What do you think?
Rate this book
Boldt & Matthews #3
No Witnesses
He’s committed the perfect murder. Now he’ll do it again and again....
Innocent lives are being snuffed out—in nice suburban homes, in clean kitchens, and children’s playhouses. A Seattle food company is crumbling. And veteran homicide sergeant Lou Boldt and police psychologist Daphne Matthews are clawing at the case from opposite ends: unearthing microscopic evidence and the chilling psychological profile of a murderous product tamperer.
The man Daphne Matthews loves is being destroyed by the killings. Boldt sees the awesome power of his department cracking as the extortionist slips away from ATM machines with his payoff. And suddenly, as the high-tech manhunt builds to a furious crescendo, Boldt and Matthews are jolted again: the madman they’re hunting may not be alone....
Innocent lives are being snuffed out—in nice suburban homes, in clean kitchens, and children’s playhouses. A Seattle food company is crumbling. And veteran homicide sergeant Lou Boldt and police psychologist Daphne Matthews are clawing at the case from opposite ends: unearthing microscopic evidence and the chilling psychological profile of a murderous product tamperer.
The man Daphne Matthews loves is being destroyed by the killings. Boldt sees the awesome power of his department cracking as the extortionist slips away from ATM machines with his payoff. And suddenly, as the high-tech manhunt builds to a furious crescendo, Boldt and Matthews are jolted again: the madman they’re hunting may not be alone....
469 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
62 people are currently reading
477 people want to read
About the author
Ridley Pearson
186 books2,103 followersRidley Pearson is the author of more than fifty novels, including the New York Times bestseller Killer Weekend; the Lou Boldt crime series; and many books for young readers, including the award-winning children's novels Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, which he cowrote with Dave Barry. Pearson lives with his wife and two daughters, dividing their time between Missouri and Idaho.
Also writes Chris Klick mysteries as Wendell McCall.
Also writes Chris Klick mysteries as Wendell McCall.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
October 1, 2014
In this genre, for me, there is John Sandford and there is everybody else. Ridley Pearson's Lou Boldt/Daphne Matthews series is really the only one that truly stands along side the Prey books.
I've recently given the series a re-read and if you have the chance, I highly recommend them.
Pearson creates a very human, very likable cop in his main character Lou Boldt. He's not the badass hero who always saves the day. He's the tireless worker who plugs away at a case until it submits to him. The interplay between him and Daphne Matthews is flawless. Add in some other great characters like LaMoia, Bobbie Gaynes and Showswitz and you've always got some fun in store.
The best part of these books is the combination of the case in conjunction with the humanity of the characters. They are real, flawed and doing their best in a world and setting where that's not always enough.
I highly recommend starting at the beginning of this series and reading it though. The series starts in the days when a fax machine was a big deal and cell phones were unheard of and advances along with the times. Once you put that aside, it's great reading though. Check them out.
I've recently given the series a re-read and if you have the chance, I highly recommend them.
Pearson creates a very human, very likable cop in his main character Lou Boldt. He's not the badass hero who always saves the day. He's the tireless worker who plugs away at a case until it submits to him. The interplay between him and Daphne Matthews is flawless. Add in some other great characters like LaMoia, Bobbie Gaynes and Showswitz and you've always got some fun in store.
The best part of these books is the combination of the case in conjunction with the humanity of the characters. They are real, flawed and doing their best in a world and setting where that's not always enough.
I highly recommend starting at the beginning of this series and reading it though. The series starts in the days when a fax machine was a big deal and cell phones were unheard of and advances along with the times. Once you put that aside, it's great reading though. Check them out.
December 29, 2021
Ridley Pearson’s 1994 thriller No Witnesses doesn’t disappoint. I’ve yet to encounter one of his books that doesn’t deliver.
Homicide detective sergeant Lou Boldt is approached by an old associate, the police department’s forensic psychologist, Daphne Matthews. Her boyfriend Owen Adler is a multi-millionaire in the food supply business. Adler has been receiving threatening faxes full of hate. He has been told not to go to the police. So Daphne wants Boldt to investigate clandestinely.
The threats turn out to be real and deadly, starting with a supermarket tin of soup at one of the Adler supermarkets; one victims dies from poisoning, the other is seriously ill.
