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Jonathan Stride #6
The Cold Nowhere
Edgar Award finalist and international bestselling author Brian Freeman brings the long-awaited return of Lieutenant Jonathan Stride to the bitter cold of Duluth, Minnesota.
Sixteen-year-old Catalina Mateo shows up unannounced one night in Detective Jonathan Stride's home, dripping wet from a desperate plunge into the icy waters of Lake Superior. Her sodden clothes stained with blood, Cat spins a tale of a narrow escape from a shadowy pursuer.
Stride decides to trust this girl, but his judgment may be clouded by memories of Cat's mother. Ten years earlier, Cat hid under the porch of her family home while her mother was brutally butchered by her ex-con father. Stride still blames himself for not preventing the slaughter.
But is Cat telling the truth? Stride's police partner, Maggie Bei, doubts the homeless girl, who has been living rough on the streets of Duluth since her mother's death--and now sleeps with a knife hidden under her pillow.
As Stride investigates Cat's story, more violence trails in the teenager's wake--and Maggie's suspicions about her deepen. Now a single question haunts the void between them: Should Stride be afraid for--or of--this terribly damaged girl?
Sixteen-year-old Catalina Mateo shows up unannounced one night in Detective Jonathan Stride's home, dripping wet from a desperate plunge into the icy waters of Lake Superior. Her sodden clothes stained with blood, Cat spins a tale of a narrow escape from a shadowy pursuer.
Stride decides to trust this girl, but his judgment may be clouded by memories of Cat's mother. Ten years earlier, Cat hid under the porch of her family home while her mother was brutally butchered by her ex-con father. Stride still blames himself for not preventing the slaughter.
But is Cat telling the truth? Stride's police partner, Maggie Bei, doubts the homeless girl, who has been living rough on the streets of Duluth since her mother's death--and now sleeps with a knife hidden under her pillow.
As Stride investigates Cat's story, more violence trails in the teenager's wake--and Maggie's suspicions about her deepen. Now a single question haunts the void between them: Should Stride be afraid for--or of--this terribly damaged girl?
416 pages, Hardcover
First published May 9, 2013
459 people are currently reading
1708 people want to read
About the author
Brian Freeman
61 books3,093 followersBrian Freeman is a New York Times bestselling author of psychological thrillers, including the Jonathan Stride and Frost Easton series. His books have been sold in 46 countries and 22 languages. He is widely acclaimed for his "you are there" settings and his complex, engaging characters and twist-filled plots. Brian was also selected as the official author to continue Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne series, and his novel THE BOURNE EVOLUTION was named one of the Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2020 by Kirkus.
Brian's seventh novel SPILLED BLOOD won the award for Best Hardcover Novel in the annual Thriller Awards given out by the International Thriller Writers organization, and his fifth novel THE BURYING PLACE was a finalist for the same award. His novel THE DEEP, DEEP SNOW was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original.
His debut thriller, IMMORAL, won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel and was a nominee for the Edgar, Dagger, Anthony, and Barry Awards. IMMORAL was named an International Book of the Month, a distinction shared with authors such as Harlan Coben and Lisa Unger.
All of Brian's books are also available in audiobook editions. His novels THE BONE HOUSE and SEASON OF FEAR were both finalists for Best Audiobook of the Year in Thriller/Suspense.
For more information on Brian's books, visit his web site at bfreemanbooks.com or find him on Facebook at facebook.com/bfreemanfans or Twitter and Instagram (@bfreemanbooks).
Brian's seventh novel SPILLED BLOOD won the award for Best Hardcover Novel in the annual Thriller Awards given out by the International Thriller Writers organization, and his fifth novel THE BURYING PLACE was a finalist for the same award. His novel THE DEEP, DEEP SNOW was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original.
His debut thriller, IMMORAL, won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel and was a nominee for the Edgar, Dagger, Anthony, and Barry Awards. IMMORAL was named an International Book of the Month, a distinction shared with authors such as Harlan Coben and Lisa Unger.
