The Wanted

Single mom Devon Connor calls Elvis Cole to investigate why her son, Tyson, has a $40,000 watch and wads of cash. The PI soon discovers Tyson and two friends committed a string of high end-home burglaries and attempts to convince Devon that her son should turn himself in. Meanwhile, two ruthless, highly intelligent, and competent killers named Harvey and Stemms chase Tyson and his pals, leaving a trail of bodies as they seek to recover information believed to be hidden on a laptop stolen by the teens. As the body count rises, Elvis calls in Joe Pike as reinforcement. This follow-up to The Promise adroitly spins a treatise on relations between mothers and sons, fathers and sons, and bonds of friendship, nestled within a hair-raising chase between cold-blooded murderers and naïve adolescents. Crais's trademark humor and thoroughly accurate, genuine depictions of human interactions make this one of his best yet. The mutual respect and "buddy" admiration between Harvey and Stemms mirrors that between Elvis and Joe. A tremendously rewarding climax and touching epilog conclude with the nurturing of another treasured connection.