“The Two Minute Rule” by Robert Crais – The Past Never Forgets

Max Holman has always followed his own rules to the letter, and not for nothing: being that his profession was to rob banks, the slightest deviation from that survival codex means either prison or death.

Unfortunately, there was one job during which Holman forewent his rules, resulting in a botched job and years spent in a federal prison.

Upon his release, Max learns that his son has recently been gunned down in cold blood, with the truth behind the matter still eluding those on the case.

Heartbroken and distraught, Holman teams up with Katherine Pollard, the ex-FBI agent who put him away, in hopes of uncovering what lies beneath all the smoke screens and deception. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you The Two Minute Rule, penned by Robert Crais.

When I first picked up this book, to be quite honest, I expected a rather standard and straightforward murder mystery, one where the twist are predictable and most of the characters are cardboard cut-outs. Well, I don’t want to sound like a pessimist, but I was at least partially right.

The story itself, at certain times at least, develops in a bit of a predictable manner, especially if you’ve already indulged in other books of the same genre. Some of the characters are also a bit under-developed for my taste, but to be fair, they are what they need to be for a murder mystery thriller.

That’s where my disappointments with this book end, because I have admit, the storyline is rather solid and moves at a brisk pace, always keeping things interesting by introducing new elements to the story to raise the reader’s suspicions.

There are a few plot developments that really hit you like a kick in the head, and though the final revelation may come a bit late (in terms of what we know), this is one of those books where the chase is better than the catch.

All the fun resides in watching the unlikely duo of Max and Katherine fumble through a world they are no longer used to and desperately follow one clue to the next one, eager to find out where they all lead. On the whole, it makes for a very solid story which manages to still hold up strong despite its few flaws and weaknesses.

The characters themselves, the ones that matter at least, are decently-developed and the protagonists brought many smiles to my face with their conversations and banter in-between the action.

All in all, if you are longing for a solid thriller with an engaging mystery that will keep you occupied and allow you to relax for the next few days, The Two Minute Rule should definitely be taken into consideration as your next purchase.

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Robert Crais Personal site Robert Crais is an American author who has virtually always stuck to detective novels, which can be explained by the fact that he started his career by writing scripts for numerous television shows, including Miami Vice and L.A. Law. His more prominent works include The Monkey’s Raincoat and The Two-Minute Rule.