The Real Book Spy
There’s not much higher praise in the thriller world than a review like this from The Real Book Spy.
“It’s been a while since Jason Bourne sat atop the thriller genre, but with Brian Freeman at the helm, he retakes his seat among the best in the business.
Bottom line: Jason Bourne is back and better than ever. Do not miss this book.”
Click here to read the full review at The Real Book Spy.
THE BOURNE EVOLUTION arrives in bookstores on July 28…!
Ice-Cold Thriller
This week, a look back at the third Jonathan Stride novel: STALKED.
After Stride’s stint in Las Vegas, I knew he would come back home to Duluth. And I knew I wanted to write an ice-cold winter thriller. I like to give readers a “you are there” feel with my settings, so to capture the genuine flavor of a Duluth winter, Marcia and I spent all of January 2006 in a little cottage out on Park Point near Lake Superior. (Yes, imagine how thrilled she was with that adventure!)
So if you read STALKED and really feel like you’ve got ice balls hanging from your eyelids, that’s because I was out on the Lake Superior beach in the midst of a winter storm, with my voice recorder, taking down exactly how it felt.
I also loved the old 1890s-era cottage where we stayed — and I decided to make it Stride’s home. So that’s where Stride has lived in the series ever since. It’s actually a rental cottage, and readers and book clubs now go to stay there and soak up the Stride atmosphere!
STALKED may well be the darkest of any of my Stride novels…cold, violent, and sexy. And those scenes out on the frozen lake? They’re still some of my favorite writing. Enjoy!
Bourne is a Star
Absolutely thrilled to see a starred review in Kirkus Reviews for THE BOURNE EVOLUTION. As a lifelong Robert Ludlum fan, I love hearing that this book “nails the Ludlum style” and is “a treat for fans.” Pub date is July 28!
Click here to read the full review.
Stride in Vegas
I’m continuing my look at the entire Jonathan Stride series in anticipation of the September launch of the new Stride novel, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND. This week: the second Stride novel, STRIPPED.
STRIPPED is the only full-length Stride novel set outside Duluth. Instead, Stride and Serena must confront a mystery with decades-old roots in the glamour and seaminess of Las Vegas. I love the supporting characters in this book: Stride’s gender-bending partner, Amanda Gillen; the bold, seductive Claire; old-style Vegas gangsters like Boni Fisso and Leo Rucci; the secretive, reclusive Hollywood billionaire Walker Lane; and many more.
The relationship between Stride and Serena that began in IMMORAL is really tested in this book. Stride is a fish out of water in Las Vegas and knows he won’t last here. We also learn a lot more about Serena’s troubled past. These two have to decide whether — and where — they can make a life together.
The Florida Sun-Sentinel named STRIPPED one of the top 10 mysteries of the year when it was released, and all these years later, a lot of readers still call it their favorite book.
Find it here:
https://amzn.to/3bvjkyL
In the Beginning
Fifteen years ago, it all began with IMMORAL. This was the novel that launched my career and introduced Jonathan Stride to readers. What a way to begin…a novel sold in 17 languages, Main Selection in the Literary Guild and the Book of the Month Club, and the Macavity Award winner and finalist for the Edgar, Dagger, Barry, and Anthony Awards for Best First Novel.
As we make our way toward the September 22 release of the tenth Stride novel, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, I thought I’d highlight each of the Stride novels over the next several weeks. If you’re staying home, this is a great time to catch up on the series.
Go back and read IMMORAL and meet Stride, Serena, and Maggie for the first time. As you go through the series, you’ll see how they’ve evolved as characters (and you’ll see my writing and plotting style change, too). I want these heroes to be real people, with strengths and flaws, victories and setbacks. Sometimes they’ll make mistakes, but that’s what makes them human.
The plot in IMMORAL spans several years as Stride tries to puzzle out the truth behind the disappearance of a very twisted teenager named Rachel Deese. I’ve had a lot of surprises in my books over the years, but the whodunit in IMMORAL remains one of my all-time favorites. As the tagline on the book said, if you think you know how it ends, think again… 
Bourne. Stride.
Two of your favorite heroes — Jason Bourne and Jonathan Stride — return later this year!
July 28…my first Bourne book for the Robert Ludlum estate comes out: THE BOURNE EVOLUTION. This is an all-new take on Ludlum’s iconic character, and it stands completely on its own. Don’t miss it!
September 22…get ready for the long-awaited return of Jonathan Stride in FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND. Definitely the most shocking Stride book yet.
Both are available for pre-order now!
