Suspect
by Robert Crais is an intense thriller involving powerful
personal relationships. The author slightly veered away from
his other novels in that this book involves new main characters
instead of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. However, after reading
this book, Crais fans will not be longing for the past characters.
In fact, they will be longing and hoping for another book
involving the new characters: Maggie, Sergeant Dominick Leland,
Joyce Cowly, and Scott James.
Crais decided to write this book because he was thinking a
lot about his dog, Yossi, who died sixteen years ago. “Yossi’s
loyalty was absolute. At the end of his days, he died in my
arms, me blubbering like a baby. I have never replaced him.
I think in writing this book it was very much a healing process
for me. Maybe it is finally time to get another dog. I planned
on writing it as a ‘stand alone book,’ telling
Scott and Maggie’s story. I am thinking of possibly
having Maggie and Scott cross paths with my other characters,
Elvis and Joe. Yet, I am certainly not against making another
series with Maggie, Scott, and Joyce. As long as I can come
up with stories that keeps Maggie in a realistic situation
I will keep writing this story.”
The first chapters of the book are very powerful and will
draw the reader in completely. The story unfolds with a military
working dog, Maggie, losing her handler after being wounded
herself. While across the world, LAPD officer Scott James
is in a similar situation as he watches his partner Stephanie
being murdered and is helpless to do anything because he has
been seriously wounded.
Fast-forward nine months later where Scott and Maggie’s
journey begins. They have become kindred souls who must battle
back from grave injuries, lost partners, and the need to prove
themselves to others while battling horrific nightmares. A
quote from the book summarizes it best as they become a team,
a pack of two trying to make it in the LAPD canine unit, “That
poor animal is unfit for this job, and I suspect the same
about him. I hope to G-d in His Glory I am wrong, sincerely
I do, but there it is. They are SUSPECT. That dog will help
him realize he is not right for this job. Then she’ll
go back to that family, and he’ll retire or transfer
to a more suitable job, and all of us will be happier for
it.”
Crais told blackfive.net that he intentionally used the title,
Suspect, to convey to the reader that that both Scott and
Maggie were “suspect” and had to prove to the
world that they were fit for duty, they could perform their
jobs, and they could overcome their disorders. Yet, Crais
did not want to steer too far away from what he is best known
for, a crime novelist, so he evolved the story where Scott
became a suspect in a crime.
There are many different layers to this book, including discussing
the different relationship a military handler has with his
dog as opposed to a police dog/handler relationship. A police
handler is responsible for his dog over a longer period of
years and they are partners on a 24/7 basis each and every
day. Crais also goes into great detail how both Scott and
Maggie battle PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and the
ways they attempt to overcome it. He commented to blackfive.net,
“My goal was to bring these two damaged creatures together
pointing out how they needed each other to heal. I wanted
to show how a person and a dog could fit together in a relationship.”
This becomes evident during a scene in the book when Scott
first sees Maggie, hears that the canine supervisors are not
optimistic about her succeeding, and feels that in some ways
they are talking about him. If he can save Maggie then he
can save himself.
Just as many of his readers have done with their pets, Crais
conveyed the thoughts of Maggie. He did this in a compelling
and believable way. “I wanted to portray Maggie as a
real dog and try to interpret what goes on in a dog’s
head, her motivations, what she does and why. Dogs either
want to please us or protect us. They become the BETA to the
human ALPHA.”
The characters are extremely well developed. Scott has the
drive to overcome his disorder and solve the mystery of his
partner’s death. Leland became the voice of the handler/dog
relationship, a pure dog man who is on this earth to shout
out the importance of these dogs. Joyce is the police detective
that befriends Scott and joins his mission to find the killer.
And then there is Maggie. A word of caution, Crais’
portrayal of Maggie is so realistic, as the story unfolds
readers might want to be next to their pet or at least have
a picture by their side.
Suspect is a superb book. Hopefully the author will decide
to continue writing about these characters in a series. There
are two plots in this novel, one for those who love Crais
as a crime novelist, and the other is a very powerful characterization
that proves dog and man are truly best friends. He told blackfive.net,
“ I fell in love with Maggie. She is like my dog now.
I miss her and want her in my life,” which is how his
readers will feel as well.
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