Robert Crais – författare

''Crais is on top form in CHASING DARKNESS. It''s a first-rate puzzle, with many twists and nothing quite as it seems'' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH''Elvis Cole continues to be up there with the best of them ... the climax and denouement are terrific'' THE TIMESThree years ago Elvis Cole''s actions may have freed a killer. Now three more young women are dead...It is fire season, and the hills of Los Angeles are burning. As the Police and Fire Departments evacuate the inhabitants, they find something no one expected: the days-old corpse of a middle-aged recluse who apparently committed suicide. Then comes an even more horrible discovery. Clutched in his lap is a photo album containing photographs of seven young women who have been murdered. Each photograph was taken only moments after the women were killed, and could only have been taken by the killer.One murder per year for seven years, their bodies found in different parts of the city. LAPD homicide detectives had never connected the seven murders. But now with the discovery of the ''death album'' there is a link.Only one suspect had been charged in any of those cases but, with evidence supplied by Elvis Cole, in the end he walked free. That suspect was the suicide now discovered in the fire... and now the police are out for Cole...

''Crais just gets better and better . . . Crais''s novels are as appealing as chocolate eclairs and just as satisfying. Trouble is, like cream cakes, I want to eat them all at once'' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

''A nerve-racking, switchbacking tale of guilt and redemption...so good it gives you goosebumps'' EVENING STANDARD

Joe Pike is out for revenge and no cop, no bad guy, no one alive, is going to stop him.

Frank Meyer had got out of ''the life'' safely. He had put an end to his mercenary days, turned over a new leaf and settled down with his wife and children. It had been a hard decision but, encouraged by his boss and friend Joe Pike, he had walked away.

Ten years later, a group of armed men break into his Los Angeles home and brutally gun down him and his family. It''s a vicious, cold and professional job. The crew leave no trace behind except the bodies.

But they have made one catastrophic, and almost certainly terminal, mistake - Joe Pike. Because Pike is now determined to hunt down and eliminate everyone involved in the attack, one by one. And it doesn''t matter that, as he starts to investigate, he discovers that these criminals are bigger and better organised than he ever could have imagined, because they are about to learn the first rule:

Don''t make Joe Pike mad...

''Be warned: once started, you''ll have to cancel all engagements until you finish it'' Independent on Sunday''The action in THE SENTRY is intense and the body count high but what is more memorable is the manner in which Crais cracks open the door into the enigmatic Pike''s emotions'' L A TimesAfter the nightmare of Hurricane Katrina, Dru Rayne and her uncle relocated to Los Angeles. Five years later, their struggling restaurant faces a different danger. When Joe Pike witnesses Dru''s uncle beaten by a neighbourhood gang, he offers his own brand of protection, but neither Dru nor her uncle want his help. And neither do the federal agents mysteriously watching their store . . .But Pike is falling for Dru, and won''t back away whether she wants his help or not. As the violence escalates, Joe discovers Dru and her uncle are not who they seem - and now a vengeful, murderous force from their past is catching up with them...

''Packed with whiplash plot twists and taut dialogue...THE WATCHMAN is as good a psychological test case as it is a thriller'' ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

A long time ago, Joe Pike asked for help. In return, he would, one day, be called upon to return the favour, no questions asked. That day has come.

Joe Pike is asked to protect the life of Larkin Conner Barkley, a spoiled rich girl who happens to be a federal witness in a major case. But someone is leaking information about their whereabouts, and the killers are getting all too close. So Pike hatches a plan: disappear into the anonymous underbelly of Los Angeles, turn the tables, and hunt down the hunters.

Enlisting the help of Elvis Cole, Pike uncovers a web of lies and betrayals; even the cops aren''t who they seem. But as the body count rises, it becomes clear that Pike''s biggest threat may be the girl herself - an edgy, yet intensely vulnerable soul determined to destroy herself, unless Joe can fill the void in her bruised heart.

''A brilliant writer'' EVENING STANDARDJoe Pike must take on his toughest challenge yet. He must hunt down and rescue . . . Elvis Cole.A nail-biting Cole and Pike novel from the No. 1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author.Elvis Cole. All round nice guy. Always the first man to help a stranger in distress. This time, however, he''s paid the ultimate price for trying to be the good Samaritan.Joe Pike. A fierce protector and a dangerous enemy. This time his tough guy exterior will be tested to the limit as he risks everything to save his closest friend.The clock is ticking now that Elvis has been TAKEN.