>>Many thanks for twigging me to Robert Crais. I've now read all of his books including his latest (out in hardcover). I know you know that he has one book sort of outside the Elvis Cole series (The Watchman - a Joe Pike book), but did you know that he also has another called Demolition Angel that is a Carol Starkey book? Unlike the Joe Pike book, Cole doesn't make an appearance. It takes place before she meets Cole. It's as good as all the others.
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>>Again. Thanks.
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>IIRC Carol Starkey turns up in another of Crais's books in a lesser role.

She has appeared in 2 of the Cole books unless my memory deceives me.

>Pike is quite a character, isn't he?

He is perfect. Almost superman, but not quite.

>Lately I have been reading some mysteries, too. (If you call Crais's books mysteries, which in a way they aren't). One was "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," the Swedish book that has been getting so much attention. And then I went all the way back to the source, Raymond Chandler, rereading "The Long Goodbye." Chandler had enough personal problems for half a dozen troubled writers but he wrote like an angel. A hard boiled angel, granted, but still an angel ;-)

Most of Crais' books are mysteries. I'm not sure I'd really call the Pike book a standard mystery, but the Cole books are. Personally, I generally prefer the police procedurals rather than the private detective books, but only by a slim margin.

Unfortunately, too many mysteries are becoming psychopathic serial killer/stalker books, and I enjoy them a lot less. I glorify more in the clever solution of crimes than in the florid descriptions of psychopathic gore.

If you want to read something really fine, I recently finished "Garden of Evil" by David Hewson. It would be good to read the preceding books in this series, but it isn't really essential. It's a truly terrific read. His books are all good, but this one is his best (imho).

I also love the "Peculiar crimes unit" books by Christopher Fowler.