner Joe Pike， and mercenary Jon Stone Robert Crais has done it again。 Taken a simple missing person case and made a political and international criminal investigation。 As the detective Elvis Cole investigates， he comes up against some secret government issues that he is unable to decipher， and that cloud his efforts to find the missing man。 In the meantime， he is struggling with personal problems related to his estranged girl friend。 As the investigation becomes more intense he calls on his partner Joe Pike， and mercenary Jon Stone for additional help。 It does not help that the missing man is involved in things over his head and naively works against Elvis's efforts to solve the case。 Another read that is hard to put down but eventually satisfying。 Read through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Jody ，

Elvis Cole and Joe Pike return （finally！） in the latest by Robert Crais， Racing the Light。 Elvis is hired to find a missing podcaster， Josh， by Josh’s mother， Adele。 As is the case with his cases， Elvis finds himself embroiled in corruption， murder， and secrets。 Lucy （ex of Elvis） and Ben （her son） also come to visit。 Another great adventure with the expected humor， drama， and twists and a fabulous ending。

Kaceey ，

A fantastic addition to one of my favorite series！🥳Elvis Cole is not your average private detective。 I mean， let’s just start with his first name。 He’s a wise cracking， free-spirit。 But make no mistake， Elvis is the best private detective in the business。 On the personal side…he is fiercely loyal to those in his inner circle。When two private security guards enter his office he is instantly on alert。 That is until he gets a look at his potential client， minimized by her personal body guards。 A ha A fantastic addition to one of my favorite series！🥳Elvis Cole is not your average private detective。 I mean， let’s just start with his first name。 He’s a wise cracking， free-spirit。 But make no mistake， Elvis is the best private detective in the business。 On the personal side…he is fiercely loyal to those in his inner circle。When two private security guards enter his office he is instantly on alert。 That is until he gets a look at his potential client， minimized by her personal body guards。 A harmless looking older woman。 （come on Elvis - we all know looks can be deceiving ）。 Her son is missing and needs Elvis to find him。 Sounds simple enough！💁🏻‍♀️Elvis calls in his closest friend and partner， Joe Pike。 Ex-special forces， truly the muscle of the team。 Not exactly the chatty type， nor someone you want to cross。 With Pike’s help， Elvis is sure to find the missing man。Not so fast Elvis！ As is often the case， There are many layers to peel back behind this simple disappearance！I love Elvis and Joe equally！ And was treated to the best parts of each in this latest release。 Elvis’ former love interest Lucy is back in town with her son Ben。 What does this mean for Elvis？ Can the two rekindle an old love or is she back for other reasons。 Joe was more all business in this read， But I enjoyed every scene he was in。 Maybe we could have a bit more Joe in the next Book？🙏If you’re a fan of the series you’ll love this latest。 It can be read as a stand-alone but you’d really be missing so much fascinating backstory of all the characters！ Highly recommend this series！Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

Elvis is back in the building！ He has no idea what a can of worms he's going to open when he agrees to take on the case of Josh， a podcaster who has gone missing， for his mother Adele， a wild woman if ever there was one。 No way am I going to summarize this plot （even if I could） because， as fans of the series know， nothing is what it seems in the world of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike。 Pike， btw， isn't as much of a voice in this latest as he has been in some of the novels but as always， his contributi Elvis is back in the building！ He has no idea what a can of worms he's going to open when he agrees to take on the case of Josh， a podcaster who has gone missing， for his mother Adele， a wild woman if ever there was one。 No way am I going to summarize this plot （even if I could） because， as fans of the series know， nothing is what it seems in the world of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike。 Pike， btw， isn't as much of a voice in this latest as he has been in some of the novels but as always， his contributions are， well， to put it delicately， critical。 While this is a sleigh ride of a plot driven novel， it's the characters that make it shine。 You'll be fine if you haven't read all or even any of the earlier novels but fans will be especially pleased to see old friends pop up。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 A fun read that's a real page turner。 。。。more

