Stripped [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Brian Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 2006

Brian Freeman's second novel is a gripping, hard-hitting thriller set in one of the most fascinating, sexy and intriguing cities in the world, Las Vegas, andputs his on-going detective character Jonathan Stride on the trail of a cunning and relentless killer.Elonda's seen most things working the streets. But it's a first when her client is shot dead in the act. Detective Jonathan Stride quickly establishes that the victim is M.J. Lane, son of a reclusive millionaire film producer. Any number of people might have wanted to kill M.J. Anotherdeath is troubling the Vegas force - of a little boy, killed in a hit-and-run incident involving a stolen car. Then the body of a woman is found in a remote farmhouse. Could the murders be linked It seems the killer wants to send a message about the brutal slaying decades earlier of a night club dancer. That case was wrapped up quickly. Too quickly Someone certainly thinks so - and he's set on murderous revenge for the sins of the past.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1615592180
• ISBN-13: 978-1615592180
• ASIN: B000P2XNM0
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #698,485 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 19 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.

Freeman's fifth novel THE BURYING PLACE was a finalist for Best Novel of 2010 in the International Thriller Writer Awards. He was recognized along with fellow nominees Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver, Mo Hayder, and John Sandford. 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."

His newest novel and first stand-alone is THE BONE HOUSE, released in 2011.

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).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 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, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sex, Violence, Power, and Intrigue--What More Do You Want?, March 5, 2008

By 

TMStyles (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Stripped (Hardcover)

I finally got around to reading "Stripped" after having read Freeman's initial novel, "Immoral" some time earlier and all I could think was, what took me so long. I enjoy Freeman for his believable characters, his sense of place, and his ability to turn a plot in unexpected directions...all while keeping me breathlessly turning page after page. He can handle violence and sex as plot devices in such a smooth manner that you never feel outraged or imposed upon.

In "Stripped", Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial have relocated from Minnesota (his home) to Las Vegas (her home). While initially assigned to different partners, their cases eventually intertwine and pick up a head of steam. A series of seemingly unrelated murders eventually reveal possible connections to a 40 year old murder that may or may not have been solved.

Before the novel runs its course, we are treated to a hodgepodge of bigger than life mobsters, strippers, prostitutes, hit men, retirees hiding secrets, and a transsexual cop, among others, who all have a part to play in this investigation of a crime in the past to solve a crime in the present. The plot is complex, winding, and fast paced. There are more than a few unexpected twists and turns as the story unfolds. Even after the apparent climactic confrontation, there are surprises in the denouement that will add to the reader's enjoyment.

As is typical of Freeman's efforts, there are numerous psychological aspects to this novel, both in character development and plotline implementation. There are multilayered issues regarding loyalty, familial love, power, corruption, and different ways to love different people. What his characters feel and why they feel that way is always a background element of Freeman's novels. I like this complexity and feel it contributes greatly to why I am attracted to his psychological thrillers.

12 of 15 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.