Ridley Pearson - Literary Career

Literary Career

Pearson became the first American to receive the Raymond Chandler-Fulbright Fellowship at Oxford University in 1991.

Pearson's novels for adults include: Novels featuring characters John Knox & Grace Chu--The Risk Agent (2012); Novels featuring the character Walt Fleming--In Harm's Way (2010), Killer Summer (2009), Killer View (2008), and Killer Weekend (2007); Novels featuring the character Lou Boldt and Daphne Matthews--The Body of David Hayes (2004), The Art of Deception (2002), Middle of Nowhere (2000), The Fist Victim (1999), The Pied Piper (1998), Beyond Recognition (1997), No Witnesses (1994), The Angel Maker (1993), and Undercurrents (1988); Standalone Novels include: Cut and Run (2005), The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (2001)--(this novel produced under the pseudonym of Joyce Readon, Ph.D), Parallel Lies (2001), Chain of Evidence (1995), Hard Fall (1992), Probable Cause (1990), The Seizing of Yankee Green Mall (1987), Blood of the Albatross (1986), and Never Look Back (1985). Ridley also wrote three Chris Klick my mysteries under the pseudonym of Wendell McCall.

The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red was adapted as a film called The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (2003)

After his daughter asked him how Peter Pan met Captain Hook, Pearson teamed up with his long-time friend, humorist Dave Barry to co-author Peter and the Starcatchers (2004), a prequel to Peter Pan, which is published in the US by Disney and by Walker Books in the UK. The novel was adapted into a Broadway play, Peter and the Starcatcher, written by Rick Elice, which premiered on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in early 2012 and earned the most Tony nominations of any play in history--9. The play received 5 Tony awards at the ceremony on June 10, 2012. Pearson and Barry have produced three further prequels – Peter and the Shadow Thieves (2006), Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (2007), and Peter and the Sword of Mercy (2009). Another Peter related book was also published by the duo called Bridge to Neverland (2011).

Also for Disney, Pearson has written novels set inside Disney theme parks called The Kingdom Keepers where five teenagers battle the Overtakers--the evil Disney villains--to keep the parks safe. Book 1: The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark (2005) takes place in the Magic Kingdom; Book 2: The Kingdom Keepers: Disney at Dawn(2008) takes place in the Animal Kingdom; Book 3: The Kingdom Keepers: Disney in Shadow (2010) takes place in Epcot; Book 4: The Kingdom Keepers: Power Play (2011) takes place in Disney's Hollywood Studios; Book 5:The Kingdom Keepers: Shell Game(2012) takes place on the cruise ship--Disney Dream. Book 6 will also take place on the Disney Dream and Book 7 will round out the series in Disneyland.

Pearson has also written Steel Trapp: The Challenge (2010) and Steel Trapp: The Academy (2008). Also with Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson has written Science Fair (2008) and three Never Land books: Escape from the Carnivale (2006), Cave of the Dark Wind (2007), and Blood Tide (2008).