Racing the Light by Robert Crais

When Adele Schumacher walked into Elvis Cole's office, she appeared to be more than a typical little old lady. For one thing, she came with a stack of cash. For another, she came with two formidable-looking bodyguards whom she referred to as "helpers".  Adele needs Elvis's help to find her missing adult son, Josh Shoe, who is a podcaster with a taste for conspiracy theories. Adele thinks he's gone to Area 51 but Elvis suspects there's a more pedestrian explanation.

As Elvis begins poking around, he finds that he's not the only one looking for Josh. It seems there's another team of professionals staking out Josh's place. That means it's time to call in Joe Pike for some assistance. Soon Elvis is down the rabbit hole trying to figure out what story Josh was chasing and who is trying to stop him. Corrupt politicians and murderous business cartels are the least of it. To add to his busy life, Elvis's ex-girlfriend Lucy Chenier and her son Ben pop into town. Events personal and professional are spiraling into dangerous territory and it's up to Elvis and Joe to sort them out.

Robert Crais is the master at spinning a story where the stakes keep going up and Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are two of the best characters to go on the journey with. The action is intense and exciting and Crais manages to pique your interest with every clue that leads to a more and more fascinating mystery. The secondary characters you meet along the way are well-developed and provide both comic relief and sympathy. The ability to quickly sketch a character in a way that makes you empathize and root for them is a real gift. The action is superb, the characters interesting and the mystery absorbing. I'd always like to see more Joe Pike, but you can't complain with such an entertaining story. Robert Crais is the master and Racing The Light is another winner. This is a great series and I can't wait for the next one!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.