Chasing Darkness Robert Crais is a mystery book that brings together mystery, investigation, and suspense. The book is suited to readers who enjoy uncovering clues, following investigations, and piecing together unanswered questions.
Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais is in the public domain, so you can read it online here in short, easy pages or save a copy for your phone, tablet or computer.
Elvis Cole is Back--In a Desperate Fight to Clear his Name... It's fire season, and the hills of Los Angeles are burning. When police and fire department personnel rush door to door in a frenzied evacuation effort, they discover the week-old corpse of an apparent suicide. But the gunshot victim is less gruesome than what they find in his lap: a photo album of seven brutally murdered young women -- one per year, for seven years. And when the suicide victim is identified as a former suspect in one of the murders, the news turns Elvis Cole's world upside down.
Three years earlier Lionel Byrd was brought to trial for the murder of a female prostitute named Yvonne Bennett. A taped confession coerced by the police inspired a prominent defense attorney to take Byrd's case, and Elvis Cole was hired to investigate. It was Cole's eleventh-hour discovery of an exculpatory videotape that allowed Lionel Byrd to walk free. Elvis was hailed as a hero.
But the discovery of the death album in Byrd's lap now brands Elvis as an unwitting accomplice to murder. Captured in photographs that could only have been taken by the murderer, Yvonne Bennett was the fifth of the seven victims -- two more young women were murdered after Lionel Byrd walked free. So Elvis can't help but wonder -- did he, Elvis Cole, cost two more young women their lives?
Shut out of the investigation by a special LAPD task force determined to close the case, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike desperately fight to uncover the truth about Lionel Byrd and his nightmare album of death -- a truth hidden by lies, politics, and corruption in a world where nothing is what it seems to be.
"Chasing Darkness" is a blistering thriller from the bestselling author who sets the standard for intense, powerful crime writing.
You can read Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais pdf online or download for free for offline reading.
Robert Crais: Biography, Best Books, Elvis Cole Series, and Crime Fiction
Robert Crais is an acclaimed American crime novelist best known for his gripping detective stories, complex investigations, sharp dialogue, and memorable characters. He is the creator of Elvis Cole, a witty Los Angeles private investigator, and Joe Pike, his quiet, disciplined, and formidable partner. Together, these characters investigate missing-person cases, murders, kidnappings, organized crime, corruption, and mysteries that reveal the darker side of human relationships. Crais has earned a loyal readership by combining traditional detective fiction with modern action, psychological suspense, humor, and emotional storytelling. His novels are particularly popular among readers who enjoy American crime thrillers, private-investigator mysteries, police fiction, and suspenseful stories with recurring characters. Unlike crime writers who focus exclusively on solving a puzzle, Crais often explores the people behind the crime, examining their motivations, family histories, personal loyalties, and hidden secrets. This combination makes his books appealing to readers who want both an exciting investigation and a compelling human story.
Early Life and Inspiration
Robert Crais was born in Independence, Louisiana, in 1953. His early interest in crime fiction helped shape the direction of his writing career. As a teenager, he discovered the work of Raymond Chandler, one of the influential authors associated with classic American detective fiction. Chandler's novel The Little Sister helped inspire Crais's interest in detective stories and the atmosphere of Los Angeles. This influence is particularly interesting because Crais would eventually build his own fictional world around a private investigator working in the same city. However, he developed a distinctly modern approach, combining the traditional detective's sharp observations with contemporary crime, faster action, and complex character relationships. His stories show that a detective novel can be about much more than identifying a criminal. It can also explore friendship, trust, family, grief, and the difficult decisions people make when the truth threatens to destroy their lives.
From Television Screenwriter to Successful Novelist
Before becoming widely known for his novels, Crais worked as a television screenwriter. His professional credits include well-known television dramas such as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice. These programs featured crime investigations, complicated characters, and dramatic situations, making them a natural fit for his storytelling interests. Crais also received an Emmy nomination during his television career. Screenwriting requires a writer to establish characters quickly, create convincing dialogue, and maintain suspense throughout a sequence of scenes. These skills are also valuable in...Read More