Monnie ，

It's been a while since I last connected with private investigators Elvis Cole and Joe Pike， and the reunion via this book - the 19th in the series - was a very enjoyable one。 They're both in fine form， although Elvis is still trying to recover from his amicable split from girlfriend Lucy Chenier and her son Ben。 Then an obviously wealthy elderly woman， Adele Schumacher， visits their Hollywood office （preceded by a couple of burly bodyguards） to ask his help in finding her son， Joshua， who's gon It's been a while since I last connected with private investigators Elvis Cole and Joe Pike， and the reunion via this book - the 19th in the series - was a very enjoyable one。 They're both in fine form， although Elvis is still trying to recover from his amicable split from girlfriend Lucy Chenier and her son Ben。 Then an obviously wealthy elderly woman， Adele Schumacher， visits their Hollywood office （preceded by a couple of burly bodyguards） to ask his help in finding her son， Joshua， who's gone missing。 Josh， it seems， is also known as Josh Shoe - a popular but controversial podcaster who， with his partner， is a bit hung up on the UFO scene。Adele's reasons for her son's disappearance lean toward mostly unsubstantiated conspiracy theories， which Elvis mostly disregards， but when Josh's father Corbin calls to approve of Elvis's hiring， he decides to take the case。 A bit of detecting leads Elvis to Josh's podcast partner and a woman who's made a name for herself in the adult film business - who， surprise， has gone missing as well。 In the midst of all this come Lucy and Ben， putting Elvis on edge wondering if her visit is positive or negative。 Of course， when the going turns tough， Elvis turns to Joe and a couple of other characters from previous books （for the record， though， this book stands on its own just fine）。 There's a bunch of technology "stuff，" some mild but welcome yuck-yucks and plenty of action that， if not handled properly by the two heroes， could spell the end of this series。 All told， it's another fun adventure I wish I'd had the free time to read without putting it down。 Thanks to the publisher， via NetGalley， for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy。 Well done！ 。。。more

Hobart ，

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader。---WHAT'S RACING THE LIGHT ABOUT？ The essence of the case is that Elvis is hired by the mother of a young man who has gone missing to find him。 This is pretty par for the course for Elvis Cole—a missing persons case。Here's what makes this distinct: the mother has money—she pays a generous retainer in cash （so generous， Elvis gives some back） and you get the impression that it wouldn't be difficult for her to add a few more thousand。 Before she This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader。---WHAT'S RACING THE LIGHT ABOUT？ The essence of the case is that Elvis is hired by the mother of a young man who has gone missing to find him。 This is pretty par for the course for Elvis Cole—a missing persons case。Here's what makes this distinct: the mother has money—she pays a generous retainer in cash （so generous， Elvis gives some back） and you get the impression that it wouldn't be difficult for her to add a few more thousand。 Before she walks into the office， two people come in and do a security sweep。 Adele Schumacher believes her son， Joshua， has been taken by government agents for his investigation into Area 51 for his podcast。 So， yeah， not a typical day in the office。The podcast is called In Your Face with Josh Shoe， and it's frequently about government corruption， conspiracies， and whatnot—but they've branched out to things like interviewing a porn actress。 His childhood friend/podcasting partner， Ryan， tells Elvis that Josh is trying to move to more mainstream topics （Ryan doesn't seem on board with this， for what it's worth）。 Ryan shares Adele's theory for Josh's absence， Josh has been taken because he returned to Area 51 and found something。But Elvis starts to find evidence that Josh is investigating something he didn't tell Ryan about—Elvis can't figure out what it is， sadly， but he starts to figure out who Josh might be interviewing for this story。 And one of them has gone missing， too。 Is this tied to his disappearance or did the twenty-something self-employed and single guy just flake off for a few days？It's not long before Elvis starts to think he's not the only one looking for Josh and he enlists help from Joe Pike （who brings in Jon Stone）。 If those two get on board， you know things are about to get dangerous。PIKE AND STONE The problem with getting to know the PI's more lethal/less-hung-up-about hurting people friend/sidekick/partner better is that it's harder to keep them feeling dangerous and mysterious—it maybe even gets to the point where they stop being quite as prone to violence as they once were， and their charcoal-gray hats get a little closer to white。 With Joe Pike getting some novels of his own， a lot of his sharp edges have been dulled for fans， so it was nice that Crais brought along Jon Stone so when Pike couldn't be ruthless and cold-blooded， there'd be someone who could。He gets to be that guy here—he's helpful （very）， resourceful， and mercenary。 He pitches in because Pike pushes him to—not because he cares about Elvis or the fate of Josh。 But what he does， he does well。 （and is amusing for the reader throughout）Pike is also not quite the active presence in this book that he has been lately—so when he does show up and act， it makes it feel a bit more super-human。 Crais really upped his game with Pike in this novel and it allows him to steal almost every scene he's in。 Naturally， the phone calls between Pike and Cole are still fun to read—if you can write an entertaining conversation with one party being nearly-monosyllabic， you've got a gift。LUCY AND BEN Lucy and Ben come by for an almost-unannounced visit to ensure that Elvis can't give his full attention to the case。 Which sounds snarky and may not be wholly fair of me。 But it's not wrong。I enjoy the character of Ben and the way he interacts with Elvis—and continue to do so。 I appreciated and believed what he was going through—both on his own and with his mother—at this stage of life， and Crais's portrayal of this was one of the （many） highlights of this novel。 It was also a good way to remind the reader just But Lucy has bothered me for a while now （although I was initially a fan）， and I'm not certain that this book alleviates that （nor do I think Crais is altogether worried about it）。 I'm going to reserve judgment on this appearance for now。 I did like Cole's response to her visit and presence （when it didn't take him off of his game， although I thought that was a nice touch）。SO， WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT RACING THE LIGHT？ I need to spend some time thinking about this idea， but while reading this book I started to think of some notable first meetings between a PI and their client—like The Big Sleep， The Doorbell Rang， God Save the Child， and The Judas Goat*—and how those meetings can be a bellwether for the rest of the book。 If the meeting seems pretty good/typical， the rest of the book will be， too; if the meeting catches your attention， the rest of the book will be of a higher quality。** The first meeting between Elvis and Adele Schumacher definitely fits—it's not your standard meeting （the presence of her personal security helps）。 Right away， I could tell this was going to be a better-than-usual Elvis Cole novel。 There's not much that can beat that， in my book。* This is a list generated in a rush， and I know I've left off some big ones， but as indicated， this is a theory-in-progress， I might work it out fully later。** It's likely that a better book is going to be better from the first chapter， and I just like the idea of creating a litmus test。My opinion never wavered from that point on—this is some of the best writing Crais has given us in a long time—there are some passages/sentences/phrases I've had to read a few times just because I enjoyed them so much。 I'm going to have a hard time limiting myself when quoting from the book once I get the hardcover。 I'm already looking forward to a re-read of this somewhere down the road。Along those lines， there's one passage following a conversation between Elvis and Josh's father that I'd believe Crais stole from one of the earliest Robert B。 Parker novels。 It's not often that I get a reminder of the shared DNA between Elvis and Spenser。 I appreciate what distinguishes the two more than their similarities， but it's good to see the family resemblance is still there—it's what attracted me to both characters （and their authors！）。We see the return of some characters that Crais hasn't used in a while， too—which adds to the overall feeling of this novel hearkening back to earlier Elvis novels more than the last few。 Another of the ways this book shines is in the supporting characters， not just that many from the old gang are back， but characters for this book。 We get to know a couple of people connected to the missing persons really well， they're well-fleshed out， and you can't help feeling empathy for them and connected to them。 For example， there's a man who lives in Griffith Park who's a witness to part of a cover-up—we get four chapters from his perspective。 And I like him enough already that I'd read a short story/novella just about him。I've probably gone on more than long enough at this point， let me wrap it up。New readers will find plenty to enjoy here as well as well-established fans should。 Obviously， newcomers won't get all the character moments that come from the buildup of 17 previous novels， but that doesn't mean they won't walk away with a sense of them。 Don't let the existence of those novels dissuade you， see them as an added bonus of backstory you can explore if you get into these characters。I don't see how long-term fans aren't going to relish this novel。 Racing the Light doesn't carry the emotional heft of L。A。 Requiem or The Last Detective （primarily because those books explored the characters of Elvis and Pike in depths that Crais can't repeat）， but in terms of plot， pacing， and character this is their equal。 I haven't been this excited about a Robert Crais novel since The Promise。I'm telling you， readers， don't miss out on this one。Disclaimer: I received this eARC from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

