Review of "The Big Empty: An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Thriller" by Robert Crais

In this addition to the 'Elvis Cole - Joe Pike' series, the Los Angeles private detectives look for a missing person. The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

Private detective Elvis Cole is surprised when he's offered one thousand dollars just to CONSIDER taking a case.



Cole agrees to meet with 23-year-old Traci Beller, a social media celebrity known as 'The Baker Next Door' for her culinary videos and delicious biscuits.



Traci tells Cole that her father, Tommy Beller, vanished ten years ago. Traci explains that her dad owned a heating and air-conditioning company, and he never returned from a series of service calls in a town called Rancha.



The police investigation wasn't fruitful, and a private detective agency called Ryan & Byers also came up with zip. Traci heard Elvis is 'The World's Greatest Detective' and she implores him to PLEASE look for her dad, who was 'a wonderful father'. Elvis thinks the case is probably too cold to solve, but agrees to give it a shot.



From the files compiled by Ryan & Byers, Elvis learns that Beller was last seen at a Rancha hamburger stand called SurfMutt. Elvis track down employees who worked at SurfMutt ten years ago, to see what they recall.



One waitress remembers that Tommy was staring at the kids in the skate park across the way from the burger shop.



Elvis locates one of the skate park denizens, a woman called Anya, who's now 25-years-old and working in a florist shop. Anya offers no helpful information, and seems reluctant to speak to Elvis.



It becomes obvious that Elvis's inquiries are stirring up a hornet's nest, because a weirdo starts following him; thugs beat him up; and people in Rancha start getting killed.



Needing reinforcements, Elvis calls his friend and partner in the detective agency, Joe Pike - a formidable former mercenary who uses few words, has red arrows tattooed on his biceps, and wears sunglasses 24/7. The partners proceed to work the case together, and start to make progress.



In the meantime, the production team for 'The Baker Next Door' - who are in the midst of arranging TV appearances for Traci and recruiting investors for biscuit shops - are urging Elvis to wrap up the investigation. They don't want Traci distracted at this critical time in her career.



I don't want to give away spoilers, so I'll just say things take a few unexpected turns before the case is finally resolved.

I'm a long time fan of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, and this book provides a nice demonstration of Elvis's wry sense of humor and investigative skills; and Joe's stoic demeanor and combat expertise.

I'd recommend the novel to readers who enjoy thrillers, especially fans of the Elvis Cole-Joe Pike series.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Luke Daniels, who does a fine job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Robert Crais, and Brilliance Audio for a copy of the book.

 Rating: 4 stars

Review of "Dark of the Earth: Eye of the Moon Series #3" by Ivan Obolensky

This is the third book in 'The Eye of the Moon' series, set in the late 1970s. The previous books in the series are Eye of the Moon and Shadow of the Son.

The setting for the books is a weekend party at Rhinebeck, an opulent country estate with a VERY elegant lifestyle, in upstate New York. Rhinebeck has strong associations with the occult, and spirits and demons sometimes make their presence known.

To get the reader up to speed, the author provides synopses of the first two books as well as a list of characters.

*****

Percy and Johnny Dodge are lifelong friends and are now business partners as well.



As the story opens, Johnny - whose family has close connections with Rhinebeck - is hospitalized and in a coma. Johnny was in a limousine that crashed in NYC, killing the chauffeur and injuring Johnny. Johnny's parents and his friend Percy are terribly concerned, fearing for Johnny's recovery.....if not his life.



A Dodge family friend, Dr. Angus Maxwell-Hughes, suggests that Percy sit by Johnny's hospital bed and tell him stories. This could stimulate Johnny's long-term memory and lead to a more rapid recovery.

Percy visits Johnny on a daily basis, and relates tales of his and Johnny's childhood naughtiness and adolescent escapades.



One story involves a pretty girl called Casey Duke, whom Johnny dated when he was a teenager.



Another tale involves Johnny's high school rival James Cushman, with whom Johnny has a hate/hate relationship.



This is important because Casey is now married to James Cushman;



and before Johnny's accident, he and Casey had been having an adulterous affair.



