I really enjoyed Sunset Express, as I enjoy most of the Elvis Cole series. I really liked the character, and I think it's because of my fascination for how he lives and how I can learn from it myself.
Most private eye novels have characters who are prepared to mouth the formulaic disclaimer that it's just another job, and the romance wears off with the end of the first case. But they say this even as risking their lives for the principle that they owe everything to their client, and work day and night without rest or food in support of that duty of loyalty, whether or not there is financial compensation to match.
Elvis Cole is a change from the usual formula, in a way that's almost hard to explain.
He's an ex-special forces U.S. Ranger who fought in Vietnam and was heavily decorated for his bravery there, which he doesn't like to discuss. He had a rough childhood which he rose above to join the military. He also has a black belt in martial arts. Following his return, he developed good connections in the police department, opened a one-man private detective outfit, and is scraping by with his small office, in the heart of L.A., while he lives in a large house with a great view and drives a convertible sports car. All of this is pretty standard private detective fare, and judging from most fiction is probably part of the job suggestions the military hands out as part of the exit package.
Unlike many private detectives in fiction, Elvis has a girlfriend. Lucy Chenier is attractive, a media personality, independently wealthy, an Olympic class athlete and a lawyer. Still pretty standard for fiction, and perhaps in another series of novels she'd be solving the cases instead of Elvis, but perhaps that's for a later installment.
Elvis Cole's friend, Joe Pike, remains enigmatic in these earlier novels, still more of a concept to bail Cole out of trouble than a fully realized character, but he's coming along. (Joe is also ex-special forces, a martial arts expert, has mysterious and unending sources of income and has a troubled childhood and connections in the police department).
So far, not too out of the ordinary, though a bit difficult to find principles that can be developed into life coaching lessons.
The part I like about Cole though, and the part that lifts this series above plot machinations to say something about the human condition is that Elvis actually seems to live a life. He knocks off work on the case in the afternoon. He heads home and cooks dinner for himself. He takes time with it, and seems to enjoy the act of cooking in a way that relaxes him for the evening. There is usually a detailed description of what he's cooking for dinner that sounds both achievable and realistic for a guy living alone with time to enjoy cooking and eating healthy foods which strike a balance between healthy and convenient (there's a heavy use of canned foods, even canned potatoes).
Sometimes he has a beer, but he doesn't overindulge. He feeds the cat and sits with him while he eats. He watches movies, sits on the deck, plays with his cat, and goes to bed in good time. In the morning he undergoes an extensive exercise routine on his back deck. Sometimes it's just for enjoyment, sometimes it's to work out some of his stress. He enjoys the morning air, and usually makes himself a substantial breakfast. Then, at his own pace, he heads into the office.
He doesn't check for messages, nor follow up leads in the evening. He's not an alcoholic. He doesn't have connections to the criminal underworld that he cultivates all night, and he doesn't mix around L.A. nightlife trying to pick up leads. He calls witnesses, makes appointments and schedules sufficient work for the day without trying to do too much. It's a quiet life alone, earning enough for a living he's comfortable with, but not working so he doesn't have a life. And I can picture him being able to do it. Leave aside the black-belt ex-special forces business and this kind of life should be achievable.
Rare though it is, in fiction or life, Elvis Cole appears to have a genuine work-life balance. This despite the fact that he works on important, life or death cases. As impressive as it is to create a fictional character with work life balance, somehow Mr. Crais also manages to introduce a sense of urgency into the timeline, despite Cole refusing to be hurried or moved to compromise how he lives his life for the job.
In later books, Pike indicates that one of the reasons he's attached himself to Cole is because he's fascinated by how centered Cole seems to be. He has it all together and prioritizes that which is important and Pike wants to learn from it.
In Sunset Express Cole makes time to tour his girlfriend and her son around L.A.. They're not in danger, and they don't form part of the more urgent elements of the plot. It's just more stuff that Cole does to achieve balance in his life, and he takes time from the investigation to spend with them. Sometimes things come up that necessitate an adjustment in plans, but Cole is not putting work first or second, he's simply doing what needs to be done in each aspect of his life. It's really amazing. Part of that is what fascinates me, like Joe Pike, into continuing to follow Elvis Cole.
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