Ridley Pearson - Middle of Nowhere

Praise for Middle of Nowhere :

Excitement quotient: high; technology details: intriguing.

USA Today

Master plotter, reliable thrills from a pro.

Kirkus Reviews

Fast-paced read from beginning to end. Pearson is able to effortlessly intertwine several detailed plot lines while still keeping his story rmly robed in reality.

New York Post

Pearson uses clear, forthright prose that perfectly exposes the psychological doubts and fears of his characters and keeps the plot racing from scene to scene. Craftily, Pearson weaves his web.

Providence Sunday Journal

Praise for The First Victim:

Razor sharp plotting and timing.

Seattle Times

There is no one writing police novels with the precise touch of Pearson. His stories are thoroughly researched, heartbreaking and full of escalating suspense.

Denver Rocky Mountain News

Praise for The Pied Piper :

Pearson proves once again that he can put together a big-scale, big-time police manhunt better than anybody else in the business.

Kirkus Reviews

A master of this genre. We all should thank Ridley Pearson for the gift of good characters and great plots.

Washington Times

Pearson is a rst-rate writer, and The Pied Piper wont disappoint his growing number of fans.

Knight Ridder News Service

Praise for Beyond Recognition:

Pearsons dazzling forensics will hook his usual fans. But its the richness of incident and the control of pace thatll keep them dangling as he switches gears each time you think the storys got to be winding down in this exhilarating entertainment.

Kirkus Reviews

Pearson has all the sharps and ats he needs to keep his roller-coaster rhythm rising and falling, speeding and slowing, yet somehow always building, winding us tighter.

Booklist

Pearson has the details of a murder investigation down cold.

San Francisco Chronicle

Praise for Chain of Evidence :

This is an impeccable, high-speed thriller.

Boston Sunday Globe

Pearson handles the complex plot with grace and speed, packing a potent blend of action and procedural information into his work. A must-read for thriller fans.

Chicago Tribune

The gadget man is back with a bag of new toys. You dont have to be a techno-nerd to get wired on this scary stuff.

New York Times Book Review

Pearson weaves psychology and suspense into this tale of high-tech clues and complex motives.

Playboy

Ridley Pearson is an unequivocal success. Im hooked again.

Entertainment Weekly

Praise for No Witnesses:

Tough and intelligent.

Fort Worth Star Telegram

Up-to-the-nanosecond techno-thriller.

New York Times

Infused with astonishingly effective overtones.

Boston Globe

Good old-fashioned storytelling.

Washington Post Book World

A serious, well-researched, complex thriller.

Los Angeles Times

Praise for The Angel Maker :

Exceptionally gripping and full of amazing forensic lore: a top-ight offering from an author who has clearly found his groove.

Kirkus Reviews

A chilling thriller.

Dell Publishing

Praise for Hard Fall:

Pearson excels at novels that grip the imagination. Hard Fall is an adventure with all engines churning.

People magazine

Mesmerizing urgency.

Los Angeles Times Book Review

Nifty cat-and-mouse caper. Crisply written tale.

Chicago Tribune

Praise for Undercurrents:

Neatly constructed plot. Hair-raising denouement. Remarkable insight and understanding of the motivations of the criminal mind.

Publishers Weekly

Undercurrents is a roller-coaster ride in the dark.

Book of the Month

Praise for Probable Cause :

Filled with clues, both planted and missed, fancy forensic footwork, and intriguing snares. A whole lot of suspense. A satisfying, gripping police procedural.

Booklist

A sleek, cleverly plotted part-psychological thriller, part-courtroom drama.

Los Angeles Times

Praise for Never Look Back:

A masterly debut. Powerful yet poignant suspense story.

Booklist

A breakneck-action rst novel.

Kirkus Reviews

A L S O B Y R I D L E Y P E A R S O N

Parallel Lies

The First Victim *

The Pied Piper *

Beyond Recognition *

Chain of Evidence

No Witnesses *

The Angel Maker *

Hard Fall

Probable Cause

Undercurrents *

Hidden Charges

Blood of the Albatross

Never Look Back

*features Lou Boldt

Dead Aim

Aim for the Heart

Concerto in Dead Flat

All Over but the Dying

in Diagnosis: Terminal,

edited by F. Paul Wilson

The Putt at the End

of the World,

a serial novel

MIDDLE OF NOWHERE Copyright 2000 Ridley Pearson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the Publisher. Printed in the United States of America. For information address Hyperion, 77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298.

ISBN 0-7868-7199-7

First eBook edition: August 2001

Im honored to dedicate this book to my father, Robert G. Pearson, who not only brings to these pages an editorial pen, but enriches my life by demonstrating that a daily joy for living and a very real spiritual grounding can and does elevate ones experience. You are a trusted friend to your wife, and a mentor to all three of your childrenand that makes us a very special family indeed. A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

Thanks to Marsha Wilson of the Seattle Police Department; Lexis-Nexis; Louise Marsh, Nancy Litzinger, Mary Peterson, Courtney Samway and Debbie Cimino for ofce management; Paige, Storey and Marcelle; Gary Shelton; Matthew Snyder of CAA. Thanks, too, to Dave and Michelle and Tater, Mitch and Janine, James and Stephanie, Amy and Lou, Little Stephen and Shift Tab.

Middle of Nowhere was edited by Leigh Haber. Thanks again, Leigh, for the patience and hard work. I owe a special debt of gratitude to C. J. Snow and Michele Matrisciani.

Additional story line comments came from my agent, Al Zuckerman, and were much appreciated. To the people of Seattle, my apologies for any liberties taken herein with your incredible city. They are either mistakes, or the necessity of ction. Your tolerance is appreciated. P R O L O G U E

Behind her, the garage door groaned shut, a combination of hair-raising squealsmetal on metal

and the tight, quickened shudders of rollers traveling slightly off track. The garage openers bulb was burned out, leaving only the yellow glare of car headlights, on a self-timer. Sharp shadows stretched across the tools and garden hoses that cluttered the walls. The room smelled of burning rubber, hot motor oil and lawn fertilizerslightly sickening. A light rain struck the garage roof percussively.

Moving around the parked car, Maria Sanchezs body reected the late hourhunched shoulders, stiff legs. She wanted a bath, some Sleepytime tea and the Amy Tan novel that awaited her. She felt the weight of her sidearm in her purse as she adjusted its strap on her shoulder. When out on active duty she wore it holstered at her side, but the last four hours of her day had been paperwork, and she had transferred the gun to her bag. At least another four to go if she were to get even partly caught up. But no more on that night. She had clocked out. Amy Tan owned the rest of her waking hours.

Next page