Forgotten Man, The (Elvis Cole) Reviews

• The Phone Call He Was Waiting For..

  
  By A1TPW86OHXTXFC on 2005-02-23
  Elvis Cole is back. He is just recovering from the loss of his lady and her son, when he receives a call that changes his life. All of his life, Elvis has been hunting for his father. He never knew his father but was told he worked in a circus. Elvis had enough oomph to run away at least six times not to join the circus but to look for his dad. His granddad would hire a detective to hunt for him and bring him home. Elvis never found his dad but he did find a career. He was very good at hunting down clues and people and thus he made a great detective.
  
  So, the phone call telling him that a dying man was looking for him, his son. Elvis becomes drawn into the search to find who this man was. The man, his father, maybe, was murdered and he was given permission to help the police department find the murderer. Elvis works with Diaz, a female cop and her partner. However, Elvis is faster and smarter than the police department- he uncovers clues very quickly, and the story starts to come together.
  
  This novel is also told from the murderer's point of view, so that we have insight into a mind of a person who is insane and who has no conscience. He tells the stories of his murders, and his life and that of the person he works with. This is a frightening look into the soul of a madman, from his perspective.
  
  The murder mystery all comes together little by little, and we are drawn into the mystery. We are frightened and shocked just as you will be. Elvis Cole, is this your father? What has happened to the life of this man? How does this all fit into your life and that of your mother? Robert Crais has once again given us a story that we can bite into, one that leaves us with a chill, but with admiration for the man who can write like this. His mysteries just get better with each novel. Highly recommended. prisrob
  
  

• An EPIC return!!!!

  
  By A3QX61LA0OJB2U on 2005-02-15
  Our long national nightmare is over.
  
  Yes folks, Elvis Cole is back. And with big ups to President Ford, the wait since Robert Crais delivered The Last Detective has been, well, both long and nightmarish. And things weren't all rosy for the World's Greatest Detective, either. We remembered. We waited.
  
  The Forgotten Man, is the tenth (!) entry in the continuing tale of the afore-mentioned private eye, and is easily the most intense on various levels. What Crais accomplishes in this book will be discussed beyond the normal news cycle for such things, this much is certain. The Last Detective was Top 5 on the New York Times list, so the round is chambered, and the safety is off. This book should ignite in the marketplace.
  
  We are reunited with Our Hero in the middle of the night, as he is awakened by a phone call. Informed by the police a man has been found, shot dead in an alley, and his final words spoke to a desire to find his son, one Elvis Cole. That on the body were clippings related to Elvis' big case a while back. We are reminded Elvis never knew his father. Cole's life wasn't that great before the phone rang, and clearly it's not going to improve anytime soon.
  
  And thus Crais skillfully brings us forward and back--into the crazed violence of events populating the "big case" in The Last Detective, and left Elvis in such a state as this. Those new to his writing, have no fear, you will feel fully informed in short order. And then hang on to something.
  
  As Elvis gets into the new case, we are of course re-introduced to Joe Pike, Cole's enigmatic partner, radiating both menace and calm. We like to think Crais honors the tradition of the sidekick with Joe Pike. That's tradition, not cliche'. Not to mention that Crais has spent an incredible amount of time, and most of L. A. Requiem, giving full voice to Pike as a core value of the series. And we are re-introduced to Carol Starkey, first seen in Demolition Angel, and fast becoming vital to this series as well. The voice with which Crais writes her scenes is full of grit and honey. She is a great character and brings the series a fresh breath. There are numerous scenes with Starkey where the empathetic reader will nearly ache for her, she's written that well.
  
  Pike and Starkey pitch in to help Elvis deal with the possibilities this case presents, and they are many. Elvis had a very organized mythology about his unknown father, and the idea that lying on a slab in the morgue might be the icon of that mythology, and could either codify or explode that mythology, staggers him.
  
  Crais brings us to a point where we realize that, hey, we really don't know that much about Elvis' youth. We've known just enough, but it's limited. The soul of The Forgotten Man is the light Crais shines on young Elvis' quest to find his father. We meet people are vital to what Cole has become, and some of them play a role in the book's current events as well, so that's fun.
  
  Over the course of the last three books, Crais has been taking Elvis down a pretty dark road. The first few books in the series were more of the straight-ahead variety. Massively entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny in places, action-packed and dialogue-smart. Then, as we moved into Indigo Slam and Sunset Express, it was clear Crais wasn't content in that place, that he was going to challenge us, and we'd best keep up.
  
  With the last three books, he's shifting the borders of the PI novel. Crais' game has benefited much from the long break between L. A. Requiem and The Last Detective, when he wrote stand-alone best-sellers Demolition Angel and Hostage. The freedom gained from working outside the genre, plus the clout the success of the stand-alones brought, has allowed him to seamlessly push genre limits.
  