All of Brian's books are also available in audiobook editions. His novels THE BONE HOUSE and SEASON OF FEAR were both finalists for Best Audiobook of the Year in Thriller/Suspense.
For more information on Brian's books, visit his web site at bfreemanbooks.com or find him on Facebook at facebook.com/bfreemanfans or Twitter and Instagram (@bfreemanbooks).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
May 12, 2019
I really like Brian Freeman's books and this one was no exception. In this book Jonathan Stride has a teenage prostitute turn up on his doorstep claiming that someone is trying to kill her. This takes Stride back 10 years to a time he would rather forget, when he couldn't save a woman, the girl's mother, from her violent husband. However Stride's partner, Maggie, doesn't trust the girl, causing a further rift in her and Stride's already strained relationship. I had to keep reading to find out what piece of the puzzle I was missing, what really happened on that night 10 years ago and who had secrets they weren't telling. The end result was somewhat surprising, let me tell you!
May 1, 2019
En este relato nos encontramos a Jonathan Stride aún casado con Cindy, y vemos un poco como era su vida juntos, también vemos los comienzos de la relación laboral entre Stride y Maggie Bei, que acaba de llegar de China y aún se está adaptando a vivir en Estados Unidos.
En esta ocasión es un caso que le afecta personalmente a Stride, han asesinado a un hombre en su casa, y resulta que es el amigo de la juventud de Stride, Bill, un abogado al que recientemente su mujer le ha pedido el divorcio porque tiene una aventura.
Es un relato entretenido, al que no se le puede pedir más en tan solo 17 páginas, como siempre la narrativa de Brian Freeman magnífica.
En esta ocasión es un caso que le afecta personalmente a Stride, han asesinado a un hombre en su casa, y resulta que es el amigo de la juventud de Stride, Bill, un abogado al que recientemente su mujer le ha pedido el divorcio porque tiene una aventura.
Es un relato entretenido, al que no se le puede pedir más en tan solo 17 páginas, como siempre la narrativa de Brian Freeman magnífica.
February 18, 2015
There is really nothing unique or surprising about this book. The saga continues between Stride, Serena, and Maggie. The crimes are resolved. The most interesting thing is the introduction of Cat.
February 13, 2018
I'm giving this a 4 star read for one reason only- I really do like the Jonathan Stride character and Brian Freeman's writing. To understand this book, you should really start with the first book in this series Immoral which is a 5 star read- and book number 1 in this series.
I'm going to say this I DON'T like Serena, her character or anything about her- especially being with Stride. ' Nuf said.
looking forward to picking up book number 7 in the series,,,, ......
I'm going to say this I DON'T like Serena, her character or anything about her- especially being with Stride. ' Nuf said.
looking forward to picking up book number 7 in the series,,,, ......
August 29, 2019
Brian Freeman nos presenta un relato corto para explicar o aclarar un momento puntual en la vida de Jonathan Stride, como es su matrimonio con Cindy y los comienzos de su compañera Maggie en la policía, todo ello coincidiendo con la muerte de un buen amigo.
Sinceramente, me encanta como escribe Brian Freeman pero por un lado, me ha parecido del todo innecesaria esta "explicación" cuando los seguidores de la serie ya conocemos estos datos y por otro lado, me ha sabido a muy poco, comparado con las novelas y las tramas a las que nos tiene acostumbrados.
Sinceramente, me encanta como escribe Brian Freeman pero por un lado, me ha parecido del todo innecesaria esta "explicación" cuando los seguidores de la serie ya conocemos estos datos y por otro lado, me ha sabido a muy poco, comparado con las novelas y las tramas a las que nos tiene acostumbrados.
May 31, 2019
Me encanta la serie de Jonathan Stride, los casos son autoconclusivos aunque la trama personal va avanzando a la par que la serie.
