by Robert Crais
Part of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, book 9
First published 2004
Private investigator Elvis Cole watches ten-year-old Ben Chenier while the boy's mother Lucy travels for work. Their relationship already shows cracks. Then Ben vanishes. Cole searches frantically but finds no trace. The kidnappers finally make contact. They want no money. They demand Cole pay for crimes he swears he never committed. The LAPD takes over the case. Ben's estranged father flies in to control the investigation. Cole refuses to step aside. He will find Ben himself. His partner Joe Pike holds back crucial information about the case. Pike moves through a world of violent criminals who operate beyond normal limits. One of these dangerous men now lives in Los Angeles. This man has declared war on Elvis Cole. The boy's life hangs in the balance as Cole confronts an enemy from Pike's shadowy past.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Los Angeles, LAPD
352 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: violence