  We go deep into the story of Elvis, the youngster who saturated a road-weary carnival crew with his lost-boy energy as he searched for his father, believed to be a vagabond performer. We forget the web of homicidal deviation Crais is weaving in a separate narrative. But when we are brought back, it's with a series of jolts that refresh our memories of the potential darkness of the human heart. It becomes clear early on that Elvis is hunting a psychopath, and it doesn't take too long for the tables to turn him, unknowingly, from hunter to hunted.
  
  Lest you think this all sounds too morose, think again. The things that have become tradition in Elvisland---the investigational set-pieces, the snappy banter between Elvis and pretty much everyone---they are here, and they are better than ever. The shadings Crais has given to his characters over the course of nearly 20 years give more resonance to the humor. It becomes an island in a sea of relentless narrative propulsion.
  
  So, let's talk about the end. When you read it, you can almost picture Crais wiping the sweat from his own brow. It's breakneck fiction at its prime, and will make for you a happy prison until you finish. And it's made more real by the interludes that come before it, the heartbreaking recollections of Elvis' young life. The way Crais' weaves the two concepts together is startling.
  
  The Forgotten Man is the first great mystery novel of 2005. I can't imagine many more joining its rarified air. Crais has evolved and matured as a writer in a way that connects with the central nervous system of the reader, and to that, I must simply quote another Elvis and say--thank you very much!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• What's the best thing about this novel?

  
  By AVY9AU6VKHIJA on 2005-03-22
  Well the best thing is this book was my FIRST Robert Crais novel. That means, as best I can figure, there are eleven more books of his to read before the next one comes out! So I have lots to look forward to and can imagine that long time Crais fans probably envy me.
  
  Since I have not read anything else Crais has done, I am able to judge this book on its own merits without comparing it to his other stories. That said, it is well written, the story flows from scene to scene in an orderly and logical fashion. I know it sounds cliché but this book was hard to put down. The chapters are short and it is easy to read JUST ONE MORE chapter before going to bed. There was plenty of action, which is what you expect from detectives, and there were lots of witty repartee and cracking wise between the characters. Most of the best lines come as Crais let's us hear the thinking of his characters, so the lines aren't necessarily spoken to anyone.
  
  Elvis Cole (the man around whom the book is written) is a great PI, extremely introspective with lots of endearing qualities, and if you enjoy reading authors who develop their cast over the course of a series of books, then I would have to say that Robert Crais has the franchise for you. He seems every bit as good as Robert B. Parker, perhaps more so since this book has the "thriller thing" going for it.
  
  Highly recommended and you won't be disappointed!
  
  

• Crais never fails to entertain.

  
  By A1TWTULVD6F22O on 2005-07-17
  Elvis Cole dwells in the past in this, Robert Crais' 10th novel featuring the "world's greatest detective". And while Crais' readers love the wise-cracking detective, many of us read the series as much for Joe Pike, his scary, warrior-like back up system. Tough turn, then, that Pike is merely an afterthought in this book.
  
  Taking up much of the slack is Carol Starkey, the alcoholic, former bomb-squad detective who starred in Crais' "Demolition Angel" and met up with Elvis in "The Last Detective". Carol's having strong romantic feelings for Elvis, but he's not ready for a new love yet, still licking his wounds from the breakup with former paramour Lucy and her son Ben, who appear briefly.
  
  The story allows the reader to break into the murky past of Elvis, when a man is shot, who has been looking for his son. As a child, Elvis was on an endless quest to discover the identity of his father; his mother suffered from an emotional disorder and his grandparents could hardly restrain his need to wander, to try to find himself. He's had a rough childhood, and the possibility that the dead man is his father draws him out of a depression and into the mainstream of the police investigation. During the track of the novel, a character named Frederick, a paranoid schizophrenic, lurks in the background, convinced that Cole was responsible for the death of his friend Payne.
  
  As his search for the truth about the dead man evolves, Cole starts to shed light on a cold case, rediscovering his power to energetically pursue answers as he buries himself in his work. A little oblivious to Starkey's feelings, Cole is nevertheless drawn to her by mutual need on the case, and by the recognition that she's another tortured soul. Elvis may be the wittiest of today's detectives in this genre, but Crais proves here that he's not just witty, lucky and likeable, he's also the product of his past.
  
  Although "The Forgotten Man" is not nearly the book "The Last Detective" was, Crais continues to disarm his readers and keeps the series alive.
  
  There's some complexity here, and some surprises at the end, and Crais fans will be begging for more Elvis Cole when the story concludes. For my money, any real 5 star Elvis Cole story will also bring more action and reaction with the inclusion of the volatile Joe Pike in the story.
  
  Recommended for fans who like their thrillers in series, but read the earlier books first.
  
  
  

• Wow! A new favorite author!

  
  By A17BE4W1AUXSDD on 2005-02-18
  I'd never read an Robert Crais novel before, so I was completely blown away by this book! What great characters! I loved the mood and pacing! Writing is tight and the dialog smart and smooth. (I kept thinking Bruce Willis would Make a great Elvis Cole).
  