In addition, the Cushman family and the Dodge family are business rivals, and there's ongoing animosity between the patriarchs of the families, James Cushman Sr. and John Dodge Sr.

All this leads to the conclusion that the Cushman family engineered Johnny's accident in an attempt to kill him!!

To expose the truth, Percy, who now owns Rhinebeck, organizes a weekend house party, and invites the Cushman clan: James Cushman Sr. and his wife Peggy;



and James Cushman Jr. and his wife Casey. The plan is to confront the Cushmans and learn the truth about Johnny's 'accident.'



Other invitees are the usual guests:

⚫ John Sr. and Anne Dodge (Johnny's parents): John and Anne have a permanent suite at Rhinebeck and are free to visit the estate whenever they wish, to enjoy the Cristal champagne; fine wines; gourmet food; tennis courts; expansive grounds; etc.



⚫ Bruni von Hofmanstal: Bruni is a crafty business lawyer who's engaged to Percy. Bruni is pregnant and the couple are being urged to choose a wedding date. They're procrastinating, though, because they want Johnny to be there.



⚫ Baron and Baroness von Hofmanstal: Bruni's parents, and Percy's future in-laws. The von Hofmanstals plan to have Bruni and Percy's nuptials at their castle in Austria.



⚫ Mary Leland (aka Maw): Maw is John Sr.'s mother (Johnny's grandmother); she's VERY wealthy, and she always speaks her mind.



⚫ Bonnie - Maw's daughter. Bonnie is a shrewd businesswoman who likes to have a good time. She's currently in a romance with Dr. Angus Maxwell-Hughes.



⚫ Dr. Angus Maxwell-Huges Angus is a fine physician and a wise and worldly man. He provides good advice to Percy and the Dodges.



⚫ Malcolm Ault: a business facilitator who's always a welcome guest at Rhinebeck.



⚫ Raymond - John Dodge Sr.'s driver. Raymond is a tough guy who makes a fine bodyguard when necessary.



⚫ Robert the Bruce: Maw's white bull terrier, who occasionally strays into the spirit world.



⚫ Also present at Rhinebeck are Stanley - the caretaker/butler/houseman; and Stanley's wife Dagmar - a 5-star chef who prepares scrumptious food AND supernatural potions.





Percy''s plan is for himself and the Dodges to confront the Cushmans and get them to reveal their evil deeds. This requires careful planning, and there are numerous conferences among 'the good guys.'

As for the Cushman clan, they have schemes of their own. The Cushmans don't seem to realize they're suspects, and hope to make a lucrative (and shady) business deal with John Dodge Sr. On top of that, Casey has a not-so-secret agenda. She's looking for a new husband and admits to coveting Rhinebeck and everything that comes with it.

All this results in devilishness on both sides, including trips into the spirit world by Percy, in an attempt to 'find Johnny' and bring him out of his coma.

These shenanigans play out amidst very elegant meals, where the men wear tuxes and the ladies wear gowns and fabulous jewels.

For fun, here's an example of a typical dinner menu.

First course: duck pâté with baby pears and compote.
Second course: lobster bisque.
Third course: green salad sprinkled with lemon croutons, drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette.
Fourth course: grilled salmon drenched in lemon butter with watercress sauce.
Dessert course: homemade cake with vanilla ice cream

These courses are (naturally) served with delicious wines.


Duck pâté with baby pears and compote


Lobster bisque


Green salad with lemon croutons, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette


Salmon with watercress sauce


Homemade cake with vanilla ice cream

At the book's finale, Bruni and Percy's nuptials are finally being planned, and I imagine this will be the centerpiece of Obolensky's planned fourth book in the series.

Much of the novel feels like a period drama, with behavior that would be shocking these days, like everyone (even pregnant women) smoking constantly, and drinking champagne, wine, and stronger spirits all day long. That said, the novel provides a pleasurable peek at the lives of the rich and scandalous, reminiscent (as I've said before) of television shows like Downton Abbey.

Recommended to fans of the series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ivan Obolensky, and Smith-Obolensky Media for a copy of the book.

 Rating: 3.5 stars