[.ca] Voodoo River (ISBN 0786860766)

passable:
Another decent Elvis Cole/Joe Pike story, with the heros traveling to New Orleans and Baton Rouge to help a Hollywood TV actress trace her roots. A lot of typical action,with a series of memorable characters made this a very readable book, but of only passable mystery value. Unhappily, the author rather mixes up '50s and '60 cultural sensibilities with modern views when he tries to explore the emotions of these characters and how they relate to their problems. He too quickly overcomes the shame of racial mixing, which practice was almost universally condemned in that earlier era, by applying present-day indifference, and his quick glossing-over of such problems rather reduces the ability of this story to hold the attention of attentive readers. This is a passable read, but not one to grip most readers.

mildly humorous swamp romp:
Elvis gets a call to help out a TV actress discover info about her biological parents, which leads him to a small town in Louisiana. Interesting characters abound, including a giant snapping turtle. Soon, Elvis realizes another detective is on the scene, and not everything is as it first appears. The storyline also involves some romance with Elvis first meeting Lucy Chenier (who appears in subsequent Elvis stories), a lawyer from Baton Rouge. Somewhere about 2/3rd of the way into this book, the storyline changes as Elvis takes on a mission to right the wrongs of several folks in the back woods.

When's the movie coming out?:
Having just read Hostage, Demolition Angel, and LA Requiem, I am now reading Voodoo River. I guess you could say that I like Robert Crais" writing. The back page always refers to Mr. Crais' credentials as a screenwriter for LA Law and Hill Street Blues, both excellent TV shows from years gone by. Why hasn't any of his books been considered for full-length movies? It seems to be a natural consequence, given his prior work. I can't help but visualize each of the characters, especially, Joe Pike. I think of Jan Michael Vincent as Joe Pike, cat-like, etc. Given the success this year of the movie version of Mystic River, I think it might be time to consider one of Crais' novels for a similar treatment. The difficulty lies in deciding which one to do first. LA Requiem was good for the action and character of Joe Pike. Might be a good one to begin with. I'll have to read the rest of the books so I can assess them all. Later.

TWO, Two, Two plots in one.:
Who names these things anyway? Yes there's a river, but where's the "voodoo?" Maybe it's in Louisiana itself, but certainly not in this novel's plots. Pretty much standard detective fiction stuff. Elvis Cole - world's greatest private detective- reappears in Cajun country hunting an unknown birth mother for a T.V. star. Little rough play, chases, silent down-home folks, and a touch of blackmail and murder. Elvis meets local lawyer and etufee. Case solved. But what dark deeds have led to local crawfish magnate's probable motive for murder. Plot two crawls out of the swamp: alien smuggling and big city hoods. Worry not. Gators and snappers will not triumph. Not Crais' best, but worth carrying onto the plane for the long ride from a cold climate to a destination in the Pelican State. Just that I am a bit upset by the false flag.

Elvis Falls in Love in Bayou Country:
If you have yet to begin the marvelous Elvis Cole series by Robert Crais, you've got a great treat ahead of you! Few series get off to a stronger start than Mr. Crais did with The Monkey's Raincoat, which won both the Anthony and Macavity awards for best novel while being nominated for the Edgar and Shamus awards as well. Stalking the Angel followed powerfully with classic noir style of the 1930s hard-boiled detective up against evil moderated with wise cracks. Lullaby Town updated the 1930s detective stories about Hollywood. Free Fall looked hard at the corruptibility of the police and found them wanting. And the books just keep getting better from there in their characterizations, action, story-telling and excitement. Elvis Cole is the star attraction, the co-owner of The Elvis Cole Detective Agency. He's now 40ish, ex-Army, served in Vietnam, ex-security guard, has two years of college, learned to be a detective by working under George Feider, a licensed P.I. for over 40 years, does martial arts as enthusiastically as most people do lunch, and is fearless but not foolish. He's out to right the wrongs of the world as much as he is to earn a living. Elvis has a thing for Disney characters (including a Pinocchio clock), kids, cats, scared clients and rapid fire repartee. He drives a Jamaica yellow 1966 Corvette Stingray convertible, and usually carries a Dan Wesson .38 Special. His main foil is partner, Joe Pike, an ex-Marine, ex-cop who moves quietly and mysteriously wearing shades even in the dark . . . when he's not scaring the bad guys with the red arrows tattooed on his deltoids, which are usually bare in sleeveless shirts. Although he has an office with Elvis, Pike spends all of his time at his gun shop when not routing the bad guys with martial arts while carrying and often using enough firepower to stop a tank. Pike rarely speaks . . . and never smiles. A standing gag is trying to catch Pike with a little twitch of his lips indicating he might possibly be amused. But he's there when you need him. He drives a spotless red Jeep. Robert Parker's Spenser is the obvious character parallel for Elvis, but Spenser and Elvis are different in some ways. Cole is more solitary, usually being alone when he's not working. Cole is very much L.A. and Spenser is ultra blue collar Boston. Cole is martial arts while Spenser boxes and jogs. What they have in common is that they're both out to do the right thing, with money being unimportant. They both love to crack wise as they take on the bad guys. The bad guys hate the "humor" in both cases, and can't do much about it. The dialogue written for each is intensely rich. Mr. Crais has a special talent for making you care about his characters, especially the clients and their kids. You'll want to know what happens to them. With a lot of experience in script writing, Mr. Crais also knows how to set the scene physically and make you feel it. He may be out finest fiction writer about physical movement. He gives you all the clues to picture what's going on . . . but draws back from giving so much detail that you can't use your own imagination to make things better. On to Voodoo River, the fifth book in the series. The title refers the mysterious evils that can lurk amid the Louisiana bayous. Mr. Crais is from Louisiana originally, and he credibly moves the locale for this story from Los Angeles to his first home. Those who love the L.A. color to his novels will be disappointed. Those who want a little more mysterious and colorful backdrop will feel rewarded. It takes a little work to follow all of the bayou and food references in the book. I've been to Louisiana many times, and I was stretched. Keep your dictionary handy. Television star Jodi Taylor hires Elvis to find her biological parents so she can understand her health history better. Elvis travels to Louisiana to work with an attorney, Lucy Chenier, who specializes in handling the delicate Louisiana law for arranging such contacts. He quickly uncovers the answer, and finds out that there are lots of hidden motives involved in his assignment. From there, he has to take on some truly imposing villains to right the wrongs that began many years before. In the process, Elvis falls deeply in love with Lucy. Now, he has something to lose when he faces the bad guys . . . and it makes him both more vulnerable and appealing as a character. It was only a matter of time before Elvis climbed down off of his pedestal and became a regular, vulnerable human being. Voodoo River marks the first of several novels that develop around his relationship with Lucy and her son, Ben. Those who like a love interest in their detective novels will see this as a major plus. Those who do not will like the series much less well from here. Pay particular attention to the evolution of the characters of Elvis Cole and Jodi Taylor. Mr. Crais stresses both to their core, and they come out changed by the experience. The book's story-telling style differs from the earlier books in the series. Voodoo River reads like a series of novellas strung together like jewels on a necklace by a common theme. Since I liked all but the last novella quite a bit, this structure made the book more appealing. It was like getting five stories for the price of one. After you finish the book, I suggest that you think about what your values are. To defeat a great evil, which of your values could you feel compelled to abandon? Donald Mitchell Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage