The Watchman (An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel, 11)

Crais, Robert

4.13

26,545 ratings by Goodreads

9781469265896: The Watchman (An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel, 11)

ISBN 10: 1469265893 ISBN 13: 9781469265896

Publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2012

Larkin Conner Barkley lives like the City of Angels is hers for the taking. Young and staggeringly rich, she speeds through the city during its loneliest hours, blowing through red after red in her Aston Martin as if running for her life. Until out of nowhere a car appears, and with it the metal-on-metal explosion of a terrible accident. Dazed, Larkin attempts to help the other victims. And finds herself the sole witness in a secret federal investigation.

For maybe the first time in her life, Larkin wants to do the right thing. But by agreeing to cooperate with the authorities, she becomes the target for a relentless team of killers. And when the U.S. Marshals and the finest security money can buy can’t protect her, Larkin’s wealthy family turns to the one man money can’t buy—Joe Pike.

Pike lives a world away from the palaces of Beverly Hills. He’s an ex-cop, ex-Marine, ex-mercenary who owes a bad man a favor, and that favor is to keep Larkin alive. The one upside of the job is reuniting with Bud Flynn, Pike’s LAPD training officer, and a man Pike reveres as a father. The downside is Larkin Barkley, who is the uncontrollable cover girl for self-destruction—and as deeply alone as Pike.

Pike commits himself to protecting the girl, but when they immediately come under fire, he realizes someone is selling them out. In defiance of Bud and the authorities, Pike drops off the grid with the girl and follows his own rules of survival: strike fast, hit hard, hunt down the hunters. With the help of private investigator Elvis Cole, Pike uncovers a web of lies and betrayals, and the stunning revelation that even the cops are not who they seem. As the body count rises, Pike’s biggest threat might come from the girl herself, a lost soul in the City of Angels, determined to destroy herself unless Joe Pike can teach her the value of life...and love.

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About the Author:

Robert Crais is the 2006 recipient of the Ross Macdonald Literary Award. He is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including The Two Minute Rule, The Forgotten Man, and L.A. Requiem.

From AudioFile:

Elvis Cole's mostly silent partner, Joe Pike, now has a book of his own. His character, manner, and ethic resemble that of Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry), and thanks to James Daniels, so does his voice. When Daniels isn't portraying Pike, his glib delivery moves the action along. And there's plenty of that when Pike is hired to protect a rich 22-year-old from L.A. Seems that she's seen something--or someone--she shouldn't have. Fifteen minutes into this thriller, Pike has blown away five villains, with more to come. In between, Crais's stories of Pike's past lives--as Marine, cop, and mercenary--make Dirty Harry pale in comparison. It appears that Crais has another winning character. A.L.H. � AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright � AudioFile, Portland, Maine

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