La trama tiene mucha relación con hechos del pasado de sus protagonistas. Los hechos que ocurrieron cuando Cat era todavía una niña y que acabaron con la vida de su familia estarán muy presentes durante toda la novela. Stride tiene muy presente aquel suceso y todavía le perturba, por eso quiere resarcirse y hará todo lo posible por ayudar a la hija de Michaela.
El asesinato, el odio, la mentira, la codicia, el miedo, el arrepentimiento, el perdón y la confianza son los ingredientes de esta novela francamente adictiva que te harán pasar las páginas sin darte cuenta.
Las relaciones personales entre los protagonistas Stride, Maggie y Serena siguen su curso, avanzarán desde el punto en donde se quedaron en su anterior novela "Tierra de sepultura".
Brian Freeman sabe engancharte a sus tramas de una manera brutal. Encontrarás unos personajes muy bien perfilados, una trama perfectamente hilada que no deja un cabo suelto y giros inesperados. Es un autor que recomiendo.
La trama tiene mucha relación con hechos del pasado de sus protagonistas. Los hechos que ocurrieron cuando Cat era todavía una niña y que acabaron con la vida de su familia estarán muy presentes durante toda la novela. Stride tiene muy presente aquel suceso y todavía le perturba, por eso quiere resarcirse y hará todo lo posible por ayudar a la hija de Michaela.
El asesinato, el odio, la mentira, la codicia, el miedo, el arrepentimiento, el perdón y la confianza son los ingredientes de esta novela francamente adictiva que te harán pasar las páginas sin darte cuenta.
Las relaciones personales entre los protagonistas Stride, Maggie y Serena siguen su curso, avanzarán desde el punto en donde se quedaron en su anterior novela "Tierra de sepultura".
Brian Freeman sabe engancharte a sus tramas de una manera brutal. Encontrarás unos personajes muy bien perfilados, una trama perfectamente hilada que no deja un cabo suelto y giros inesperados. Es un autor que recomiendo.
February 27, 2015
Jonathan Stride is back! I feel like I've been waiting a very long time for this one.
One night Stride returns home to be confronted by the knowledge that someone is in his house. Much to his surprise it is Cat Mateo. The last time Stride had seen her was 10 years ago. She was only 6 at the time and a witness to the murder/suicide of her mother and father.
Stride finds out that Cat's life has been anything but easy. She's been shunted between foster homes, stayed with an aunt and abusive uncle, an aunt with drug problems and now she's living a life of prostitution.
At a party on the yacht of some rich men, something goes wrong, and a killer is chasing her. She turns to Stride for help. Now she's hiding out at his home and begging for help.
Brian Freeman brings a bevy of likely suspects to the table. Each has a reason to want this young woman dead, but when the last snowflake falls, I was surprised as to who was behind this twisted story. I cannot say it was the last person that I would have suspected, but definitely not in my top five.
Freeman does an incredible job of moving the story forward even though most of it takes place in the past. You have to know Stride’s history and the past of all the characters to know how they intertwine in the future and to realize that no one can completely walk away from the choices that they have made.
Jonathan Stride is a great series and even though each book has a stand-alone quality, you really should start at the beginning so you can understand the relationships between the recurring characters.
One night Stride returns home to be confronted by the knowledge that someone is in his house. Much to his surprise it is Cat Mateo. The last time Stride had seen her was 10 years ago. She was only 6 at the time and a witness to the murder/suicide of her mother and father.
Stride finds out that Cat's life has been anything but easy. She's been shunted between foster homes, stayed with an aunt and abusive uncle, an aunt with drug problems and now she's living a life of prostitution.
At a party on the yacht of some rich men, something goes wrong, and a killer is chasing her. She turns to Stride for help. Now she's hiding out at his home and begging for help.
