Robert Crais has long been one of my favorite detective novelists. His Elvis Cole series started as lightweight books of pure fun. Elvis is a wise cracking private detective in Los Angeles who was all the things you’d want in that kind of character. Over the years the books have developed into more meaningful and insightful tales, and characters who were once on the periphery of the story are now featured.

The Sentry is a great example. Elvis is still a key part of the book, but his sidekick and best friend Joe Pike is the main focus. The story itself…well, I can’t even begin to describe it. Too many twists and turns. It’s a spellbinder that keeps you turning pages. Parts of the book are violent and dark at times, but then this is a murder mystery so you have to expect some of that.

I highly recommend some of Crais’ earlier works, like Lullaby Town and Stalking the Angel, which are early developments of the Cole and Pike characters. But you can also pick up The Sentry and fall right into the spell. Fun stuff.