Well I'm an Elvis Cole and Joe Pike fan， so I was happy to see them back。 I love Elvis's sarcastic， dry humor and Joe's tough， yet sincerely loving， persona。 This book can definitely be read as a standalone， but it is best if you've read other books in the series since some past characters are back - like Jon Stone and Lucy & Ben。 Jon brings some more humor and Lucy & Ben bring a sweeter side to Elvis and Joe。In Racing the Light， Elvis is hired by a mother that wants her son found。 She believes Well I'm an Elvis Cole and Joe Pike fan， so I was happy to see them back。 I love Elvis's sarcastic， dry humor and Joe's tough， yet sincerely loving， persona。 This book can definitely be read as a standalone， but it is best if you've read other books in the series since some past characters are back - like Jon Stone and Lucy & Ben。 Jon brings some more humor and Lucy & Ben bring a sweeter side to Elvis and Joe。In Racing the Light， Elvis is hired by a mother that wants her son found。 She believes he might have been abducted by aliens。。。 but he quickly finds that she's a little out there， but other people around her think her son Josh may be in hiding。 I like the way Elvis does his detective work - he never takes himself （or the client） too seriously and he has fun， even in dangerous situations。 There is a good amount of action and suspense at the end and not everyone survives in this book！ *Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review* 。。。more

