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#1 New York Times bestselling author Ridley Pearson begins an electrifying new thriller series.
After a Chinese national working for an American-owned construction company is kidnapped in Shanghai, Rutherford Risk—a hostage rescue firm—is called in. But in China, private investigation is illegal, and operating within its borders will be difficult.
For the job, the company recruits two outsiders: Grace Chu, a refined forensic expert, to follow the money—and John Knox, a hard charger who is experienced in both combat and the street culture of Shanghai. But following the money leads to more complex and hazardous consequences than either anticipated. Who is behind the kidnapping? What are their true motives? And more important, can Knox and Grace save the hostages before the deadline?
In his debut fiction assignment, security agent John Knox tackles the gnarly case of a double kidnapping in Shanghai. Knox and his forensic accountant partner Grace Chu face additional problems because private investigation is illegal in China. Authentic atmosphere; gathering suspense; a series starter now in mass-market paperback and NOOK Book.
“Ridley Pearson writes thrillers, the kind that try to yank you to the edge of your seat and keep you there.”
Ridley Pearson is the author of more than two dozen crime novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Killer Summer, Killer View, and Probable Cause. He is also the author of the bestselling Lou Boldt crime series, and, with Dave Barry, coauthor of the bestselling Peter and the Starcatchers series. In 1990, Pearson was awarded the Raymond Chandler Fulbright Fellowship at Wadam College, Oxford. In 2009, he was a visiting professor at Fudan University in Shanghai. He lives with his wife and their two daughters, dividing their time between Hailey, Idaho, and St. Louis.
Pearson is renowned for fast-paced, thrill-a-minute suspense novels that include "a rare humanism and attention to detail" (Publishers Weekly). In a Greenwich Magazine interview he called his work "aerobic fiction, because I hope to get your heart pounding and get you turning pages." Entertainment Weekly dubbed him "the thinking person's Robert Ludlum."
As his fans know, Pearson works hard at nailing the details of forensic investigation and police procedure. In Undercurrents (the first novel in his Seattle-based Lou Boldt mystery series) his research was so thorough—he consulted an expert in oceanography—that the book helped convict an actual murderer. A Washington state prosecuting attorney happened to be reading it while working on a case similar to Pearson's fictional one: A woman's body had been found in a bay, and at first it appeared that she had committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. The oceanographer mentioned in Pearson's acknowledgments was called in as an expert witness to help prove that, based on tidal currents, the woman must have been dead before the time her husband claimed to have last seen her. Due largely to the expert testimony, the victim's husband was convicted of second-degree murder.
Of course, there's more to a Pearson novel than research. "Just what is it about Ridley Pearson that makes him the best damn thriller writer on the planet?" mused Bill Ott in BookList. "We've celebrated the forensic detail, the taut plotting, the multidimensional characters, and the screw-tightening suspense, but lots of fiction writers do all that. Here's a theory: Pearson is a master at manipulating opposites. His stories are forever jumping from high concept to small scale, from positive to negative charges, manipulating our emotions and minds with their polar hip-hopping."
When he's not writing, Pearson still makes music—he's the bass guitarist for the Rock Bottom Remainders, an amateur rock band made up of professional writers including Stephen King, Dave Barry, Amy Tan, and Mitch Albom (the group's motto, coined by Barry: "We play music as well as Metallica writes novels").
It was while Pearson was in Miami to play with the Rock Bottom Remainders that he told Barry about his idea (actually, daughter Paige's idea) for a prequel to Peter Pan. The two authors had such a good time hashing out possibilities over breakfast that Pearson asked Barry to write the book with him. Published in 2004, their clever collaboration Peter and the Starcatchers became a huge bestseller, spawning two sequels (Peter and the Shadow Thieves in 2006 and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon in 2007) and a series of spin-off children's chapter books.
Even though Pearson thoroughly enjoys crafting juvenile fiction, his adult fans need not worry that he's abandoned his high-voltage crime novels. Indeed, he has said that writing gives him the same "adrenaline rush," no matter which audience he is targeting: Readers of all ages appreciate the imagination, suspense, and an impeccable eye for detail he brings to all his fiction.
Pearson loves to travel, especially to southern France, with wife Marcelle and second child Storey, who is adopted from China. We're certain to do a good deal of international travel in the years to come. He also attends local symphony and theater. But his "favorite avocation is to spend an evening around our dining table with two or three other couples. This, I feel, is where many of the world's ills are solved, and many souls restored. Mine, especially."
bambijune
Posted July 31, 2012
Love,love Ridley Pearson and I did like the book but...if you aren't familiar with the Chinese culture it can be a bit confusing.I would recommend the book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I agree with KenCady's review. Too convoluted, and I too was really taken aback by the Chinese corruption portrayed...did not realize China was so awful. Had a rough time keeping the various bad guys separated. I have always liked and have all of Pearson's books, but I doubt if I'll follow this series.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Risk Agent is a convoluted story taking place in Shanghai. I had a strong desire to visit Shanghai until I read this. Are the Chinese really so totally corrupted? The book introduces a multitude of players and it is hard to keep track of them. I think it would have been helpful if the author used a flow chart to keep the reader more in tune with the action. As it is, we bounce from one fight to the next, never quite sure if this is the Mongolian bad guy, the Yang bad guy, or one of their employer's deceitful tactics. The Shen character is a hard one to accept. I did like Grace, and a sequel with her and John Knox where the action was a little clearer could be fun.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 8, 2013
Cool
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Posted July 17, 2012
Chu and Knox make a good team; amusing interpersonal relationship, exciting most of the time. I'm anticipating more adventures with them.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I meandered away from Ridley Pearson a few years ago. He has me back with this super thriller. It looks to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship if this is a start of a new series.
