Probable Cause: When One Man's Passion For Justice Becomes An Obsession For Revenge [Mass Market Paperback]

Ridley Pearson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1991

Shattered...by a mindless act of violence that changed his life forever, James Dewitt decided to become a cop.

Shackled...by a web of red tape and corruption, Dewitt now fights desperately to solve a string of murders cleverly staged to look like suicides.

Submerged...in the deranged world of the psychopathic mind, Dewitt struggles to outwit the killer-the man they call the "trapper"-before it's too late...and to use every fingerprint and every fiber-and every last ounce of his strength-to escape the ultimate evil.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Delivered in a dreary, stilted prose style, Pearson's new procedural (after Undercurrents ) reflects the tedium of most police work. In Carmel-by-the-sea, Calif., Detective James Dewitt, a former forensic investigator, comes across a couple of suicides in as many days. He and forensics aide Clare O'Daly suspect murder and focus on a bent policeman. When the cop dies, asphyxiated in his car like the first victims, Dewitt steps up his investigation, working his way through a varied cast--a rich assemblywoman, a petty thief, a sexy female lawyer, a spoiled rich kid, a jailed serial killer, a vengeful psychotic. Though Dewitt is endangered and half his family murdered, few readers will care. The action and love scenes are as unconvincing as Dewitt's anguished misgivings about justice; the novel fizzles out in three "climaxes" and a couple of sentimental codas. 100,000 first printing; $100,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Fascinating...Breathless!" --Chicago Tribune

"A natural storyteller...he keeps the thread going, twisting the details...dancing the forensic shuffle without missing a step," --Richmond Times-Dispatch

"So unusual that finding who-done-it is far from the end of the story." --The West Coast Review of Books

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 401 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (January 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312923856
• ISBN-13: 978-0312923853
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,375,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ridley Pearson (www.ridleypearson.com), the first American to be awarded the Raymond Chandler/Fulbright Fellowship in Detective Fiction at Wadham College, Oxford University, is the bestselling author of over 35 novels including, Peter And the Starcatchers (co-written with Dave Barry), the young adult novel, The Kingdom Keepers, and two dozen crime novels including: Probable Cause, Beyond Recognition and Killer Weekend (July 2007). His novel The Diary Of Ellen Rimbauer, a prequel to a Stephen King miniseries, was a New York Times #1 bestseller, as was Peter and the Shadow Thieves (#1 for 6 weeks). Ridley adapted The Diary Of Ellen Rimbaurer for ABC Television; it aired in 2003.

Peter and the Starcatchers is to open as a stage play, off-Broadway in March 2011, under Disney Theatrical.

Ridley is a founding member of, and plays bass guitar in, the all-author rock band, The Rockbottom Remainders (www.rockbottomremainders.com), with Dave Barry, Stephen King, Scott Turow, Mitch Albom, Amy Tan and Greg Iles. The band has raised over 2.5 million dollars for charities over its 18 year history.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bravo!, October 11, 2000

By 

mellion108 (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Probable Cause: When One Man's Passion For Justice Becomes An Obsession For Revenge (Mass Market Paperback)

No doubt about it, Pearson is magnificent. He has an incredible knack for creating suspense and developing believable characters. I enjoyed this novel so much and carried it with me just so I could finish it more quickly!
James DeWitt is a brilliant forensic scientist turned detective in Carmel, California. He switches jobs a few months after a horrific loss rocks his family. When suspicious suicides start popping up, DeWitt bulldozes his way past doubting fellow officers to investigate what everyone else says are open-and-shut cases. He teams up with Clare O'Daly, current forensic investigator, to get to the bottom of the mysterious deaths. Along the way he battles bureaucratic red tape, political interference and a burning suspicion that someone is building a bizarre cover-up. Did I mention that someone seems to be stalking his family? DeWitt doesn't even realize the impact this case will have on his life.
Pearson gives us great characters, a likeable hero, a ghastly villain and an intriguing little mystery. This is a taut thriller that held my attention and had me zipping through the pages to find out what would happen next. I'm so glad I found Pearson's books, and now I can't wait to move on to the next one!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Probable Cause" Is A Definte Winner, July 20, 2000

By 

"goldcoastreviews" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Probable Cause: When One Man's Passion For Justice Becomes An Obsession For Revenge (Mass Market Paperback)

As with most authors I become enamoured with, Ridley Pearson's top notch crime writing has led me back to some of his earlier works. This one is a definite winner.

In "Probable Cause" we meet James Dewitt. He is on the prowl for a serial killer who stretches out a nasty string of murders. One catch. This psychopath makes them all look like suicides. Using the fewest of clues, Dewitt begins his relentless search. Add to the mix a re-birth of happenings Dewitt would rather forget and we also see a man striving to save his reputation, as well as possibly his own life.

A well written criminal thrill read.

other reading suggestions: "Messiah" by Boris Starling, "Mayday" by Nelson DeMille, and "Running Blind" by Lee Childs

Thanks for your interest & comments--CDS

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent thrill ride, July 7, 2001

By 

Sharon L. Fox (Hubertus, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Probable Cause: When One Man's Passion For Justice Becomes An Obsession For Revenge (Mass Market Paperback)

This was my first introduction to Mr. Pearson. After reading it, I was hooked on his writing forever. And now, after reading every Lou Boldt book, Hard Fall, and Hidden Charges, I would definitely rate this as one of his best! It begins by introducing a character who is recovering from the loss of his wife and daughter. Mr. Pearson develops this man into someone we really care about. Without giving it away, let's just say that if you like books that cover the art of forensic science in a skillful way, I would recommend The Pied Piper, Middle of Nowhere, and Probable Cause as his three best!