So begins a cat-and-mouse case, where the clues are small and frustrating.
Several aspects of this police procedural set it above many of its contemporaries. Boldt is businesslike but humane, despite the lowlifes he has to contend with:
‘Any homicide cop felt the pain and suffering of the victims and their relatives – no matter how callous to the crime scenes he or she became, no matter how quick the one-liners, and how easy it was to move on to another case. The tragedy of the Crowley family had deeply affected everyone…’ (p338).
Boldt is meticulous and no small detail is overlooked.
And then there’s the suspense. Pearson has the enviable knack of ratcheting up the tension in more than one encounter. You’re there, you can feel the threat, the anxiety. Daphne, Adler and his daughter are in jeopardy; and Boldt is convinced there’s somebody in the department aiding the deranged blackmailer.
There’s humour, inevitably, some of it dark. One instance: They want to track down the withdrawals of the ransom money – it’s being done via the city’s ATMs, a few thousand dollars at a time. The bank boss, Lucille confronts a technician, Ted Perch, asking for his help. ‘… Perch looked a little hurt. She knew more than he did, and he did not like that. And if he tried to look up her skirt one more time, Boldt was going to say something about it…’ Later, after technical talk with Boldt, ‘Lucille recrossed her legs and Perch didn’t even notice. That was when Boldt knew he had him.’ (p160) Had Perch hooked, in fact.
It’s a little out-dated now, due to the advances of technology, but that doesn’t spoil the tale at all. You’re there, in 1994, sweating it out with other cops in Seattle.
Oh, and there’s a neat twist near the satisfying end, too.
Homicide detective sergeant Lou Boldt is approached by an old associate, the police department’s forensic psychologist, Daphne Matthews. Her boyfriend Owen Adler is a multi-millionaire in the food supply business. Adler has been receiving threatening faxes full of hate. He has been told not to go to the police. So Daphne wants Boldt to investigate clandestinely.
The threats turn out to be real and deadly, starting with a supermarket tin of soup at one of the Adler supermarkets; one victims dies from poisoning, the other is seriously ill.
So begins a cat-and-mouse case, where the clues are small and frustrating.
Several aspects of this police procedural set it above many of its contemporaries. Boldt is businesslike but humane, despite the lowlifes he has to contend with:
‘Any homicide cop felt the pain and suffering of the victims and their relatives – no matter how callous to the crime scenes he or she became, no matter how quick the one-liners, and how easy it was to move on to another case. The tragedy of the Crowley family had deeply affected everyone…’ (p338).
Boldt is meticulous and no small detail is overlooked.
And then there’s the suspense. Pearson has the enviable knack of ratcheting up the tension in more than one encounter. You’re there, you can feel the threat, the anxiety. Daphne, Adler and his daughter are in jeopardy; and Boldt is convinced there’s somebody in the department aiding the deranged blackmailer.
There’s humour, inevitably, some of it dark. One instance: They want to track down the withdrawals of the ransom money – it’s being done via the city’s ATMs, a few thousand dollars at a time. The bank boss, Lucille confronts a technician, Ted Perch, asking for his help. ‘… Perch looked a little hurt. She knew more than he did, and he did not like that. And if he tried to look up her skirt one more time, Boldt was going to say something about it…’ Later, after technical talk with Boldt, ‘Lucille recrossed her legs and Perch didn’t even notice. That was when Boldt knew he had him.’ (p160) Had Perch hooked, in fact.
It’s a little out-dated now, due to the advances of technology, but that doesn’t spoil the tale at all. You’re there, in 1994, sweating it out with other cops in Seattle.
Oh, and there’s a neat twist near the satisfying end, too.
September 3, 2007
NO WITNESSES (Police Proc- Seattle-Cont) – G+
Pearson, Ridley – 3rd in series
Hyperion, 1994 - Paperback
Sargent Lou Boldt is brought into a case of product tampering by his friend, police psychologist, Daphne Matthews. Her lover and the owner of a food company, is being threatened that unless he shuts down his business and takes his own life, others will die. When two children do die after eating products from his company, the threat becomes very real.
*** Fast paced and suspenseful, reading this was like watching a very good action-suspense movie. The characters were interesting and very human, the relationships realistic, and the technology fascinating. Reading this was a thoroughly good time.
