Ridley Pearson Books in Order
See how Dave Barry teams up with Ridley Pearson, with all their shared children's adventures listed in order plus short summaries, background, and starting point tips.
Last updated: 10 new books added
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Ridley Pearson books in publication order
58 books
Never Look Back
by Ridley Pearson
1985
Agent Andy Clayton returns to duty when the Soviet operative who killed his twin brother enters America. Pursuing revenge, he confronts a dangerous biological weapon and an intelligence operation that threatens to make him its next victim.
Blood of the Albatross
by Ridley Pearson
1986
Seattle musician Jay Becker supplements his income with sailing lessons, until mysterious student Marlene draws him into espionage. Defense secrets, violent deaths, and conflicting loyalties turn an apparently simple expedition into a threat to everyone he loves.
Dead Aim
by Ridley Pearson
1988
Former musician Chris Klick's quiet Idaho life is interrupted by Nicole Russell's missing husband, dog, and fifty thousand dollars. With friend Lyel, he investigates corruption in Snow Lake, where recovering her money could prove deadly.
The Seizing of Yankee Green Mall / Hidden Charges
by Ridley Pearson
1988
A massive enclosed shopping mall near Boston becomes a trap when a man with a grudge plans to hold thousands hostage. Explosives hidden in its service passages threaten the shoppers and staff inside Yankee Green.
Undercurrents
by Ridley Pearson
1988
Seattle detective Lou Boldt investigates a body washed ashore that resembles the Cross Killer's work but contains puzzling differences. With psychologist Daphne Matthews, he follows forensic clues that may expose a murderer who has terrorized the city.
Aim for the Heart
by Ridley Pearson
1990
A plane crash in rural Idaho draws Chris Klick into the disappearance of a county courthouse employee. Assisted by his friend Lyel, he follows a chain of strange accidents while trying to determine who is pursuing her.
Probable Cause
by Ridley Pearson
1990
Carmel detective James Dewitt investigates apparent suicides that reveal themselves as murders. Political interference and a former policeman linked to his wife's death complicate the case, threatening both his reputation and his chance to stop the killer.
Hard Fall
by Ridley Pearson
1991
FBI agent Cameron Daggett suspects a flight instructor's murder is connected to the airplane bomber he has pursued for years. Technical clues lead him toward another attack, while the hunt increasingly endangers those closest to him.
The Angel Maker
by Ridley Pearson
1993
A mutilated teenager arriving at a Seattle shelter draws psychologist Daphne Matthews and former detective Lou Boldt into an illegal organ-harvesting investigation. Their hunt becomes urgent when a fellow volunteer is abducted as a potential donor.
Mid-life Confidential
by Dave Marsh, Stephen King, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Al Cooper, Ridley Pearson, Roy Blount Jr., Joel Selvin, Amy Tan, Dave Barry, Tad Bartimus, Matt Groening, Greil Marcus, Tabitha King, Barbara Kingsolver & Michael Dorris
1994
A collaborative tour chronicle by the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band of prominent writers who temporarily exchanged desks for stages. Anecdotes from the members and photographs by Tabitha King recount their first American rock-and-roll tour, its mishaps, friendships, and performances.
No Witnesses
by Ridley Pearson
1994
A poisoner targets Seattle supermarket food while using computer networks to demand and collect ransom. Detective Lou Boldt and psychologist Daphne Matthews must trace a killer whose victims die far from any usable crime scene.
Chain of Evidence
by Ridley Pearson
1995
Lieutenant Joe Dartelli once suppressed evidence that could implicate his forensic mentor Walter Zeller. A new apparent suicide and Zeller's disappearance force Dartelli to reconsider that choice as he suspects a vigilante is killing violent men.
Beyond Recognition
by Ridley Pearson
1997
An arsonist kills Seattle mothers in fires fueled by a mysterious, intensely hot accelerant while sparing their children. Lou Boldt and Daphne Matthews pursue forensic clues, ominous messages, and a boy who may have witnessed something crucial.
The Pied Piper
by Ridley Pearson
1998
Infants disappear across the West Coast, leaving penny flutes in their cribs. Lou Boldt and Daphne Matthews investigate a suspected black-market adoption network, but obstructed evidence and federal interference complicate their attempt to stop the kidnappings.
