A more developed version of this appears on my blog, Irresponsible Reader, as part of my Reread Project.-----Many people see L. A. Requiem as the apex of the Cole series. For my money, Voodoo River is the apex of the series that began in The Monkey's Raincoat -- he's thoughtful, more meditative, yet still jokey. There's a greater sense of place than in most of the earlier books. Elvis is vulnerable, yet just as competent and confident as he's been the whole time we've known him. I'll explain my thinking here and different take on Requiem in a few weeks when we get to it. When we meet her, Jodi Taylor is the star of one of the biggest shows on television, but thirty-six years ago when no one cared who she was, she was an orphan -- given up for adoption by her mother. She was raised by a loving couple who she considers her parents -- she's not on a search for her roots, her "real" mother or anything like that. But she's curious about her medical history, worried about what genetic time-bombs might be ticking away inside her. So she hires Elvis -- on the recommendation of Peter Alan Nelson -- to go to Louisiana and work with an attorney specializing in adoption to find her birth parents and get this information.Despite the strictness of the adoption laws in the Pelican State, it seems like a pretty straight-forward case, and after arriving in Baton Rouge, sampling some local cuisine, and consulting with the attorney, Lucy Chenier, Elvis gets to work and it doesn't take long for him to make some solid progress.Here's where complications set in: someone starts trailing Elvis as he investigates, this person seems to have some sort of criminal ties, and the biggest complication of all: Lucy Chenier. Elvis is smitten with her. Almost immediately, and more and more so in every conversation afterwards. This isn't some sort of passing fancy, as was the case with Janet Simon; or the creepy, drunken attraction for Jennifer Sheridan; or whatever he had going with his office neighbor, Cindy. Elvis falls for this woman, hard. That's clear for the reader straightaway, the only question is what impact that'll have on Elvis, his current investigation, and maybe his future. Elvis even has the beginning of a relationship with her son, Ben.As for the guy following him? He's not that good at it, and he's even worse at picking up a tail. Elvis is able to exploit his deficient skills and learn a few things that get him closer to finding Jodi's mother. And that's when things get really nasty -- Elvis finds himself in the middle of a decades' old crime, a murder investigation and caught between three criminal organizations. Given that, naturally, Joe finds himself in Louisiana, too. You put Elvis in the middle of all that while trying to sort out one family's problems -- past and present? Well, it'll take he and Joe at the top of their game. Hopefully Elvis can get his head cleared enough, but at least we don't have to worry about Joe -- I'm not sure that Joe has anything but the top of his game.Elvis' jokes are there, but they're subdued. Elvis has found himself in the middle of some really nasty stuff -- the adoption as well as the criminal activity he stumbled into -- and it's hard to joke his way through it, but he does as often as possible. Still, there is room for him to be something other than just the crime-fighter. As long as Lucy Chenier's around, Elvis will make time. We see something new happen to Pike here. But -- see that one for yourself. It's refreshing (like in Lullaby Town) to see Pike interact with the police without pushback or resentment (or something worse). There's plenty of opportunity for Elvis' warrior friend to do what he does best. There's even some opportunities for Elvis and Joe to just hang out, work out together, and talk. They get to interact as friends a little, not just partners. We need to see more of this. At one point, we get what's possibly Pike's biggest speech since the one he gave Ellen Lang in Monkey and just as on point. He really helps Elvis keep his head when he disappoints Jodi. Lots of warm fuzzies are to be had there.There's some interesting things said here about honor (not in the way that Parker does, it's under the dialogue and narration, almost never the subject of it), conscience, and duty. Really, there's a straight line from Elvis assuring Ellen Lang that he'd help her, through tearing up her father's check and hunting down Mimi Warren, through doing all he could to help Karen Lloyd, to Jennifer Sheridan to Jodi and her family. It's the same impulse driving Elvis (and therefore Joe). This impulse, this drive is what unites Elvis and Joe to the hard-boiled PI legacy, but their application of it is what helps distinguish them from others. As I recall, there's a change in the wings for how Elvis approaches things, making this the apex of Stage I of the Cole series, if not the whole.
