The Watchman

An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel, Book 11

By: Robert Crais

Narrated by: James Daniels

Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

At last, the enigmatic partner of Elvis Cole (The Two Minute Rule) takes center stage in this pulse-racing thriller. When Joe Pike is charged with safeguarding a wealthy heiress, he discovers protecting the sole witness to a crime is nothing compared to protecting an LA party girl from her own self-destruction...

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. Then suddenly she sees another car’s metal-on-metal explosion of a terrible accident and, dazed, finds herself the single witness in a secret federal investigation.

For maybe the first time in her life, Larkin wants to do the right thing. But in doing so she becomes the target for a relentless team of killers. And when the US 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 the uncontrollable Larkin alive.

Pike commits to protecting the girl, but it becomes clear someone in their circle is selling them out. Taking matters into his own hands, Joe drops off the gird with Larkin and follows his own survival rules: 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.

Investigate another case with Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.

©2007 Robert Crais (P)2007 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"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."--AudioFile

"Joe Pike, the intriguing, enigmatic partner of L.A. PI Elvis Cole, takes center stage in this intense thriller....The breathless pace and rich styling are sure to appeal to readers of hard-boiled fiction."--Publishers Weekly

Loved it!

I got a real feel for the characters without slowing the storyline or being overwrought. Will read/listen to more of this series.

Pike and Cole

Just love the team work between these two "heroes". Daniels is a great storyteller. Another great story of Mr Crais. And Pike falling in love just make me want to listen to more of Mr Crais sequel of Pike. Can someone please make a movie out of these novels please.

Good Read

Good story, unique in a lot of ways! Kept me wanting more and wanting to read on. I must say there are few narrators I enjoy but this one is probably my favorite narrator! An amazing job on narration!!! We need more like James Daniels- WOW!!!!

Loved it

Great fast moving and engaging audio book. Ideal to listen to on long training runs.

Best book so far

Where does The Watchman rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is my favorite audio book so far. It hooked me right from the start, and never slowed down. I have listened to it 5 times.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes! Nothing or no one is what they seem.

Have you listened to any of James Daniels’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. another Robert Crais book. I like this one more.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Hold on to your seats for a wild ride with Joe and Elvis...

Told from a different angle

What made the experience of listening to The Watchman the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the change of having Joe Pike as the central character. We actually experienced the story with him, as opposed to having him just pop into the story from time to time. This was a really refreshing change that furthered my understanding of Joe Pike's personality.

What did you like best about this story?

Crais readers have spent plenty of time seeing the world from Elvis Cole's point of view, so I have a good bead on how he sees himself. In this book, I really enjoyed seeing Elvis Cole from the point of view of others.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I actually almost did. While listening to this book, I took a wrong turn in the back roads of the Colorado mountains. So I decided to go exploring. This book made an outstanding companion for that time on the road.

Experience Joe Pike at his best.

This is the 1st Robert Crais novel I read. It's still my favorite. More background on Joe Pike, a great plot and excellent story line. Narration is outstanding. Joe shows more humanity and inner feelings than ever before.

another good entry

I love Roebet Crais work. this one is good, just not my favorite in the series

Excellent!

This is one of Robert Crais’ best books. I loved hearing more about Joe Pike. Great story line and character development!

Best in the Series

This was my first listen from author when downloads from Apple I Tunes was first initiated. I fell in love with the Pike character and listen to this series on cassette. I have since re purchased most of the series unabridged from Audible and it is the best in this format. You can listen at the speed that best fits your mood or give the narrators a boost if needed. Many of the narrators need 1.1 or 1.2 speed to now match what author Crais intended when he wrote this series. All of the stories with James Daniels narrating are the best that Robert Crais has written. Author really had his skills honed when he wrote those stories.
LA Requiem is the second best story in the series. Do not miss Master Crais reading The First Rule. You must use 1.2 speed to really enjoy it.
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