  The story start when a homeless man is found shot dead in an alley, and the dying man claims to be Detective Elvis Cole's Father (cole does not know who his father is). Cole has always been curious about his father and The incident prompts Cole to find out the man's true Identity. As he searches for his past, Cole is not aware that an associate of the deadman wants to kill him.
  
  The book moves along at a good pace with plenty of snappy dialog, and some great violent action scenes. But what really sets this book apart from the typical thriller is the character development. These are three demnesional people you actually find yourself caring about. Now I can't wait to go back and read the earlier Crais' books.
  
  I also got to recommend "STATE OF FEAR," cool thriller!
  
  
  
• A GLIMPLSE INSIDE THE SOUL OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE
  By A3KXV8AFQ550DY on 2005-02-20
  I've been reading Robert Crais since 1992, and I'm still like a little kid whenever a new "Elvis Cole/Joe Pike" novel comes out. After waiting for two long years, I tried to make THE FORGOTTEN MAN last, but ended up reading it in one day. The newest novel continues a few months where THE LAST DETECTIVE left off. Elvis Cole has recovered from the wound in his hand, Lucy Chenier and her son, Ben, are now living permanently in Louisiana, the publicity has finally died down from the rescue of Ben from the kidnappers by Cole and Pike, and the World's Greatest Detective is now at a lost on what to do with his life now that Lucy and Ben are gone. When the telephone rings at 3:58 in the morning and a voice tells Cole that a man has been killed who, in his last few breaths, claimed to be the Detective's long, lost father, a new adventure begins that will lead our hero on a journey of deep introspection and eventually to personal tragedy. Along the way, the reader will learn of Cole's search for his father as a thirteen-year-old boy and what led him to become a detective many years later, why his mother would disappear for months at a time, leaving him with his grandparents. The reader will also jump up and down at the return of Carol Starkey (DEMOLITION ANGEL & THE LAST DETECTIVE), who now has a crush of the World's Greatest Detective, but is afraid to let him know. With the help of his close friends, Elvis Cole will track down the killer of the man who claimed to be his father, but at a cost that is devastating, leaving the reader numb and shocked, which is exactly how the author planned it. THE FORGOTTEN MAN is Robert Crais at his best, delivering a story that is both compelling and fun to read. It's been a tremendous pleasure to watch Mr. Crais grow as a writer over the last decade, as well as to see the characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike evolve. This is definitely one of the best series on the market today, and I highly recommend it any reader who loves suspense and action
  
  
• Elvis Cole is back!!
  By A2TORR6E4EUCAF on 2005-02-18
  I bought this book the day it came and out and finished it five minutes ago. All I can say is "Wow!" Another slam-bang Elvis Cole novel from the wonderful Robert Crais. I dare you to start reading this book and then try to put it down. I double dare you!
  
  
• Another GREAT Elvis Cole
  By A2RZ9O4PSL16V4 on 2005-02-21
  I just finished reading this new Elvis Cole book. I started it this morning, and could not put it down. Great story and I must admit, I could not figure out what was going on, I didn't know until Elvis did. This was a great story with the ususal great characters, not enough Joe Pike to suit me though!! Still, Mr. Crais has done it again, don't miss this Elvis Cole outing..can't wait to the next.
  
  
• He's Back!!!
  By A5AVZSCF6169T on 2005-02-17
  Robert Crais compiled 116 rejection letters before he sold his first short story. No doubt there are 116 editors that have been kicking their own butts because Crais has become one of todays most popular mystery writers. THE FORGOTTEN MAN is the tenth in his Elvis Cole series that began with THE MONKEY'S RAINCOAT in 1987. He has also written two stand alone novels and worked on TV shows including Baretta, Cagney and Lacey and Hill Street Blues. Currently Robert Crais is working with Bruce Willis to bring one of those stand alones, HOSTAGE, to the big screen; a major undertaking but one that is sure to catapult the writer into even greater notoriety.
  THE FORGOTTEN MAN takes Elvis Cole on another adventure that reveals more of his history and provides readers with insight into their favorite detective's psyche. Like millions of young people, Elvis Cole never knew his father and his mother was often absent, even when she was with him. The empty spot that this universal phenomenon leaves in the heart of a little boy is only beginning to be acknowledged by teachers, psychologists and ministers. That empty spot will cause a seemingly normal man to go beyond the boundaries of good sense in order to fill it with the knowledge of who his father really is, who he was.
  In addition to his relentless search for the killer of a man who claimed to be his father, Elvis Cole is still pining for Lucy Chenier. She is his lost sweetheart, who found that loving a detective included a little more danger than she was willing to risk. That danger means absolutely nothing to Detective Carol Starkey, formerly of the LA Bomb Squad, who has become increasingly infatuated with Elvis and longs to take their relationship to the next level. Cole's best friend and enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, is also present in a minor but essential role.
  THE FORGOTTEN MAN continues with the solemn mood and manner that began in L.A. REQUIEM. Elvis Cole, World's Greatest Detective (it says so on his business card) is no longer the same wisecracking innocent that solved crimes with abandon in his previous seven adventures. A change took place in L.A.R that impelled a more serious, more introspective Cole to emerge. For fans it has been like watching a favorite nephew grow up; you enjoy and appreciate the adult he has become but sometimes miss the carefree, crazy youth he was. Although tight writing and crisp dialog still move the story there is more emphasis on character development and growing self-awareness. While it has been interesting and enlightening to go down several roads less traveled with Elvis and Joe, I, for one, am ready for another old-fashioned road trip!
  
