Reading a new book by a favorite author featuring returning characters is like getting together again with old friends. It just feels...right. I've been a fan of Robert Crais since my early days at Tower Books and have therefore been hanging out with Elvis Cole and Joe Pike for quite a long time.
One of RC's great strengths is his ability to keep his
signature characters fresh, and reveal a bit more about them in each book. The Promise, the 16th novel in the Elvis-Joe series, brings Scott and
Maggie from Suspect into Elvis and Joe's world. It's risky to mess with a
successful franchise, especially one with a large fan base, but Crais pulls it
off. The Promise really is one of those books you don't want to put down. (No,
I will not use the term, 'unputdownable,'
even though Dictionary.com claims it's a word). I finished it after midnight.
My theory as to why RC's books are so successful is that his
characters touch something in all of us. From Elvis' wise cracks and Pinocchio
clock making up for his lost childhood, to Joe's sunglasses hiding the pain in
his impossibly blue eyes, to Scott's efforts to repair what's broken within, and
even Maggie the German Shepherd, who understands that pack comes first, i.e.
take care of your own, we can all relate on some level. And we want very much
for each character to triumph over adversity and find what they're looking for.
A good novel draws readers in, makes them form emotional
attachments with the characters and creates a personal interest in the outcome.
The Promise does all that and more.
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