Undercurrents (Boldt/Matthews) [Hardcover]

Ridley Pearson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1988 | Series: Boldt/Matthews

Seattle is a city paralyzed by fear. A serial killer is loose on its streets. And as each new victim surfaces-chest slashed, eyes taped open-the tide of panic rises.

Driven by guilt and frustration, too exhausted to consider stopping, Detective Lou Boldt thinks he's finally gotten the break he needs to end the Cross Killer's twisted spree. But each new clue contradicts another. And each new corpse mocks Boldt's efforts.

To fathom the silent tale told by the latest corpse washed up in Puget Sound, Boldt has to go beyond every state-of-the-art method at his disposal. But as he gets closer to the truth, he travels deeper into the tortured mind of a relentless killer...into the depths of his own fear...and into a whirlpool of madness more frightening than his worst nightmares.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A ghoulish series of murders of young women in the Seattle area has the city jittery with fear and the Seattle Homicide bureau exhaustively hunting down every wisp of a clue. Police Sergeant Lou Boldt, who heads up the investigation, has a special stake in finding the psychopathic murderer, dubbed the "Cross Killer" by the press. Boldt was involved in arresting a suspect in the case who was later gunned down in the courtroom, although now he appears to have been innocent of the crimes. The guilt from that death, the unraveling of his marriage and a new and disturbing twist to the escalating series of murders have Boldt totally obsessed., The new twist comes after a 10th body is found appearing to be the handiwork of the Cross Killer. To Boldt's fine-tuned eye, however, this latest murder may actually be the work of a copycat killeran imitation so good, in fact, that Boldt has the unnerving suspicion that this murderer may very well be somebody within the police department. The narrative unfolds in a series of deftly rendered cinematic scenes leading to a hair-raising denouement. Pierson (The Seizing of Yankee Green Mall) has the ability to create a credible protaganist and involve the reader in his dilemma by virtue of a neatly constructed plot. He has, in addition, an authentic feeling for police investigation and forensic medicine, and a remarkable insight and understanding of the motivations of the criminal mind. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo; film rights to Martin Bergman Productions.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"One hell of a writer. He grabs, he twists, he tightens the screws...a superb read!" --Clive Cussler

"Outstanding police procedural...An attention to forensic and procedural detail unmatched outside of Ed McBain's best...A read-through-the-night story that's a savory treat." --Kirkus Reviews

"Pearson has done well at putting together the grueling steps in an investigation...His characters are believable, and it's an enjoyable entertainment." --Chicago Tribune

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 386 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (May 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031201841X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312018412
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #488,504 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

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true page turner, October 27, 1999

By 

antoinette (South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Undercurrents: A Haunted Detective. A Shadowy Killer. And A City Drowning In A Tide Of Fear. (Boldt/Matthews) (Mass Market Paperback)

From the second I read the first word I could not put the book down. This book's plot is well planned and written. What is nice is that the author does not repeat himself in order to keep the plot flowing. This is my first Ridley Pearson novel & I am planning to read all of them.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ridley Pearson at his best, February 26, 1999

By 

James Pertierra "Jim Pertierra" (Cohoes, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Undercurrents: A Haunted Detective. A Shadowy Killer. And A City Drowning In A Tide Of Fear. (Boldt/Matthews) (Mass Market Paperback)

This was my first Ridley Pearson book. I had read an article in the Boston Globe regarding new mystery writers and decided to try them all. Pearson is the one that I have stuck with.

When I first read Undercurrents, I literally could not put it down. In fact I missed an Eric Clapton concert because I lost track of the time.

This is the first Lou and Daphne novel and, arguably, the best!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One word, "Awesome" !!, October 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Undercurrents: A Haunted Detective. A Shadowy Killer. And A City Drowning In A Tide Of Fear. (Boldt/Matthews) (Mass Market Paperback)

Never have I read a book so intense and so addictive! I lost almost half a nights sleep trying to find out what happens next.When I finished reading it, I so wanted more. That's why I went out and bought his other "Lou Boldt" books. I recommend this fast paced thriller to anyone who is a fan of this genre - even if you're not....