Racing the Light

Elvis Cole/Joe Pike Series, Book 19

By: Robert Crais

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

*On Reader's Digest's list of "30 new books we can't wait to read in 2022"*

Private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner Joe Pike are back on the case in this brilliant thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.

Adele Schumacher isn't a typical worried mom. When she hires Elvis to find her missing son, a controversial podcaster named Josh Shoe, she brings a bag filled with cash, bizarre tales of government conspiracies, and a squad of professional bodyguards. Finding Josh should be simple, but Elvis quickly learns he isn't alone in the hunt—a deadly team of mysterious strangers are determined to find Josh and his adult film star girlfriend first.

With dangerous secrets lurking behind every lead, Elvis needs his friend Joe Pike more than ever to uncover the truth about Josh, corrupt politicians, and the vicious business cartels rotting the heart of Los Angeles from within. And when Elvis's estranged girlfriend Lucy Chenier and her son, Ben, return, he learns just how much he has to lose...if he survives.

Written with the heart, humor, and relentless suspense for which Crais is famous, Racing the Light delivers Elvis Cole's most dangerous case yet.

©2022 Robert Crais (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Narrator Luke Daniels paints a landscape of memorable characters with distinct personalities and voices as diverse as the story's many twists. While Crais remains an architect of skillful dialogue, Daniels gives the characters added personality and paces his delivery to make the story even more satisfying.”—AudioFile Magazine

“Daniels provides a superb narration that leads with a steady, centering general narrator voice that is a perfect match for Elvis Cole. From authentic Louisiana accents to manipulation of pitch and tone, Daniels uses all the techniques to deliver dynamic dialogue for a large cast of uniquely voiced characters.”—Booklist

"A whirlwind of action, fisticuffs, and stray bullets, along with Crais’ usual dose of heart and humor, make for a riveting and satisfying read."—Booklist (starred review)

Needs a new narrator

Another very good story by the author, but the narrator sounds like a bad female impersonator with the flu when trying to do the women’s voices. And he makes Joe Pike sound like a tough-guy cartoon character. I’ll probably go back to reading the hardbacks of Crais’s books as, like I said, the stories are always good.

Not typical Robert Crais

This story feels disjointed. I didn’t enjoy Luke Daniel’s narration this time; all of his attempts at female voices either sounded like men or various types of frogs. Seems like this may have been a rushed book to the publisher written during the Covid lockdowns with no inspiration.

Another great story by Crais

Truly enjoyed another Elvis story. Such great characters. Need more Pike though and glad Lucy is back.

Good

Other than Pike sounding like Batman (it was a bit much) I enjoyed the audio version and storyline as usual with this author. Good driving stories.

The magic is missing

Been a fan of Robert Crais for a long time but this Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novel felt a little flat. it just didn't grab me like others. I'm also not liking the idea of Elvis being turned into a family man because certain readers want that out of a protagonist male character. Joe Pike contributes very little to the story. The voice of the audio book narrator was too monotone and didn't differentiate enough to distinguish who was talking so as I listened in the car it all sounded like a person giving a speech rather than tell a story. So overall a little disappointed in this book.

Bad narration

Just started listening but I don't think I can finish. The reader is distracting. He's pretty bad at voices. Might return

Loved it!!

Love Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, two of my favorite characters. I wish the books were longer, im always sad when I get to the end. The stories and great and keep me engaged and are entertaining.

Not as good as other Robert Crais.

I was so excited when a new Elvis Cole book was released! I really love Robert Crais. And this isn't a bad book but certainly not as good as others in the series. If this had been the first Crais book I read, I probably wouldn't have read the rest of the series. However, if you are already a fan, by all means, read the book. If you aren't already a fan, start with the first one in the series!

Narrator’s voices are terrible

What the heck happened to Lucy and Joe’s voices. The female voices were terrible.
I’ve never written a review before but the narrator was really bad.

Love a murder mystery with some humor!

Great characters! I'd like to hear more from Elvis's cat. 😜 Have enjoyed every single book by Robert Crais. I hope there will be more coming along soon.