Tad ，

When Adele Schumacher walked into Elvis Cole's office， she appeared to be more than a typical little old lady。 For one thing， she came with a stack of cash。 For another， she came with two formidable-looking bodyguards whom she referred to as "helpers"。 Adele needs Elvis's help to find her missing adult son， Josh Shoe， who is a podcaster with a taste for conspiracy theories。 Adele thinks he's gone to Area 51 but Elvis suspects there's a more pedestrian explanation。As Elvis begins poking around， h When Adele Schumacher walked into Elvis Cole's office， she appeared to be more than a typical little old lady。 For one thing， she came with a stack of cash。 For another， she came with two formidable-looking bodyguards whom she referred to as "helpers"。 Adele needs Elvis's help to find her missing adult son， Josh Shoe， who is a podcaster with a taste for conspiracy theories。 Adele thinks he's gone to Area 51 but Elvis suspects there's a more pedestrian explanation。As Elvis begins poking around， he finds that he's not the only one looking for Josh。 It seems there's another team of professionals staking out Josh's place。 That means it's time to call in Joe Pike for some assistance。 Soon Elvis is down the rabbit hole trying to figure out what story Josh was chasing and who is trying to stop him。 Corrupt politicians and murderous business cartels are the least of it。 To add to his busy life， Elvis's ex-girlfriend Lucy Chenier and her son Ben pop into town。 Events personal and professional are spiraling into dangerous territory and it's up to Elvis and Joe to sort them out。Robert Crais is the master at spinning a story where the stakes keep going up and Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are two of the best characters to go on the journey with。 The action is intense and exciting and Crais manages to pique your interest with every clue that leads to a more and more fascinating mystery。 The secondary characters you meet along the way are well-developed and provide both comic relief and sympathy。 The ability to quickly sketch a character in a way that makes you empathize and root for them is a real gift。 The action is superb， the characters interesting and the mystery absorbing。 I'd always like to see more Joe Pike， but you can't complain with such an entertaining story。 Robert Crais is the master and Racing The Light is another winner。 This is a great series and I can't wait for the next one！ 。。。more

Judy Lesley ，

I have read all of the previous books in this series， some multiple times， and it was wonderful to see that Robert Crais brought Elvis and Joe back after a long period of away-time without any fuss whatsoever。 What a truly gifted author he is。Elvis Cole is hired to find the adult son of a woman who is accompanied to his office by two people acting suspiciously like bodyguards。 How many cars of people does it take to bring one woman downtown to Cole's office？ And why does this woman carry so much I have read all of the previous books in this series， some multiple times， and it was wonderful to see that Robert Crais brought Elvis and Joe back after a long period of away-time without any fuss whatsoever。 What a truly gifted author he is。Elvis Cole is hired to find the adult son of a woman who is accompanied to his office by two people acting suspiciously like bodyguards。 How many cars of people does it take to bring one woman downtown to Cole's office？ And why does this woman carry so much cash around with her？ Then as he begins to investigate the missing person his valuable information sources start bumping up against brick walls that feel uncannily like government roadblocks。 Who is this missing guy who does a podcast about UFO's and the aliens who walk among us？ There is never enough of the Joe Pike character included in an Elvis book for me， but he definitely has a nice number of appearances。 They even rope in Jon Stone to help out when the technology passes anything Elvis or Joe are familiar with。 I love it that Jon keeps trying so hard to be a bad guy （he's always reminding Elvis that he gets paid mega-huge bucks for his services）， but he always gives in to the "fun" of the chase。 Lucy and Ben fly in from Baton Rouge on a rather flimsy excuse and she and Elvis spend lots of time trying to figure out their relationship。 I can see lots of book plots on the horizon so I'm in hopes that the next book in the series will not be so long in coming as this one was。 A very enjoyable novel written by a favorite author about favorite characters。 Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an e-galley of this novel。 。。。more

SteveH ，

RACING THE LIGHT by Robert Crais is another in a long line of wonderful books about an LA private investigator named Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike。 Pike is the muscle and the quintessential tough guy （much like Jack Reacher） and their friend and my favorite Jon Stone （special-forces surfer dude） and as a group the books follow them as they take on a wide range of cases in Los Angeles。 All the books have a distinctive LA flavor and this book is about corrupt city councilmen。My only flaw wit RACING THE LIGHT by Robert Crais is another in a long line of wonderful books about an LA private investigator named Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike。 Pike is the muscle and the quintessential tough guy （much like Jack Reacher） and their friend and my favorite Jon Stone （special-forces surfer dude） and as a group the books follow them as they take on a wide range of cases in Los Angeles。 All the books have a distinctive LA flavor and this book is about corrupt city councilmen。My only flaw with this book is there isn’t enough Joe Pike and Jon Stone。 They make an appearance but the story centers around Elvis Cole。 He is interesting and a great character but Joe Pike and Jon Stone are the characters that burst with flair！ Four and ½ stars！ 。。。more

Lesley ，

3。5 stars。 A super quick listen with great characters and narration。 Jumping in at #19 in the series I felt like I was missing out on quite a bit， but the author did as good as a job as possible to catch up new readers as possible without going on too much for those who have read the whole series。 I still really enjoyed and it would happy to read more books in the series。