Brian Freeman brings a bevy of likely suspects to the table. Each has a reason to want this young woman dead, but when the last snowflake falls, I was surprised as to who was behind this twisted story. I cannot say it was the last person that I would have suspected, but definitely not in my top five.
Freeman does an incredible job of moving the story forward even though most of it takes place in the past. You have to know Stride’s history and the past of all the characters to know how they intertwine in the future and to realize that no one can completely walk away from the choices that they have made.
Jonathan Stride is a great series and even though each book has a stand-alone quality, you really should start at the beginning so you can understand the relationships between the recurring characters.
April 8, 2014
I'll talk more about THE COLD NOWHERE soon in my blog...but right now, I can't think of a better write-up about the book than this one at Bookreporter.com:
http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/t...
I hope you enjoy the return of Jonathan Stride!
http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/t...
I hope you enjoy the return of Jonathan Stride!
May 10, 2014
Read my full review: http://bit.ly/1iBgwfR
My opinion: There is a reason why Brian Freeman is on my short list for favorite American authors. The Cold Nowhere is an excellent example.
I was very nervous about this book. The last full Jonathan Stride novel was released in 2009. Mr. Freeman has had some excellent stand alone novels, but not a Jonathan Stride. When I saw this on Edelweiss, I blinked my eyes a couple of times. I, then, went in like a kid opening Christmas gifts and proceeded to PLEAD with the publisher to let me review. I became giddy as a school girl when I was granted permission to the ARC. Then, noticing the release date, I had to shelve it. That didn't thrill me!
After a much too long absence, Jonathan Stride is back and he is back strong. This book sucked me in IMMEDIATELY and left me guessing until the end.
What I love about this series is that even after 6 full length novels and a couple of novella releases, Mr. Freeman is able to keep his protagonist and supporting cast strong. His characters remain approachable, flawed yet inviting. This is not an easy feat. The storyline, as usual, was well developed with twists and turns that left me guessing at what was real, what was perceived and where was I having my head played with. After almost 5000 books under my belt, I love when an author can accomplish this, as very few can. Furthermore, I think one needs to look deeper into the storyline as I noticed that there were repetitions made, but had deeper psychological meanings of the characters behind them.
There was something about this book that reminded me of a great French horror film called High Tension. Again, it was the determining what was real and what was not.
I started this book at 7pm last night and forced myself to put it down at 9pm. I woke up at 4 am with a strong desire to get back to it. I grabbed a cup of coffee and picked up my Nook. I didn't put it down until I finished it. After devouring THE COLD NOWHERE, I looked at the last page with a sadness. I had to wait 5 years for the next book in the series. Alas, now I feel like a kid who finished a Popsicle way too quickly and is looking at the used stick. The only thing in my case is that I don't know when there will be another Popsicle!
I will say that I think this is my favorite book in the series. All others received 4 stars from me. So maybe that wait wasn't so bad. Nah! Who am I kidding? It was torturous!
My opinion: There is a reason why Brian Freeman is on my short list for favorite American authors. The Cold Nowhere is an excellent example.
I was very nervous about this book. The last full Jonathan Stride novel was released in 2009. Mr. Freeman has had some excellent stand alone novels, but not a Jonathan Stride. When I saw this on Edelweiss, I blinked my eyes a couple of times. I, then, went in like a kid opening Christmas gifts and proceeded to PLEAD with the publisher to let me review. I became giddy as a school girl when I was granted permission to the ARC. Then, noticing the release date, I had to shelve it. That didn't thrill me!
After a much too long absence, Jonathan Stride is back and he is back strong. This book sucked me in IMMEDIATELY and left me guessing until the end.
What I love about this series is that even after 6 full length novels and a couple of novella releases, Mr. Freeman is able to keep his protagonist and supporting cast strong. His characters remain approachable, flawed yet inviting. This is not an easy feat. The storyline, as usual, was well developed with twists and turns that left me guessing at what was real, what was perceived and where was I having my head played with. After almost 5000 books under my belt, I love when an author can accomplish this, as very few can. Furthermore, I think one needs to look deeper into the storyline as I noticed that there were repetitions made, but had deeper psychological meanings of the characters behind them.
