content: Elvis Cole used to be more of a smartass and, I hate to say it, I miss the old smartass days. Now, everything is deathly serious and I'm having trouble enjoying Crais' books as much. It's a pity, too, because he's a good writer. It seems like, from time to time, writers write really great books and then get "serious" about their craft not realizing that the humor leavens the work and without it the writing pulls the reader down. This book puts people close and dear to Elvis in proximity to dangerous, evil people, subject matter much too grim for no smiles at all.