It's a neat trick--take your series character and move him out of his familiar surroundings. That's where we're at with Crais's Voodoo River. And it works very well.Elvis Cole is established fun at this point and the set up here seems pretty straightforward--client in distress turns out to be a bigger deal than initially anticipated. But Voodoo goes even further than you might imagine as this case balloons out of control. Cole's life, too, is complicated in ways that I hope Crais doesn't brush off with a dismissive first chapter in the next novel. The evolution of our protagonist through five books was fine, but a sly kick in the pants was a nice surprise. Crais populates Voodoo with characters you feel like you've seen before in many a series mystery or Hollywood film, but he does a admirable job at making them unique to this story and they come alive very well. Joe Pike is maybe underutilized in this novel, but his moments feel important and not just for comic relief, but for revealing character questions. It's easy to see why Crais eventually (although I'm not there yet) gave Pike his own books. I don't know if Voodoo River quite reached the heights of Lullaby Town, but it's a definite step back up from Free Fall. This series still has plenty of pop, and I look forward to a lot more.Recommended for mystery/thriller fans, all Crais fans, and those who like mysteries where unknown family pasts haunt the present for generations.
What do You think about Voodoo River (2000)?
I like tacos. No, I really, really like tacos. Not too fancy, not too adventurous, just tacos. Because here's the thing: I know what I'm getting with my tacos.I get a pretty good tasting meal. They are comfortable. No surprises, I know what to expect. I end up happy and satisfied. I always say, "wow, liked them tacos." Now, maybe I could have tried another dish. Maybe something French or some strange fusion deal. Something that would knock my socks off. Something that would make me see God, make me fall in love, make me aware of new universes and celestial beings... But a lot of the time I just want my staid comfortable tacos.Robert Crais and his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels are tacos. Don't expect the mystery genre to be turned inside out, don't expect innovation or surprises. Expect a well told tale that seems familiar with a wisecracking and very likable lead detective. Expect an innocent victim that needs help. Expect unredeemable bad guys that do unredeemable bad things...maybe they kill old men and children or harbor people-eating turtles. The detectives seem to be experts in what they do and strangely knowledgable in all the different aspects they might encounter from ordering Cajun food to stealthy creeping to running at a sprint pace for two hours plus. Yes, Voodoo River, while being conspicuously absent of voodoo, is not going to break any new ground. But it is: fun, exciting, a quick read, stocked with enjoyable and likable characters and not to be undersold--comfortable. Like my tacos.Now what should I have for dinner tonight?
—Truman32
I waited along time for the initial Elvis Cole character novels to appear on Kindle. So even though I read this out of order, it was a great read. Robert Crais knows how to keep Elvis & Joe memorable. I am never disappointed with an Robert Crais novel. They are quick entertaining reads. This one has Elvis traveling to Louisiana to find the birth parents of a not so "upfront with the details" actress! Publishers Weekly states: "Publishers weekly states: "Popular 36-year-old TV star and adoptee Jodi Taylor hires Cole to identify her birth parents and uncover her medical background. His investigation takes him to Ville Platte, La., where he encounters a lovely attorney, an ancient snapping turtle and Jimmy Ray Rebenack, auto mechanic and part-time investigator who has already uncovered some facts about Jodi that he may turn to his own advantage. Cole's attention to Rebenack worries Milt Rossier, a local crime lord involved in assorted illegal activities, but Cole cares only about his own investigation?until one of Rossier's thugs murders an old man for protecting a small child. Finally, Cole calls on Joe Pike, his silent and deadly partner, to help put a stop to Rossier's exploitive pursuits and expose the old crime that threatens Jodi Taylor's career. Cole has never been wittier, more passionate or more violently committed to his clients. Crais makes not a single misstep here."
—Jschmidtu
A little bit long and too convoluted in some ways but again, Elvis and Joe prevail! This story initially starts with Elvis being retained to find out about a TV personality's adoption in Louisiana (I can attest to the fact that finding/getting birth records from Louisiana is about as easy as pulling your own tooth). Elvis makes 'friends' in the bayou and walks into an illegal smuggling ring. While "allying" with one of the group of 'bad guys', Elvis and Joe help to at least thin the herd of bad people a little bit. Oh, and Elvis falls in love with the lawyer Lucy (who is referred to in the Sentry - I think) but, based on references in other books (and the fact that I read the Sentry out of order) apparently they keep a friendship but not a relationship going full steam. . .we'll see.
—Shannon
