I just returned from Oklahoma, from working and from visiting my parents. I have many notes on my trip that I want to post, but they’ll have to wait for another post. Today, while driving back from Oklahoma, I cut my phone off and listened to the last half of a wonderful novel by Robert Crais, entitled, The Last Detective.  It was a wonderful read and made the driving time pass so fast. The ONLY disappointing part of the novel related to the plot, which seemed very close to another favorite novel of mine, Man on Fire. However, as a writer, I realize the uncanny ability of writers to come up with similar plots and story ideas, so I know the similarity was only by coincidence. Ah, if only we writers understood how the Muses worked.  The best chapter to me was on the first CD (there were seven in the set) and dealt with Pike’s (one of the principal characters) hunt/encounter with the Alaskan Brown Bear. Absolutely horrifying. I’ve never had a fondness for grizzlies or other bears and after reading this resolved that I will never camp in country where the bears are big and mean enough to eat you!  With a height that reaches ten feet, weight of up to 2,500 pounds, claws over six inches long, running speed of up to 35 mph, this is not an animal that I wish to meet in the wild.

I was impressed with this novel and would recommend it. The writing is solid  and well-crafted. You will learn much about forensics, the military, Viet Nam, and many other topics. My kind of book. Anyway, you can learn more about Robert Crais and his fine writing here: http://www.robertcrais.com/