Customer Reviews

The Burying Place: A Novel (Lt. Jonathan Stride series, Book 5)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although injured from a nasty fall, Duluth, Minnesota Police detective Jonathan Stride continues his investigation into the kidnapping of eleven month old Callie Glenn. Her father is a renowned Grand Rapids, Minnesota orthopedic surgeon Marcus and her mother Valerie were having marital problems that she at least hope the baby would resolve.

Because of the way the abduction occurred, Jonathan strongly believes someone with access to the exclusive waterfront house abducted the infant starting with the father who kicked his long time mistress to the curb and the babysitter whom he might have begun a fling with. Jonathan's partner, Detective Maggie Bei assists him on his inquiry while leading an investigation on a serial killer. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time leads to rookie cop Kasey Kennedy becoming the psychopath's latest obsession.

This is an exciting Minnesota police procedural starring several cops with personal issues, but the key is that the two cases remain front and center. The story line is fast-paced and filled with action throughout and a great final spin. Although the convergence of the investigations feels strained, readers still will enjoy this entertaining tale as the hero and company remain In the Dark while they stride down the mean streets of Duluth.

Harriet Klausner

I loved this book from cover to cover. I had it for less than a week and I was finished. I can't wait for the next chapter in the John, Maggie, and Sarena chapter to see where the road takes them.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery with a lot of twists and turns to keep you guessing as to whats next.

One of the best books I have read in 2010!!! Lots of twists and turns and suspense! Loved it!!!

I really really enjoyed this book. I have read all of the books in this series, and honestly, if you have not read any books in this series, I think going back and starting from the beginning will make this last book better. The characters grow and change and develop with each book.

I think I liked this book the best so far, there was a twist in the end, well actually a couple of twists in the story that I did not see coming. I read so many books, I love when there are twists that make me say "Wow, didn't see that coming". Overall great series.

I look forward to the next book in this series, I am not done with these characters yet!

I'd never read Brian Freeman and just happened to pick this one up at the library. Thus, I had no prior knowledge of the characters or their relationships. (This is the third in a series.) However, that didn't matter as the author laid out the story so that he gave all the necessary info without awkwardness or repetition.

The story is terrific, the characters are all three-dimensional (memorable and different from each other) and the developments are compelling. It's clear that Mr. Freeman knows his stuff about Minnesota, too, as the cold weather, bleak landscape and picturesque lake homes are very much part of the plot. Despite being an inveterate mystery reader, I didn't get whodunit until pretty close to the end.

I got so involved in the story that I couldn't stop until it was over. Wow! The very definition of a page-turner.

p.s. I look forward to reading other books by Mr. Freeman, including the two that preceded this one. However, as explained above, this one absolutely functioned beautifully as a stand-alone book.

at the risk of sounding like a broken record, Brian Freeman is a master..love love LOVE his novels...Burying Place is no exception. He's not afraid to put his protagonists through hell and he's just so good at making you feel for his characters.

Burying place picks up shortly after In The Dark. Stride is on 'vacation', dealing with the trials of the last case he worked on in the previous novel. As always, his love Serena Dial is with him, but they're not without his issues. Stride is coming to terms dealing with his near death at the end of the novel. It's not a 'happily ever after' situation.

During all this two cases happen concurrently. 1) a child of a wealthy power couple goes near where Stride and Serena have been taking some time away from the world and 2) a series of brutal murders of women has been taking place closer to home in Duluth. Maggie Bei is back of course and she draws the serial killer case. Stride is brought on by an old friend from the force for the child abduction and she's got her own personal reasons for doing so.

In the midst of all this, Kacey Kennedy, a relatively green cop on the force actually encounters the man who's been butchering Duluth women while she gets lost while driving home in a horrible fog. Getting lost changes the course of her life forever.

I don't want to give too much away about the book. That would be spoiling it for anybody who hasn't read it yet. Freeman's great at tackling multiple mysteries while still being able to handle drama on a personal level as well. Stride is collapsing more and more in on himself in teh wake of his near death experience and both his lover Serena and his long time partner and woman who harbors a love interest for him Maggie Bei, are both struggling to deal with it and help him out. If you read Stride by now you know he's not one to burden other people with his problems and taking it all upon himself may prove to be his undoing.

As usual, Freeman points the reader in all kinds of directions. Was it the narcistic surgeon who disappeared the child? The lonely wife? Who's been killing women in the north farmlands for sport? Is Maggie really over her feelings for Stride?

I will say that there were a couple of instances in the book that weren't that much of a surprise, but the ending was a BIG surprise. At first. Freeman's great as leaving clues, and subtle ones at that. When all is revealed at the end it's quite a surprise and a great twist but you'll realize that all the framework is there.

The ending is satisfying but still leaves the door open for more which is fine by me. I enjoy all of his characters to a great extent and as long as he keeps writing them , I'll keep reading them!

A baby disappears from a Minnesota home. A sadistic killer forces a policewoman to play a deadly game. Are they related? Lieutenant Jonathan Stride and his team needs to move fast in order to find this missing child while searching for a serial killer who's targets seem to be all women.

This well written procedural mystery thriller is full of surpises. It moves at a rapid pace yet creates a depth that's brimming with emotion. This fifth in the series is still going strong and great character development is one of the reasons.

This is another exciting and intreging mystery by Brian Freeman, a real page turner. It is especially interesting to me now that I am living in a new house in a remote california olive orchard. Gale Smith, Bangor, CA.

I picked this book up at the library and this is the first book I have read by this author but it won't be the last. I'd love to go back and read the series from the first. I'm always hunting for good murder mystery author's and I really enjoyed reading this book.

I loved the charaters in the book, and really didn't see it ending the way it did. Talk about a surprise ending, I would have never thought it would end the way it did,now I can't wait to read more in this series.

This is one of Brian Freeman's most captivating books. This book is definitely suspenseful and it will captivate you at the end. My favorite character is Kasey and believe me you will be surprised at the end.