Paromjit ，

Robert Crais's latest offering in his Los Angeles based crime thriller series featuring PI Elvis Cole and his taciturn partner， Joe Pike， has its trademark fast paced， comic and witty elements that will delight its huge number of fans， particularly those like me who have been there from the very start。 Cole finds himself with a strange and eccentric client， Adele Schumacher， who wants him to find her missing son， podcaster Joe Shoe of the show 'In Your Face'。 She has reported him to a busy LAPD Robert Crais's latest offering in his Los Angeles based crime thriller series featuring PI Elvis Cole and his taciturn partner， Joe Pike， has its trademark fast paced， comic and witty elements that will delight its huge number of fans， particularly those like me who have been there from the very start。 Cole finds himself with a strange and eccentric client， Adele Schumacher， who wants him to find her missing son， podcaster Joe Shoe of the show 'In Your Face'。 She has reported him to a busy LAPD but they are overburdened with more urgent cases， she is accompanied by over vigilant bodyguards that arouse Cole's curiosity， and her references to Area 51， aliens， her paranoia and bag stuffed with money give him pause for thought。 However， he decides to take the case， thinking it could be a straightforward affair to locate the elusive Joe， but it all turns out to be far more complicated and dangerous。As Cole gets in touch with Joe's best friend， Ryan Seborg， partner of their podcast， it appears that Joe wanted their podcast to change direction， moving on from their focus on aliens to the more serious fare of investigative journalism。 He was working on a story provided by a good friend of his， 29 year old porn star， Skylar Lawless， real name Rachel Belle Bohlan， who has developed an interest in painting。 As Cole becomes aware there are other powerful and ruthless parties intent on finding Joe too， the finger pointing to China and the acquisition of real estate in LA。 In the midst of all this， Lucy Chenier and her son， Ben， come to stay with Cole， unsettling his personal life， will he and Lucy finally be able to sort through their issues， specifically the risks of his profession？This is a case of murder and corruption for Cole， he brings in Joe to help， and they are joined by the extraordinary successful private military contractor， Jon Stone， in the business of death。 This is an engaging and thrilling addition to what is a terrific series， fans will enjoy the return and comfort provided by the familiar characters， their developments， established traits and the LA location。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more

Andrew Smith ，

I haven’t followed this series from the start but I have dipped in often enough to get a pretty good handle on Elvis Cole and his sidekick Joe Pike。 The L。A。 based pair offer a yin and yang private investigation service: Cole providing the comedic input and Pike most of the muscle。 But this time around Pike appears in a peripheral role only， leaving Elvis to do the heavy lifting。 To add spice to proceedings Cole’s ex-girlfriend， Lucy Chenier， flies in with her son Ben。 They’ve long remained frie I haven’t followed this series from the start but I have dipped in often enough to get a pretty good handle on Elvis Cole and his sidekick Joe Pike。 The L。A。 based pair offer a yin and yang private investigation service: Cole providing the comedic input and Pike most of the muscle。 But this time around Pike appears in a peripheral role only， leaving Elvis to do the heavy lifting。 To add spice to proceedings Cole’s ex-girlfriend， Lucy Chenier， flies in with her son Ben。 They’ve long remained friends， but does this visit herald a step change to their relationship？ The case Cole is hired to investigate concerns a controversial podcaster known as Josh Shoe who has disappeared along with a female friend， an adult movie actress。 Josh’s mother - a strange figure permanently surrounded by a posse of bodyguards – is funding the investigation。 At this stage we know a little more than the detective， courtesy of the opening scene of the book， but with little to go on Cole can’t quite figure out whether he wants to look for a guy who might just be off on a jaunt to Vegas or spend his time figuring out what’s on Lucy’s mind。The action takes a while to get going amid a good deal of speculation concerning what role Joe’s mother， or his equally mysterious and very rude father， may have played in Joe’s disappearance。 But the pace eventually picks up as some of the pieces of the puzzle start to come together。 On the home front， the situation with Lucy is complicated， and this mix of Cole’s private and professional concerns just about combined to maintain my interested in this rather slow moving episode。 The main saviour for me here was the enjoyment I always get from the interactions between the characters and the humour Crais routinely weaves into these tales。 It’s not my favourite book in the series but I always enjoy my time with Cole and Pike。 Will I be back for more？ Of course I will。 My thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for providing an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Grace ，