Pearson, Ridley – 3rd in series
Hyperion, 1994 - Paperback
Sargent Lou Boldt is brought into a case of product tampering by his friend, police psychologist, Daphne Matthews. Her lover and the owner of a food company, is being threatened that unless he shuts down his business and takes his own life, others will die. When two children do die after eating products from his company, the threat becomes very real.
*** Fast paced and suspenseful, reading this was like watching a very good action-suspense movie. The characters were interesting and very human, the relationships realistic, and the technology fascinating. Reading this was a thoroughly good time.
April 11, 2019
Както първите две, така и тази книга се оказа едно приключение, държащо те в напрежение до края :))
November 21, 2025
Solid read. Kept me interested. Some interesting twists and turns for a crime story...
October 29, 2012
No Witnesses is the first Ridley Pearson novel that I’ve read. It’s obviously part of a series and not the first one in the series so it took me a few chapters to get a feel for the characters. I think this would have been easier if I had started with book one.
The story centers around a person who is tampering with food in the Seattle area. People die from his tampering and it seems like he will continue to increase the amount of food that he tampers with.
Lou Boldt, a Seattle homicide detective, and Daphne Matthews, a psychologist who works with the police, are the main characters in the series and they undertake the investigation.
Things get complicated when it becomes apparent that Matthews boyfriend’s food company is the target of the person doing the tampering.
Once I got into the book, it really seemed to move at a nice pace. My problem was that it took me awhile to reach that point. The book is also 11 years old at this point and believe it or not, some of the technology used in it struck me as a little dated. I read historical novels, too, so this wasn’t a big point for me to get past, though it might be for some people.
Other than Boldt and Matthews, I really didn’t feel much of a connection with any of the other characters. Boldt reminds me of Harry Bosch in Michael Connelly’s books.
The story centers around a person who is tampering with food in the Seattle area. People die from his tampering and it seems like he will continue to increase the amount of food that he tampers with.
Lou Boldt, a Seattle homicide detective, and Daphne Matthews, a psychologist who works with the police, are the main characters in the series and they undertake the investigation.
Things get complicated when it becomes apparent that Matthews boyfriend’s food company is the target of the person doing the tampering.
Once I got into the book, it really seemed to move at a nice pace. My problem was that it took me awhile to reach that point. The book is also 11 years old at this point and believe it or not, some of the technology used in it struck me as a little dated. I read historical novels, too, so this wasn’t a big point for me to get past, though it might be for some people.
Other than Boldt and Matthews, I really didn’t feel much of a connection with any of the other characters. Boldt reminds me of Harry Bosch in Michael Connelly’s books.
October 30, 2013
I don't think I've ever read a bad Pearson book. Pearson writes across genres and covers so many different topics yet he comes off as being comfortable with all of them. This one was a mystery and judging from some of the reviews on here, this was either the second or third in a series. I did not know that when I picked this on up and not having read any of the others did not slow me down at all in this one. It is a fast paced, well planned book with a very likable lead detective with homicide in Lou Boldt. The crime is believable as well as the solution and that is very important. This book was good enough to make me want to check out the first couple of books in this series and if the library has them, expect to see me reading them before long.
May 28, 2018
I picked up this book and started reading and I could not put it down. Someone in the Seattle area is tampering with food and killing people. It’s up to Lou Boldt and Daphne Matthews to try to find them. Their only problem is that they have no witnesses. They don’t know where to start. They do start though and finally discovery who is poisoning people and why. I like this series a lot because I like the characters and Pearson writes very good novels. This one really drew me in, though and I think I read it in a couple of days because I had to find out who was causing all the chaos. Good story.
January 28, 2018
A poisoner of supermarket produce with a grudge against a frozen-food company is hunted by a male detective and a female psychologist in an intricate story that keeps the tension and the body count ticking over before the inevitable retribution in a standard but fairly exciting read as they combine to meticulously track down the elusive antagonist.
September 30, 2016
I really enjoy this police suspense/thriller series by Ridley Pearson. I just discovered a few books in the beginning of the series I had never read and No Witnesses was one of them.
I highly recommend this author, this series and this book. Great writing, great characters and great suspense!
I highly recommend this author, this series and this book. Great writing, great characters and great suspense!
