I must be on a detective mystery kick. Two of the last three books I’ve read are by Robert Crais, who is one of the better mystery writers in the business. His Elvis Cole series is my favorite of the contemporary stories.

Taken (Joe Pike) is the most recent Crais novel and one of his best. Set in the broader Los Angeles area, with most of the action happening in the Coachella Valley, the story is of two young lovers being accidentally abducted by human traffickers. Turns out that the young woman abducted has a mother with keen instincts about something bad having happened, so she hires Elvis Cole. His investigation turns up Korean traffickers, Mexican cartels, an ATF directors nephew who has been abducted, and a very nasty Syrian who preys on fellow outlaws. It’s a complicated plot but extremely fast moving.

Cole solves the case with the help of his sidekick Joe Pike and mercenary Jon Stone (a new character in the series). The twists and turns are high energy and will keep you turning pages into the night.

This isn’t Pulitzer level writing, of course. It’s a fun book, if overly violent, and fits the hard boiled detective genre. If you like that kind of book, you’ll really enjoy this one.