Three years ago, 2007, I read Robert Crais‘ The Watchman, featuring Elvis Cole sidekick Joe Pike. Up to then, my experience with the character Elvis Cole or writer Crais had been relatively recent and limited to a handful of books. Just enough background to know that Joe Pike was Cole’s partner. A silent partner who did the job that was necessary and had no qualms about taking it to the limit.

I like Elvis Cole, a quick lipped sharp as a tack detective, but until The Watchman I had little feeling for Joe Pike, the enforcer, the muscle. That book would change that, jumping Pike to being one of my favorite fictional tough guys.

When I found out a few months ago that a new Joe Pike novel was coming out – I couldn’t wait to get The First Rule.

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