Synopses & Reviews
Sun Valley sheriff Walt Fleming returns in this high-intensity thriller from New York Times- bestselling author Ridley Pearson. Sun Valley, Idaho-playground of the wealthy and politically connected-is home to an annual wine auction that attracts high rollers from across the country, and Blaine County Sheriff Walt Fleming is the one who must ensure it goes off without a hitch. The world's most elite wine connoisseurs have descended on Sun Valley to taste and bid on the world's best wines, including three bottles claimed to have been a gift from Thomas Jefferson to John Adams. With sky-high prices all but guaranteed for these historic items, it's no wonder a group of thieves is out to steal them. Walt is responsible for all aspects of the glitzy event, from security of the dignitaries to the physical safety of the auction site to the transportation and safeguard of the wines themselves.
Walt is enjoying a rare afternoon of freedom, fly-fishing with his nephew, Kevin, when a passing truck catches his eye- his suspicions throwing him headlong into the discovery of a complicated plan to steal the rare wine. When a bomb detonates just as the auction revs up, the investigation explodes as well, pulling Walt in a dozen different directions. It seems Walt is caught in the middle of a heist of epic proportions-and not the heist he had prepared for-all orchestrated by the ingenious mind of Christopher Cantell, a man who appears to have covered everything, including the way Walt's own sheriff's office will react.
Review
and#160;Praise for CHOKEPOINT
"John Knox and Grace Chu (The Risk Agent) return in another high-stakes international thriller set this time in Amsterdamand#8230;. Pearson has written another compelling thriller. Knox and Chu are protagonists who engage the readerand#8230;. A winner.and#8221;
and#8212; 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." and#160; and#8212;Publishers Weeklyand#160;
"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."
and#8212;Booklist
and#160; and#160;Praise for THE RISK AGENT
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Rich with the atmosphere of Shanghaiand#8230;and filled with breathtaking suspense. and#8230;Famous for his plotting and attention to details, Pearson is off to a great start with his compelling and multilayered new protagonists.and#8221; and#8212;Library Journal (starred)and#160;
and#8220;A cunning thriller worthy of the promised seriesand#8230; Exotic locale. Credible heroics. Vicarious thrills. Fans will want more, and soon.and#8221;and#160;
and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
and#8220;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 and#8220;The Risk Agent,and#8221; he has a great start to what appears to be a new series.and#8221; and#8212;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." and#8212;Booklistand#160; and#160;
Review
and#160;Praise for THE RISK AGENT Novels and#160;
and#8220;Rich with the atmosphere of Shanghaiand#8230;and filled with breathtaking suspense. and#8230;Famous for his plotting and attention to details, Pearson is off to a great start with his compelling and multilayered new protagonists.and#8221;
and#8212;Library Journal (starred) onand#160;The Risk Agent
and#8220;A cunning thriller worthy of the promised seriesand#8230; Exotic locale. Credible heroics. Vicarious thrills. Fans will want more, and soon.and#8221;and#160;
and#8212;Kirkus Reviewsand#160;onand#160;The Risk Agent
and#8220;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 and#8220;The Risk Agent,and#8221; he has a great start to what appears to be a new series.and#8221; and#8212;Associated Press on The Risk Agent
"Thriller fans will want this, too."
and#8212;Library Journal onand#160;Choke Point
"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." and#8212;Booklist on The Risk Agent
Review
and#160;Praise for CHOKEPOINT
[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. and#160; and#8212;Publishers Weeklyand#160;
"Thriller fans will want this, too."
and#8212;Library Journaland#160;
and#160; and#160;Praise for THE RISK AGENT Novels
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Rich with the atmosphere of Shanghaiand#8230;and filled with breathtaking suspense. and#8230;Famous for his plotting and attention to details, Pearson is off to a great start with his compelling and multilayered new protagonists.and#8221; and#8212;Library Journal (starred)and#160;
and#8220;A cunning thriller worthy of the promised seriesand#8230; Exotic locale. Credible heroics. Vicarious thrills. Fans will want more, and soon.and#8221;and#160;
and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
and#8220;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 and#8220;The Risk Agent,and#8221; he has a great start to what appears to be a new series.and#8221; and#8212;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." and#8212;Booklistand#160; and#160;
Review
and#160;Praise for CHOKEPOINT
"John Knox and Grace Chu (The Risk Agent) return in another high-stakes international thriller set this time in Amsterdamand#8230;. Pearson has written another compelling thriller. Knox and Chu are protagonists who engage the readerand#8230;. A winner.and#8221;
and#8212; 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. and#160; and#8212;Publishers Weeklyand#160;
and#160; and#160;Praise for THE RISK AGENT Novels
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Rich with the atmosphere of Shanghaiand#8230;and filled with breathtaking suspense. and#8230;Famous for his plotting and attention to details, Pearson is off to a great start with his compelling and multilayered new protagonists.and#8221; and#8212;Library Journal (starred)and#160;
and#8220;A cunning thriller worthy of the promised seriesand#8230; Exotic locale. Credible heroics. Vicarious thrills. Fans will want more, and soon.and#8221;and#160;
and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
and#8220;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 and#8220;The Risk Agent,and#8221; he has a great start to what appears to be a new series.and#8221; and#8212;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." and#8212;Booklistand#160; and#160;
Synopsis
It begins as a heist in Sun Valley, Idaho-until the local sheriff discovers a more sinister underlying plan. The crime gets more personal. The stakes are raised, and nothing is as it seems.
Synopsis
When an award-winning foreign journalist reveals the existence of an Amsterdam-based sweatshop known as a andldquo;knot shopandrdquo; that employs and enslaves young girls as laborers, private security firm Rutherford Risk is hired by a philanthropist to find it and shut it down.
David andldquo;Sargeandrdquo; Dulwich, Knoxandrsquo;s former boss from their government contractor days, knows that Knox's cultural knowledge, combat skills, and sympathy for the abused make him right for the job. Joined by Grace Chu, whose more subtle skills for acquiring sensitive tech information help to balance Knox's improvisational style, he heads to Amsterdam in an attempt to dismantle the child labor operation and rescue the girls. In their way is a crime organization that has permeated the neighborhoods with goodwill turning even the victims' parents against their would-be saviors. With enemies around every corner, Knox and Grace can't tell the good from the bad.
About the Author
Ridley Pearson is the author of more than twenty novels, including the New York Times bestseller Killer Weekend; the Lou Boldt crime series; and many books for young readers, including the award-winning children's novels Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, which he cowrote with Dave Barry. Pearson lives with his wife and two daughters, dividing their time between Missouri and Idaho.