Pearson became the first American to receive the Raymond Chandler-Fulbright Fellowship at Oxford University in 1991. He received the Quill Award from the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame, its highest honor. This award serves as a reminder of the importance of writing, and encourages young people to develop their own joy for writing. Pearson's novels for adults include: novels featuring characters John Knox & Grace Chu--The Red Room ;Choke Point ;The Risk Agent ; novels featuring the character Walt Fleming--In Harm's Way, Killer Summer, Killer View, and Killer Weekend ; novels featuring the character Lou Boldt and Daphne Matthews--The Body of David Hayes, The Art of Deception, Middle of Nowhere, The First Victim, The Pied Piper, Beyond Recognition, No Witnesses, The Angel Maker, and Undercurrents. Standalone novels include: Cut and Run, The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer --, Parallel Lies, Chain of Evidence, Hard Fall, Probable Cause, The Seizing of Yankee Green Mall, Blood of the Albatross, and Never Look Back. Ridley also wrote three Chris Klick mysteries under the pseudonym of Wendell McCall. ' was adapted as a film called The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer To describe how Peter Pan met Captain Hook, Ridley teamed up with his long-time friend, humorist Dave Barry, to co-author Peter and the Starcatchers, a prequel to Peter Pan; it is published in the US by Disney and by Walker Books in the UK. The novel was adapted as a 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— nine. The play received five Tony awards at the ceremony on June 10, 2012. The play went on a national tour in 2013-14. Pearson and Barry have produced three additional prequels - Peter and the Shadow Thieves, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, and Peter and the Sword of Mercy. Another Peter-related book published by the duo is Bridge to Neverland. Also for Disney, Pearson has written a series of novels set inside Disney theme parks, called The Kingdom Keepers, in which five teenagers battle the Overtakers—the evil Disney villains—to keep the parks safe. Book 1: ' takes place in the Magic Kingdom; Book 2: ' takes place in the Animal Kingdom; Book 3: ' takes place in Epcot; Book 4: ' takes place in Disney's Hollywood Studios; Book 5:' takes place on the cruise ship—Disney Dream. Book 6: ' also takes place on the Disney Dream. Book 7:' ends the series in Disneyland. He continues the series, however, with a spin-off, The Return:Disney Lands. This series continues with The Return: Legacy of Secrets and The Return: Disney at Last. The fourth book in this installment is currently in the works. Pearson takes his research for these books very seriously by travelling to the various parks and staying after hours to better capture what the parks feel like "after closing." Pearson has also written Steel Trapp: The Challenge and Steel Trapp: The Academy. Also with Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson has written Science Fair and three Never Land books: Escape from the Carnivale, Cave of the Dark Wind, and Blood Tide.
Personal life
Pearson was raised by his parents, Robert and Betsy Pearson, in Riverside, Connecticut, along with his siblings, Bradbury and Wendy. He was educated at the University of Kansas, and Brown University. He lived in Shanghai, China from summer 2008 to summer 2009. His residence is in Saint Louis, Missouri, with his wife, Marcelle, and their two daughters Paige and Storey. He often incorporates his daughters as characters into his children's novels. He also has played bass guitar and sung for the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band of published authors whose 20-year stint ended in June 2012.
Suspense Novels
Standalone Novels
Hard Listening. Palo Alto: Coliloquy.. An interactive ebook about his participation in a writer/musician band, the Rock Bottom Remainders.
