(CNN) -- We should all be so lucky to have friends like Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Private detectives in modern-day Los Angeles, they're the stars of best-selling author Robert Crais' award-winning series of crime novels. Elvis and Joe have been busting bad guys and thrilling millions of readers since 1987's "The Monkey's Raincoat." The books are international bestsellers, published in 42 countries, and have developed a fervent following. In "Taken," Crais's newest novel, his 15th featuring the daring duo, Elvis and Joe take on an especially bloodthirsty group of criminals called bajadores. They are bandits who prey on other bandits along the U.S.-Mexico border, dealing in drugs, murder and kidnapping.
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Robert Crais returns to private detective duo Elvis Cole and Joe Pike in "Taken"
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The characters have appeared in Crais' crime novels since 1987
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"Taken" is intense and reads like a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster
I've done Elvis books; I've done @placeholder books; I've done mixed books, but this time, I made a conscious decision I wanted to tell a story where I could split the book pretty much down the middle and give them 50-50 equal footing so they both have their starring roles.
Then there's @placeholder' track through the story, and there's Joe track, where he's trying to find Elvis and save him.