Ridley Pearson is one of America's premier mystery writers. His Risk Agent series began when the author spent year living in China and the characters have moved on. I've just ripped through the latest, The Red Room. His principal characters, Grace Chu and John Knox, have arrived in a vividly realized and dangerous Middle Eastern setting in a taut and engrossing narrative. The Red Room is effectively told in the present tense, a deadly ballet, a first rate thriller- start to satisfying finish. Having easily given this novel five stars, I must comment on some early Amazon reviews from readers who almost dissuaded me from reading it. These readers were evidently confused by a clever storyline, or read the book without paying attention, or were just being disingenuous. Trust the writer. The chase scenes are central to the story, the ongoing character development and the central theme, that in the real world of espionage, good forces can collide, and the limitations of "you don't need to know" can lead to a lot of grief. The Red Room is a keeper.Jay Gaskill