The Promise by Robert Crais

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on November 10, 2015

The Promise scores points for its fresh and imaginative plot. If you’re tired of “former Special Forces guy saves the world by being tougher and smarter than everyone else” stories, this “former Special Forces guy solves a crime with the help of a smart dog” story will be a refreshing change.

Amy Breslin’s son was killed in a terrorist bombing while traveling in Nigeria. Amy is a chemical engineer who makes explosives for the government. She has disappeared, apparently after embezzling a good bit of money. Elvis Cole has been hired to find her.

Shortly after the novel opens, Cole knocks on the door of a home that contains a murder victim. When the bomb squad shows up, Cole knows that the case is more complicated than it initially seemed to be.

While this is an Elvis Cole novel, much of the focus is on a police officer named Scott James and his K-9, a German Shephard named Maggie. While Maggie is a drug dog, she was trained by the Marines to sniff for explosives, a talent that she has retained and uses frequently during the course of the novel. Dog lovers will enjoy Robert Crais’ portrayal of Maggie.

Scott James isn’t Superman. He’s a decent guy who wants to do the right thing. More importantly, he loves his dog, and doing the right thing means doing what’s best for Maggie -- which is really the police department’s dog, a source of some conflict as the novel progresses. James comes across as an authentic and sympathetic character. He’s the best part of the book.

The other characters are familiar but again, none of them are Superman. As opposed to thrillers that try to convince us how awesomely superior the protagonist is to the rest of the human race, these characters are extremely competent but comparatively low-key. That makes them easy to like and easy to believe.

Why is Amy doing what she’s doing? Why has Cole been hired to find her? The plot is clever, filled with misdirection without sacrificing realism. Crais doesn’t overreach, which is also refreshing, given how outlandish most modern thrillers have become. The ending has multiple components and they are all satisfying.

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