December 31, 2025
Almost certain I read this one before, but it's not in my Goodreads history. So I may have under-ranked it now because I knew many of the key plot twists before they happened. Still a good book from early in the Boldt/Matthews series. I enjoy when the series focuses more on Daphne Matthews, the forensic psychologist with the Seattle Police Department, but this one has Lou Boldt, member of the SPD Homicide team, taking lead as threats to a distributor of food products lead to the deaths of multiple children. That the head of this food company, Owen Adler, is Daphne Matthews' new boyfriend puts her in a tough situation, as the threats are faxed (this is the 1990s after all) to Adler with explicit instructions not to get the cops involved, or else more children will die. All Adler has to do is shut down the food company permanently and sacrifice his own life, and no more tampered-with food will be put on the shelves of grocery stores under the Adler Foods name. Boldt, father to a young boy, has a knack for solving tough cases and this one hits especially hard as he treads the fine line between stopping the criminal he calls the Tin Man before he strikes again and preventing the Tin Man from realizing the cops are indeed involved, lest it causes that next strike to happen.
Again, because I'm pretty sure I've read this book before, it wasn't as suspenseful, though there was one pretty big twist at the end that I had forgotten the finer details of until reading it again this time.
Again, because I'm pretty sure I've read this book before, it wasn't as suspenseful, though there was one pretty big twist at the end that I had forgotten the finer details of until reading it again this time.
February 5, 2020
Here is a good mystery / thriller. Highlights include a well-crafted plot, mostly believable characters, and sufficiently complex detail such that the ending is not easily guessed. I like that.
Mr. Pearson does a good job of tidying up loose ends - another plus.
One negative, if indeed it is a negative at all, is that the plot relies somewhat heavily on old technology, meaning that a modern reader (it's a 1994 book) must try to imagine those ancient days where cell phones were NOT ubiquitous, where the internet and nearly instant file transfer were NOT a given. Certainly no author can be faulted for the passage of time but nevertheless, the reader has to wade through passages describing, for example, how complicated and time consuming it is to send a file from England to the US.
But that's a minor point. Here's a good read that will keep you interested right to the end.
Mr. Pearson does a good job of tidying up loose ends - another plus.
One negative, if indeed it is a negative at all, is that the plot relies somewhat heavily on old technology, meaning that a modern reader (it's a 1994 book) must try to imagine those ancient days where cell phones were NOT ubiquitous, where the internet and nearly instant file transfer were NOT a given. Certainly no author can be faulted for the passage of time but nevertheless, the reader has to wade through passages describing, for example, how complicated and time consuming it is to send a file from England to the US.
But that's a minor point. Here's a good read that will keep you interested right to the end.
February 8, 2021
Food tampering, extortion, and random poisoning deaths, with threats of mass murder
The contagious Brit COVID variant B1.1.7 has invaded the USA! I’m bunkered down and recycling my Audible books collection, and here’s a re-listen from yonks ago.
The book is dated but it’s still an enjoyable Audible listen. A serial poisoner and extortionist uses technology to deliver threats, communicate with police, and extort money from a company. Homicide detective Lou Boldt and psychologist Daphne Matthews scramble to find the conniving serial killer (or killers) poisoning food products. A task force is formed, but detectives are stretched thin trying to surveil and catch the killer who uses ATMs to get the extortion money. The biggest problems: no initial crime scene, no evidence left behind, and no witnesses.
The contagious Brit COVID variant B1.1.7 has invaded the USA! I’m bunkered down and recycling my Audible books collection, and here’s a re-listen from yonks ago.
The book is dated but it’s still an enjoyable Audible listen. A serial poisoner and extortionist uses technology to deliver threats, communicate with police, and extort money from a company. Homicide detective Lou Boldt and psychologist Daphne Matthews scramble to find the conniving serial killer (or killers) poisoning food products. A task force is formed, but detectives are stretched thin trying to surveil and catch the killer who uses ATMs to get the extortion money. The biggest problems: no initial crime scene, no evidence left behind, and no witnesses.
April 17, 2025
one of America’s best storytellers adds to his legacy
Ridley Pearson is a master of his craft. This novel starts with a serial killer, weaves in corporate corruption, police corruption, and throws in infidelity and manslaughter for good measure, with twists and turns enough to satisfy most readers of the genre.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to start the next Boldt chapter.
