Rainer Maria Rilke

"Live a while in these books, learn from them what seems to you worth learning, but above all love them. This love will be repaid you a thousand and a thousand times, and however your life may turn,-it will, I am certain of it, run through the fabric of your growth as one of the most important threads among all the threads of your experiences, disappointments, and joys."--Rainer Maia Rilke


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Sunday, January 5, 2014

My Favorite Killer

Joe Pike #2:  The First Rule by Robert Crais

Thriller

This second book in the series was just as good as the first one.  And, yay--Elvis Cole is back as wingman!

When an ex-military friend of Pike's is brutally slaughtered along with his young family, Pike sets off to avenge the murder and find the killers.  Along the way, though, Pike and others start having questions about his late friend.  Was he the doting father, happy husband, successful businessman he appeared to be or a cold-blooded mercenary thief who got what he deserved?  Pike ignores the evidence. He ignores advice.  He relies on his memories and his gut instinct to guide him to the truth.

The action in this book never stops, from beginning to end.  If you've read the Elvis Cole series, know that this series has a completely different tone.  Cole is humorous and friendly, which gives his book a warm feeling.  Cole is someone you want to grab a beer and have a pizza with.  Pike is like cold, hard steel--a killing machine.  As a reader, you can't get close to him.  So, these aren't as good as the Cole books but are pretty good nonetheless.  It's a good escapist read, definitely a beach read.  The plot is pretty basic:  revenge at all costs.  So, you can pick it up and lay it down without getting lost.  As always, there's another story behind the story, which usually involves a foreign mob run amok.  I will definitely keep on reading these, if only to catch those glimpses of Elvis Cole!

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