2015 Book #12 - The First Rule

The First Rule is from a book of rules that gangsters in Eastern Europe. It's literally a book and the first rule, gangsters must be alone and not place family or anyone else above their work, opens the book.

From there, Frank Myers is killed in his home. He was a former mercenary that worked for Pike, and when Joe finds out, he calls Stone and they begin to hunt. Eventually we find out that the Serbians who killed him didn't mean to, but that doesn't matter. Pike is committed and continues on.

We see more of Stone, who is an interesting character. We also get a view into a more twisted plot than Crais usually writes. We're never sure what is going on as the story unfolds until we get past the middle.

Even then, we see a more human Pike, when a baby gets involved.

A good addition to the series.