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chartsh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
marsnielson's review against another edition
3.0
Contains two major story arcs that have very little in common and when forced together in a novel it makes somewhat a mess of both.
iamkallia's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
papidoc's review against another edition
3.0
Vintage Robert Crais...in the style of Robert B. Parker, but not as ponderous, a little more light-hearted. Elvis goes to Louisiana to find medical history for an actress, and instead finds mayhem and love.
katemoxie's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful story! I love Crais's books. Only three that I haven't yet read. :(
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
Elvis Cole is hired to find the birth parents of a TV star. He and Pike head to Baton Rouge and quickly uncover more than they bargained for. Can Cole and Pike find Jodie Taylor's birth parents and leave Lousiana with their hides intact?
It's been a lot time since my last Robert Crais book. Too long, in fact. Voodoo River is a prime example of why I stuck with Crais despite my initial impression that he was ripping off Robert B. Parker's Spenser.
In this outing, Cole's case takes him to Louisiana and quickly spirals out of control, par for the course for Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. I liked that Lucy Chenier was introduced as a recurring love interest for Elvis, even though I didn't quite buy how their relationship unfolded. Pike showed a little more depth but was pretty much along to get his hands dirty so Elvis wouldn't have to. Elvis continues to grow on me as a character. He's not the Spenser ripoff with a collection of quirks I almost dismissed him as in the first book.
The plot took off in a direction I never expected, something that always gets high marks for me. Kudos to whomever wrote the back cover of the book for not giving anything away.
If this was one of the first couple Elvis Cole books I read, I'd be tempted to give it a 5. However, I can't justify giving it more than a four for the following reason. It seems like the Elvis Cole books always follow the same pattern. Elvis and Joe keep poking around and poking around until they bad guys are good and mad and maneuver them into a bloody shootout at the end. While it was a really exciting book and I liked the twists, it followed the same basic pattern as the others. Still, it's firmly in four territory.
It's been a lot time since my last Robert Crais book. Too long, in fact. Voodoo River is a prime example of why I stuck with Crais despite my initial impression that he was ripping off Robert B. Parker's Spenser.
In this outing, Cole's case takes him to Louisiana and quickly spirals out of control, par for the course for Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. I liked that Lucy Chenier was introduced as a recurring love interest for Elvis, even though I didn't quite buy how their relationship unfolded. Pike showed a little more depth but was pretty much along to get his hands dirty so Elvis wouldn't have to. Elvis continues to grow on me as a character. He's not the Spenser ripoff with a collection of quirks I almost dismissed him as in the first book.
The plot took off in a direction I never expected, something that always gets high marks for me. Kudos to whomever wrote the back cover of the book for not giving anything away.
Spoiler
Another thing going for it is that someone got devoured by a big snapping turtle at the end. You don't see that every day.If this was one of the first couple Elvis Cole books I read, I'd be tempted to give it a 5. However, I can't justify giving it more than a four for the following reason. It seems like the Elvis Cole books always follow the same pattern. Elvis and Joe keep poking around and poking around until they bad guys are good and mad and maneuver them into a bloody shootout at the end. While it was a really exciting book and I liked the twists, it followed the same basic pattern as the others. Still, it's firmly in four territory.
bryce_is_a_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes as readers we get in our own way.
Brothers and Sisters I confess that when I was first introduced to Robert Crais, I stuck up my nose. No other word for it ladies and gentlemen I was a snob. At the time I was heavily into the likes of Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos and Richard Price (for that matter I still am). Crime fiction as weighty dark night of the soul stuff. Robert Crais was too pulpy, too buoyant, too frivolous. Pah!
But then somewhere in the second book I was hit by a revelation. I knew how the story would end...
You see though both Cole and Pike are still alive and kicking, all men must die and someday both will end back on the great wheel of karma where after kicking around for a hundred years or so they will be reborn.
As Spike Spiegel and Jet Black respectively.
I'm not joking.
That shit is canon.
Though I find it extremely doubtful that Crais has ever seen Cowboy Bebop (and obviously his series predates that one) I found the character dynamic so delightfully similar that once the thought struck me I couldn't get rid of it. And then I was hooked. The series has the same fast action, eccentricity, pulp thrills, dry humor, likable characters and occasional melancholy as Bebop. Their fast paced, well written and a ton of fun. Voodoo River is in the top tier.
I still prefer my crime fiction dark and operatic, but man one loses a taste for such exquisite popcorn at one's own peril.
Brothers and Sisters I confess that when I was first introduced to Robert Crais, I stuck up my nose. No other word for it ladies and gentlemen I was a snob. At the time I was heavily into the likes of Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos and Richard Price (for that matter I still am). Crime fiction as weighty dark night of the soul stuff. Robert Crais was too pulpy, too buoyant, too frivolous. Pah!
But then somewhere in the second book I was hit by a revelation. I knew how the story would end...
You see though both Cole and Pike are still alive and kicking, all men must die and someday both will end back on the great wheel of karma where after kicking around for a hundred years or so they will be reborn.
As Spike Spiegel and Jet Black respectively.
I'm not joking.
That shit is canon.
Though I find it extremely doubtful that Crais has ever seen Cowboy Bebop (and obviously his series predates that one) I found the character dynamic so delightfully similar that once the thought struck me I couldn't get rid of it. And then I was hooked. The series has the same fast action, eccentricity, pulp thrills, dry humor, likable characters and occasional melancholy as Bebop. Their fast paced, well written and a ton of fun. Voodoo River is in the top tier.
I still prefer my crime fiction dark and operatic, but man one loses a taste for such exquisite popcorn at one's own peril.
jarna_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
bookhawk's review against another edition
4.0
Elvis Cole is the man if you like witty, action oriented thrillers with a fun protagonist and high quality writing. The fifth book in the series was up to par with previous books in the series.