• The First Rule

  • An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel, Book 13
  • By: Robert Crais
  • Narrated by: Robert Crais
  • Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,551 ratings)

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The First Rule  By  cover art

The First Rule

By: Robert Crais
Narrated by: Robert Crais
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Publisher's summary

Joe Pike and his partner Elvis Cole must solve the murder of an old friend and his entire family in this gripping thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.

When Frank Meyer and his family are executed during a home invasion, the police begin investigating the secret life they're sure Meyer had. Joe Pike's on a hunt of his own: to clear his friend's name, and to punish the people who murdered him. What starts out as a simple trail gets twisted fast by old grudges, double crosses, blood vengeance, and a crime so terrible even Pike and his partner Elvis Cole have no way to measure it.

Investigate another case with Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.
©2010 Robert Crais (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The First Rule

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Not Elvis but a good listen

Long time reader/listener of Crais. Big fan of Elvis Cole. This is second to feature sidekick Joe Pike. Missing the humour & humanity from the Elvis Cole books. My opinion Pike is better supporting character than feature. Crais as narrator neither hurt nor helped. That being said I still enjoyed this.

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55 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Mr. Crais isn't so bad.

I get it, everyone has a favorite narrator. I loved James Daniels. I think he is the best narrator of audio books that I have listened to. But I guess he couldn't tear himself away from law school to read The First Rule.

Mr. Crais wasn't as bad as I expected. Not as good as Stephen King narrating Bag of Bones, but better than Khaled Hosseini reading Kite Runner (I told you it's subjective).
At least Mr. Crais didn't get Scott Brick (too whiny) or Dick Hill (too Humphrey Bogart) to read.

That being said, if you loved The Watchman, you will like this book.

More importantly, go listen to The Last Detective. It is the finest mystery book since Michael Connelly's Lost Light.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Crais- Great Author- Unskilled Narrator

Love Crais mysteries and have especially enjoyed Elvis Cole and Joe Pike story lines.... but Crais should have selected a professional actor/narrator to read the Pike character. His reading skills are unpolished and amateur and were distracting as I tried to listen to this audio book. I have since purchased a hard copy of the book. I'll read it instead of listening.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

I love Joe Pike

Robert Crais does it agian with another great story, this time with our tough but gentle (not that he'll admit it) Joe Pike. There wasn't as much dry humor in this one as that's Elvis Cole's personality (he does show up in the story)but it was nice to get to know Joe and his background a bit better. Awesome story and Robert Crais does a great job narratoring it as well.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Writers make lousy narrators

I usually enjoy Robert Crais' books, but I just couldn't finish this one. Writers should leave the narration to professionals.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best Joe Pike yet

The author reading the story is the best way to hear it. The fact that it an amazing story is just a bonus. Thank you Mr Crais.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Must Read

Good Listen from the plot to the Authors narration techniques. It is apparent that the author researched his subject well. The plot moves quickly, yet delivers twists and turns to the very end. The most interesting thing about this book is that it is believable. Highly recommend.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Huge Joe Pike Fan!

Any additional comments?

After a break it was a breath of fresh air to get back to Joe Pike and Elvis Cole. I have no problem with the series entries that focus on Pike. Yes, the wonderful wiseass humor of Cole is missing, but in a lot of ways I find Joe Pike the more compelling of the two and love that he's full of complexity and contradictions that you don't usually find an a nearly superhuman action hero. Crais does a surprisingly good job as reader. When I'm able to forget the reader and simply visualize the characters that's always a good sign, although it would have been a plus if he had mastered the incidental Eastern European accents - not really a deal-breaker though. All in all a really satisfying read that made want to go straight to the next in the series.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Great to spend time with Joe Pike again

I wasn't sure what to expect when I realized that Robert Crais would be narrating his own book because, while an author knows his or her own story best, this doesn't always translate into a sublime listening experience. In any case, Mr. Crais is a wonderful narrator and brought this story, focused on Joe Pike, to life. The book is a welcome "read": good characters, lots of unexpected twists and plenty of action.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent Listen

I have enjoyed all of the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike books by Robert Crais. He is a great storyteller but his narration leaves much to be desired. After becoming engrossed in the story line this amateur narration became less annoying. This is a great story with typical Joe Pike brevity, He incorporates characters you know with interesting new characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a fast paced, well written story.

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6 people found this helpful