Ralph Gilly, the owner of a fishing resort in Montana where Chris and Matt vacationed together years ago has a neighbor in trouble, and he's reached out to Matt and Chris for help. Clint Davidson's prize bull has been slaughtered and his foreman, Shorty McMann, has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. The cattleman has been warned that any involvement by the FBI or other law enforcement agencies will result in the death of his ranch hand. Desperate, the ranch owner offers to pay all expenses if Matt and Chris can fly out to help. Reluctantly, Roscoe mayor Harold Swenson agrees to let Matt go, with dire consequences promised if he isn't back on time, and he and Chris head West. Meanwhile, back home in Roscoe, Rick Dawley becomes acting chief, and he, Bobcat Walker, and Pete Richards have their hands full with an crazed arsonist who is setting local barns on fire.Can Matt and Chris save Shorty? Can the undermanned Roscoe police department stop the fire bug before someone is killed?These are the challenges facing Matt and Roscoe in the newest Matt Davis mystery, Deadly Ransom. ADVANCE REVIEWS "Matt Davis is back-and that's bad news for the bad guys! Matt Davis, the former NYC homicide detective, nearly killed in the line of duty in Joe Perrone Jr.'s debut, 'As the Twig is Bent,' thought he'd found peace and quiet as chief of a small, Upstate police department. But trouble has an uncanny way of finding him. It's kidnapping and arson this time around in Perrone's fifth Matt Davis mystery, 'Deadly Ransom,' a must-read for his many fans." -Tom Connor, co-author of the New York Times best-selling "Martha Stuart's Better Than You at Entertaining" * * * * "Generally I do not read serial novels, and I admit to fighting to keep preconceived prejudices at bay . . . to my surprise, Deadly Ransom is a page turner.The author cleverly presents his latest thriller in a psychophrenic storyline. Davis, a former NYPD detective, now Chief of Police in Roscoe, NY, is asked to solve a kidnapping in Montana. He convinces the mayor to allow him a long overdue vacation, agrees to work on his own time, and heads to Montana. Back in Roscoe, an arsonist is keeping Matt's substitute quite busy. The reader roots for his replacement to solve the arson mystery so that Matt doesn't return, only to find an unresolved mess at home. I like the short chapters. As you read, there is a comfortable certainty in knowing the action will shift as you reach the end of a chapter. The scene either shifts from protagonist to antagonist, or re-opens the action, either in Montana or Upstate New York.Although part of a series, 'Deadly Ransom' has a strong enough plot and character development to allow it to stand on its own. In fact, your curiosity might be piqued enough to return to the scene of the crime and work your way through the first four books in the series." -Greg Miller, Production Manager, Thomson Reuters; author of "Springsteen-A Notion Deep Inside" (2016-www.BossScribbler.com * * * * " 'Deadly Ransom' is just that, another Matt Davis mystery well worth the cover price. However, this time you get two Matt Davis cases for the price of one. Matt and former partner, Chris Freitag, are off to Montana-not to fish, but to rescue a kidnapped ranch hand named Shorty. While Matt's away, Roscoe is burning, as an arsonist terrorizes the countryside. Author Joe Perrone Jr. takes the reader on his typical twisted ride, this one from the Catskills to the big skies of Montana. The cast includes cowboys, Indians, an arsonist, and more three-dimensional characters. In the end, it's Matt's good old common sense and his lifetime of experience that saves the day. 'Deadly Ransom' is a welcome addition to the Matt Davis Mystery Series and holds your attention right up to the conclusion." -Jim Krul, former director Catskill Fly Fishing Museum and Center, Livingston Manor, NY