Taken

An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel, Book 15

By: Robert Crais

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

The search for a missing girl leads private investigators Elvis Cole and Joe Pike into the nightmarish world of human trafficking in this #1 New York Times bestseller from Robert Crais.

When Nita Morales hires Elvis Cole to find her missing daughter, she's sure it's a ruse orchestrated by the girl and her boyfriend. She's wrong. They've been taken by bajadores - border bandits who prey on the innocent by buying, selling, and disposing of victims like commodities.

Cole and Joe Pike start an undercover investigation to find the couple, but their plan derails when Cole disappears, leaving Pike to burn through the murderous world of human traffickers to find his friend as well as the missing young people. But he may already be too late...

"Luke Daniels doesn't just narrate Robert Crais's latest novel featuring Elvis Cole and Joe Pike - he transports us to the terrifying world of human trafficking, which Cole must infiltrate in order to find a client's missing daughter."--Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Investigate another case with Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.

©2012 Robert Crais (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

One of the best Elvis Cole/Joe Pike Novels

I have read or listened to all of the Cole/Pike books by Robert Crais and am a big fan. Taken was one of his best. Human trafficking is one of the most despicable offenses that man commits against his fellow man and Crais exposes it in all its ugliness. But with Cole's quirky personality, the book is not so dark as to be depressing. Like all of Crais' books, they keep moving, never becoming bogged down in sub-plots or details that take away from a book. Luke Daniels' narration was excellent,

I recommend this listen and recommend all books by Robert Crais.

best in the series!!!

Thank you Mr. Crais for an excellent story that I will read many many times.

Another Great Elvis and Pike Story

Where does Taken rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It ranks right up there with the best from Lee Childs, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor or any of the other great Thriller writers.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Taken?

When Pike and Stone took on the Smugglers in the desert. It showed Pike's take no prisoners mentality.

What about Luke Daniels’s performance did you like?

I could easily tell which character was speaking simply by the change in his voice.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It's an action packed suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed the way the plot unfolded. I couldn't stop listening, and finished it in record time.

One of the Best

I read the paper version first, simply because I've got the whole series and didn't want to break the chain, so I already knew the story but Luke Daniel's narration made all the characters that much more real. You can hear the tone of Anita's emotions throughout the story; concerned yet mildly irritated, even amused with Cole's off color personality. It changes quickly to desperation; through Luke's narration ALL emotions were felt.

Cole and Pike share a love and friendship that I haven't found in any other series. There's no doubt that once Elvis disappears Joe's going to get him back dead or alive, and if he's dead, there's going to be HELL to pay. NOBODY's exempt from the wrath of Pike. He won't rest until Elvis is found. I would love to read about their first meeting and get a glimpse into the early evolution of Cole and Pike's relationship.

I really, really like John Stone's part in this story. We've seen him as a secondary character in the other Pike stories, but he really proved himself to be a true team player. I'd like to see more of him.

Overall I loved this book. Though it was reputed to be the 4th Joe Pike novel, it was truly a Cole-Pike novel. That's ok too, because they're all great.

Outstanding narration

Any additional comments?

Great ride. Enjoyed the flash forward and flash back techniques. Narrator was one of the best; captured the characters really well. As usual, includes suspense and wit.

Great book

Great book I will listen to it again pay close attention there are many people to keep up with and if you drift it is easy to become confused

I just wish...

...narrators would prepare better so that they could pronounce names and places correctly. The whole story took place were I was born/raised.

Great story

I would like the story better without the cussing. The story is a great storyline.

Luke Daniels IS Joe Pike

Luke Daniels does the best ever Joe Pike voice. I'd buy all the previous Crais books if the narration was re-done by Luke Daniels. The narration of the first books by other narrators is too "slapstick" and jokey. Luke Daniels makes it real.

Hmmm

I first read a Robert Crais in 1993. I have read all of Robert Crais’ books at this point. His characters are the best & stand well to Le Carre’s “Smiley’sPeople” & Lee Child’s Jack, no middle name, Reacher.
You must not have read enough of Crais’ books. You completely miss the voices written on the pages throughout the series. The voices, especially the inflection, style of delivery, & the sound of voice of his main characters, are not the voice(s) of these well developed characters. You have botched all of them. The worst is Pike’s voice. And no where in your narration is any hint to the uniquely evolving depth-of-each of these characters.
I gave 4 stars, yes. But not to you. However it is that Crais does it, every book is quite different. (Perhaps that is why each of his characters evolves.)
If you narrate other books in this series, I will not listen. I’ll just READ the book again.
Sorry, but it was really awful.