On August 6th, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are set to return for another adventure in a brand new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.
2024 is a big one for Crais, one of the most prolific writers still working today, who will soon release his 20th Elvis Cole novel. Of course, the Private Investigator will have his partner, Joe Pike, too—and you can bet it’ll be based in Los Angeles, something the series is known for—but not much is known about the still-untitled book beyond that. Details should begin to trickle out soon, but let’s be honest, a very select few authors carry instant “buy now” status, and Crais is one of ’em. So even without a title, cover, or an official plot synopsis, Joe Pike #20 is already one of the year’s most anticipated forthcoming new releases.
Robert Crais first introduced readers to Cole, a wisecracking ex-Army Ranger who walks a morally straight line and often seeks justice for those who can’t find it themselves, in his 1987 novel, The Monkey’s Raincoat. For years, rumors have suggested that Crais’ original plan for that book included killing off Joe Pike. Thankfully, that never happened, and now, the duo are still solving cases together thirty-seven years later. Most recently, both Cole and Pike were seen in Racing The Light, Crais’ 2022 thriller that followed the pair of investigators as they looked into circumstances surrounding a missing podcaster. As always, though, things eventually take a turn, and soon, they find themselves starring down a massive conspiracy that involves corrupt politicians and vicious business cartels and a chilling reality that, for once in his life, Elvis Cole has more to lose than to gain by putting himself in danger. One of the year’s best books when it hit stores, Racing the Light is Crais at the top of his game, which is pretty incredible when you factor in what he went through while writing it.
Private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, are back in this brilliant new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.
Less than two years ago, during an interview with CrimeReads, Crais, who is now 70, revealed that only a couple of months after A Dangerous Man (his 18th Cole & Pike novel) came out, he met with a cardiac surgeon who informed him that he needed a quadruple bypass. “If I didn’t have it immediately, I wouldn’t make it to the end of the year,” Crais explained to CrimeReads. That revelation was shocking for Crais, a self-proclaimed “gym rat” who regularly hikes, runs, and prioritizes his fitness. Confronted with his own mortality, Crais underwent successful surgery but had several setbacks that required additional operations during his bumpy road to recovery. “I tried to return to the book I was writing, and I simply had no interest in it. Whatever excitement I had felt about that project, the magic that I felt about it simply was gone,” he confessed, before saying, “I wrestled for a time with the thought, ‘I may never write again.'” Thankfully for us, the beloved author had a change of heart as he began to heal, and he got back to writing, even as COVID-19 set in and changed the world as we know it.
Now we wait, eager and excited to see what Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are up to next.
We’ll have full coverage of this one leading up to its August release, so make sure to check back soon for new updates. In the meantime, you can pre-order Corbert Crais’ next book here. And to stay up to speed on everything he’s doing, make sure you’re following him on X, Facebook, and his official website.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and is building a growing community on Twitch. His debut thriller, FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” is now available. His second novel, LETHAL RANGE, is also in bookstores, and his third book, OUT FOR BLOOD, comes out on June 4th. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. To interact with other readers and talk about your favorite books and authors, join The Real Book Spy’s Discord server.