  
  
  
• Coles Biggest Case
  By A1TL1LYIRUUKP on 2005-02-18
  Without a doubt, this is the best in Robert Crais' extremely well-recieved Elvis cole series. I finished the book last night and I am still thinking about it. This is a doorkicking, heart - grabber of a story. I defy anyone to read the first few pages and then put the book down. Impossible..
  
  
• CRAIS SHINES AGAIN!!!
  By A3RUUGC2LUEJ7M on 2005-02-22
  I have been devouring Robert Crais novels since his first book, THE MONKEY'S RAINCOAT. THE FORGOTTEN MAN is Crais' 10th title in the Elvis Cole series. There is no other P.I. like Cole. He has a witty sense of humor, a soft heart, and a strong sense of decency. In THE FORGOTTEN MAN we not only gain more insight into Elvis' past, we slip right into his head, learning his deepest thoughts. Crais has a talent for creating multi-dimensional characters within a well constructed plot. His style of writing is tight and straightforward, yet still conveys every detail to make everything come to life. As a consequence, every single one of his novels is packed with action and mystery. Crais excels the way few writers do. His stories are lush - his use of language is engaging and rich and alive. Each sight, sound and smell is detailed; each action, reaction, and thought is documented.
  
  I'll spare going into the plot for you since it seems just about every review already has that. But suffice it to say, all of Crais' books feature multiple, complex story lines and THE FORGOTTEN MAN is no exception. You are pulled through the entire novel from cover to cover. A tightly woven suspenseful plot, vivid and emotional, with real and troubled characters. I was definitely hooked from the first page. THE FORGOTTEN MAN is a book you should not miss, even if detective stories aren't your thing. I promise, you won't be disappointed. If I could, I would give THE FORGOTTEN MAN a 10-star rating.
  
  
  
  
• This is Crais at his quietly brilliant best
  By A2F6N60Z96CAJI on 2005-02-21
  There was a stretch of time when I didn't read Robert Crais's Elvis Cole novels. My reasoning was that any book featuring a protagonist named "Elvis" was probably semi-satirical, in the Carl Hiaasen sense, and I didn't want any more of that. I don't recall precisely when the scales fell from my eyes, but after checking one out, I basically set everything else aside and read the entire backlist. Semi-satirical? Forget it. This is heart of darkness territory.
  
  Elvis Cole is damaged goods wrapped in a nice, attractive box. He is a private investigator who gets the job done, but not without leaving part of himself behind. Crais uses southern California in general and Los Angeles in particular as a background for Cole (and, incidentally, as a visitor's guide for the reader), an uneasy setting upon which Cole can both blend and clash, sometimes simultaneously.
  
  THE FORGOTTEN MAN begins with an enigmatic but ultimately important prologue concerning the fearsome aftermath of an apparent home invasion that leaves behind a lone survivor by accident rather than through intent. The novel proper begins with Cole being awakened by an early morning phone call that ushers him to a nightmarish scenario. A man has been shot in a nondescript alleyway in downtown Los Angeles. The victim has no identification, but the police officer on the scene reports that with his dying breath the victim said that he was looking for his son, Elvis Cole.
  
  Cole, who never knew his father, is torn between pursuing the identity of the dead man and allowing his naturally suspicious nature to hold him back. His investigation is a slippery slope: the deeper he delves into the background of the mysterious stranger, the less convinced he becomes that the man is his father. Yet his need to determine who and what the man is becomes more and more compelling.
  
  Joe Pike, Cole's de facto partner in his detective agency, is willing to help as always, and his simmering, dangerous presence is a welcome foil to Cole's occasional impulsive excesses. But Cole has no way of knowing that his investigation is about to unearth a monster who has been confined, if not held in check, and who is now pursuing Cole with a haunting deliberateness.
  
  THE FORGOTTEN MAN is Crais at his quietly brilliant best, where each turn of the page potentially hides a bombshell revelation in stark, beautiful, and memorable prose. This one is a winner in every sense of the word. Absolutely not to be missed.
  
