Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: "Disappointing" may be too negative a description of this
book, because Pearson is a great writer, and this description
only applies when compared to other Pearson writings.
The book moves along at a nice pace, and the main characters
are interesting, but the story covers a lot of familiar
ground here; we are supposed to get involved in the story of
some women disappearing, probably at the hands of some pervert
roaming the streets of Seattle, and the premise just isn't
engaging any more. Plus, in this entry, we have a lot more
"romance" than we usually find in a good mystery or suspense,
and there is so much of that element present, the mystery aspect
is too toned down.
Pearson tried some new direction here, and it is certainly not
bad, but we hope he will re-engage us with a return to top-
flight mysteries, similar to his work in the past.
Rating: 
Summary: PURE PEARSON - PURE PLEASURE
Review: A taping by Dick Hill, named one of the industry's golden voices by AudioFile Magazine, guarantees a first-rate listening experience, which is precisely what one finds with the latest installment of the Boldt/Matthews series by Ridley Pearson. Seattle police biggie Lou Boldt is trying to track a serial killer, while Daphne Matthews, gorgeous forensic psychologist is investigating the untimely demise of Mary Ann Walker who was thrown (?) jumped (?) from Aurora Bridge. A boyfriend, known for physically abusing Mary Ann, is a prime suspect. Before we know it Pearson, always a master of surprises, connects the two cases by spotlighting one suspect. However, a solution is never that easy. Along the way emotions are stirred as a member of Boldt's team finds himself drawn to Daphne, who once had a fling with Boldt. Add a mega underground chase scene through streets long buried beneath contemporary Seattle and you have a high octane finish. Pure Pearson - pure pleasure. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: Too easy to put down.
Review: Art of Deception has all the elements which make for a great mystery/detective. The Seattle underground was actually really cool-- I was interested in the victims, it wasn't too bloody and it was really pretty well written. Unfortunately, it never came together well as a novel for me. Partly this was due to Daphne as a lead detective. It got irritating that every man she ran across became irrationally obsessed with her, and I just plain old wasn't interested in the progression of her relationship with John. Too bad, but I'll probably pick up another Pearson to see if it gets better.
Rating: 
Summary: Great infro to Pearson's work
Review: Art of Deception is the first book I'v read by Ridley Pearson. I found it very entertaining and attention-grabbing. I am a big fan of suspense novels and I will be back for more Pearson.
There were a few slow parts but overall I can highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books yet
Review: Daphne Mathews, a forensic psychologist, is the first to arrive at the crime scene where a young woman's body has been found underneath the Aurora Bridge. The woman was Mary-Ann Walker. It appeared to be suicide, but things changed. Blame was soon put on her abusive boyfriend, but once again things changed. This is when the victim's grieving brother, Ferrell Walker, comes in to play. First, he becomes infatuated with Mathews, and then obsessed, believing she is the only one that can help him. Things don't look good for Mathews when Walker will not leave her alone. Every move she makes he is watching. Walker leads Mathews in and out of the Underground, as they begin an intensifying game of cat and mouse. Mathews digs herself into a hole only LaMoia can get her our of. Finally, one is declared the winner, and one is defeated. "The Art of Deception" is a suspensful thriller. Although, a few parts become confusing, it was easy to fall back on track. The ending was unpredictible, along with the whole book. After reading this book Pearson will gain more fans, and makes his existing fans prouder than they already are. Overall, this was a great novel, and is suggested to all of you.
Rating: 
Summary: This book has a great plot, but it turns to lead.
Review: Having read other books written by this gentleman, I anticipated a plot with some devious twists and turns. I hoped for something on the order of Parallel Lies, which I really enjoyed. Instead, The Art of Deception seems to be a scam pulled on unsuspecting readers. Pearson forgets that a sentence is supposed to have both a subject and a verb at the very least and the adjectives that he does use are used over and over again. This book is hard to focus on because the sentences within paragraphs are disjointed. The author has a great background scenario in the Seattle Underground, but he fails to describe it adequately. The budding romance, if one can call it that, between "LaMoia" and "Mathews" it dull and predictable. If you have nothing better to do, read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Painfully Awul & Slow
Review: I can't believe that writers as accomplished as Greg Iles and Michael Connelly blurbed this badly written book. It doesn't take off for at least 200 pages; the psychologist is as insightful as a talk show host and as authentic as a cartoon; the killer is so obvious it's embarrassing; the opening is incredibly vicious and confusing to boot. In fact, most of the action scenes are poorly written and the thoughts Pearson gives the first murder victim are just plain unbelievable, given what's happening to her. Worst of all is the flat-footed writing, with Pearson telling us, for instance, that someone acquiesces, "less than enthusiastically." Dennis Lehane can write rings around Pearson, and so can many other thriller writers.
Rating:
Summary: I was kind of disappointed
Review: I didn't care for Daphne Matthew's character in this book. It's one thing to be independent, but when you make stupid decisions regarding your life and profession, independence counts for nothing. She put her life in jeapordy more than once because she wanted to show she's able-bodied and independent and she can do her job. It made her come off as naive and downright stupid to me. The overall storyline was creative and it did keep me guessing but I could have done without Matthew's characterization. She put me in mind of Patricia Cornwell's Dr. Kay Scarpetta, doing stupid things to show how independent and strong they are.
Rating:
Summary: Kept me guessing
Review: I had an idea of who the killer was fairly early on, but Ridley Pearson kept changing my mind. I particularly enjoyed the way the author wove two stories together, while adding some interesting Seattle history into the mix. I'll be looking for more books by this author.
Rating:
Summary: One of his best
Review: I have read all of the Lou Boldt novels, and this one was one of my favorites. I did not guess the killer -- Pearson maintained the uncertainty well -- and i enjoyed the history lesson. Even more, I enjoyed Daphne Matthews as the principal character, and having her FINALLY stop yearning for Boldt, at least for a while. Thought the ending was a little bit hurried and sketchy -- there's a loose end or two -- but it did not interfere with my enjoyment. One more thing -- it's time to deepen the repeat characters a bit, instead of relying on the sketches built up in prior books.
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