Concerto in Dead Flat
by Ridley Pearson
1999
Chris Klick searches Europe for a missing conductor owed recovered royalties, following a lead to Oxford. Posing as a mystery writer with help from Lyel, he also confronts a missing academic and unfinished matters with Nicole.
The First Victim
by Ridley Pearson
1999
A shipping container washed ashore exposes a human-smuggling operation in Seattle. When reporter Melissa disappears, news anchor Stevie McNeal joins detectives Lou Boldt and John LaMoia, turning a competitive investigation into a desperate search for her friend.
Middle of Nowhere
by Ridley Pearson
2000
An unofficial police strike leaves Lou Boldt investigating violent robberies and the assault of a fellow officer with limited support. As threats mount, connections between the crimes and the strike put his family and career at risk.
Parallel Lies
by Ridley Pearson
2001
Former detective Peter Tyler investigates a bloody railroad boxcar and a series of suspicious derailments. Working with security officer Nell Priest, he pursues a grieving saboteur while uncovering questions about the railroad's responsibility for an earlier tragedy.
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer
by Ridley Pearson
2001
Written as a fictional diary, this novel follows Ellen Rimbauer's troubled marriage to a Seattle industrialist and the construction of Rose Red. Her private reflections chronicle emotional turmoil and increasingly sinister events surrounding the enormous mansion.
The Art of Deception
by Ridley Pearson
2002
A woman's death beneath Seattle's Aurora Bridge draws Daphne Matthews into a tangled investigation involving the victim's family and lover. As a stalker targets her, related disappearances lead Lou Boldt and John LaMoia into the city's Underground.
The Body of David Hayes
by Ridley Pearson
2004
David Hayes returns to retrieve embezzled money, drawing former lover Liz Boldt into a scheme involving her bank and the Russian mob. Her husband Lou must investigate while managing jealousy, possible blackmail, and threats to their family.
The Kingdom Keepers / Disney After Dark
by Ridley Pearson
2004
Finn Whitman and four other teenagers become holographic guides at Walt Disney World, then discover they enter the park while asleep. An Imagineer's warning draws them into a battle against Maleficent and the villainous Overtakers.
Cut and Run
by Ridley Pearson
2005
Sought by the mob after a witness-protection list is stolen, Hope Stevens becomes federal marshal Roland Larson's urgent responsibility again. Their shared past raises the stakes as he tries to protect her and the daughter he never knew.
Till Death Do Us Part
by Mystery Writers of America, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Laura Lippman, PJ Parrish, Ridley Pearson, R.L. Stine, Jim Fusilli, Jeff Abbott, Charles Todd, Tom Savage & Tim Maleeny
2006
What should be an anniversary celebration becomes something far stranger and more dangerous in this darkly funny short story. Maleeny turns marriage, ritual, and murder into a sharp little joke with teeth.
Killer Weekend
by Ridley Pearson
2007
Sheriff Walt Fleming oversees security for a Sun Valley conference where Liz Shaler is expected to announce a presidential campaign. A confirmed assassination threat, competing agencies, and personal complications turn the glamorous gathering into a dangerous countdown.
Disney at Dawn
by Ridley Pearson
2008
Jez disappears during a Magic Kingdom celebration, while the Overtakers seize control of hologram technology at Animal Kingdom. Finn and the other Keepers must find her without falling asleep and risking permanent entrapment in their projected forms.
Killer View
by Ridley Pearson
2008
A search for a missing skier leaves one rescuer dead and Sheriff Walt Fleming's friend missing. Illness at a local bottling plant adds another alarming clue, drawing Walt toward powerful interests behind a larger criminal operation.
The Challenge
by Ridley Pearson
2008
Fourteen-year-old Steven 'Steel' Trapp travels by train to a national science competition, where a good deed draws him into kidnapping and bribery. His photographic memory and new friend Kaileigh become essential to unraveling the dangerous conspiracy.
Killer Summer
by Ridley Pearson
2009
Sheriff Walt Fleming prepares to protect a prestigious Sun Valley wine auction, but suspicious activity reveals a planned theft. An explosion exposes a more elaborate scheme, forcing him to respond to criminals anticipating his department's every move.