Ridley Pearson is a master of his craft. This novel starts with a serial killer, weaves in corporate corruption, police corruption, and throws in infidelity and manslaughter for good measure, with twists and turns enough to satisfy most readers of the genre.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to start the next Boldt chapter.
May 4, 2018
Going back to some earlier installments in the Lou Boldt series that I had missed originally. Enjoyed this one, though I got bogged down a bit in the middle. Picked up during the last 100 pages. Quite a few instances of who did what. Liked the shades of grey as the good guys might be bad guys. Daphne and Lou's friendship is explored.
October 11, 2018
Good story. Product tampering, police corruption, crazy person, cover ups, complex capture process. Really maintained a good pace and an intense conclusion. not quite the ending that I expected, but a good one nonetheless
October 25, 2022
My first
This is the first book I read in this series although it is not book 1. There were a few parts that eluded to another book but overall I didn’t feel like I was missing anything important. I hope to read more Ridley Pearson books.
This is the first book I read in this series although it is not book 1. There were a few parts that eluded to another book but overall I didn’t feel like I was missing anything important. I hope to read more Ridley Pearson books.
May 14, 2023
A great read !
This book kept you interest right from the start and kept you there. The author spins a captivating story filled with twist and turns.This was a fast read that will keep you guessing. A good one for the who done it readers
This book kept you interest right from the start and kept you there. The author spins a captivating story filled with twist and turns.This was a fast read that will keep you guessing. A good one for the who done it readers
June 9, 2024
Score another great book by Ridley Pearson
As with all books I've read by this author, it was exceptional. Great story line, action, and detective work. I highly recommended it (if you don't mind missing a little sleep)
As with all books I've read by this author, it was exceptional. Great story line, action, and detective work. I highly recommended it (if you don't mind missing a little sleep)
May 16, 2017
Product tampering and revenge - not a good combination
June 18, 2018
Product tampering with a side issue of extortion by a former cop who works for the food company.
Pretty intense and sometimes a bit convoluted.
Pretty intense and sometimes a bit convoluted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2018
Gripping plot with some good twists and turns.
October 24, 2020
I like this series but I felt like about 60 pages of this one just drug. I ended up skimming thru just get back to the focus of the hunt. Maybe too many details.
March 23, 2021
best so far in this series
April 24, 2021
Read in 1996. I became a fan of Pearson's Lou Boldt mystery thrillers and read them for twenty years.
July 14, 2021
This book delivers what it promises on the cover. plenty of action deception and great sleuthing with a good ending. Well worth seeking out.
October 11, 2021
Another fast-paced page turner. Lots of twists and turns. Looking forward to the next in this series.
June 28, 2024
Another excellent book in the series. Wish I had more time to read!!!
January 3, 2026
Bigly!
*** 3 Stars.
*** 3 Stars.
December 21, 2008
Mystery/Thriller. Lou Boldt #3. Lou and Daphne investigate a product tampering case. Daphne seems to be getting more and more helpless as the series progresses. At one point she chides herself for always thinking like a cop and never a victim, which is ridiculous because she usually ends up being a victim and not a cop. Meanwhile, Lou's still emo.
Secret confession: I've cast David Hewlett as Lou Boldt. It's pretty much his only redeeming feature right now. Lou, that is. He's such a sad sack. Though he's very good at his job.
Pearson's writing is still uneven here. He's good at the cop stuff, but his interpersonal dialogue comes off as stilted and improbable; POV continues to waffle, but at least this book focuses on Lou and Daphne and doesn't give us any psycho!pov like the last. You win some; you lose some.
Two and a half stars rounded up to three because it's better than Angel Maker and the tension gets really good at the end.
Secret confession: I've cast David Hewlett as Lou Boldt. It's pretty much his only redeeming feature right now. Lou, that is. He's such a sad sack. Though he's very good at his job.
Pearson's writing is still uneven here. He's good at the cop stuff, but his interpersonal dialogue comes off as stilted and improbable; POV continues to waffle, but at least this book focuses on Lou and Daphne and doesn't give us any psycho!pov like the last. You win some; you lose some.
Two and a half stars rounded up to three because it's better than Angel Maker and the tension gets really good at the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews