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Nov 29, 2010derekwolfgram rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Robert Crais consistently writes engaging (and very funny) mystery-thrillers featuring detective Elvis Cole and his strong silent sidekick Joe Pike. The First Rule is Crais' second novel that gives Pike top billing, and as always, I found myself finishing the book very quickly after I started because I couldn't wait to find out what happened. The stories certainly contain a lot of formulaic elements, particularly the bad guys, in this case African American gangstas and their pit bulls from Compton and arms-dealing, yacht owning mobsters from the former Soviet Union. However, Crais does have a gift for creating characters that readers care about. Since 1987's The Monkey's Raincoat, he has hinted at the sensitive soul beneath Joe Pike's hard exterior, but he truly explore's Pike's softer side in The First Rule. Crais' background as a crime drama screenwriter really comes through in his story development (and perhaps his occasional venture into cliche'.) I can't decide whether I appreciate Crais' principled refusal to allow Cole and Pike to become film characters. The books would be great movies, but they're also great reads, and I continue to look forward to each new novel.