The best private investigator books 📚

Introducing Elvis Cole, L.A. Private Eye, who, along with his business partner Joe Pike, features in 18 books. Cole is a literate, wisecracking Vietnam vet who is determined to never grow up. Pike is a former Marine, quiet, ruthless, and deadly.

When Ellen Lang enters Elvis Cole's Disney-Deco office, she's lost her husband and her young son. The case seems simple enough, but Elvis isn't thrilled. Neither is his enigmatic partner and firepower, Joe Pike. Their search down the seamy side of Hollywood's studio lots and sculptured lawns soon leads them deep into a nasty netherworld of drugs, sex, and… show more.

The book that introduced the world to the iconic Jack Reacher has it all: a one-of-a-kind protagonist who’s larger than life; incredible tension from page one; an outstanding hook—Reacher getting arrested while minding his own business one hour after arriving in a small Georgia town and being charged with murder; lean prose (ala Hemingway) that fits the main character; and something that few reviewers mention—the incredible rhythm Child infuses into his prose. Because I have a music background, the rhythmic cadence that appears in so many scenes added great depth to my reading experience.

This novel was a revelation to me. First, I’ll note that it’s a book in the Elvis Cole series, and the earlier novels were told in the first person (with a couple of exceptions for prologues). This book changed everything by going full-on multiple viewpoints, and in so doing, deepened the characters in amazing ways. It’s not necessary to read the earlier books to enjoy this one, but I predict you’ll get addicted to Crais and read all of them anyway. This novel will appeal to fantasy readers by reminding them how great books can affect us by awakening our… show more.