But the book speeds along at an agreeable clip, lifted by the author's command of the setting, and those military canines do deserve their plaudits. James' undying love for Maggie can be a bit much, as can Crais' decision to narrate a nightmare sequence from the dog's point of view.

The story unfolds with supreme ease, energized by the enigmatic presence of mercenary Jon Stone. After 20 novels, Crais remains one of crime fiction's smartest and most effortless plotters. Persecuted by the LAPD, Cole and his taciturn partner, Joe Pike, slowly unravel bad information and false identities-helped by James reluctantly at first, since he's not sure Cole isn't dirty, and then wholeheartedly after attempts on the lives of both the K-9 officer and his Afghanistan-traumatized dog (introduced in the 2013 stand-alone Suspect). We learn that Amy has infiltrated the arms-dealing culture hoping to get close to people who know the identity of her son's murderers. Cole is directed to a bungalow in Echo Park, where James encounters him after a man is beaten to death inside, surrounded by a stash of munitions and explosives. The woman, Amy Breslyn, is a chemical production engineer working for the government who disappeared with $460,000 in company money and a newly purchased gun. Los Angeles private investigator Elvis Cole is joined by K-9 cop Scott James and his battle-scarred German shepherd, Maggie, in the search for a woman out to avenge the killing of her son in a suicide bombing in Nigeria.

The Promise by Robert Crais