Spilled Blood: A Novel [Hardcover]

Brian Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

A taut thriller about two rural Minnesota towns locked in a deadly feud--and a teenage girl caught in the crossfire.

 

Linked by the Spirit River, the two towns couldn't be more different: in affluent Barron, a powerful and secretive scientific research corporation enriches its residents, while downriver in blue-collar St. Croix, victims of that company's carcinogenic waste struggle to survive. The bad blood between the communities escalates into open warfare when the beautiful Ashlynn, daughter of the corporation's president, is found shot dead--and a St. Croix girl, Olivia Hawk, is accused of the crime. Reluctantly, Olivia's mother summons her estranged husband Christopher, a Minneapolis lawyer, to come defend his daughter. As Christopher struggles to unravel the mystery of Ashlynn's murder and save his own daughter, he uncovers some ugly truths that endanger the residents of both towns. And looming over everything are the chilling, apocalyptic threats from a murderous psychopath known only as “Aquarius.”

 

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Suspense doesn't get more excruciating than this...Freeman keeps building the psychological tension, both in raw scenes and in the ways he hints at and layers his characters' defenses and motivations... Reading this novel is like walking a tightrope in a high wind. Don't miss it." --Booklist (Starred Review)

"Harrowing... Freeman ratchets up the suspense steadily, and then provides a cataclysmic ending." --Publishers Weekly

 

About the Author

Often likened to Harlan Coben and David Baldacci, award-winning author Brian Freeman is an internationally bestselling author of psychological suspense novels. His books have been sold in 46 countries and translated into 20 languages. Brian's debut thriller, Immoral, won the Macavity Award and was a nominee for the Edgar®, Dagger, Anthony, and Barry awards for best first novel. Since then, each subsequent novel has been published to similar acclaim. Freeman lives and writes in his native state of Minnesota.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: SilverOak; First Edition edition (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402798121
• ISBN-13: 978-1402798122
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Freeman is an international bestselling author of psychological suspense novels featuring detectives Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial. His books have been sold in 46 countries and 20 languages and have appeared as Main Selections in the Literary Guild and the Book of the Month Club. His settings in the bleak, frozen landscape of Duluth, Minnesota, and his deeply complex characters, have drawn comparisons to Swedish noir.

He has twice been named a finalist for Best Hardcover Novel in the Thriller Awards presented by the International Thriller Writers organization (for SPILLED BLOOD and THE BURYING PLACE). His debut thriller, IMMORAL, won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel and was a nominee for the Edgar, Dagger, Anthony, and Barry Awards. It was named International Book of the Month by book clubs around the world, a distinction shared with authors such as Harlan Coben and Karin Slaughter. His novel STRIPPED was named one of the top 10 mysteries of 2006 by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

His third novel STALKED was released in February 2008. "Freeman just keeps outdoing himself with each book," said the starred review in Library Journal. Publishers Weekly similarly gave a starred review to Freeman's fourth novel, IN THE DARK (2009), calling it his best book yet, "harrowing and heartrending."

His fifth novel THE BURYING PLACE arrived in bookstores in 2010. Upon its release in the UK, London's Daily Mail called Freeman the discovery of the year in crime fiction and said of the book: "Fleshed-out characters, high tension and terrifying twists put Freeman up there with Harlan Coben in the psychological crime stratosphere."

Brian's sixth book THE BONE HOUSE was his first stand-alone novel, featuring all-new characters and another remote Midwest setting in Door County, Wisconsin. THE BONE HOUSE was a finalist for an Audie Award (Best Audiobook of the Year) in Thriller/Suspense and a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award.

His new book is SPILLED BLOOD, a stand-alone set amid the dirt roads and ghost towns of southwestern Minnesota. #1 bestselling author Lisa Gardner says: "Spilled Blood is everything a great suspense novel should be: gripping, shocking, and moving. Brian Freeman proves once again he's a master of psychological suspense."

In addition to his suspense series, Freeman is also the co-author of THE AGENCY (2009) under the pen name "Ally O'Brien." THE AGENCY is Janet Evanovich meets The Devil Wears Prada, a light and sexy satire of the publishing industry that received favorable reviews in People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly, among others.

Freeman was born in Chicago and grew up in San Mateo, California, before moving to Minnesota. You can write to him at [e-mail] and find him on Facebook by clicking the link at his web site (www.bfreemanbooks.com).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner March 10, 2012

By DMJOHNSTON

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have read all of Brian Freemans books and they just keep getting better and better. This one pulled me in right from the start and kept me guessing right to the end. I was sure I had figured out who the killer was but turned out to be very wrong! I found it hard to put this book down and was constantly thinking about it even when not reading - that to me is the sign of an excellent story!

I would also highly recommend Brian Freemans psychological suspense novels featuring detectives Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial, the first being "Immoral"!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping, complex, wonderfully written and perfectly paced psychological thriller April 12, 2012

By Christina (Ensconced in YA) TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

I won Spilled Blood from the member librarything giveaways in exchange for an honest review.

Spilled Blood is a heart pounding psychological thriller by Brian Freeman. The protagonist is Chris, a lawyer but first and foremost a father. He comes to a small town named St. Croix when his daughter Olivia is charged with murder. He believes her to be innocent, but soon he realizes there are many dark underpinnings between this small town and the next, with violence and bloodshed about to tear both towns apart.

As I have said in other reviews, one of the most important aspects of a psychological thriller is a likeable and intelligent, but at the same time, complex protagonist. Chris is both-- he is still in love with his ex-wife, he loves his daughter to a fault, but he ends up treading very close to the moral line. All of the characters are fleshed out, even ones that we are expected to dislike. There is one character in particular that I will not talk about as to not give anything away, but let's just say I was extremely impressed. This person's development throughout the book was key to the plot.

And wow, what a plot. Each move was deliberate. Secrets were revealed exactly when they were supposed to, and it wasn't clear to me what was going to happen and what the meaning of certain events and facts were. However, when they were presented to me, it made perfect sense. Being able to do this and ramp up the intensity and keep the reader guessing is a difficult skill that Freeman does with ease. I did not rush through his book because I was savoring it page by page, but I still got through it in a day.

Very impressive book from start to finish. I will be definitely reading more of his books.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars gripping July 21, 2012

By ggma

Format:Hardcover

This will get a grip on you from the start. No rehash of the contents just that Freeman has done it again with a story that will keep you going until the last page and not to give anything away but the last 100 pages will have you reading as fast as you can go. Always a pleasure to read a well written book.