Jonathan Stride

She disappeared. They put her killer on trial. Then she was murdered. Lieutenant Jonathan Stride is suffering from an ugly case of déjà vu. For the second time in a year, a beautiful teenage girl has disappeared off the streets of Duluth, Minnesota-gone without a trace, like a bitter gust off Lake Superior. The two victims couldn't be more different. First it was Kerry McGrath, bubbly and sweet, and now Rachel Deese, a strange, sexually charged wild child. The media hounds Stride to catch a serial killer. The search carries him from the icy stillness of the northern woods to the erotic heat of Las Vegas, where he must decide which facts are real and which are illusions. Stride's own life becomes changed forever by the secrets he uncovers, secrets that stretch across time in a web of lies, death, and illicit desire. Secrets that are chillingly immoral. Immoral is a sexy, gripping thriller by a talented newcomer already sparking huge attention. "Who is Brian Freeman? This guy can tell a story. Immoral is a page-turner of the highest caliber. It has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end." "Breathtakingly real and utterly compelling, Immoral dishes up page-turning psychological suspense while treating us lucky readers to some of the most literate and stylish writing you'll find anywhere today." "The writing is tough, muscular, and shot through with such a sense of loss, torment, longing, torn innocence that it's downright Celtic in its sorrow. Just as the reader and Stride figure to have the case wrapped, there's a sucker punch you never saw coming-and it hurts wonderfully. The novel is reminiscent of Lehane, of such works as Gone Baby Gone and Sacred, when Lehane was writing this darkest, bruised, compassionate self. Freeman's novel is one hell of a read, gut wrenching and moving, exciting and powerful. Any book that makes you want to fly to Vegas gets my bet. Stride on." "[Immoral] may very well be one of the best debuts of 2005…a near pitch-perfect first novel that soars with believable characters, crisp dialogue, and, for the most part, logical twists and turns…Jonathan Stride literally strides onto the page-flawed, complicated, and very appealing." "Be warned. In the manner of the finest thrillers, nothing is as it seems in Freeman's devilish story of revenge and double-cross." "Immoral is a stunning debut from Brian Freeman…A spellbinding saga of murder and retribution." "Light the fire and darken the lights for a gut-wrenching tale of psychological suspense from a true storyteller." "With Stride, Freeman has created a world-weary detective with a strong moral compass and determination. Tightly written with a strong sense of place and character…A compelling read." "Joe Barrett takes charge with great poise…[He] handles the gender changes and local accents with precision and delivers this thriller with ease." "In this compelling debut thriller, Freeman turns in a psychologically gripping, virtuoso performance, with a detective who is likely to return. He deftly lays bare the demons lurking in many of us while keeping us tantalized through a series of plot shifts. Highly recommended." "Immoral is a slick and savvy offering and the best debut mystery in quite some time."

Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial are both investigating high-profile murders in Las Vegas. A celebrity is assassinated during a fling with a prostitute, and a young boy is killed in a brutal hit-and-run incident. When the cases converge, Jonathan and Serena find themselves racing the clock against a determined serial killer and searching for a connection to the unsolved murder of a showgirl years earlier. Freeman's vivid cast of characters exposes all of Las Vegas' dirty secrets, past and present, and in a rooftop showdown amid the ruins of a 1960s-era casino, the chase comes to a stunning climax. Stripped pushes the emotional and sexual limits of its heroes and keeps the listener riveted until the last shocking plot twist. "Barrett deftly handles the rapid-fire dialogue, believable plot shifts, and wide variety of voices and accents. In dusky, appealing tones, Barrett turns Freeman's deliciously decadent diversion into compelling listening. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award." "The suspense mounts as Stride and Dial each face personal demons while delving into Sin City's past…Highly recommended." "Freeman depicts his characters well, especially the good-natured Stride; his cop girlfriend, Serena Dial; and his partner, Amanda. Freeman has crafted a strong narrative, rife with sex and violence." "What sets the author apart are his rich, complex characters…Recommended for fans of Harlan Coben, who will enjoy the compelling cast and swift, sinuous plot."

Lieutenant Jonathan Stride knows his partner, Maggie Bei, is in trouble when she reports a deadly crime on a bitter winter night. She's obviously hiding a terrible secret, and her silence only feeds suspicion. But Maggie isn't the only one keeping secrets in Duluth. A seductive young woman has disappeared, leaving behind a stash of lurid fantasies and a cryptic message: "I know who it is." Following a twisted trail, Stride uncovers a sordid web of violence and voyeurism that someone is willing to kill for in order to keep hidden. His lover, Serena Dial, a homicide cop turned private investigator, is chasing a blackmailer who knows all the city's dirty secrets, even Maggie's. But as Stride and Serena hunt for a killer, a predator is hunting them, with a terrifying plan for revenge. "Brian Freeman is, quite simply, a first-rate storyteller. Stalked is scary, fast-paced, and refreshingly well written. The characters are so sharply drawn and interesting, we can't wait to meet the next one in the story. Freeman has another winner." "Chilling, atmospheric…A strong narrative crammed with twists and studded with sex and violence; a mysterious, even mystical, sense of place; and a well-crafted set of characters and relationships make this one of Freeman's stronger crime thrillers." " The final conflict on the frozen waters of a Minnesota lake is nothing short of inspired-- a perfect read for a freezing February night! " "A perfect blend of psychological suspense and crime fiction." "Chilling and heart-thumping."

