Ridley Pearson rocks at Murder & Mayhem

Ridley Pearson, author of the Lou Boldt series and the Walt Fleming series, brought down the house at  Murder & Mayhem in Muskego mystery fan conference this weekend.

Pearson told stories about his mentor, Stan Silverman, his first agent, Franklin Heller, and how it felt to come face-to-face with the real-life Lou Boldt, Seattle uber-cop Don Cameron.  Witty and engaging, Pearson also related how research for one of his books about child-selling resulted in the adoption of his daughter, and how his always-plotting brain helped one big-city police department solve a murder.

Plenty famous himself, Pearson was self-deprecating when sharing his experience as the bass player for the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band that plays classic rock-n-roll and now includes such literary luminaries as Amy Tan, Stephen King, Dave Barry, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount Jr., Greg Isles, Matt Groening, Scott Turow, James McBride, and Kathy Karen Goldmark.  Founded in 1992 at the American Booksellers Association Convention, the group is philanthropic in nature and raises money for literacy causes.  It appears that each member claims to be more talent-less than the next.  You can judge for yourself!

Pearson’s books are reliable best-sellers.  His most recently published mystery is In Harm’s Way.   He also coauthored a “trilogy with five books” – evidently one that kept growing! – with Dave Barry.   The Neverland Series tells the story of how Peter Pan became Peter Pan.

An hour with Ridley Pearson was not enough.  I plan to friend him on Facebook.