Disney in Shadow
by Ridley Pearson
2010
Finn and the other Kingdom Keepers search for missing mentor Wayne, fearing the Overtakers have abducted him. A prophetic dream sends them through Hollywood Studios and Epcot, where puzzling clues become increasingly dangerous encounters with Disney villains.
In Harm's Way
by Ridley Pearson
2010
Sheriff Walt Fleming investigates a Sun Valley death after Seattle detective Lou Boldt reports a connected murder. Meanwhile, photographer Fiona Kenshaw's determination to avoid publicity after a rescue raises troubling questions about the woman Walt is growing close to.
The Academy
by Ridley Pearson
2010
Steel Trapp's new boarding school conceals a program recruiting gifted children for government intelligence work. Reunited with Kaileigh, he investigates its secrets, but their first assignment exposes betrayal and possible foreign infiltration that could endanger them both.
Power Play
by Ridley Pearson
2011
A mysterious video warns the Kingdom Keepers that the Overtakers plan to rescue imprisoned leaders. Charlene's unusual behavior and evidence of hostile holograms deepen the danger, forcing Finn and Philby to question the security of their own network.
Shell Game
by Ridley Pearson
2012
Invited aboard the Disney Dream as celebrity holographic guides, Finn and his fellow Keepers suspect villains have infiltrated the ship. A stolen journal belonging to Walt Disney points toward a mission whose consequences reach beyond the voyage.
The Risk Agent
by Ridley Pearson
2012
After a kidnapping in Shanghai, a security firm recruits forensic accountant Grace Chu and experienced operative John Knox. Following financial clues draws them into conflicting agendas, where rescuing the hostages requires navigating a city full of dangerous uncertainties.
Choke Point
by Ridley Pearson
2013
John Knox and Grace Chu travel to Amsterdam to locate a sweatshop enslaving young girls. Criminal networks, untrustworthy police, and frightened witnesses complicate their rescue mission as they struggle to distinguish genuine allies from those protecting the operation.
Dark Passage
by Ridley Pearson
2013
During a cruise through the Panama Canal, the Kingdom Keepers decode clues concealed in a stolen journal. Their search across Caribbean and Central American locations reveals an Overtaker plan to unleash a destructive force dormant for decades.
The Insider
by Ridley Pearson
2014
The Kingdom Keepers pursue a long-lost icon whose magic may help them defend Disneyland from a returning evil. Betrayal, hidden feelings, and strained loyalties test the five friends as their search brings them back to where everything began.
The Red Room
by Ridley Pearson
2014
An art-brokering assignment in Istanbul draws John Knox and Grace Chu into a possible exchange of Iranian state secrets. Competing intelligence interests and escalating violence force them to reassess whom they serve and how much they can trust.
Disney Lands
by Ridley Pearson
2015
After saving Disneyland, the Kingdom Keepers discover that their mentor left one final puzzle. Solving its connection to the past becomes urgent when a new threat emerges, placing the friends against an evil beyond their previous battles.
The Syndrome
by Ridley Pearson
2015
When Finn Whitman disappears, Amanda joins Jess and Mattie to find him. Their telekinetic, prophetic, and mind-reading gifts become crucial as deception and resistance from the missing Keepers' parents obstruct their effort to rescue their friends.
Legacy of Secrets
by Ridley Pearson
2016
The Kingdom Keepers arrive at Disneyland's opening day in 1955 to recover Walt Disney's fountain pen. Their mission exposes the origins of the Overtakers and unfamiliar magic, threatening both the teenagers and the park's future.
The Gadwall Incident
by Ridley Pearson
2016
This prequel follows young James Moriarty during the twenty-four hours preceding an event that changes his life. It introduces the childhood circumstances behind the Lock and Key series, before his eventual rivalry with Sherlock Holmes takes shape.
The Initiation
by Ridley Pearson
2016
James and Moira Moriarty enter Baskerville Academy, where James becomes Sherlock Holmes’s roommate. The theft of a family Bible draws the students into a conspiracy connected to the Moriartys’ long association with their mysterious boarding school.
Disney at Last
by Ridley Pearson
2017
Stranded in Disneyland in 1955, the Kingdom Keepers try to return to their families while protecting the newly opened park. A businessman’s pursuit of black magic threatens their mission and the future Disney world they hope to reclaim.
The Downward Spiral
by Ridley Pearson
2017
Following their father’s death, James and Moira Moriarty reluctantly work with Sherlock Holmes to learn whether he fell or was pushed. Their inquiry uncovers a secret sect, a valuable jewel, and family history that fractures their trust.
White Bone
by Ridley Pearson
2017
John Knox travels to Kenya after partner Grace Chu signals that her assignment has been compromised and then disappears. Missing aid money, vaccines, and wildlife poaching converge as he searches for her amid a dangerous network of corruption.
The Final Step
by Ridley Pearson
2018
With James increasingly ruthless and Sherlock expelled from Baskerville Academy, Moira investigates deaths connected to her family. A photograph links her father, driver, and guardian, drawing her through safe houses and toward enemies wielding substantial power.
Super Sons
by Ridley Pearson
2019
As melting ice and deadly weather devastate coastal cities, Jon Kent and Ian Wayne must face a crisis without their superhero fathers. The unlikely partners learn to trust each other while investigating a global conspiracy and a mysterious girl’s secrets.
Disney Cautionary Tales
by Ridley Pearson
2022
Billie Templeton wants frightening stories to stay inside books, but classmate Tim opens a forbidden magic mirror. Tales featuring Disney villains begin feeling dangerously real, drawing the children toward the unsettling worlds they had hoped to keep at a distance.
The Shimmer
by Ridley Pearson
2023
The children of former Kingdom Keepers live quietly in a future community surrounding Epcot. A mysterious message, an eclipse and a missing friend awaken unusual powers, drawing Eli Whitman and his companions into a struggle to protect the park.
Villains’ Realm
by Ridley Pearson
2024
Plans to build villain realms across Disney parks alert Eli and his friends to a hidden threat. Ursula seeks magical ink that will let villains travel between parks, forcing the young Keepers to pursue her across the world.
Jungle Cruise
by Ridley Pearson
2025
Gemma and Torin investigate repeated damage to Jungle Cruise’s animatronic animals using their magical map. Entering the attraction exposes them to living jungle creatures and surveillance cameras, complicating their effort to discover who is sabotaging their mother’s workplace.
Pirates of the Caribbean
by Ridley Pearson
2025
After moving to Orlando, Gemma discovers a map that can transport her and brother Torin into Disney attractions. Investigating malfunctioning animatronics on Pirates of the Caribbean brings them face to face with real pirates and the risk of becoming trapped.
The Final Draw
by Ridley Pearson
2025
Ursula gathers animated villains from Disney attractions into an army, leaving the parks without the stories that sustain them. As their surroundings begin to fade and warp, Eli and his friends must stop her before the magic collapses.
Haunted Mansion
by Ridley Pearson
2026
Two ghosts disappear from the Haunted Mansion, and Gemma and Torin use their magical map to help their mother find them. Tracking an elusive chandelier ghost and an ax-wielding bride means braving the attraction’s other supernatural residents.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure
by Ridley Pearson
2026
Missing phones draw Gemma, Torin and their friends into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure through their magical map. Discovering that the fireflies are also losing their light sends them searching for a mysterious shadow threatening the attraction.
Space Mountain
by Ridley Pearson
2027
A hand-drawn map transports Gemma and Torin into Walt Disney World's attractions, where their explorations become real adventures. Their next journey takes them to Space Mountain, bringing new challenges as they navigate the map's unusual magic.
Ridley Pearson sub-series and character series
Boldt and Matthews books in order
Explore this seriesKingdom Keepers books in order
Explore this seriesRisk Agent books in order
Explore this seriesSteel Trapp books in order
Explore this seriesWalt Fleming books in order
Explore this seriesStandalone Ridley Pearson books








by Dave Marsh, Stephen King, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Al Cooper, Ridley Pearson, Roy Blount Jr., Joel Selvin, Amy Tan, Dave Barry, Tad Bartimus, Matt Groening, Greil Marcus, Tabitha King, Barbara Kingsolver & Michael Dorris
1994





by Mystery Writers of America, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Laura Lippman, PJ Parrish, Ridley Pearson, R.L. Stine, Jim Fusilli, Jeff Abbott, Charles Todd, Tom Savage & Tim Maleeny
2006
















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