There was something about this book that reminded me of a great French horror film called High Tension. Again, it was the determining what was real and what was not.
I started this book at 7pm last night and forced myself to put it down at 9pm. I woke up at 4 am with a strong desire to get back to it. I grabbed a cup of coffee and picked up my Nook. I didn't put it down until I finished it. After devouring THE COLD NOWHERE, I looked at the last page with a sadness. I had to wait 5 years for the next book in the series. Alas, now I feel like a kid who finished a Popsicle way too quickly and is looking at the used stick. The only thing in my case is that I don't know when there will be another Popsicle!
I will say that I think this is my favorite book in the series. All others received 4 stars from me. So maybe that wait wasn't so bad. Nah! Who am I kidding? It was torturous!
October 4, 2014
The eighth psychological suspense novel by international bestselling author Brian Freeman brings the long-awaited return of Lieutenant Jonathan Stride to the bitter cold of Duluth, Minnesota.
"My mother told me that if there was ever a time in my life when I needed protection, and no one was around for me, I should go to you. Find Mr. Stride, she told me. She said you'd help me."
Yes the welcome return of Stride, Serena and Maggie with the added great personality of the young Catalina Mateo.
As Jonathan Stride returns home to his cottage on the shore of Lake Superior after midnight, he finds a teenage girl hiding in his bedroom. She's pretty, scared, and soaked to the bone...and she says that someone is trying to kill her. The girl isn't a stranger to Stride. She's the daughter of a woman he tried - and failed - to protect from an abusive, murderous ex-husband years earlier.
Freeman weaves the scenes and clues together so seamlessly, that I was hooked from the start. The recent antagonism between himself and his partner keeps their interactions edgy and his persistence in seeking the truth tests his resolve and honesty to the max.
Masterfully plotted....Freeman shows how those endless North Shore winters have toughened and aged Stride, closing him off from the world, but the author also convincingly makes Stride break out of his icy, self-imposed shell.
Another great book from the great Brian Freeman and highly recommended.
"My mother told me that if there was ever a time in my life when I needed protection, and no one was around for me, I should go to you. Find Mr. Stride, she told me. She said you'd help me."
Yes the welcome return of Stride, Serena and Maggie with the added great personality of the young Catalina Mateo.
As Jonathan Stride returns home to his cottage on the shore of Lake Superior after midnight, he finds a teenage girl hiding in his bedroom. She's pretty, scared, and soaked to the bone...and she says that someone is trying to kill her. The girl isn't a stranger to Stride. She's the daughter of a woman he tried - and failed - to protect from an abusive, murderous ex-husband years earlier.
Freeman weaves the scenes and clues together so seamlessly, that I was hooked from the start. The recent antagonism between himself and his partner keeps their interactions edgy and his persistence in seeking the truth tests his resolve and honesty to the max.
Masterfully plotted....Freeman shows how those endless North Shore winters have toughened and aged Stride, closing him off from the world, but the author also convincingly makes Stride break out of his icy, self-imposed shell.
Another great book from the great Brian Freeman and highly recommended.
July 12, 2016
This is another excellent addition to the series. While the personal stories of the three main characters - Jonathan Stride, Maggie Bei and Serena Dial continue on their convoluted way, Stride is trying to help 16 year old Cat who shows up on his doorstep one night claiming someone is trying to kill her. Stride last saw Cat 10 years ago when he attended the murder-suicide of her parents and now feels he must help her as he failed to help her mother.
There is a real sense of menace as the net closes in around Cat, more bodies turn up and the detectives struggle to make sense of it all. The twist wasn't so surprising but it didn't diminish the story. I think it helps to understand the interplay between the characters if you have read the previous books. The mystery was interesting enough to make this a very enjoyable read.