  --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
  
  
  
• 5 Stars isn't enough!
  By AXK5GN8DXB80X on 2005-02-23
  Robert Crais doesn't get the press like he should. I walk into a B&N or a Border's and I see John Grisham or James Patterson on their front displays. Big signs trying to sell the latest lark from these guys and I think to myself, Robert deserves better. He deserves to be up there on the front display. He deserves a sign that says, "The Best Damn Thriller You Are Going To Read This Year." Hell, that's not even good enough! He deserves: "Robert Crais = Thriller."
  
  The Forgotten Man is, hands down, his best work. I thought LA Requiem was great. It was sad and harsh and vivid and gritty but Forgotten Man goes beyond that. Elvis Cole may be one of the best detectives in all of mystery. He is unbelievably defined, attainable, funny, surprising, and, sometimes, heartbreaking. Cole is as real as Rankin's Rebus, Lehane's Kenzie, and Lippman's Monaghan. They are so detailed you can see them clearly in your mind's eye. See them sitting at a table at your favorite restaurant (or if we're talking about Rebus and Kenzie, your favorite bar.)
  
  Joe Pike is back too - not as much as I would have liked him to. If I had one complaint on this book it would have been not enough Joe Pike. Starkey is also back for more. And WOW! That character is going places. Crais has such a gift at creating unforgettable, fantastic characters. Characters that live with you even after the book is done. And, let me tell you, it's done too quick!
  
  I have been following Crais' career for a while now and all I can say is that he deserves better. Not because he can sell lots of books but because he delivers what others fail too. Why read the newest book from some author who jumped the shark five books ago when you can read a book from someone who delivers what the other guy should time after time after time? If you are a lover of hard-boiled fiction, do yourself a favor and buy Forgotten Man. You won't regret it and you will be giving Robert Crais deserves: your attention.
  
  
• Crais has truly hit his stride
  By A2U83VDVJMAB2U on 2005-03-05
  I've enjoyed Crais's Elvis Cole/Joe Pike books since I first discovered them about ten years ago. They were witty, straightforward crime novels that were fun reads.
  
  In my opinion, over the last few novels Crais has matured into a real force in the genre. With "The Forgotten Man" Crais has started exploring territory that we've come to know through authors such as Michael Connelly in his Harry Bosch series.
  
  This novel takes Elvis Cole into a more introspective space, and allows us to get to know him better while rounding his character out more fully. It's also a bit darker than previous works, edging toward noir territory.
  
  The novel itself moves briskly forward, don't get me wrong, but with more intense psychological overtones to many of the characters.
  
  I highly recommend this book. I'm also looking forward to more from Crais in the future.
  
  
• Forgotten Man Should be
  By A2C799N7VK3OV3 on 2005-03-24
  I have read every Crais Book based on Elvis and would give each one 4.5 or 5 stars. Elvis is a "character" as is "Pike" and I found each previous book impossible to put down.
  I did not care for Forgotten Man as we learned about his past (Elvis) and much relived via flashbacks. The story was a bit convoluted as an excuse to tell us about the Elvis as a child, etc. Don't need it.
  Frankly, I do not care about the past of Elvis because I enjoy him as he is. Also felt this book did not give us the wisecracking gumshoe that is so much fun with Elvis and Pike.
  I guess I don't think you need to flesh out something that is perfect to begin with. As they say, "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it."
  Elvis lives but not to my taste in this book.
  Bring back more of what we have in the past. I would find it hard to recommend this one.
  
  
  
• Shouldn't be listed as a mystery...
  By A273LW1MLEE3R9 on 2005-04-02
  This book would have made a nice side note in the series but it's not really a mystery. The whole premises seems stupid as to why he is even involved in this case in the 1st place. I think if we wanted to investigate Cole's origins, it could have been done in a much better fashion -- say Last Detective style. I guess I can't stop thinking at how long we've waited for this book and this is all the fans got? It's not much of a mystery and Joe barely has any space in the book. He really shouldn't of even been mentioned! And is it just me or was Carol Starkey always that dumb and co-dependent? Because she is really, really annoying in this book... hope that Robert Crais has fleshed out these characters demons and we can get back to a good mystery one of these days.
  
  
• Forgotten for a reason
  By A2AWEBO32Z1WIG on 2005-04-13
  I don't know the reviewer Irene M. Jones, but she very nearly wrote my review for me.
  
  Like her, I "have read everything Robert Crais has written, some twice and loved every bit of them. After waiting two years for Forgotten Man I am sorry to say I am disappointed."
  
  In awarding it three stars, Irene has a bigger heart than I do. I can only summon up one -- it's that poor.
  
  Elvis navel-gazes, stumbles, mumbles and sleepwalks his way through this interminable book. Joe Pike, who is often the more interesting character, appears only twice, the first time to remind Elvis just how lame Elvis is. Even Carol Starkey is more interesting than Elvis in this tale and Lucy Chenier appears yet again to create an ambiguous ending that ensures another book will be required in the future. I can only hope it is better.
  