Thanks to NetGalley for the proof。 I’ve been a big fan of Robert Crais from his very early books and have loved all of his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels。 I have to say they are very similar to Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar and Win books but I personally don’t think that’s a bad thing， if you like one series， you’ll like the other。The series is now on its 19th outing but still feels like it’s a new angle every time。 Coles personal life starts to look up， as old flame Lucy and her son Ben come to visi Thanks to NetGalley for the proof。 I’ve been a big fan of Robert Crais from his very early books and have loved all of his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels。 I have to say they are very similar to Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar and Win books but I personally don’t think that’s a bad thing， if you like one series， you’ll like the other。The series is now on its 19th outing but still feels like it’s a new angle every time。 Coles personal life starts to look up， as old flame Lucy and her son Ben come to visit， meanwhile a rather eccentric elderly woman with an interesting past asks Cole to find her son， who has gone missing after striking up a friendship with a young porn star， well， this is LA。It’s clear there’s more to the dysfunctional parents than meets the eye， not least because as retired academic professors， they appear to have a pretty substantial security detail。 The son was a conspiracy theory podcaster but clearly has started to go more mainstream but with an investigative gene that was bound to get him into trouble。The baddies are not obscured in this story which is a city council corruption scandal， involving money and prostitution， corruption and intimidation。 Of course it centres around the hallowed ground of real estate， with every square inch in LA fought over， literally to the death。 A black ops specialist， rogue Chinese black ops agents and an intelligence background don’t obscure the basic of a straightforward money motivated murder spree。Crais maintains a high standard and remains a solidly good， enjoyable read。 Cole is an attractive flawed hero and Pike is that chap you wish you had in your life to ensure you are safe from bad guys。 。。。more

Grace ，

I’ve been a big fan of Robert Crais from his very early books and have loved all of his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels。 I have to say they are very similar to Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar and Win books but I personally don’t think that’s a bad thing， if you like one series， you’ll like the other。The series is now on its 19th outing but still feels like it’s a new angle every time。 Coles personal life starts to look up， as old flame Lucy and her son Ben come to visit， meanwhile a rather eccentric eld I’ve been a big fan of Robert Crais from his very early books and have loved all of his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels。 I have to say they are very similar to Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar and Win books but I personally don’t think that’s a bad thing， if you like one series， you’ll like the other。The series is now on its 19th outing but still feels like it’s a new angle every time。 Coles personal life starts to look up， as old flame Lucy and her son Ben come to visit， meanwhile a rather eccentric elderly woman with an interesting past asks Cole to find her son， who has gone missing after striking up a friendship with a young porn star， well， this is LA。It’s clear there’s more to the dysfunctional parents than meets the eye， not least because as retired academic professors， they appear to have a pretty substantial security detail。 The son was a conspiracy theory podcaster but clearly has started to go more mainstream but with an investigative gene that was bound to get him into trouble。The baddies are not obscured in this story which is a city council corruption scandal， involving money and prostitution， corruption and intimidation。 Of course it centres around the hallowed ground of real estate， with every square inch in LA fought over， literally to the death。 A black ops specialist， rogue Chinese black ops agents and an intelligence background don’t obscure the basic of a straightforward money motivated murder spree。Crais maintains a high standard and remains a solidly good， enjoyable read。 Cole is an attractive flawed hero and Pike is that chap you wish you had in your life to ensure you are safe from bad guys。 Highly recommended 。。。more

Thomas Trang ，

I've read a few Crais books before - a standalone and maybe one of the Cole/Pike series - so I'm not overly familiar with the characters。 Maybe that lessens the enjoyment， but there's still plenty to recommend here even if you're new。This is a solid crime novel with some interesting characters。 The writing has enough style and flair to elevate it from the cookie cutter mystery books in the market， though some of the POV shifts did nothing for me。 This is an Elvis Cole book。 Setting it in the wor I've read a few Crais books before - a standalone and maybe one of the Cole/Pike series - so I'm not overly familiar with the characters。 Maybe that lessens the enjoyment， but there's still plenty to recommend here even if you're new。This is a solid crime novel with some interesting characters。 The writing has enough style and flair to elevate it from the cookie cutter mystery books in the market， though some of the POV shifts did nothing for me。 This is an Elvis Cole book。 Setting it in the world of conspiracy theories and podcasting gave it some zeitgesty momentum。 。。。more

Brandy ，

I was so stoked to read the newest Elvis and Joe book and it did not disappoint！ Elvis has agreed to help find a missing guy who is a podcaster and reports on。。。。aliens？？ But the more Elvis looks into the disappearance， the stranger things become。 Joe Pike， of course， is brilliant and as uncommunicative as ever。 And I was so excited to see some old friends return （no spoilers here！！！）！！！ Overall， the book was really engaging and I read it as fast as I could because I needed to know how it ended！

Abibliofob ，

Robert Crais has long been one of my favorite authors， his series about Cole and Pike is superb。 Racing the Light is no exception， I hope many of you out there will buy it and enjoy it as much as I did。 Elvis Cole is like no other detective out there and his friends are great characters。 These books are filled with humor and action and even some love。 I can really recommend the books by this author I have read everything except one and that I will correct。 I must thank Edelweiss， G。P。 Putnam's S Robert Crais has long been one of my favorite authors， his series about Cole and Pike is superb。 Racing the Light is no exception， I hope many of you out there will buy it and enjoy it as much as I did。 Elvis Cole is like no other detective out there and his friends are great characters。 These books are filled with humor and action and even some love。 I can really recommend the books by this author I have read everything except one and that I will correct。 I must thank Edelweiss， G。P。 Putnam's Sons and Penguin Random House for letting me read this great book。 。。。more

