Killer View by Ridley Pearson

". . .a multifaceted and skillfully plotted story with perfect pacing."

Sheriff Walt Fleming is struggling. His wife left him for his best deputy, a man he respects and needs to keep things running smoothly in Sun Valley. Unfortunately, he may have to ask that same deputy to transfer to another town. Walt’s job also interferes with spending time with his twin daughters. His sister-in-law is pushing him to get rid of his wife’s things and move on with his life.

In the midst of all this turmoil, Walt receives a 9-1-1 cell phone call about lost skier and a storm brewing. He calls on his best friend veterinarian Mark Akers and Mark’s brother Randy to help with the search.

Mark’s best tracking dog finds leads Walt and Mark to a body buried in the snow. It’s Randy Akers. Now Walt isn’t so sure what they heard was a tree branch cracking. With Randy dead, it was more likely a gunshot.

In the meantime, Mark’s assistant is kidnapped from a local bar. She walks into the emergency room the next day after being drugged, raped and beaten. When Mark is kidnapped the next day, Walt finds himself on the trail of something that threatens the peace and safety of Sun Valley and the security of the whole country.

Sun Valley in the winter is the playground of wealthy and privileged and the perfect spot for intrigue in Ridley Pearson’s latest thriller, Killer View. With an eye for detail and complex characters, Pearson serves up a mystery that keeps the reader guessing until the end. The background characters provide reality and texture to this breathless thrill ride, as well as a breathing space between all out action.

Killer View is a multifaceted and skillfully plotted story with perfect pacing and an ending I didn’t see coming. Pearson left me awed and breathless – and sad it was over. I look forward to Walt Fleming’s next adventure.

Reviewer: J. M. Cornwell