The big empty: Book 20 for Elvis and Joe

I've been reading the Elvis and Joe series by Robert Crais for as long as I can remember. You can find my review of book 19, Racing the light, here. The first book in the series was published in 1987 and Crais is now into his 70s with 20 books under his belt. The quality of the books is still top notch, I think. I urge you to give the series a go if you love a multilayered and well crafted private eye story with strong characterisation and a Los Angeles noir vibe.

The big empty | Published January 2025 | Read March 2025

In book 20, Elvis is hired by instafamous muffin baker, Traci Beller, to find out what happened to her father, Tommy, some ten years earlier in the small Californian town of Rancha after he disappeared without a trace on his way home. Both the police at the time and the detectives later hired by Traci's mother believe Tommy abandoned his family. Traci refuses to entertain this idea. Elvis takes on the case, but it seems a lost cause until he discovers that a Rancha woman and her daughter may have some answers. Following the trail leads to an attack on Elvis by a gang of criminals and more violence and murder in the town.

I haven't read a bad Elvis and Joe novel yet, and that's largely down to Crais's characterisation of the former army buddies and best friends. They're a unique pair, communicating through a deep sense of loyalty and shared history rather than words. Elvis is clever and insightful but has a quirky 'Dad jokes' sense of humour. Joe is enigmatic and dour, scarily capable, and the kind of guy you can depend on to have your back. Their believable friendship is a huge drawcard for the novels and it's well on show again in book 20.

The other quality to Crais's writing is the characterisation of the people Elvis and Joe come into contact with over the course of the case. There's often a bunch of these secondary characters, but Crais always manages to give depth to each one. They are all believable and intriguing, even those who only have a few pages of air time. Crais makes the reader care about what happens to these characters and invested in the story right to the end. In The big empty, Crais made me root for Traci to find the truth but wary of what that truth might be. Sadie and Anya, who help Elvis uncover what happened to Tommy, are particularly well drawn and authentic. I also especially loved Lori, the snarky young woman who worked in a local bottle shop and helped Elvis and Joe out.

Crais nicely builds the suspense again in this latest outing, deftly showing the process of Elvis uncovering the truth. I did guess most of what was going on (and the blurb gave too much away, I thought), but there were still a few surprises at the end. It was pretty dark, but thought Crais handled the story with sensitivity.

I have found lately that enduring book series have started to become weaker in quality and storytelling, This is is not the case with the Elvis and Joe books. I have loved every book in the series and I slip into reading each new one like an old friend. You just need to accept that Elvis and Joe (and Elvis's cranky cat) don't age...

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