It’s been a while since I’ve read one of Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole/Joe Pike books, and I’d forgotten how much I love them—the humor, the smart, competent characters, the twists. His latest novel, The Big Empty, doesn’t disappoint.

Ex-con Sadie Givens has fought hard to regain custody of her teenage daughter, Anya. Exhausted from juggling two jobs, she forgets to pick up Anya from school. When Sadie gets to the school, her daughter is nowhere to be found.

Twenty-three-year-old social media influencer, Traci Beller, hires Elvis Cole to find her dad, who went missing ten years ago. Elvis and Pike uncover a connection between the two cases, and it’s chilling.

What I liked about the novel

Crais’ writing style always draws me in. Here’s the opening of Chapter 1:

Picture the detective alone in his office on a lovely spring day in Los Angeles. He is four floors above Santa Monica Boulevard, leaning back in his chair, feet on his desk, smiling. He is smiling because he is speaking with Lucy Chenier, an attorney who lives in Louisiana. The detective speaks with her every day. Sometimes, he speaks with her twice a day. On this day, he’s certain he’ll speak with her three times, and the thought makes him smile. A detective in love is insufferable.

The next paragraph is written in first person from Elvis Cole’s point of view, so he’s narrating the scene above, calling himself insufferable.

As always with a Crais book, the rapport between Elvis and Pike drives the story. Elvis is the wisecracking charmer; Pike is a man of few words. They’re literary foils, reflecting each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

I enjoy the competence of these two men—how they handle a situation and how their expertise gets them through some tough spots. It’s really smart detective work. This novel also has a fair amount of twists, most of which I didn’t see coming.

What I didn’t like about The Big Empty

At first, I didn’t care for Traci’s character or those of her two handlers. The three of them were too stereotypical and not well-developed. But as the story progressed, Traci grew on me, and I rooted for her as she stood up to her handlers.

I wanted more (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing)

I’d love it if they made The Big Empty into a movie or TV series. In 2005, Crais’ stand-alone thriller Hostage was made into a movie starring Bruce Willis. But Crais has said that he’s too protective of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike to sell the rights to Hollywood. Bummer.

The Big Empty has received many awards, including the ITW Best Series Novel, the Edgar award, and is longlisted for the 2026 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award.

How it has affected my writing

In my third Leo Townsend novel, intrepid Chicago reporter Leo and maverick attorney Patrick Holden will work together to solve a murder mystery. As I write and edit the story, I’ll study the relationship between Elvis and Pike, particularly their dialogue and how their actions affect each other. While Leo and Patrick differ greatly from Elvis and Pike, I’d still like to develop that amazing rapport.

Fun fact

Way back in 2012, my daughter, Jessica, and I met Robert Crais at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, IL. It was such a thrill!

The Big Empty gets 👍🏻  👍🏻 👍🏻  👍🏻 

for terrific storytelling.