IN HARMS WAY
"IN HARM'S WAY is a suspenseful novel that challenges armchair detectives in many ways. Red herrings and real clues are scattered along the trail just begging readers to follow them to the unexpected outcome. This is a perfect beach, airplane, or vacation read."
—BookReporter.com (read the full review)
"I've been a fan of Ridley Pearson's for many years, ever since that first thriller featuring Seattle homicide detective Lou Boldt, UNDERCURRENTS. I love all of his stuff—from the mysteries written as "Wendall McCall" to his kids' thrillers to his current Walt Fleming crime series—but it certainly made me happy to see ol' Lou Boldt return in a major cameo in the upcoming Fleming novel, IN HARM'S WAY. Boldt—and even Daphne Matthews, in a smaller role—are in true form. This new thriller is a must for those who haven't yet made Boldt's acquaintance and those who have longed to see him back!"
—David Thompson, Murder By The Book
"Pearson manages to team up the heroes from both his supense series for a transfixing tale filled with secrets both large and small. At the center of the story lies Sheriff Walt Fleming, and this book in particular explores the relationships in his life. With a Pearson novel, you can always expect to get riveting suspense, excellent characterization and a well-crafted plot."
—Romantic Times
"The latest "Killer" Walt Fleming police procedural (see Killer Summer and Killer View) is an excellent thriller… There is plenty of action, but it is the interaction between the key cast members that makes this a superb mystery."
—Harriet Klausner, The Mystery Gazette (read the full review)
"Lieutenant Lou Boldt, the Seattle cop who stars in Ridley Pearson's deservedly popular series, is a sharp and touching figure—perhaps the most believable police officer in current fiction."
—White Prose
"The multi-layered plot and fast pacing makes this edge-of-your-seat crime novel crackle with suspense and unexpected twists."
—The Tucson Citizen
"a multi-layered thriller with enough surprises to keep readers rooting for Walt… I've never been to Idaho. But the lush backdrop of Ridley Pearson's latest thriller, In Harm's Way, sure makes me want to visit…"
—Houston Chronicle
"[a] worthy thriller…Ridley Pearson brings back Sheriff Walt Fleming as the hero of In Harm's Way … Sheriff Fleming makes for good company. Although nobody would call him brilliant, he's terse, efficient and a font of common sense."
—St. Louis Today
"Thanks for writing such a great book! Really like both Lou and Walt and hope they'll meet again in another book."
—Ellen, a reader
"I had never read any of your books for adults until 2 weeks ago. I LOVE them, and have actually read 4 in the last 2 weeks. I look forward to reading the rest of them. You are an amazing author and I am telling all of my reading friends about your books… You are now my favorite author. Keep up the good work."
—Pauline, a reader
KILLER SUMMER
Letter from Ridley
Every year the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities (Sun Valley, Idaho) throws a fund-raising wine auction that attracts the well-heeled from around the world to bid up wine bottles into the stratosphere, all for a good cause. As patrons grow more and more "cheerful" with the free wine at the dinner, the prices soar, as do the egos of those bidding. It's a sight to behold. I've always wanted to write about the event. That backdrop ran headlong into some research I stumbled upon. I'm a Google freak, and when I discovered that some bottles from Thomas Jefferson's wine collection had sold for over 600,000 dollars, I knew I'd landed on my next thriller.
Killer Summer, is, at it's heart, written in the tradition of the great heist movies, like the Thomas Crown Affair, The Italian Job and the Ocean series. I love heist stories that twist and then twist again, and again, and keep you guessing, and I hope that's what I've accomplished in Killer Summer. It's certainly what I've tried to do. Having lived off and on in the Sun Valley area for thirty years now (can it be?) I have what I hope is a real insight to the lives and motivations of the residents and visitors, resources in the form of the real life sheriff (Walt Femling, the Blaine County Sheriff), and first person experience in the backcountry, the restaurants, bars, and backstreets. I hope I've brought the area alive for readers and that a book like Killer Summer delivers on several levels. It's intended to be "a thrill ride," but if you feel a little drunk and happy along the way, so much the better.
—Ridley Pearson, Shanghai, China, June 2009
"Bestseller Pearson makes the most of the theme of the lawman with a bunch of personal problems in his engaging third crime thriller to feature Walt Fleming, the likable sheriff of Sun Valley, Idaho (after Killer View). Walt's ex-wife is living with one of his deputies; Walt's teenage nephew, Kevin, is grappling with his father's suicide; and Walt's trying to raise twin daughters on his own. Meanwhile, a big wine convention has come to Sun Valley, and three bottles owned by Thomas Jefferson and given to John Adams are sure to bring big bucks at auction, unless a gang of super thieves, which has hit town with an elaborate scheme in which Kevin becomes unwittingly involved, steals the bottles first. But nothing is as it seems, and even the savviest readers will be fooled as Pearson drags poor Walt and friends through a series of clever twists and turns in this fast-paced nail-biter."