This is one case that has haunted Jonathan Stride for thirty years. When he was a teenager, Jonathan Stride fell in love with Cindy Starr, the girl who would become his wife. But that same year, Cindy's sister, Laura, was brutally murdered on the Fourth of July. The police suspected a vagrant of committing the crime, but Stride and Cindy were both convinced that the killer was someone close to Laura. Now, years after Cindy's death from cancer, the past is opened up again when Laura's best friend, Tish, shows up to write a book about the unsolved murder. Her investigation suddenly leaves Stride questioning his relationship with Cindy-and his entire past. "An evocative mystery, one shaded with melancholy and dusted with heartache, and one that reminds readers that life may be brutal and cold, but, in Minnesota at least, we shore ourselves against these truths and we endure." "May be his most ambitious-and accomplished-work to date…Powered by darkly poetic atmospherics and deep character development…this harrowing and heartrending novel will leave readers guessing until the very last pages." "Freeman's latest spine chiller boasts intense suspense, clever plot twists and characters capable of every sort of evil. The good 'guys' are gratifying to watch here, too, from shrewd and vulnerable Stride to his detective partner, Maggie Bei, who's smart, sassy, and wry. Macavity Award winner and Edgar finalist Freeman has the goods-and he's getting better with every book." "Freeman builds a suspenseful tale of terror and secrets kept too long." "A well-written, very interesting novel, blending past and present in a very believable, integrated manner. Jonathan is a very realistic character, and a very likable one."

Lieutenant Jonathan Stride is quietly recovering from injuries sustained on his latest case when a rich doctor's baby is kidnapped and his peace is shattered. As suspicion builds that the doctor may have staged the baby's disappearance, the relationship between the doctor and his wife and neighbors begins to disintegrate. Stride and his lover and partner, Serena, find themselves on opposite sides of the case, with Stride pursuing evidence that incriminates the doctor and Serena trying to prove that the baby really was abducted. Meanwhile, Stride's colleague, Maggie, and her headstrong young partner are tracking a man responsible for a violent crime wave in the rural areas of Duluth. There seems to be no connection between the cases-until a victim with ties to the doctor's case turns up murdered in the signature style of the Duluth killer. "Brian Freeman is, quite simply, a first-rate storyteller." "My discovery this year has been Edgar-nominated crime writer Brian Freeman…Fleshed-out characters, high tension and terrifying twists put Freeman up there with Harlan Coben in the psychological crime stratosphere." "The suspense driving this novel is palpable from opening pages that are as gripping as any I've read in a thriller this year." "Raised from the merely formulaic by Freeman's emotional literacy, sense of place and an uncanny ability to wrong-foot the reader and produce a wholly unexpected ending, The Burying Place is far more than the sum of its parts." "Intriguing…An appropriately creepy atmosphere and well-rounded, flawed characters." "Joe Barrett's rendition of Edgar Award winner Freeman's latest effort perfectly captures the suspense of this engrossing mystery. His voice, low and breathy, suggests secrecy and danger, along with a hint of world-weariness that is especially appropriate for the burned-out Stride…His performance should keep listeners intrigued as the mysteries unravel." "Crisp dialogue, steady suspense, and a cast of original characters drive this fifth entry in Macavity Award winner Freeman's excellent series." "Be prepared for a tension-filled, dramatic roller-coaster ride…Narrator Joe Barrett…does a wonderful job of sustaining the excitement and also nails the Minnesota accents perfectly." "With a whopping surprise solution, Freeman's latest packs quite a punch from cradle to grave." "Freeman begins dropping explosive revelations early in The Burying Place…Don't even think about starting to read it without blocking out several hours. You won't want to put this one down without finishing it."

Detective Jonathan Stride is back. A third woman dead in two months, and for the third time, Alison Malville isn't sure her husband was home all night. When the killer sends the usual photo of his victim to the press, she sees an item of her clothing left with this body, too. Could you believe your own husband was capable of murder? Would you turn him in? This gripping thriller from the acclaimed author of Spilled Blood will keep you riveted.