Simon Bewick ，

Racing the Light is the 19th book in the Elvis Cole/ Joe Pike series （including a couple of Pike stand alones）。 Elvis and Pike have been one of the best duos （alongside， in my opinion， Joe Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard and Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar and Win） in the top echelon of crime fiction for years – the smart ass PI and the deadly， monosyllabic ex-military sidekick。 There’s always a danger that after such a lengthy run there’s either the fatigue of repetition or the need to continuously up Racing the Light is the 19th book in the Elvis Cole/ Joe Pike series （including a couple of Pike stand alones）。 Elvis and Pike have been one of the best duos （alongside， in my opinion， Joe Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard and Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar and Win） in the top echelon of crime fiction for years – the smart ass PI and the deadly， monosyllabic ex-military sidekick。 There’s always a danger that after such a lengthy run there’s either the fatigue of repetition or the need to continuously up the ante which can result in a staleness to the characters and the plot becoming a distant second。 During their adventures Elvis and Pike， together or individually， have fought against bank robbers， serial killers， protection gangs， home invaders， hired killers and cartels…and during that time they’ve been shot， stabbed， mauled， and multiple breaks of limbs and hearts。 Racing the Light， was for me， the best in the series since， perhaps 2005’s Shamus nominated ‘The Forgotten Man’。 The novel felt like a return to its earlier roots in some ways: Cole is hired by Adele Schumacher to find her missing adult son in what seems a minor， potentially paranoid， case。 As he does what he does best， annoying the wrong people and going beyond his brief， there’s more to the case than he originally thought。 It took me back in some ways to earlier books in the series – while Pike is an important factor in the story， he is undoubtedly a secondary character here。 I think Pike is one of the best characters around， but I have no problem with him being， to some degree， in the background。 There’s the return of some other important series characters here – but no spoilers。 Plot wise the novel is fine: Crais is not one for the twist turns and who done it of， say， a Jeffrey Deaver， and readers familiar with his work wouldn’t expect it。 Instead， it’s good to be back in the company of Cole and Pike after a few years away and it took me back to my earliest encounters of The Monkey’s Raincoat or Stalking the Angel in that I read it in one sitting – always a good sign。 。。。more

Charlene Roberson ，

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review。Elvis Cole is between clients when a wacky older woman appears at his office with two bodyguards and wants to hire him to find her missing son。 The police are not interested because the son is a grown man and he has disappeared before。 But his mother thinks aliens may have abducted him， because of his podcast dealing with the unknown。 Elvis has his doubts， but he takes the case。 And， par for Elvis， this cas Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review。Elvis Cole is between clients when a wacky older woman appears at his office with two bodyguards and wants to hire him to find her missing son。 The police are not interested because the son is a grown man and he has disappeared before。 But his mother thinks aliens may have abducted him， because of his podcast dealing with the unknown。 Elvis has his doubts， but he takes the case。 And， par for Elvis， this case is a LOT more complicated than he thought！Trying to locate the missing man's friends， Elvis finds a former porn star and call girl who has been talking to him a LOT lately， and NOT about Area 51。 And why are all those government types interested in this case？ And what is his interest in recent construction in LA？ And just exactly WHO are the parents of this guy， and what have they been involved with？Another twisty Elvis story， but with the help of his partner， Joe Pike， Elvis finds the guy and returns him to his parents。 Whether he will stay is their problem。 We also get the return of Lucy Chenier， and a possible future for them？ 。。。more

Phyllis Fried ，

Robert Crais has done it again。 This book has something for everyone。 Lots of technology and government corruption， some information about how escorting works and even some romance。 A missing podcaster leads Elvis and Joe on a wild ride through the streets of Los Angeles。 The descriptions of the different areas as well as the wonderful sunrises and sunsets that LA is noted for make you almost believe you're seeing them yourself。 Elvis's sense of humor and Joe's one word answers are legendary。 Th Robert Crais has done it again。 This book has something for everyone。 Lots of technology and government corruption， some information about how escorting works and even some romance。 A missing podcaster leads Elvis and Joe on a wild ride through the streets of Los Angeles。 The descriptions of the different areas as well as the wonderful sunrises and sunsets that LA is noted for make you almost believe you're seeing them yourself。 Elvis's sense of humor and Joe's one word answers are legendary。 This book is sure to be a best seller。 It's like a warm blanket on a chilly night。 Full of action， romance and a catch up with old friends。 A true page turner。 。。。more

