Book #11: The Pied Piper

Author: Ridley Pearson
Publisher: Wheeler Publishing (January 15th, 2004)
Pages: 511
Series: Boldt & Matthews #5

BLURB:

A wave of babynappings has terrified parents from San Diego to Portland. And when the Pied Piper–named for the penny flute he leaves in the cribs of his victims–claims his first Seattle infant, the investigation draws in homicide detective Lou Boldt. Assigned temporarily to Intelligence so he can spend more time with his kids while his wife is hospitalized for chemotherapy, Boldt’s role is to keep the FBI out of the Seattle Police Department’s way.

But FBI special agent Gary Flemming is a tough adversary–so tough it almost seems as if he’s intentionally sabotaging the SPD’s investigation. Then the Pied Piper snatches Boldt’s own daughter, promising that unless Boldt throws both the Feds and the SPD off his trail he’ll never see his child again. Caught between his professional obligations and his fear for Sarah’s life, Boldt launches his own private manhunt with the help of John La Moia, his replacement in homicide, and police psychologist Daphne Matthews, his closest friend in the department.

They form a sub rosa task force under the noses of the Feds and the SPD, and soon discover how the Piper has managed to stay a step ahead of the police, elude capture, and find his small victims. The chase moves from Seattle to Portland to New Orleans, culminating in a thrilling denouement in the daffodil fields of Washington’s Skagit Valley.

…REVIEW!

This book is the first I’ve read in the Lou Boldt/Daphne Matthews series and it was a page turner. It was thought provoking and riveting and in short, the author delivered.

However, sometimes the book felt like it was never-ending when all I wanted was to get to the end and close it. I was mildly irritated with Boldt and I skipped a few pages. Some chapters and scenes were unnecessary. Take the sex scenes between Hill and that idiot LaMoia for example. I think there were 5 but I grew rather irritated at those two early on and skipped the sexy scenes. We know they’re shacking up at the fancy hotels. There was no need to include a sex scene. One or two sex scenes would have done the intended objective, although I think sex scenes ruin stories. 

The ending was kind of lame too. Boldt, well, I was mad at him for taking matters into his own hands. While reading his predicament, I couldn’t help but compare him with Alex Cross in the time of dread.

He certainly ain’t no Alex Cross!

I enjoyed the story about a serial kidnapper being dubbed the Pied Piper because of the tin whistle he leaves behind at the scene and it reminded me of something out of Criminal Minds but I won’t be reading another Boldt/Matthews book anytime soon.

Quote/s:

Freighters and ferries, their white wakes behind them like wedding veils, called out in deep-throated cries. A jet rocked its wings on final approach, its wheels like tiny talons reaching for the ground.

– chapter 47; page 307

RATING:

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Cross My Heart by James Patterson

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