The Sentry
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Dru Rayne and her uncle are Louisiana refugees who relocated to Los Angeles after Hurricane Katrina. Now, five years after the storm, their struggling restaurant faces a different danger. When Joe Pike witnesses Dru's uncle beaten by a neighborhood gang intent on extorting protection money, he offers
… More »Dru Rayne and her uncle are Louisiana refugees who relocated to Los Angeles after Hurricane Katrina. Now, five years after the storm, their struggling restaurant faces a different danger. When Joe Pike witnesses Dru's uncle beaten by a neighborhood gang intent on extorting protection money, he offers his own brand of protection. But neither Dru nor her uncle want his help--and neither do the federal agents mysteriously watching their store.
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Summary
Add a SummaryThere is something about the noble character Joe Pike. His courageousness endears him to the reader. Pike is an ex-mercenary, ex-Los Angeles Police Officer and a man who cares for the less fortunate or abused. As this excellent story unfolds, Joe is at a gas station when he sees two men swagger into a sandwich shop. Their body language tells Joe that the men are out to do something malicious. He enters the shop to see what's transpiring. The two men are beating the shop owner and show no sign of letting up. Joe takes out one of the attackers and the other runs away. The police arrest the attacker who Joe took care of but later that night, someone trashes the inside of the shop with paint. The owner's niece, Dru Rayne, asks Joe to help. Joe learns that the gang is trying to shake down the store owner for protection money. Joe approaches that gang leader and obtains the man's assurance that the hostilities toward the store owner will stop. Joe believes that he has removed the threat and he and Dru enjoy a coffee break and visit. Dru tells him about her past and shows him a photo of her daughter. It seems as if this could be the start of a romantic attachment. The next night, the violence escalates. Someone enters the store and creates havoc and a sign is painted on the wall, "I am here." The story continues at a fast pace. Violence and suspense mount as Joe, the authorities and others search for Dru and her uncle. There are plot twists, We don't know how Joe will be able to save Dru and complications change the direction of the story in a realistic manner and surprising manner. I found myself totally drawn to this story and now know what the meaning of a white knuckle story is. I believe that this will be one of the best books of the year.
Notices
Add a NoticeSexual Content: This title contains Sexual Content.
Violence: This title contains Violence.
Coarse Language: This title contains Coarse Language.
Comment
Add a CommentIt would appear that Joker1 is ignorant of the genre and Robert Crais' deservedly place within it.
I have read all of the Robert Crais novels and have not enjoyed the Joe Pike adventures at all. This is his third attempt and it's not worth the effort. All of these books have the same story line. Joe meets a girl, falls in love after two pages, she gets into trouble, Joe kills everybody. This guy cannot be shot, stabbed, set on fire or nuked. His earlier work with Elvis Cole as the main character are a much better read. Leave this one on the shelf.
good read
Not as good as some of the previous books by Crais but still well-written and entertaining
Good thriller. A little out there on the thoughts of the crazy killer, held my attention and is entertaining.
Some best-selling thriller writers seem to fall into the trap of going throught the motions, feeding the maw that demands a book a year, getting more and more disappointing but still selling well at airports and Christmas. (You know who you are). Robert Crais is not one of the above. He sets a cracking pace, maintains interest in his characters by telling us just enough about them, and their pets, and their cooking habits, without going into excruciating and deadly detail, and his story-lines are sharp. The sentinel features the fascinating Joe Pike, with Elvis Cole as back-up, and it's a winner.
Thanks tj120 - Can't wait - when will YPRL get the audio book. Trj120 is concerned that RC gets carried away with Joe Pike as Cool! I know, I know - but he is - that intro to one book where Elvis gets the "beep" for a message - and leaves one - then reflects - Joe used to have the recording "Speak! " but that must have been too wordy (too UNcool??) for him.......
Robert Crais is one of my faves and he hit the nail square on the head with this one. Sometimes he gets a little carried away with Pike's coolness, but this book didn't go overboard. I literally couldn't put it down. I'd have to say this is one of his best.
"Robert Crais’s Elvis Cole series is one of the best in American crime fiction. Fans always knew that Joe Pike was the most interesting of the many fascinating Crais characters, and they were delighted when Crais took Pike out of the background and made him the hero of The Watchman and The First Rule. He’s back in The Sentry (Cole gets second billing), one of Crais’s best." Margaret Cannon, reviewed in the Globe & Mail March 17, 2011
I totally agree with Mahala's well written review. I can't wait for the next Cole and Pike book.