Ridley Pearson is a well-known author who I’ve never read. I decided to pick up ‘Killer Weekend,’ my first book by Mr. Pearson. It will also be my last book by Mr. Pearson.If a book is well-written with characters I like and can relate to but only a so-so plot, I will read the book. On the other hand, if the book has a GREAT premse but features poor writing and bland characters, I will not finish it. “Killer Weekend’ had neither. The plot: The current Atty General of the US is in Sun Valley, ID to announce her candidacy for President while an assassin is lurking around determined to kill her. Ohh, okay. Political figure being the target of an assassin? It’s been done a million times but okay, I’ll go with it. Characters: They were all bland, blah, cardboard figures. I’ve always said that when I’m reading a novel I want to be able to identify with the characters. I want to relate to them. I want to feel something for them. I want to cheer the good guy and hate the bad guy. Every single character in ‘Killer Weekend’ was not only boring but one dimensional. I truly believe Mr. Pearson took a piece of paper, drew a line down the middle. On the left hand side, he listed character traits and on the right hand side, gave them a name. Every single person in this novel was one dimensional. Walt: The extremely dedicated clean-cut cop.Liz: The politician with self-doubt.Jerry: Walt’s condescending father who disapproves of his son’s career.Patrick: the very wealthy guy who is smugDanny: the recovering drug userMyra: the whiny sister-in-lawKevin: the teenager hanging out with a bad crowdIllia: the town slutAnd so it goes. If anything, I actually found the hero of the book, Walt, somewhat dislikable. He and his wife are divorced. Yet when he finds out she has moved on and is sleeping with someone else on the police force, he starts giving his fellow officer a hard time. High school anyone???I also—and this is just my opinion—greatly disliked Mr. Pearson’s writing style. I found it disjointed and while it’s a fast moving book, it’s NOT an easy read. I read a lot, generally 2 books a week. But I was constantly saying ‘huh?’ and having to go back a page or two to re-read something.I also feel that Mr. Pearson is absolutely horrible at writing dialogue. How his editor could have let this get published is beyond me. When there are 3-4 people in a room having a conversation, and all he does is write sentences in quotes without ever mentioning who is speaking. It’s very confusing. You have no idea who is talking.On the other hand, in chapter 2, I believe, for some reason this ‘novel’ turns into a play. It’s actually written like a play with a person’s name, followed by semi-colons.Bud: Who’s on First?Lou: ExactlyBud: That’s what I want to know.Lou” No, what’s on second base.You get the idea. From time to time I’ll start a book that I am unable to finish. I usually give it around 75 pages. This book was 350 pages. I gave it 200 pages, hoping and wanting it to get better. It never did. For me, an animal lover, the breaking point came when within 5 pages, a cat and a dog were killed for really no reason at all.I’m giving this one star only because I’m unable to rate it less.
**Synopsis** Eight years ago, Sun Valley, Idaho, sheriff Walt Fleming bravely thwarted an attempt on New York State Attorney General Elizabeth Shaler's life. Now AG Shaler is back in town, poised to announce her candidacy for president at a three-day conference catering to the world's most prominent business leaders. The event is the brainchild of Patrick Cutter, a tycoon whose sybaritic lifestyle is a source of both scorn and awe. (He is but one example of the super-rich citizenry that's taken up residence in the once-quiet ski town.)There is no shortage of security for the proceedings--local police, Secret Service, and Cutter's own team--but it's not enough to deter a cunning assassin who slips seamlessly between a pair of identities. (His blind-man act is particularly impressive.) Meanwhile, Sheriff Fleming must cope with the suspicious death of a beautiful socialite and the breakup of his own marriage; it doesn't help matters that his deputy is sleeping with his ex-wife. This is the first in a new series for Pearson, whose cleverly interwoven plots and crisp, economical prose have graced more than a dozen thrillers, most notably the Lou Boldt-Daphne Matthews series. **REVIEW** Killer Weekend introduces us to Sheriff Walt Fleming of Blaine County, Idaho (which is in the Sun Valley area). The assassin has assumed two identities, one as a businessman and one as a blind man who is a shy, technological expert. The latter identity offers him unparalleled opportunities to get on the inside; most people associate lack of sight with helplessness. Rafe Nagler/Milav Trevalian is anything but helpless. The motivation for the assassination wasn't clear to me; and some of the ways that the villain got around the security detail didn't add up, especially with the so-called tighting of security around the AG.Sheriff Fleming also has some personal issues that blend with saving Shaler's life again. Recently divorced after difficulties following the death of his brother, he finds out that one his own deputies is sleeping with his ex. The idea behind this book is intriguing, as well as the character of Walt Fleming. The story tends to drift at times, but oveall, a good yarn for the mystery readers among us.
