Killer Summer

From Publishers Weekly Bestseller Pearson makes the most of the theme of the lawman with a bunch of personal problems in his engaging third crime thriller to feature Walt Fleming, the likable sheriff of Sun Valley, Idaho (after Killer View ). Walt's ex-wife is living with one of his deputies; Walt's teenage nephew, Kevin, is grappling with his father's suicide; and Walt's trying to raise twin daughters on his own. Meanwhile, a big wine convention has come to Sun Valley, and three bottles owned by Thomas Jefferson and given to John Adams are sure to bring big bucks at auction, unless a gang of super thieves, which has hit town with an elaborate scheme in which Kevin becomes unwittingly involved, steals the bottles first. But nothing is as it seems, and even the savviest readers will be fooled as Pearson drags poor Walt and friends through a series of clever twists and turns in this fast-paced nail-biter. Author tour. (June) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Oenophiles may seem like a mellow lot, but theres nothing laid-back about the criminals whove descended upon Sun Valley, Idaho, during the exclusive enclaves annual wine auction. In Pearsons third mystery featuring amicable Sheriff Walt Fleming (after Killer View, 2008), the lawman finds himself at the mercy of master thief Christopher Cantell, who is dead set on stealing three very pricey bottles of wine. (They were reportedly a gift from Thomas Jefferson to John Adams. But might the whole vintage tale be an elaborate hoax?) An explosion at the glitzy gala sparks a grim chain of events: a colossal roadblock, a stolen jet, and the suspected kidnapping of Walts beloved nephew, Kevin. Sheriff Fleming quickly comes to realize Cantell has more than wine on his mind. Now he must keep the peace among Sun Valleys well-heeled as he frets over the fate of his own flesh and blood. Although his ending is a bit flat, seasoned thriller writer Pearson serves up steady suspense and a compelling setting in which members of societys underbelly prey on those living above it all. --Allison Block Sun Valley sheriff Walt Fleming returns in this high-intensity thriller from New York Times– bestselling author Ridley Pearson.Sun Valley, Idaho—playground of the wealthy and politically connected—is home to an annual wine auction that attracts high rollers from across the country, and Blaine County Sheriff Walt Fleming is the one who must ensure it goes off without a hitch. The world’s most elite wine connoisseurs have descended on Sun Valley to taste and bid on the world’s best wines, including three bottles claimed to have been a gift from Thomas Jefferson to John Adams. With sky-high prices all but guaranteed for these historic items, it’s no wonder a group of thieves is out to steal them. Walt is responsible for all aspects of the glitzy event, from security of the dignitaries to the physical safety of the auction site to the transportation and safeguard of the wines themselves.Walt is enjoying a rare afternoon of freedom, fly-fishing with his nephew, Kevin, when a passing truck catches his eye— his suspicions throwing him headlong into the discovery of a complicated plan to steal the rare wine. When a bomb detonates just as the auction revs up, the investigation explodes as well, pulling Walt in a dozen different directions. It seems Walt is caught in the middle of a heist of epic proportions—and not the heist he had prepared for—all orchestrated by the ingenious mind of Christopher Cantell, a man who appears to have covered everything, including the way Walt’s own sheriff’s office will react. Sun Valley sheriff Walt Fleming returns in this high-intensity thriller as he thwarts a plan to steal a rare wine at the annual wine auction. When a bomb detonates just as the auction revs up, the investigation explodes as well, pulling Walt in a dozen different directions