Synopses & Reviews
This installment is all about impossible escapes and elusive spycraft
.Another hit in this knockout thriller series featuring nonstop danger, casually clever descriptions of exotic locales, evolving characterization, and evenhanded sociopolitical commentary. Recommended for every beach bag.” Booklist
In the newest international thrill ride from New York Times-bestselling author Ridley Pearson, John Knox and Grace Chu, the incomparable and often incompatible duo, team up again, this time in the exotic city between two worlds,” Istanbul.
Whats it like to see yourself in a picture you never knew was taken?
John Knox is an expert at surveillance and delicate, international dealings. So he is understandably thrown when David Sarge” Dulwich, his contact at Rutherford Risk, hands him a photo of a transaction he recently facilitated in the Middle East. More curious to him, hes shown that photo while in the Red Room, the private security companys highly secure underground bunker, where eavesdropping is impossible and privacy ensured. Why all the cloak-and-dagger?
Knox is pressured into accepting a job as an art broker in the mysterious Istanbul, a city situated on two continents where East meets West and Islam meets Christianity. It is a melting pot of spies, terrorists, and conflicting interests.
Teamed with smart, quick, and fearless Grace Chu, Knox must navigate a murky operation, the only goal of which is to spend five minutes in the proximity of a man theyve never met. Why? What can it possibly matter? And why are so many others bound and determined to see it never happensat any cost?
Review
Praise for CHOKEPOINT
"John Knox and Grace Chu (The Risk Agent) return in another high-stakes international thriller set this time in Amsterdam…. Pearson has written another compelling thriller. Knox and Chu are protagonists who engage the reader…. A winner.”— Library Journal
"[Chu and Knox] make a good team, with his brawn and her brains, as they fight and kill their way to the top of the child-abuse cabal. Plenty of action and some steamy sex help make the pages fly by." —Publishers Weekly
"It's obvious why Pearson has earned praise as thriller grand master; the pacing is flawlessly anxiety ridden, and the investigative elements are richly layered."—Booklist
“Readers who like crime novels that teem with violence and provide more than a touch of sex will give Choke Point high ratings. So will readers who enjoy prose with a sharp edge.”— St. Louis Today
Praise for THE RISK AGENT
“Rich with the atmosphere of Shanghai…and filled with breathtaking suspense. …Famous for his plotting and attention to details, Pearson is off to a great start with his compelling and multilayered new protagonists.”—Library Journal (starred)
“A cunning thriller worthy of the promised series… Exotic locale. Credible heroics. Vicarious thrills. Fans will want more, and soon.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Pearson, who lived with his family in Shanghai for a year, has created an intense and realistic thriller. The atmosphere and culture of China draw readers into a new world.... With “The Risk Agent,” he has a great start to what appears to be a new series.”—Associated Press
"Forensic accountant Grace Chu is a cool, whip-smart beauty trained in the Chinese military. John Knox is a combat veteran with focus and ferocity in equal measure....Pearson renders steady suspense and a vibrant portrait of a city that blends history, mystery, and a remarkably resilient citizenry."—Booklist
Review
Praise for the Chu-Knox Series “Brainy … [a] Rubiks cube of a thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review on The Red Room
“Pearson offers readers a rainbow of Istanbuls local color.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Pearson's third book in the Risk Agent series is an E-ticket adventure of lies, betrayal and violence… Pearson leaves no doubt that he can handle the espionage trade. The writing style is tense, breathless. The plot, a thick maze of questions.”
—The Arizona Republic
“Istanbul comes alive in Pearsons prose, capturing its multiple flavors and presenting its fascinating conglomeration of East and West blended through thousands of years of history. Yet he keeps the plot racing along to the climax. This book will keep you turning the pages until the very end.”
— Suspense Magazine on The Red Room
“Pearson has crafted a great series with characters and settings the reader will enjoy, and demand will be heavy owing to his growing fanbase.”
—Library Journal on The Red Room
“Exciting…Pearson peels away the various layers of deception before the satisfying denouement.”
—Publishers Weekly on The Red Room
"It's obvious why Pearson has earned praise as thriller grand master; the pacing is flawlessly anxiety ridden, and the investigative elements are richly layered."
—Booklist on Choke Point
“Readers who like crime novels that teem with violence and provide more than a touch of sex will give Choke Point high ratings. So will readers who enjoy prose with a sharp edge.”
— St. Louis Today on Choke Point
“Rich with the atmosphere of Shanghai…and filled with breathtaking suspense. …Famous for his plotting and attention to details, Pearson is off to a great start with his compelling and multilayered new protagonists.”
—Library Journal (starred) on The Risk Agent
“A cunning thriller worthy of the promised series… Exotic locale. Credible heroics. Vicarious thrills. Fans will want more, and soon.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Review
Praise for Ridley Pearson and his and#8220;stunningand#8230;international thriller seriesand#8221; (St. Augustine News):
and#8220;The perfect wayand#8230;to acquire a new reading addiction.and#8221; and#8212;BookReporter.com
and#8220;[A] Rubikand#8217;s Cube of a thriller.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
and#8220;Will keep you turning the pages until the very end.and#8221;and#8212;Suspense Magazine
and#8220;Brace yourself for a thrilling afternoon.and#8221;and#8212;Chicago Tribune
and#8220;A cunning thrillerand#8230;Fans will want more, and soon.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
and#8220;Pearson can plot a heist with ingenuity and delicious complexity.and#8221;and#8212;St. Louis Post-Dispatch
and#8220;A master of that all-too-rare book: the read that is both exciting and intelligent.and#8221;and#8212;The Associated Press
and#8220;Ridley Pearson writes thrillersand#8230;that try to yank you to the edge of your seat and keep you there.and#8221;and#8212;Boston Sunday Globe
and#8220;Ridley Pearsonand#8230;[is] fully worthy of comparison to Michael Connelly.and#8221;and#8212;Scott Turow
and#8220;Consummate entertainment.and#8221;and#8212;The Baltimore Sun
and#8220;Ridley Pearson packs a wallop.and#8221;and#8212;The Cincinnati Enquirer
Synopsis
John Knox and Grace Chu are back in the new Risk Agent noveland#151; and#147;another hit in this knockout thriller seriesand#8221; (Booklist) by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Choke Point.
Security operative John Knox and former Chinese Army spy Grace Chu have accepted a simple job in Istanbul: initiate the sale of a piece of ancient art worth millions to an anonymous client. But in Istanbul they find themselves in a melting pot of government agents and terrorists, where East meets West. Now Knox and Chu realize they are players in a bigger, more dangerous game than they ever imagined. Their client is himself a pawn in Iranand#8217;s nuclear program.
As they move closer to the truth, they understand better their own vulnerability. They are not alone in wanting contact with this client. Forced to test the loyalty of the very people who hired them, aware their next move could trigger a power shift in the Middle East, the two arrange a meeting that threatens to kill all involved.
About the Author
Ridley Pearson is the New York Times bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including The Risk Agent and Choke Point, featuring John Knox and Grace Chu; the Walt Fleming novels; the Lou Boldt crime series; and many books for young readers, including the Kingdom Keepers series. He lives with his wife and two daughters in St. Louis, Missouri, and Hailey, Idaho