  Comparing notes with a friend yesterday, we were lamenting the maturing of mystery heroes these days. Travis McGee never felt the need to change year after year (or Calvin and Hobbes, for that matter). I think some of the modern mystery writers could benefit from the "frozen in time" concept.
  
  But I digress. This is an awful book even for fans -- perhaps especially for fans -- and once again I agree with Irene... "the best of the series is L A Requiem." Read it if you haven't. If you have, read it again and skip this one.
  
  
• More adventures with Elvis Cole
  By A2F3M93RRLFQNJ on 2006-10-22
  Robert Crais is a great writer and he is at his best when he writes about his principal series character, Elvis Cole, self-proclaimed World's Greatest Detective. The Forgotten Man, the latest book about Cole may be, in a certain way, the weakest in the series, but it is still a really good book.
  
  After a brief prologue, the story opens with the murder of a man who, with his dying words, claimed to be Elvis's father. Since Cole never knew his father and had no real clues to his identity, the dead man may be telling the truth, but Elvis doubts it: some recent, unwanted fame has made his family background public knowledge and it soon becomes clear that the dead man wasn't playing with a full deck.
  
  Nonetheless, Elvis decides to work with the police to solve the murder and gets involved in a case involving prostitutes, blackmail and most significantly, a rather irrational serial killer. This serial killer, however, is not the murderer of Elvis's alleged father, but the two men do have some relationship. As Elvis pursues a killer, he is in turn pursued by Carol Starkey, heroine of Demolition Angel, who has a deep crush on the private eye; unfortunately, her own insecurities and Elvis's own pining for his lost love Lucy Chenier interferes with any romance between the two.
  
  This leads to that certain way that this novel seems a bit weaker than the other Elvis Cole books. For most of this novel, Elvis is in a sour mood due to the loss of Lucy; as a result, we get much less of the wisecracks that help make him such an endearing character. This doesn't make the book bad by any means - in fact, it's typically good Crais - but it is a little lacking. For this reason, I give this book a high four stars; it may rate a five for some authors, but compared to Crais's other books, this one is just a little disappointing. For most Crais fans, however, this is still a must-read, as it should be for any mystery fans.
  
  
  
• The Best of the series
  By A2L92CVMYWZE1V on 2005-02-21
  How I feel about this book can only be summed up in 3 words "I Loved It". This Elvis Cole book does not have the humor that I have come to love in Robert Crais' books but it was not missed. The emotions are very strong and powerful and made up for the lack of humor. The story is a very good one and very fast paced. It's the type of book that if I could devote a whole day to reading, it would have been devoured in one sitting.
  
  Now I wish it was a year later and I could be back in LA reading what is going on in Elvis' life, is he still a detective? is he involved with anyone? Please Mr. Crais let your next book be an Elvis Cole book. I miss him already. And thanks for a great book!
  
  
  
  
• Generally, a Big Fan
  By A2IDF52DY2M2YC on 2005-03-01
  But not this time. I read Crais when he first published The Monkey's Raincoat and have been a fan of the series. However, with this outing I think Crais uses broad character brushstrokes and largely relies on his plot and there are plot gaps with this book's nemesis.
  
  This is a morose Cole given to mooning over his love and wearing his heart on his sleeve. Nothing in here helps us understand this any better. A big problem is in seeing in Cole what inspires Joe Pike's loyalty...it's not in this one. Sure, those who have read the series can backload that relationship but careful writers find ways of connecting this with the reader. The Starkey stuff is so broad it is almost farcical. I hate to say this but Crais is reminding me of Robert Parker with this book and relying solely on a fan base without having to do any real writing. Parker's last severl books are strictly formula and the relationships simply props for the plot. Those who haven't fallen into that trap who come to mind are George Pelacanos who shifts his characters all around and finds interesting new ones and Lawrence Block who keeps inventing new ways of making Matt Scudder fresh and his relationships believable.
  
  
• Fair at best
  By A1K1H64FBTC8G on 2005-03-17
  I was a fan of Crais' up until Hostage and The Last Detective. Thought I would try one more book and bought the e-book version of the Forgotten Man. The book feels forced to me. The plot seems superficial and simple with no real relevance except to offer a stage for character development. Pike is relegated to a throw-away character with no real role which is a real shame. Carol is back but for no good reason. I would recommend that you stay away from this one and read the early books with real mystery/detective stories and where the relationship between Pike and Cole takes center stage. Also, do not buy the adobe ebook version if you plan on reading this on a Palm. The conversion is Horrendous!
  
  
• Joe Pike Rules
  By A2Q0FXVJFRII51 on 2005-08-03
  If I hadn't already committed each of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole novels to memory...I'd read them each again! This collection should be a TV series. Looking forward to the next masterpiece and I hope it's soon.
  