—Publishers Weekly
Killer Summer in People PEOPLE MAGAZINE says: "It's Thriller Season" and lists Ridley's latest book as one to crack open!
—PEOPLE MAGAZINE
"Sun Valley Sheriff Walt Fleming (Killer Weekend, 2008, etc.) must guard bottles of wine that once belonged to John Adams—or did they? During one of those periods when he felt kindly toward his political rival, Thomas Jefferson supposedly presented Adams with three excellent bottles of wine. It's a legend latter-day connoisseurs have come to cherish, and at Sun Valley's very-well-attended annual auction, $1 million is routinely predicted as the going price for the storied bottles. At least one skeptical voice has been raised, but no matter how scholarly her research appears to be, few are ready to give credence to such an unknown as young Janet Finch. Whether or not the bottles and their story are authentic, Fleming's job is to keep them out of covetous hands, especially those of the master criminal skulking in the vicinity. To Christopher Cantell, the harder the heist, the more irresistible the challenge, and while understated Walt would never compare himself to Sherlock Holmes (at least not aloud), he knows that he's a qualified player. And so the game's afoot, complete with a dizzying profusion of feints and gambits. Readers may well be confused, but never bored. Cheers! A throwback to the time when plotting and pacing were the detective story's sine qua non; Pearson shows once again how it's done."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Pearson is back with another thriller set in seemingly serene Sun Valley, Idaho. His appealing protagonist struggles to juggle a complicated family life with law enforcement. This time Sheriff Walt Fleming is up against a criminal mastermind trying to settle a score. As always, Pearson's taut plotting ensures plenty of twists and heart-pounding action."
—Romantic Times, (4 1/2 Stars)
"Intrigue, suspense, murder and kidnapping portrayed with frightening realism make Killer Summer a thriller sure to be adapted for a blockbuster movie. With an impeccable plot and rich text, Pearson has readers holding on to this cliffhanger with fingertips as strong and manicured as his poetic prose. He leaves subtle clues, and then, like freezing water in a shower, shocks the reader with how obvious the circumstances are that lead to a killer conclusion."
—Bookreporter.com (read the full review here)
"This is my first encounter with Ridley Pearson's Sheriff Walt Fleming, and Killer Summer was a good blend of mystery/thriller. Now I gotta go back and pick up the other two…. Pearson's writing is lean and taut… this is one of those perfect beach reads. Killer Summer has short, compact chapters and an elaborate plot that spins naturally out of the action and the characterization. The book's engagement and pacing is good for a lazy summer or a few hours in the sun or on a trip."
—INDenverTimes.com
"The plot is expertly paced and the scenery is breathtaking…. A satisfying, entertaining thriller."
—Portsmouth (NH) Herald
"Killer Summer may be the best police procedural of the year so far as there are so many plausible twists that Walt and readers will wonder if they imbibed. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Walt notices the strange truck while fishing and never decelerates even when the plot takes a spin. Fans will enjoy Ridley Pearson's terrific crime caper as the author keeps readers full attention throughout wondering what next."
—Genre Go Round Reviews (read the full review here)
"Ridley Pearson has to pull out quite a few irons that he tosses into the fire in Killer Summer. By the end of this gripping story, you realize he has accomplished just that… [I]t's hard to remember to keep breathing while flipping the pages to keep up with the action and great dialogue—a master at work here. The author, along with coming up with a gripping story, seems to know people's dreams and desires as well as their peccadilloes. His characters are right on the money and any of them could be your good friend… Killer Summer is a recommended read."
—Bookloons (read the full review here)
"Pearson is an author that makes you want to stay up all night even when you have to work early the next morning. You never will want to put this book down so make sure to start on a weekend… The story has you cheering for the kids to survive and being appalled at the stupidity of Summer's dad. Walt is a man who is going through his wife leaving him for one of his own officers. The story is so interesting that you never see the ending. Wow what a great read!!!!"
—Bestsellersworld.com (read the full review here)
"Sun Valley, Idaho is a playground for the rich, and in Ridley Pearson's new thriller, Killer Summer, a wine auction in Sun Valley is the backdrop for an unthinkable caper… Readers who are fans of crime thrillers will not be disappointed with this book. I found it fascinating and was thoroughly surprised by the twists in the plot. Killer Summer makes for a thoroughly satisfying summer read."