What do You think about Killer Weekend (2007)?
SETTING: Sun Valley, IdahoSERIES: Standalone thrillerRATING: 3.5Attorney General Liz Shaler of New York is planning to announce that she will be a candidate for the presidency. The event is a media conference being held in Sun Valley, Idaho, and hosted by Patrick Cutter, a billionaire businessman. The security for Shaler's visit to the area is extremely tight, with federal and local law enforcement officials and private contractors working together to protect the would-be candidate. Several years earlier, Sheriff Walt Fleming interrupted an attempt on Ms. Shaler's life while she was vacationing in Sun Valley. As a result, she trusts Walt implicitly and wants him heading up the security effort.Indeed, there is a very clever hit man who has cooked up a plan to kill Liz as she announces her candidacy. He's assumed two identities, one as a businessman and one as a blind man who is a shy, technological expert. The latter identity offers him unparalleled opportunities to get on the inside; most people associate lack of sight with helplessness. Rafe Nagler/Milav Trevalian is anything but helpless. The motivation for the assassination wasn't clear to me; and some of the ways that the villain got around the security detail didn't add up.Pearson excels at building suspense. The reader knows that an attempt on Liz's life is coming, but the details aren't laid out until the last possible moment. The killer is very resourceful; and it appears that he has the upper hand over the laid-back Fleming. But, as they say, appearances can be deceiving. Fleming is quite intuitive and able to put together disparate pieces of information quickly.The suspense elements were certainly well done; however, there were times when the clunky prose took me right out of the story. I wonder if there is something about being a New York Times best selling author that precludes the publisher from having an editor assigned to a book. The plot and pace may pull the reader along, but Pearson's writing technique leaves a lot to be desired. One technique that he uses is to create a new chapter every time there's a switch in the action from one character to another. This led to a plethora of very short chapters, which in turn resulted in an extremely choppy narrative flow. I suspect that these short chapters were meant to build tension; but instead, they took me out of the story.Killer Weekend is being touted as the start of a new series, with Walt Fleming as the protagonist. He's an interesting character, struggling with a lot of personal baggage. I’m having a hard time seeing him as the lead in a thriller series, though; he's competent but not charismatic.
—Maddy
Unsure…Not quite sure how to play this one. I really enjoy Pearson’s Boldt series, but this one… not that great, I hate to admit.I felt disconnected while reading this; like reading it because it’s there but the author fails to suck you into the story. Strange, but true. I found the characters were the same as everything else I’ve read - nothing to draw them apart, make them special. You get a glimpse of Walt’s past and understand why he and his father are always tense around each other, but in the now, Walt should have been able to get over that. I’m sure to a twelve-year-old it was too much, but as adults - I mean, come on! Enough is enough already. All the talk about Walt and his wife no longer together, that it didn’t work and yet, his feelings at finding out his ex-wife is with someone else, let alone a co-worker is spinning him around. I have to give kudos to Pearson, however: Walt is a very smart sheriff. I’m glad he solved it.And yet, still, with all the characters in the book, there’s nothing personal in it. While there are a couple of scenes between two secondary characters, it was more of a set up for what happens, and I felt cheated. You don’t get to the heart of any of the characters except for Walt, and even then it feels disconnected. The synopsis of the book talks about Liz, but she isn’t even close to a primary character in the book, even if all the events are surrounding her. It’s like there should have been a previous book on both characters so that you understand them better.And the whole killer in disguise thing - it’s been done before. Mind you, the way Pearson put it in his book was pretty inventive. And what he does to the dog… while I found that a little ‘tacky’, pretty inventive as well. Some might freak on the whole “animal cruelty’ thing, but the dog is fine, nothing happens to her, so get off it already.All in all, while it was pretty good and it had some high points, especially near the end, it still fell far short of expectations… and I hate it when that happens.
—Gina
I like Ridley Pearson also had previously read Killer Summer. This was a good fast paced read and a little different in that you know who one of the bad guys was almost immediately. I caught it before he told us but for a different reason than the author gave. Walt is the ultimate sheriff who has to deal with a broken marriage and a bad relationship with his father all the while setting up security for Liz Shaler who is going to announce a run for President. Walt has to deal with an assassin who is in disguise and a murder of a prominent billionaire's wife. Lots of good stuff but to quick of an ending and I hate it when the author gives a detail at the end that helps explain what happened and why. Give some sort of clue. I still enjoyed it.
—Kevin Allmaras