  
• A Great Story but Not a great Book
  By A2DXLEOTG1JU2U on 2005-02-24
  My copy of The Forgotten Man was published on pages whose paper was so thin I could read the next page without turning them. Crais deserves a better "book" for his stories as they are among the best the genre has ever had. That said and without re-capping the story yet again( see the earlier reviews) this was eagerly awaited by myself and uncounted other Crais fans. It held great promise as it was original in storyline and well told. I was let down by the ending though. It felt as if it was rushed in it's writing when it should have felt headlong in it's pace. Make no mistake. I love the Elvis Cole series and the characters of Elvis and Joe Pike are not bettered anywhere by anyone anywhen but this did not leave me with the sense of satisfaction of The Monkey's Raincoat, The Last Detective or my top-rated L.A. Requiem. I devoured it in short order but I was hungry again in 30 minutes. I will re-read it and let you know if anything changes and keep in mind I am comparing Crais to Crais and he's a tough act to follow.
  Just an aside to Mr. Crais( if you're out there): Less Pike does not make for a better book. This was one part that weakened the book especially after the publicity build up of how Elvis turns to Pike to get to the bottom of this and Starkey having his phone number? C'mon, I know these are your characters and they will "evolve" anyway you want them to but Pike ain't gonna like it you given his phone number out.
  
  
• Not My Favorite, But Still Quite Good
  By AYT4FJYVCHYLE on 2005-03-18
  The great thing about Robert Crais is that he unravels the plot in such a way that before you know it you're furiously turning pages to get to the heart stopping end. The great news is that Elvis Cole is back. Personally I think he is one of the best written private detectives in the mystery genre today. And what would be Elvis without the enigmatic, complex, and darkly funny Joe Pike. Unfortunately he's just a blip in this outing which is a shame because he's a brilliant character. Crais has his formula of mixing Elvis' narrative with the killers point of view, which this time wasn't quite as successful to me, however this a minor quibble in what ultimately is another rich chapter in Elvis Cole's turbulent life.
  
  
• A More Thoughful Elvis Cole
  By A1SKNS2DGG46XM on 2005-03-21
  The Forgotten Man" is another lean and well-crafted crime novel from the talented Robert Crais. The latest in the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series finds Cole inexplicably tied to the murder of a drifter behind a seedy Los Angeles strip mall. We learn that Cole never knew his father, but spent a good portion of his childhood running away from one traveling carnival to another in search of his apocryphal human-cannonball dad. "Forgotten Man's" Cole is not the typically wise-cracking, hard-hitting PI we've come to know in earlier works, but more somber and pensive and, if not exactly subdued, certainly more a reflective and serious Elvis. As the adult Cole flashes back to his fruitless childhood searches for the father he never knew, old pain and disappointment surface, blending with Cole's current funk over the breakup with longtime lover Lucy Chenier. With taut prose and staccato dialogue, Crais weaves a spellbinding mystery that keeps the reader guessing well into the second half of the book. And while hardcore Crais fans may yearn for more frequent Joe Pike-style mayhem, this is nonetheless a powerful and poignant tale of lost love, vengeance, remorse, and bittersweet redemption. Crais is among the top two or three writers of American crime fiction today; "The Forgotten Man" is more evidence of why.
  
  
• Not One of the Better Elvis Cole Novels
  By A1EVMHXABQQ73W on 2005-03-22
  I am a big fan of Robert Crais, but I feel that the quality of his novels has been slipping recently. "The Forgotten Man" continues this downward trend, in my opinion. The plot in this novel feels contrived and forced. When the "real" criminal is finally exposed at the end, this "surprise twist" is not realistic - mostly due to weak character development.
  
  Joe Pike is my favorite character, and he is completely wasted in this novel. Carol Starkey returns, and the inclusion of her character is totally unnecessary (and, quite a distraction at times). Crais always has good dialogue in his novels, and even his weaker works are better than most authors' best attempts. However, I strongly recommend his earlier works for those who have not yet read any of his novels.
  
  
• The child is father to the man
  By A53FKXES8SAD5 on 2005-07-14
  And in the case of Elvis Cole, truer words were never spoken. For the first third of the book I kept wondering why Elvis didn't just have a DNA test to determine whether the murder victim was his father. By the end of the book I fully understood. Hey, if it had been someone claiming to be my father what would I really learn from a DNA test: yes or no, that's all. Elvis went on a voyage of discovery, never believing but always half-hoping. Also - but just for a minute - I thought there was not enough of Joe Pike in this book but in fact Joe's presence may have been minimal but was made all the more meaningful by it. If Joe and Elvis both have issues with their fathers they really have come to the best possible resolution by finding a father in each other. No father could have been more determined to protect and save his child or more steadfast in his regard for a much-admired father than Joe was in re Elvis. And Joe made no secret in an earlier book that he had always looked to Elvis for wisdom. Yeah, the Elvis of Disney figurines and Pinocchio clock and ever-ready wisecrack. The three most recent Elvis Cole books really all tie together in a trilogy about fatherhood and childhood and what every boy wants or needs to see in his father - and what damage can be done by both the presence and absence of a father. I know some folks think 'LA Requiem' is the best Crais book of all, and I won't deny it's a gem. But I don't rate it one bit better than 'Last Detective' or 'Forgotten Man.' I almost pity those people who discovered Elvis Cole long before now because they had long waits between the books, where I was lucky enough to read them in order this week, one right after the other, so that the linkage of the stories and the emotions evoked by the perfectly understated bonds of friendship were almost overwhelming. And, hey! The plot is pretty darned good, too! Maybe Elvis isn't making as many wisecracks as he did in the early books but I like him just fine all the same. And as for Joe Pike... Well... I could eat him with a spoon. 'Nuff said!
  