—Blogcritics.org (read the full review here)
"Killer Summer presents some terrific wilderness suspense as characters battle the elements and each other for simple survival. The confrontations with nature and with the bad guys give this thriller its edge, although wild animals aren't as threatening and the reader doesn't crawl as far into the villains' psyches in this Walt Fleming outing as in the last. The Sun Valley area, vibrantly described by Pearson, is a central "character" in this series, and Killer Summer is no exception. Walt, a master tracker, is at home in the mountain reaches, the difficult passes, the eddying rivers, the tree-lined miles, and the cliff faces. Ridley lovingly passes his own obvious pride and joy in the Idaho Rockies to his fictional hero."
—MostlyFiction.com (read the full review here)
"Killer Summer, the third book in Ridley Pearson's Sun Valley series, added killer fun to my reading list. I knew almost from the get-go that Killer Summer was going to be a quality read… Pearson knows how to make his pieces function together; regardless of how dysfunctional the individuals are, the whole hums like a well-oiled machine. I can't wait to see what trouble this cast can wiggle its way into next."
—Jen's Book Thoughts
"Killer Summer may be the best police procedural of the year so far as there are so many plausible twists that Walt and readers will wonder if they imbibed. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Walt notices the strange truck while fishing and never decelerates even when the plot takes a spin. Fans will enjoy Ridley Pearson's terrific crime caper as the author keeps readers full attention throughout wondering what next.
—Harriet Klausner
KILLER VIEW
"Ridley Pearson writes some of the tightest fiction around."
—Scott Turow
"[A] tension-filled sequel… Pearson's relentless sense of pacing and serpentine plot will have readers furiously turning pages until the end."
—Publishers Weekly
"Fans of Pearson's numerous thrillers…will welcome this newest entry which sparkles with the writer's crisp prose and unrelenting suspense."
—Booklist
"Pearson takes some of our biggest fears involving terrorism and government coverups and turns them into a gripping, page-turner of a novel."
—Rocky Mountain News
"It's the middle of summer. Time for relaxing on the beach, or lazing in the backyard, or just vegging in your living room easy chair. Whichever manner of leisure you choose, you need a good book. But not just any book. You need a summer book, something that will keep your mind wandering and get your heart racing. Killer View by Ridley Pearson is such a book…. The only problem with reading a book like this on a hot summer day is that you may become so wrapped up in it that you'll forget to put sunblock on."
—MSNBC Interactive
"In combining the contemplation of serious issues with nonstop action in an original setting, Pearson has created a terrific read for any season."
—The Nashville Scene
"Too many thrillers pile events and characters and coincidences one on top of another until figuring out what happened requires a reader's guide. Too often the result is a letdown at book's end, not dejection that the ride is over so much as disappointment that it doesn't quite make sense. Pearson walks up to the edge of this dilemma, and despite the many elements at work in Killer View, he keeps things organized and understandable. The ride in Killer View is a little bumpy at times but in the end, like his well-sketched character of Walt Fleming, Pearson nails the landing."
—Yahoo News
KILLER WEEKEND
"Ridley Pearson has outdone himself with Killer Weekend."
—James Patterson
Kirkus picked Killer Weekend as a "Hot Release for 2007"!!
"This is the first in a new series for Pearson, whose cleverly interwoven plots and crisp, economical prose have graced more than a dozen thrillers, most notably the Lou Boldt-Daphne Matthews series. Pearson is the first American recipient of the Raymond Chandler/Fulbright Fellowship in detective fiction at Oxford University. The late, great creator of Philip Marlowe would be proud—both of the selection itself and of the recipient's latest work."
—Booklist (starred review)
"A brilliant and fascinating adult thriller…small-town mentality collides with Day of the Jackal in this amazing book…it is nice to see Pearson back in the thriller fold, where few come close to his prowess."
—Library Journal (starred review)
"[a] quintessential beach book…We can only hope that this is the start of a new cycle for Pearson. In Fleming, he seems to have found an intricately human, brilliant character because, unlike so many other characters in the genre, he appears fallible. Perhaps that is why this is Pearson's best book in years."
—BookSpoke.com
"Ridley Pearson has outdone himself with Killer Weekend."
—James Patterson
"Ridley Pearson writes some of the tightest thriller fiction around. In the deftness of his conceptions, the care with details, and the quality of writing, he's fully worthy of comparison to Michael Connelly."
—Scott Turow
"If we had a Thriller Hall of Fame, Ridley Pearson would be a first-ballot certainty, both for his technical virtuosity and his intensely human stories. Does Killer Weekend maintain his standards? No, it sets new ones. Don't miss it."
—Lee Child
"Just finished Killer Weekend and I loved it! Stumbled onto your book as I browsed looking for what looked like a "good book." I got my wish with Killer Weekend… Keep writing and I'll keep reading."
—Dr. Joy Scallan