RARA-AVIS: Crais' LA Requiem

From: billha@ionet.net
Date: 12 Jul 2000


I used the opportunity of our monthly title to read through as much of the series (Crais' Cole novels) as I could--and it's been quite enjoyable.

As I've mentioned before, I find Crais' female characters especially interesting, sometimes quite strong. In LA Requiem, the dead cop's wife, her daughter, Dolan, and, to a lesser extent, Lucy all have individual voices and perspectives that play into the plot. Pike is made more human through his involvement with the women, also. Crais seems to have been building toward his most recent (?) novel, Demolition Angel, which features a woman on the Bomb Squad. How well does Crais carry it off in that novel?

LA Req. also deepens Crais' exploration of Los Angeles, answering a criticism I had of the early Cole novels. That exploration really begins in Sunset Express, and Cole's final "song" of love for L.A. in Requiem is quite earned, it seems to me. (HB novels work best when they "earn" their lyricism--as well as their adjectives.)

Be interested in comments on DAngel.

Bill Hagen billha@ionet.net

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