Turn to Stone takes place in the days immediately preceding the events of The Cold Nowhere, the sixth book in Freeman's thrilling Jonathan Stride series. On his way back to Duluth, Stride stops to visit the grave of his mother in a small Wisconsin town. After a shocking occurrence in the cemetery, Stride becomes enmeshed in a gruesome and suspenseful search for a killer who knows things no one else alive should know.This novella from master of suspense Brian Freeman, winner of the International Thriller Writers Award, is not to be missed.

Ten years ago, six-year-old Catalina Mateo hid under the porch of her family home while a knife butchered her mother and a bullet killed her father. Now a rough-sleeping orphan, Cat arrives at the house of Detective Jonathan Stride, pleading for protection. Drenched in the icy waters of Lake Superior, she claims to have narrowly escaped a cold-blooded killer.Stride's raw instinct is to protect Cat, whose late parents' case-and his personal guilt associated with it-still sends a shiver down his spine. As a result, he takes the troubled teenager under his wing.But Stride's partner, Maggie Bei, is not convinced. She doubts the sincerity of this beautiful young streetwalker who has so easily won Stride's trust, and now sleeps in his house with a butcher's knife under her pillow.As Stride continues to care for Cat, Maggie's suspicions solidify, and a single question occupies the void between them: Should Stride be afraid for, or of, this terribly damaged girl?

Detective Jonathan Stride's first wife, Cindy, died of cancer eight years ago, but her ghost hangs over Stride's relationship with his current lover and fellow detective Serena Dial. When Serena witnesses a brutal murder outside a Duluth bar, she stumbles onto a case with roots that go all the way back to the last year of Cindy Stride's life. At the time, Cindy and Stride were on opposite sides of a domestic murder investigation. Gorgeous, brilliant Janine Snow-a surgeon transplanted to Duluth from Texas-was the prime suspect in the shooting death of her husband. Cindy believed her friend Janine was innocent, but Stride thought all the evidence pointed to the surgeon-even though the gun was never found. Despite Cindy's attempts to help Janine, the case led to a high-profile murder trial in which Janine was convicted and sent to prison. During the current investigation, Serena finds a gun used in the murder of a woman connected to an organized crime syndicate-a gun that turns out to be the same weapon used to kill Janine Snow's husband. Two unrelated cases years apart suddenly have a mysterious connection. As Stride investigates the possibility that human traffickers are targeting women in the Duluth port, he begins to question whether he made a terrible mistake eight years ago by putting an innocent woman in prison-and whether he will ever be able to make peace with the memory of his beloved wife and give his heart to Serena.

Jonathan Stride's best friend, Steve Garske, makes a shocking deathbed confession: he protected Stride by covering up a murder. Hours later, the police dig up Steve's yard and find a body with a bullet hole in its skull. Stride is pretty sure he knows who it is. Seven years ago, an out-of-town reporter disappeared while investigating anonymous allegations of rape against a prominent politician. Back then, the police believed that the reporter drowned at a dangerous swimming hole called the Deeps ... but the discovery of the body changes everything. Now Stride's partner, Maggie Bei, is forced to ask Stride an uncomfortable question: Did you kill him? Stride is obviously hiding things. He was the last person to see the reporter alive. And he admits lying to Maggie about that meeting, but won't tell her why. With suspicion in the murder pointing at him, Stride finds himself off the case and on leave from the Duluth Police. His only ally in clearing his name is his wife, Serena, who retraces the reporter's investigation into the explosive allegations. The clues all point to a hot Duluth summer years earlier that everyone in town would prefer to forget. Someone was willing to kill rather than let those long-ago secrets come out, and the suspect with the strongest motive ... is Stride.

A woman has been kidnapped. Now Jonathan Stride must decide if her husband wants her back... dead or alive. After nearly dying of a gunshot wound, Jonathan Stride has been on leave from the Duluth Police for more than a year. When his partner, Maggie Bei, gets called about a suspicious abduction involving a local lawyer, she tells Stride it's time for him to come back. Attorney Gavin Webster says he paid $100,000 in ransom money to the men who kidnapped his wife. Now they've disappeared with the cash, and she's still missing. Gavin claims to be desperate to find her—but Stride discovers that the lawyer had plenty of motive to be the mastermind behind the crime. Even as Stride digs for the truth about Gavin Webster and his wife, he must also deal with a crisis in his own marriage. His wife, Serena, is struggling after the death of her mother, the abusive woman she hadn't seen in 25 years. When she loses control at a crime scene and draws her gun on a fellow cop, Serena finds herself kicked off the Webster case. Alone at her desk, she begins hunting through old police files and starts to ask questions about a mother's death that was written off as suicide. That death haunts Serena like an echo of her own childhood—but her obsession with it takes a terrible toll. As Serena shuts him out of her despair and his own investigation grows increasingly tangled, Stride wonders whether going back to his detective work was the right decision. But all he can do is keep moving forward. Because Stride fears the Webster kidnapping may be only one part of a horrific murder conspiracy. And it's not over yet.