RACING THE LIGHT

4 stars out of 5

It's been a while since I last connected with private investigators Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, and the reunion via this book - the 19th in the series - was a very enjoyable one. They're both in fine form, although Elvis is still trying to recover from his amicable split from girlfriend Lucy Chenier and her son Ben. Then an obviously wealthy elderly woman, Adele Schumacher, visits their Hollywood office (preceded by a couple of burly bodyguards) to ask his help in finding her son, Joshua, who's gone missing. Josh, it seems, is also known as Josh Shoe - a popular but controversial podcaster who, with his partner, is a bit hung up on the UFO scene.

Adele's reasons for her son's disappearance  lean toward mostly unsubstantiated conspiracy theories, which Elvis mostly disregards, but when Josh's father Corbin calls to approve of Elvis's hiring, he decides to take the case. A bit of detecting leads Elvis to Josh's podcast partner and a woman who's made a name for herself in the adult film business - who, surprise, has gone missing as well. In the midst of all this come Lucy and Ben, putting Elvis on edge wondering if her visit is positive or negative. 

Of course, when the going turns tough, Elvis turns to Joe and a couple of other characters from previous books (for the record, though, this book stands on its own just fine). There's a bunch of technology "stuff," some mild but welcome yuck-yucks and plenty of action that, if not handled properly by the two heroes, could spell the end of this series. All told, it's another fun adventure I wish I'd had the free time to read without putting it down. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done!

Racing the Light by Robert Crais (G.P. Putnam's Sons, November 2022); 368 pp.