Overview
"Two young lovers. A sultry summer night. One brutal, cold-blooded murder. In this stunning, atmospheric thriller, Brian Freeman takes you deep into Detective Jonathan Stride's complicated past." "It's the case that has haunted Stride for thirty years. During the summer after his junior year of high school, he fell in love with beautiful Cindy Starr, the girl who would become his wife. But on the Fourth of July, the same night that Jonny and Cindy cemented their love, Cindy's older sister Laura was savagely murdered. The police suspected a vagrant of committing the crime, but no one was ever arrested, and the case was closed." "Now, Laura's best friend Tish Verdure has returned to Duluth to write a book about Laura's death. Tish knows secrets that a lot of people would like to keep hidden, including information about Cindy that leave Stride questioning his entire past. When a young girl is found drowned in the St. Louis River and a witness to the original murder attempts suicide, Stride realizes that the violence of the past is spilling over into the present." As he unearths the explosive events that led to Laura's murder, Stride discovers that the ripples of her death changed everyone's lives, including his own. Can Stride put to rest the ghosts of his past, or will they devour him whole?Synopsis
“A SUSPENSEFUL TALE OF TERROR AND SECRETS KEPT TOO LONG.”
—Library Journal
Two young lovers. A hot summer night. One cold-blooded murder. Bestselling author Brian Freeman reveals the shattering secrets of Detective Jonathan Stride’s past…
IN THE DARK
It’s the case that has haunted Stride for thirty years. In high school, he fell in love with Cindy Starr, the girl who would become his wife. But on the Fourth of July, the same night they cemented their love, Cindy’s sister was savagely murdered. No one was ever arrested—and the case was closed. Now, decades later, a classmate has returned to Duluth to write a book about the crime. She knows secrets that a lot of people would like to keep hidden, including details about Cindy that leave Stride questioning his entire life. But when a girl is found drowned in the river—and a witness to the original murder attempts suicide—Stride realizes the ghosts of the past are alive and well…and ready to kill again.
“THIS HARROWING AND HEARTRENDING NOVEL WILL LEAVE READERS GUESSING UNTIL THE VERY LAST PAGES.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Publishers Weekly
Edgar-finalist Freeman's fourth thriller to feature Duluth, Minn., police lieutenant Jonathan Stride (after Stalked) may be his most ambitious-and accomplished-work to date. As the title suggests, even those involved in the closest relationships can be kept in the dark about a loved one's past. When a woman shows up in town and informs Stride that she's writing a book about the 30-year-old mystery surrounding the murder of the older sister of the girl who grew up to become Stride's spouse, he's forced to re-examine the validity of his bond with not only his late wife, Cindy, who died of cancer five years earlier, but also that involving his current love interest, a former Vegas cop turned PI, Serena Dial. Powered by darkly poetic atmospherics and deep character development (especially Stride, whose understated intensity, dignity and resilience are emblematic of the Twin Ports area itself), this harrowing and heartrending novel will leave readers guessing until the very last pages. Author tour. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Edgar-finalist Freeman's fourth thriller to feature Duluth, Minn., police lieutenant Jonathan Stride (after Stalked) may be his most ambitious-and accomplished-work to date. As the title suggests, even those involved in the closest relationships can be kept in the dark about a loved one's past. When a woman shows up in town and informs Stride that she's writing a book about the 30-year-old mystery surrounding the murder of the older sister of the girl who grew up to become Stride's spouse, he's forced to re-examine the validity of his bond with not only his late wife, Cindy, who died of cancer five years earlier, but also that involving his current love interest, a former Vegas cop turned PI, Serena Dial. Powered by darkly poetic atmospherics and deep character development (especially Stride, whose understated intensity, dignity and resilience are emblematic of the Twin Ports area itself), this harrowing and heartrending novel will leave readers guessing until the very last pages. Author tour. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Library Journal
Eighteen-year-old Laura Starr was beaten to death the night of July 4, 1977. Her killer was believed to be a transient who got away. Thirty years later, Jonathan Stride (Immoral; Stripped; Stalked), the head of the Major Crimes department in Duluth, MN, finds that everything he thinks he knows about the case is not quite true when a friend of his late wife comes home to write a book about the murder. As alternating chapters excerpt the proposed book and follow the current-day story, Freeman builds a suspenseful tale of terror and secrets kept too long. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ12/08.]
—Jo Ann Vicarel
From the Publisher
Praise for In the Dark:
"Edgar-finalist Freeman's fourth thriller to feature Duluth, Minn., police lieutenant Jonathan Stride (after Stalked) may be his most ambitious—and accomplished—work to date.... Powered by darkly poetic atmospherics and deep character development (especially Stride, whose understated intensity, dignity and resilience are emblematic of the Twin Ports area itself), this harrowing and heartrending novel will leave readers guessing until the very last pages." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A suspenseful tale of terror and secrets kept too long." --Library Journal "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." --Minneapolis Star Tribune "Intense and fast-paced." --BookBitch.com
“Freeman combines memorable characterizations with a complex but very believable plot that culminates in several surprising twists and turns. This one is a winner all the way. Highly recommended.” –ILoveAMystery.com
“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 likeable one.” –Mystery News magazine
"In an emotional novel, the stories of each of the characters unfold in graphic detail. Written with a chilling eye, the novel recounts the love and perversions of the past and how they affect the present.A very good read, and recommended." --Midwest Book Review
Praise for Stalked:
“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.” –Nelson DeMille, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wildfire
“Chiling, 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.” –Publishers Weekly
“Featuring a cast of realistic, three-dimensional characters; a truly terrifying villain; a serpentine plot; and ambiance so convincing you'll want to wear a turtleneck sweater and long underwear, Freeman's latest should be on the to-read list of anyone who enjoys novels by authors like Harlan Coben, David Baldacci and Jeff Abbott—a perfect blend of psychological suspense and crime fiction.” –Chicago Tribune
“Freeman just keeps outdoing himself with each book....a striking display of skilled storytelling that will have readers surprised more than once well before the shocking ending.” --Library Journal
“Freeman delivers a swift plot packed with satisfying twists.” --Booklist