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Summary: The Best Boldt/Matthews/LaMoia/Gaynes yet!
Review: MIddle of Nowhere is the best yet. As a Seattle resident, Irelate to the mood of Ridley Pearson's works. This is his best yet. He intensifies the emotions and tensions that he has painstakingly developed over the years. ... But personal loyalties and the love that is truly shared by all salvages a dangerous situation. The hunt for, and final disposition of the killer is more of a counterpoint to the main theme and melody of this symphony of words. This is a wonderful read. Pearson now ranks at the top of the list of the Seattle mystery writers - Jance, Emerson, Ford.
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Summary: Middle of Nowhere
Review: The latest Ridley Pearson, Middle of Nowhere, was excellent. I read it in a (long) afternoon. I couldn't put it down. It felt as though I could hear the characters talking - accents and all. I kept wanting to know what would happen next.I see that A&E will be doing some movies of Ridley's novels featuring his recurring characters. I hope the images I have in my head of these characters come across on screen.
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Summary: great read --- but
Review: because of eye disease my reading must be done with my ears, unabridged versions only. during the past 10 years i've read many books and mr. pearson's are among my favorites. middle of nowhere is as good as expected, if not better, and i have only one complaint; mr. pearson should always hire a professional reader as he has in the past. he has a pleasant voice, but his voice characterizations are lacking in distinctivness and it is difficult to follow individual dialogue. again, this is an excellent read and i highly recommend it. i'd quickly give it five stars if it were read better.
Rating:
Summary: Middle of Nowhere
Review: Ridley Pearson simply hs to be the best around! Middle of Nowhere will not let the reader down in storyline, plot and ending. He continues his Lou Boldt saga with the perfect blending of the major crime scene and his personal life. It will be impossible to put this book down once the reader has started!
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Summary: The Ill Effects of Blue Flu
Review: Ridley Pearson has gathered devoted fans based on his previous novels starring Detective Lou Boldt, Daphne Matthews and Sergeant John LaMoia. Although "Middle of NoWhere" is my first visit with Ridley Pearson, I expect I will locate his earlier works and look forward to his next literary tour of Seattle. Detective Boldt is a tough-minded cop (picture the older Dirty Harry), loyal to his profession and calling. Hence, he elects not to participate in Seattle's outbreak of blue flu, despite the grief, threats and stress suffered upon him at the hands of his fellow "striking" officers. His frustration and a lack of manpower reaches a critical level when a series of violent home invasions/robberies/assaults (several on fellow officers) may or may not to be related to the work stoppage crippling his department and the city. For accustomed readers of crime fiction, Lou Boldt is not particuarly a new face. In fact, my greatest criticism of "Middle of NoWhere" is the lack of depth in his personality. He is the consummate strong and silent type, on the job and at home. Perhaps Pearson was demonstrating the character's frustration at the situtation, but he honestly seemed rather old and tired instead. Hence, the book often plodded along, as if Lou Boldt was counting his days to retirement. I found his supporting characters, Daphne Matthews and John LaMoia, more colorful and interesting. The most riveting section of the story involved Daphne's solo-efforts to ensnare the robbery suspect. I would encourage Ridley Pearson to develop LaMoia and Matthews' characters further. These few criticisms aside, in "Middle of NoWhere", Ridley Pearson accomplished a difficut feat - joining what appeared to be a group of complicated, seemingly-unrelated loose ends into a cohesive, interesting plot. From anticipated chaos, Lou Boldt and his fellow officers proved the value of teamwork and loyalty. The readers and a fictious Seattle are the beneficiaries.
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Summary: Good, enjoyable story, but not particularly unpredictable!
Review: This is the second chance I've had to find out about Lou Boldt. I first read the Pied Piper which I really enjoyed and now this newest installment was a fine, entertaining easy read. The plot begins at a time where most of the Seattle PD is taking part in a sick out, and the few remaining officers have to take care of all the case load including cases from all different departments. A female officer named Sanchez has her neck broken while on her way home and Boldt decides he has to investigate because she was not only a police officer but also a former babysittr to his kids. There are two possibilities to solve the case it was either an electronics thief or somebody in the department and this is where the fun begins. I won't say much more, but I will say that any Boldt story where Boldt is beat up, Lamoia is left for dead, Mathews is shot and Gaynes makes a lesbian come on to a suspect certainly is entertaining and is action packed. The only setback I found is that Mr. Pearson wasn't particularly concerned with keeping the outcome a secret. From early on Boldt's suspicions are on the money and turn out to be the final resolution. Other than this detail it is a very enjoyable read and you will have no problem reading it very quickly.
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Summary: Bolt The Door
Review: What starts out as a burglary investigation leads to a page- turning tale of police corruption. As with his best stories, Pearson manages to teach us something about science or technology in this lesson in communication. What is said,not said, or should not be said, is as important as his explaination of modern telecommunication techniques. This entry is a better read than the last couple books.Pearson plays to his strength. Good to the end. ( How come a smart cop will say something stupid to his wife?)
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Summary: Ridley Keeps On Rolling
Review: Just finished "The Middle Of Nowhere" and, like all the other Boldt, Matthews, LaMoia sagas, it was a "can't put it down 'till the last page is turned" novel. Mr. Pearson's latest pits Lt. Boldt of the Seattle P.D. and his crew against his fellow officers, along with an insight into the workings of the latest "fad" -privately operated prisons. The final chapter leaves the reader hanging, asking the question .... Will Lt. Boldt and Lt. Matthews resume where they left off a few books back? Will Sanchez recover and get together with LaMoia? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.....but please, Ridley, don't make us wait too long!
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Summary: Thrilling, with a few problems
Review: Pearson weaves a good a tale as ever, with non-stop twists, turns, and suspense. Lou Boldt and the city of Seattle are back as familiar characters. Boldt is human as ever, but the mechanisms of Pearson's character development are getting a little worn. Boldt is still the over-worked detective, causing strain in his family, on the brink of an affair with Daphne Matthews. The primary setting for the book is a "blue flu" epidemic which has the Seattle Police Department understaffed with a crime wave threatening the city. Pearson draws a hard line between the noble administrators, high-ranking officers, and civilian employees who hold down the fort and the disloyal, uniformed cops who abandon the city in its time of need over economic disagreements. Some readers will surely be troubled by this easy dichotomy. These warnings aside, Middle of Nowhere is a page-turner from beginning to end. One thing is sure - those who read it will never give information to a phone solicitor again!
Rating:
Summary: Another Hit for Pearson
Review: What I have always liked about Ridley Pearson's writing is the balance that he keeps between unfolding the major events and the effects in the lives of the characters. "Middle of Nowhere" is a fine example of this balance. The police action scences served as a great counterpoint to the relationships between Boldt, LaMoia, and Matthews. What "Middle of Nowhere" shows that police work is always a balancing act between work and personal politics. This is a great book and another hit for Ridley Pearson.
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