THE FIRST RULE by Robert Crais
Robert Crais has never been one of my favorite authors and in fact I gave up on him a few books back and didn’t plan to read him again. But then someone told me his new book was one of his best and I bit. I never doubted Mr. Crais had talent; I just didn’t find his stories interesting. Boy was I wrong. As soon as I started THE FIRST RULE I was drawn into the world of Joe Pike and held captive till the last word was read.
Joe Pike is a private investigator living and working in LA and has been featured in some of Crais’ previous novels. His partner in business is Elvis Cole, another favorite Crais character. This book features Cole but the main focus of the story is Pike.
It is Pike who learns about the cold-blooded murder of his former co-worker Frank Meyer. Meyer, his wife, two children, and nanny have been killed in a home invasion. The police think Meyer might have been dealing in drugs or arms but Pike is convinced of his innocence. He vows to find Meyer’s killers and bring them to justice.
Thus begins a story of revenge and compassion. Pike is loyal to the extreme and the fact that Meyer was one of his men makes him the enemy of the person who killed him. He is determined to find these people and also to clear Meyer’s name of any criminal allegations.
We also learn that Pike has a soft side. During the course of the story Pike finds a baby boy who is caught in the middle of a gang war. Pike’s protective instincts immediately rise to the fore and he becomes the baby’s protector as well.
Getting these glimpses of the humane side of Joe Pike is quite a boost for the enjoyment of the story. The more we can learn about characters and the more we can relate to the humanness of characters the more we enjoy reading about these them. In this book Crais reveals more about the personal side of Pike than ever before and it pays off.
This is a well written novel. It moves at just the right tempo, has a collection of good and bad people involved in the plot, and leaves the reader completely satisfied at the ending of the story. It is a book that is easy to enjoy and easy to recommend – which I do.
There are a lot of mystery/thrillers in book stores today. This is one that stands out from the crowd, and should be one of your first selections if you enjoy this genre.
THE FIRST RULE is published by G. P. Putnam. It contains 320 pages and sells for $26.95.