Grace Chu and John Knox are more than a mere forensic accountant (Chu) and a wandering procurer of folk art and treasures (Knox). Thrown together to make up a team to rescue two kidnap victims in China where nothing is as it seems, including the two main characters.
Intrigue and action abound throughout, leaving the reader thoroughly exhausted, but definitely satisfied.
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Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.For this reader, Ridley Pearson is an author whose books I pick up without even glancing at the flyleaf. I enjoy his writing and just know I'm in for a good read.
The Risk Agent is Pearson's latest release.
The American firm of Rutherford Risk specializes in 'extraction' - the recovery of kidnap victions and hostages. Chinese national Lu Hao is kidnapped, as is Cletus Danner - the American who was keeping an eye on Lu Hao. This operation is going to require some finesse.......and some unique operatives. Civilian John Knox is approached - he has an intimate knowledge of the country and the language. And he has specialized military training as well. His counterpart? Grace Chu. On the surface she is simply a forensic accountant, hired to follow the money. But she too has military training.
I found the background behind the Risk Agent interesting. Ridley Pearson spent a year in Shanghai with his family while teaching at a local university. This year's residence added much detail to The Risk Agent. The customs, culture, language and descriptions of the land and it's people were richly described and definitely added to the overall tone of the book.
My favourite series of Pearson's have been the Lou Boldt novels. With The Risk Agent, Ridley takes us in a new direction - espionage instead of suspense. I felt a little lost in the beginning as there are many, many characters introduced very quickly. The book hits the ground running from the first chapter and never lets up. There are layers upon layers in the plot, with everyone having their own agenda hidden below the primary objective. You'll want to be on your toes to keep track of all the machinations going on.
But the real draw are these new characters. Pearson has wisely created both a strong male and female protagonist, appealing to all readers. I enjoyed both characters, but was more drawn to John. I think his personal back story engaged me more. The Risk Agent is the first offering in a new series. I'll be looking forward to the next novel featuring this pair. Now that the stage has been set, I think there's lots of action ahead for this intrepid duo.
Fans of the Ludlum novels and those of Vince Flynn would enjoy this new series.
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Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Risk Agent by Ridley Pearson is a fictional mystery/thriller taking place in China. The book is the first of a new series.
The Rutherford Risk firm has a problem. They are trying to negotiate for a hostage which was taken in Shanghai, but are not allowed, by law, to investigate. The firm recruits two outsiders to bypass the Chinese laws, a dangerous game even when playing by the rules.
American Jon Knox, a civilian with military training, and Grace Chu, an accountant with military training, are put on the job. There are many things which are dangerous in corporate China, but following the money is certainly on top of the list.
The Risk Agent by Ridley Pearson is a whirlwind of a ride through the business world of China. While I don’t know enough about the business world in that part of the world, that part of the novel certainly seemed authentic to me and made for a fascinating read.
It seems that in China many companies, especially those who are not based in China, have a habit of giving incentives to government officials in order to gain the upper hand in the bidding process, or simply just flat out to get a job. Much like elections “incentives” (campaign donations), the act is frowned on officially but it seems to be the standard operating procedure (SOP) with a large amount of recipients but only selective victims.
The Risk Agent is not a quick read by any means, the novel is plotted extremely well and takes time to digest and follow, but the reward of going on a great adventure is well worth the investment in time.
The two main characters, John Knox and Grace Chu, are fully developed and we get to know them before the final page is done. It is amazing at how much character development goes into this novel while running around the backstreets of Shanghai.
I have said time and time again and one of the main reasons I like espionage novels is that they are mostly gray. The line distinguishing bad from good are often blurred and horse hair thin. The novel’s twists and turns had me guessing who is on whose side, what was most certain is that everyone has their own agenda which made the story more compelling.
An invigorating aspect of the book is the character of Grace Chu, a level headed accountant (and an ex-Chinese military). Contrasting Grace’s cool head and world view with John Knox’s impatience and impulsiveness added another interesting angle, as well as balance, to the story. While every partners story has some friction between the characters, I believe that this relationship
I believe that Mr. Pearson has created two of the most complex and fascinating characters which had the dubious pleasure of becoming partners. I, for one, am looking forward to their next exploits.
Anonymous
Posted June 27, 2012
Ridley Pearson has done is again! He is truly amazing. The book takes you on whipping turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Honestly, he has done it again! Ridley Pearson, please keep releasing books because we're all wanting to come back for more. Bravo.
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Overview
#1 New York Times bestselling author Ridley Pearson begins an electrifying new thriller series.
After a Chinese national working for an American-owned construction company is kidnapped in Shanghai, Rutherford Risk—a hostage rescue firm—is called in. But in China, private investigation is illegal, and operating within its borders will be difficult.
For the job, the company recruits two outsiders: Grace Chu, a refined forensic expert, to follow ...