Monday Mystery Backlist - THE TWO MINUTE RULE

This weekend, Robert Crais celebrated his birthday. So, for my celebration, we'll highlight a Crais novel this week on the Monday Mystery Backlist. Really, any of Crais' novels would be great for this post, but since I talk about Elvis all the time, I decided to choose one of RC's stand alone novels, and one of my favorite all-around Crais novels, THE TWO-MINUTE RULE.

Max Holman is an ex-con who has just been released from serving time for a bank robbery. When he is released his primary goal is to reconcile with his son, ironically, a cop. However, fate has dealt Max a losing hand. Max learns his son was gunned down along with three other uniformed police officers. Max also learns that the killings were believed to be revenge killings and police corruption could be involved. The only thing Max has left that he can give his son is his name back, so Max sets out with the help of FBI agent, Katherine Pollard, to clear his son's name.

I've read this book and listened to the Brilliance audio version of THE TWO-MINUTE RULE; both are wonderful. I've been secretly hoping that Max and Pollard will either show up in the Cole/Pike novels or have another book of their own.

THE TWO-MINUTE RULE was published in hardcover by Simon and Schuster in 2006 (ISBN: 978-0743281614 ). Pocket Star published the paperback in 2007 (ISBN: 978-1416514961 ). And for those who are interested, Brilliance has an unabridged audio version also published in 2006 and read by Christopher Graybill (ISBN: 978-1-59355-036-3).

I have links in my right margin to the Mystery Lovers Bookshop in PA and the Mystery Bookstore in CA. Either bookstore would be more than happy to help you get your hands on a copy of this wonderful tome from Crais' bibliography. And I can personally attest to the fact that you will get magnificent customer service from either. And in case you're wondering, I don't receive a dime for their links on my page. They are present because I choose to support them.

REMINDER: Don't forget to get your entry in for a chance to win a signed copy of Chris Grabenstein's fifth John Ceepak novel, MIND SCRAMBLER. Here was my earlier review of this book that comes out in bookstores tomorrow. And here are the details for entering the drawing.

Also, to give you a heads-up on the week, I'm so excited to be welcoming Gregg Hurwitz to Jen's Book Thoughts tomorrow. Coming out at the same time as MIND SCRAMBLER is Gregg's ninth novel, TRUST NO ONE. We'll be having our own "virtual" release party for him right here since we can't be out on the Pacific Coast with him for the actual release party. Then we'll have four more memoirs to check out on Wednesday and Thursday I'll be hosting James LePore for a stop on his blog tour. I'll be reviewing his debut novel, A WORLD I NEVER MADE. Busy, busy week! Hope you'll stop back.

Happy Reading!