  
• Another smart, gripping thriller from a suspense master
  By AEQFYOI6YJ83Z on 2006-04-02
  Elvis Cole is a private detective. It isn't all it's cracked up to be, or so he says. But after his last case thrust him in the spotlight (and ruined his relationship with his girlfriend), Cole is ready for some action. That why he decides to look into the death of an elderly tattooed man. It's not because he honestly believes the man is the father he never knew, despite the man's deathbed claim to be. Cole is too hardened a detective to buy into stuff like that...at first.
  
  But as the case gets more and more complicated, Cole will discover things about himself, his past, and his friends. And a psychotic killer who believes Cole is the old man's murderer is drawing in, desperately seeking his misguided revenge. Will Cole solve the case before his world completely caves in?
  
  The answer, you might think, is yes, of course. But if you're thinking that, then you probably haven't read too many Crais thrillers. That's one of the things I like about Robert Crais--yes, he's a brilliant writer, with a gift for witty dialogue and beautiful descriptions...but he also isn't afraid to throw a few suprises into the increasingly-stale detective genre. It's hard to take a hardened mystery fan's breath away, but Crais manages consistently. Elvis Cole is one of contemporary fiction's greatest protagonists, and "The Forgotten Man" is another installment in a surprisingly good, always getting better series. You can start here, if you want, but I reccommend going back to the beginning--with novels as good as these, you don't want to miss out on anything.
  
  
• Elvis is not in the house
  By A23K1JYCF066G1 on 2006-07-08
  I don't get five stars for this book, or four, or three. Robert Crais seems to be falling into the trap of getting too involved in the life of his hero -- at the expense of the elements that made his series so special.
  Now let's see.... In early books, Elvis Cole was a an irreverent, very humorous character. In The Forgotten Man, we do learn he still wears strange shirts, and that's about it for his quirky side. If anyone discovered humor in this brooding volume please share it with the rest of us.
  
  In the earlier books, Joe Pike was a strong presence and, as other reviewers have noted, he was often the most interesting character. Mark Joe absent from this one, except for a couple of brief appearances which barely allowed him to be...Joe Pike.
  
  
  Prior books in the series had a good deal of excellent action. Barely a ripple here
  
  Finally, there are the women in Cole's life. There is Lucy, who left him in the last book and pops up twice in The Forgotten Man. Mr. Crais is in danger of creating another Susan Silverman (Spencer's annoying squeeze in the Robert Parker series). Please, Mr. Crais, don't do this to your readers. And there is Starkey, a bomb disposal cop who was blown up in another book. She comes back to life and is in love with our dense hero. You would think a bomb disposal expert, even an unsuccessful one, would have the nerve to share her feelings with Elvis, but she may be too busy smoking 700-800 cigarettes a day.
  
  Bring back the real Elvis Cole. Bring back Pike. Bring back the action. Kill off Lucy. Send Starkey to a smoking cessation. program.
  
  
• Gone, but not forgotten.....
  By AN3D3M8MJ07BQ on 2006-10-20
  Robert Crais possesses the sure hand of a master when it comes to spinning a gripping, tension filled and emotionally involving story.
  
  The main plot of his latest yarn has to do with Elvis Cole trying to determine the identity of the man who has made a dying statement alluding to the fact that he is Coles long lost father, a man Elvis has searched for most of his life. Is he or isn't he?? His attempt to get at the truth finds Elvis enmeshed in a spider-web of mystery and suspense.
  
  Returning characters introduced in previous Crais books include, Carol Starkey, maimed cop of Demolition Angel fame, and her "not so hidden" feelings for Elvis; Lucy, the love of Elvis's life, who loves him but can't seem to accept his choice of profession...and of course Elvis's best friend, the ever wonderful Joe Pike. Add a couple of new cops and a lunatic or two to the mix and you have all the ingredients for an enjoyable read.
  
  
  
  

• Indigo Slam: An Elvis Cole Novel
• L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole Novels)
• The Last Detective
• The Watchman: A Joe Pike Novel (Joe Pike Novels)
• Sunset Express: An Elvis Cole Novel (Elvis Cole Novels)