Stripped (Mass Market Paperback)

by Brian Freeman (Author) "She slipped the robe off her shoulders, and the white silk gathered in a pool of accordion folds at her feet..." (more)
Key Phrases: brown sedan, stress ball, Las Vegas, Walker Lane, Boni Fisso (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
At the start of Freeman's solid second thriller (after 2005's Immoral), detective Jonathan Stride has left his job in Duluth, Minn., for Las Vegas, Nev. The action begins with a flashback to Sin City in the 1950s and the murder of a famous exotic dancer, a case never fully resolved and having a lot to do with the present-day brutal assassination of a rich young "trust fund baby," MJ Lane, whose dad may have been involved in the earlier murder. As Stride and his new police partner, Amanda Gillen, investigate, they plunge deep into the roots of the city. 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, though the complex plot at times gets bogged down by overly extensive backstories and a prose style that shades toward the purple. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
In Freeman's second mystery featuring Minnesota native Jonathan Stride, the midwestern detective relocates to Sin City after meeting--and falling hard for--tall, emerald-eyed Las Vegas investigator Serena Dial. Though Stride and Dial are not professional partners, they soon find themselves tackling a trio of murder cases that might be connected: the four-decades-old slaying of a scandalous starlet, the recent shooting of a handsome young playboy, and the hit-nd-run death of a 12-year-old boy. Freeman wastes no time setting the tawdry tone of Las Vegas: "The city operated on jungle rules: feed under the cool cover of darkness, and find a patch of shade to sleep through the hot days." But what sets the author apart are his rich, complex characters: Stride's detective partner, Amanda, a transsexual who must endure the daily taunts of her colleagues (a surprising mind-set in a city where anything goes); Serena Dial, whose troubled past--and attraction to other women--puts her romantic relationship with Stride to the test; and Stride himself, immersed in a surreal new setting and facing a smart, brazen mercenary hell-bent on revenge. Recommended for fans of Harlan Coben, who will enjoy the compelling cast and swift, sinuous plot. Allison Block
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; 1st Published edition (July 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312340451
• ISBN-13: 978-0312340452
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,391 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful study in violence, September 20, 2007

By	Newt Gingrich (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews ("THE")

This review is from: Stripped (Hardcover)

Stripped is Brian Freeman's second novel and builds on the personalities we first encountered in Immoral. It is a remarkably believable and powerful study in violence and how past events can come back thirty years later to haunt you. The personalities are totally believable, the action is on-going and at no point do I figure out how the novel would end. I strongly recommend it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A definite page turner, January 11, 2007

By	L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Stripped (Hardcover)

Detective Jonathan Stride has relocated from Minneapolis to Las Vegas and is living with new love Detective Serena Dial who is working hard to get over her troubled past. The two detectives are working different cases--Stride the murder of a wealthy trust-fund baby and Dial the hit-and-run of a small boy. As the investigations proceed, the two cases collide with more murders and a secret kept since the 1960s.

Freeman creates complicated characters that are fascinating and very involving. The plot is a complicated one, dealing with secrets, power, trust, betrayal, loyalty; all the characteristics that can either lead to the best or worst in people. In this case, it's mostly the worst. There is suspense, gunplay, and secrets revealed, long with love and sex. Although I felt plot was a bit overcomplicated and the story bogged down a big in the middle, it was still exciting and definitely kept me turning the pages.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Twists and Turns Than a Bob Sled Run, October 30, 2007

By	John R. Linnell (New Gloucester, ME United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Stripped (Hardcover)

I had the good fortune to find out about Brian Freeman, just before going off on a short vacation, so I managed to take both this book and his first one, IMMORAL with me which provided some really riveting reading.

In this novel, Jonathan Stride, former Duluth Police Lieutenant has become a Las Vegas Metro Detective, joining his love interest, Detective Serena Dial. If you thought there were twists and turns in the first book, set in Minnesota, you can imagine what the writer is able to to with a story set in Sin City, Nevada.

Now, if a book which features mystery, violence, sex, intrigue isn't your cup of tea, you want to give this one a wide berth because Mr. Freeman has an abundance of all of the above in the chapters of this book. He is also one helluva writer and he has not disappointed yet in his first two efforts.

I am waiting anxiously for his next one.