The Big Empty

The BRAND NEW addictive thriller from the #1 bestselling author

Robert Crais author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Simon & Schuster Ltd

Published:3rd Jul '25

Should be back in stock very soon

This paperback is available in another edition too:

The Big Empty cover

HE DISAPPEARED. SHE NEVER STOPPED LOOKING. Private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner Joe Pike face a cryptic case and a terrifyingly unpredictable killer in this twisty, edge-of-your-seat thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.
 
‘Robert Crais has mastered the fine art of storytelling’ James Patterson
‘Hands down the best book I’ve read this year. Simply incredible’ M. W. Craven

When influencer Traci Beller hires PI Elvis Cole to find her father, who has been missing for ten years and presumed to have walked out on his family, the case seems like it will stay cold.

But in Rancha, nothing stays buried forever.

What starts as a search for answers twists into a deadly race against time, as victims become predators, and predators become prey.

With ex-Marine Joe Pike by his side, Elvis follows Tommy’s trail into a darkness that will challenge his loyalty to his clients—and to himself.

The truth is waiting in The Big Empty. But can Elvis survive what he finds?

Readers love The Big Empty . . . (5 star reviews*****)
'The Big Empty is one of my top favorite 2025 mystery novels!'
'Once I started reading this, I couldn't put it down'
'This book has everything you love about Elvis Cole and Joe Pike'
'Five stars all the way. Highly recommended'
'My one word review for this one would be "wow!"'

‘I finish every novel 100% satisfied and eager for the next instalment. That’s exactly what happened when I finished The Big Empty. Robert Crais has mastered the fine art of storytelling’ James Patterson

The Big Empty is crazy good – a theme park ride about humanity, from Elvis Cole, from Joe Pike, and from three amazing women. I’ve never liked Elvis Cole more’ Mike Lupica

‘Robert Crais has crafted another masterpiece, delivering a gripping page-turner and a profound exploration of hidden evils; an edge-of-your-seat reading experience that will stay with you long after the final page’ Ryan Steck

‘Breathtakingly good; an emotional rollercoaster ride with Elvis Cole and Joe Pike as THE dynamic duo in crime fiction’ Anthony J. Tata

‘A masterpiece ... Robert Crais delivers a fresh, original story with every new book, and The Big Empty is especially brilliant’ Rob Taub

‘Robert Crais has long since perfected the recipe for a super-satisfying thriller, and his 20th Cole and Pike novel has all these ingredients: great scene-setting, memorable characters and a puzzling mystery told with both humour and compassion. Bravo!’ The Times, Book of the Month

‘With an ever-accelerating trajectory leading to a blood-spattered climax, this 20th novel in the series is Crais in prime form’ Financial Times

‘This is a slick, smart, old-style private eye tale by veteran thriller writer Crais, with a smart-mouthed hero, twisting plot and plenty of action. Superb stuff’ The Sun
‘PI Elvis Cole and his ex-special forces partner Joe Pike are easily the best crime-solving duo since Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson . . . his [Crais] twisty, filmic plots puts him second only to Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series in modern LA thriller writing excellence’ Daily Express

‘Crais has helped keep the classic tradition of the hardboiled Los Angeles private detective alive with this fine series, and his new novel may well be his finest yet’ Daily Mail

‘Plenty of twists and turns in this beautifully paced story, peppered with fascinating characters. It’s witty and hugely satisfying. In every sense, the full package’ Crime Time FM

‘The action culminates in a tense and thrilling finale, with a surprisingly moving aftermath’ Wall Street Journal

‘The compelling tale is enriched by its true heart and humor. Cole has often been compared to Robert B. Parker’s character Spenser, who was also known to grapple with the moral ambiguities of his work’ Booklist (starred review)

‘This twisty thriller is a full of gripping scenes embedded in a well-crafted and riveting plot that hooked me from the very beginning ... It has just the right amount of mystery, danger, and creative twists to make this book a winner’ Mystery & Suspense Magazine

The Big Empty may be Crais’s most powerful novel. A potent and surprising thriller’ Kirkus (starred review)

‘[U]nexpected twists and a high-voltage finale save the day. This will leave series fans eager for more’ Publishers Weekly

ISBN: 9781471195082

Dimensions: 198mm x 130mm x 23mm

Weight: unknown

384 pages