Kay ，

It's been three years！ Good to see you again friends。🤩Elvis Cole is a PI in Los Angeles and his partner Joe Pike are back！ I enjoyed every book in this series that I've read so far。 This is book #19， Racing the Light can be read as a standalone。 I still have some catching up to do as there are recurring characters that I want to know how they initially met。 A retired Stanford professor hires Cole to find her missing adult son Josh。 Josh is elevating his podcast show "In Your Face" to the next le It's been three years！ Good to see you again friends。🤩Elvis Cole is a PI in Los Angeles and his partner Joe Pike are back！ I enjoyed every book in this series that I've read so far。 This is book #19， Racing the Light can be read as a standalone。 I still have some catching up to do as there are recurring characters that I want to know how they initially met。 A retired Stanford professor hires Cole to find her missing adult son Josh。 Josh is elevating his podcast show "In Your Face" to the next level with his next secret project。 Co-producing the show is his childhood buddy Ryan who appears to be hiding something from Cole。 Another friend， Skylar an ex-porn star & escort is a guest on the show who also can't be reached。 As Cole digs deeper， he starts to wonder about the mom。 Why does a retired professor have security protection？ Why is Josh's house bugged with foreign surveillance system？ It doesn't look like Cole is the only one searching for Josh。 Cole asked Jon Stone， an old friend in private military contracting to help as well。 And what a character this guy is！ Stone is a cool guy that brings a lot of humor to lighten the intensity。 This is a suspenseful detective story with interesting characters。 I enjoy the pace and witty humor along with the mystery that keeps me on my toes。 Towards the end， the short chapters really add extra tension。 Highly recommended！Thank you Penguin Group， G。P。 Putnam's Sons， and Netgalley for my DRC。Expected Publication on 01 Nov 2022！ 。。。more

Dave ，

Racing The Light by Robert Crais may very well be his finest Cole/Pike novel to date。 I was highly entertained and invested in this story。 There are a wide range of characters and they are all interesting and necessary to propel the story forward。 This story left me rooting for Elvis Cole in both his professional and personal endeavors。 I also was rooting for those on the side of good as they expose those up to no good。 I highly encourage you to read this series and preorder this book。 Racing Th Racing The Light by Robert Crais may very well be his finest Cole/Pike novel to date。 I was highly entertained and invested in this story。 There are a wide range of characters and they are all interesting and necessary to propel the story forward。 This story left me rooting for Elvis Cole in both his professional and personal endeavors。 I also was rooting for those on the side of good as they expose those up to no good。 I highly encourage you to read this series and preorder this book。 Racing The LIght publishes on 11/1/22 and I thank Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and give an honest review。 。。。more

Theresa Alan ，

It’s always a joy to return to the stories of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike， but reading this， I realized I haven’t read a book in this series for quite a while， which meant I missed a whole lot of what happened in private detective Elvis Cole’s personal life。 At some point I’ll go back and get myself up to date。The case he’s on， however， can be read as a standalone。 Adele Schumacher hires Elvis to find her missing adult son， who works as a controversial podcaster。 The more Elvis investigates， the cle It’s always a joy to return to the stories of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike， but reading this， I realized I haven’t read a book in this series for quite a while， which meant I missed a whole lot of what happened in private detective Elvis Cole’s personal life。 At some point I’ll go back and get myself up to date。The case he’s on， however， can be read as a standalone。 Adele Schumacher hires Elvis to find her missing adult son， who works as a controversial podcaster。 The more Elvis investigates， the clearer it becomes that Josh has managed to pique the interest of characters who are unsavory enough to also be following him。 Elvis calls in Joe Pike to assist。 Their investigation uncovers government conspiracies， aliens， and adult film star/escorts。 Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel， which RELEASES NOVEMBER 1， 2022。 。。。more

Eric ，

I always look forward to an Elvis Cole & Joe Pike novel！ This one does not disappoint at all！ Cole is hired to find a missing podcaster and along the way enlists the help of his partner & muscle Joe Pike。 Fast paced with no lag， you will find RACING THE LIGHT a detective delight。Thank you to NetGalley & G。P。 Putnam’s Sons for the opportunity to read this great novel。

Ralph Blackburn ，

Racing The Light by Robert Crais（ Elvis Cole & Joe Pike）- The Latest in a long running series finds Elvis Cole asked by a strange family to find their missing son， who is on the run because of the secrets he and a friend have uncovered。 What seems like a simple missing persons case becomes anything but simple， and the players become more and more dangerous。 Of course， Joe Pike is always there to handle the rough stuff and keep Elvis going。 I haven't read one of these books in a while and it's ni Racing The Light by Robert Crais（ Elvis Cole & Joe Pike）- The Latest in a long running series finds Elvis Cole asked by a strange family to find their missing son， who is on the run because of the secrets he and a friend have uncovered。 What seems like a simple missing persons case becomes anything but simple， and the players become more and more dangerous。 Of course， Joe Pike is always there to handle the rough stuff and keep Elvis going。 I haven't read one of these books in a while and it's nice to see the series isn't running out of steam， still relevant。 The engaging prose sucks you in right away and it's difficult to stop reading。 Highly recommended！ Thanks NetGalley for a great ARC！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Racing the Light

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Racing the Light&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Racing the Light&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0