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Chasing Darkness is the Robert Crais novel where Elvis Cole has to reckon with a piece of his own previous work. Three years ago, Cole did the investigation that got a man cleared of a serial-killer charge and out of jail. That man is now dead, and a photograph at the scene appears to prove that Cole was wrong about his innocence.
What Crais does with this premise is the right thing. The book is not about Cole proving he was right. It is about Cole investigating whether he was wrong, which is much harder and more interesting. Joe Pike has a slightly reduced role in this entry, giving Cole the room to carry the moral pressure alone. The procedural is taut.
Four stars. Recommended to long-time Cole/Pike readers. The book rewards series knowledge but reads competently on its own.
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