Rating: 
Summary: Run over by a train
Review: OK, I'm an audiobook guy, I admit it. This one was not a keeper or a passer-alonger to my audiobook gang. Right to the give-it-to-the-library pile or hope to get 2 cents for used. There are so many good mystery/thriller writers out there doing much better stuff than this I feel I wasted my time. When I lunge for the eject button numerous times it's time to hang it up. Colorful packaging however made me snag it. Don't bite or that light you see in the tunnel.......!
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Start That Gets Derailed
Review: After a sixth freight train in eighteen months derails, suspicions are raised that someone with a personal vendetta must be behind them. And indeed, the suspicions are well founded. Umberto Alvarez, who lost his wife and two children in a railway crossing accident, has been seeking (and exacting) revenge ever since. These derailments, however, are only the precursor to his ultimate goal of bringing the company responsible to its knees. He has a plan to switch his focus to a passenger train, and not just any passenger train but the new F-A-S-T Track train.Peter Tyler is an ex-homicide cop, now contracted to the NTSB to investigate a murder that has occurred on a freight train. Nell Priest works for the company that owns the train on which the murder occurred and she has been brought in too. These two join forces in tracking down what happened on the train and who murdered whom. It's from this beginning that they find themselves on Alvarez's trail and heading into more than they bargained for. This is the set-up of what could potentially have been a real seat-of-the-pants manhunt-cum-thriller and it is for the first 100 pages or so. Unfortunately, just as the action begins to hot up, a very unlikely love affair dilutes the action. Too often this aspect of the story took the focus off the important plot points of the book, making it an annoying distraction rather than an asset to the story. For a book that started so promisingly, I was left at the end ruing what might have been.
Rating: 
Summary: A Page Turner
Review: Ridley Pearson is a newly discovered author for me. I am highly gratified to discover he has written several previous novels which I am already starting to enjoy. Like his previous novels, Parallel Lies is a real page turner. It is one of those novels that makes you tell yourself, "Just one more chapter, then I'll turn the light out and get some sleep!" The protagonists are sympathetic with believable motives. The premise is a bit stale, wronged individual against the evil corporation, but Mr. Pearson handles this artfully.
The relationship that developed between the Fed and the railroad honcho seemed plausable enough, but nothing much was made of it being interracial. In today's social climate, this would be more of an issue.
This is an exciting, fast paces read and he obviously and done extensive research on rail systems of today.I am looking forward to enjoying all of Ridley Pearson's past and future novels.
Rating: 
Summary: Parallel Lies: Another Pearson Winner
Review: As a mystery author with my debut novel in its initial release, I genuinely enjoyed Ridley Pearson's PARALLEL LIES. This Pearson thriller, like my first novel, features a multicultural cast of characters. Peter Tyler is a former cop who lost his badge following the nearly fatal beating of a black man. Thanks to a friend at the National Transportation Safety Board, Tyler is given a second chance at his career. He's retained to investigate some strange happenings at Northern Union Railroad. Tyler finds himself tanlging with the railroad's investigator, an African-American woman who is well acquianted with Tyler's past. Meanwhile, the train-wrecker, a man named Umberto Alvarez who holds a grudge, perhaps justified, against Northern Union is building up to staging his ultimate wreck. Then another beating occurs, this one fatal and with the same stick Tyler used years before. The suspense keeps building until the final thrilling page. Pearson's story is a winner. Read it soon.
Rating:
Summary: First of many...
Review: This was my first book by Ridley Pearson, I am very impressed and was also intrigued throughout the whole book. I couldn't wait to get to the next chapter. I have read Hard Fall already and it is even better. Keep up the great work Ridley!
Rating:
Summary: Plodding along
Review: Pearson is a very good writer. If you are really into the Boldt/Matthews books (as I am) then this one is very different. Sure there is a relationship. But "the case" takes precedence in this read and, as in real life, the puzzle is not necessarily a quick solve. The writing is good. The characters are likeable -- even the terrorist. I struggled to keep my interest alive on this case.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't Even Finish This Boring Tale!
Review: If you're a Ridley Pearson fan, this one is a big disappointment. It just does not grab you from the beginning like many of his former works do. First of all, I found the major premise of a railroad being sabotaged by a man whose wife and child were killed by a train to be trite. From this point on, it's all downhill as the investigation begins. Sorry, I just couldn't continue with this dull tale. Read at your own risk, but be assured there are lots better offerings out there.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent story, keeps your interest
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I found it difficult to put it down since I wanted to get to the conclusion. Worthwhile reading.
Rating:
Summary: I miss my sleep!
Review: What can I say? Well, this book is positively guilty of robbing me of approximately 6 hours of sleep. I was tired with eyes shutting down when I felt like I wanted to read a book. As I have purchased this novel recently, I felt compelled to try and read it. Let us F-A-S-T Track 6 hours ahead. I was unable to put the book down. As someone who enjoys interracial relationships and a good dose of technojargon, this book was a perfect catalyst to trigger the insomniac within me. I am aware that I am posting this comment with my real name, but such is my outlook on this lifestyle. If you would like to enjoy a blistering pace thriller with a rather believable plot, this one should be on your bookshelf. I did find a couple of weak points mostly in the attempts of erotic fiction which were utterly silly as well as the notion of a computer virus. Everything was OK except when he decided to mention the computer viruses. According to the author, the virus which it technically a worm, would corrupt the NVRAM on the GPS guidance systems. That was, quite frankly, the least believable part of this story. A blanked out GPS guidance system which triggered a faulty failover was more than enough. All it takes is to assume the role of the primary card and the 3rd card is the entirely out of the loop. I do like how he tries to portray two relationships in parallel, but the absurd attempts at erotic fiction were simply uncalled for. Again, if you believe that the plot is not technologically believable, I'll lend you my expert opinion of the systems discussed that they are very close to their real counterparts. Were it not for these two flaws, in my subjective opinion, I would have rated it a 5-star book. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: This railroad thriller derails coming into the station.
Review: The Northern Union Railroad, one of the largest railroad companies in the country, has suffered from a streak of back luck that would make a statistician's hair stand on end. In the past eighteen months, no fewer than a half dozen of their freight trains have mysteriously derailed. When one of their boxcars is found covered in blood, though, they know that something other than luck is involved. The Northern Union calls in Peter Tyler, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), to find out just what's going on. It's the first assignment for the former Washington DC homicide detective, and Tyler eagerly jumps on board the investigation, anxious to start over from the premature end of his police career. This is not one of Ridley Pearson's finer works. I have read and enjoyed Pearson's Lou Boldt series in the past, but cannot say the same for this book. The writing is nothing special, the plot is predictable (thus eliminating any suspense), and the characters are underdeveloped. If you are interested in trains, it's worth a read. Otherwise, I'd pass on buying a ticket for this ride. --David Montgomery, Mystery Ink
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