There is a real sense of menace as the net closes in around Cat, more bodies turn up and the detectives struggle to make sense of it all. The twist wasn't so surprising but it didn't diminish the story. I think it helps to understand the interplay between the characters if you have read the previous books. The mystery was interesting enough to make this a very enjoyable read.
July 19, 2015
I've read Brian Freeman before and have liked his books. I've never read this particular series though. I have the first and second novels in this series (the Jonathan Stride series), so I'm not sure why I started with the 6th one.
I liked this book. The story had some unique twists in it. I also like the MC, Johnny Stride. He is flawed but good. The thing that bugged me though, was the way the women were portrayed in his life. It seemed like they all wanted a piece of him to call their own and they even squawked over it among themselves. I see that a lot in this genre of books. It is wishful thinking and I wish authors knew how to temper this temptation. For this reason, I cannot for the life of me read Lee Child. Jack Reacher gives me the heebie jeebies.
I liked this book. The story had some unique twists in it. I also like the MC, Johnny Stride. He is flawed but good. The thing that bugged me though, was the way the women were portrayed in his life. It seemed like they all wanted a piece of him to call their own and they even squawked over it among themselves. I see that a lot in this genre of books. It is wishful thinking and I wish authors knew how to temper this temptation. For this reason, I cannot for the life of me read Lee Child. Jack Reacher gives me the heebie jeebies.
June 13, 2014
Aptly titled.
February 14, 2021
This is another great mystery from Brian Freeman. I am really enjoying this series. The audible version has a really good narrator. I am looking forward to more.
April 17, 2017
I like this series and The Cold Nowhere is a good addition. Set in Minnesota it covers several murders (past and present) and various attempts on a teenager's life and is all drawn together neatly at the end. I think familiarity with the previous novels would help you better understand some of the ramifications of Stride's personal life in this novel, but it's not a necessity as it will stand alone. The book is, in my opinion, a bit long and could do without some of the italicised flashbacks/memories but apart from that it is a good, well written read.
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April 30, 2016
Stride and Maggie and Serena, oh my! Put them all together in a snowy, frozen Duluth murder case, and what do you get? Fire and ice. Sizzle and steam!
Okay, The Cold Nowhere is the sixth of Brian Freeman’s Jonathan Stride mystery thrillers, and you really have to know what’s gone on in previous books to appreciate the complex, messy relationships among these three characters. That’s all I’m saying about that.
As for the plot, Freeman throws in teenage prostitutes, rich men, and murder. Oh my! When a 16-year-old runaway named Catalina Mateo shows up at his house, Stride vows to help her because of what he failed to do ten years earlier – protect her mother when she was stabbed to death multiple times by her husband, who then shot himself. Cat, who was six at the time, hid under the porch and heard it all. But what really happened? She claims that someone has been following her and trying to kill her. Are these the drug-induced imaginings of a messed up kid, or could someone really be after her?
Anyone who has read Brian Freeman’s works knows that he loves to use the city of Duluth as his backdrop, and he creates mood, tension, and excitement through the use of images. In this book, we get a sense of anxiety at the Aerial Lift Bridge as a driver impatiently wait for the bridge so he can cross. We shiver from cold and fear in the fog and ice over Lake Superior as a desperate girl jumps off a ship to escape her stalker. We shudder nervously as Cat crosses Graffiti Graveyard, a place where itinerants hang out.
Freeman also continues to develop his three main characters: Jonathan Stride, Maggie Bei, and Serena Dial. Each of the three has heavy baggage and each is in a different place as far as healing. Some of it seems annoying, but it seemed within the realm of possibility that the ladies would have their claws out and be hissing at one another. I expect that by the time we see them again, they will be acting more like adults. Love her or hate her, there is a lot of Maggie in this book. Stride makes some necessary – I’d say “strides,” but at times they’re more like baby steps – toward becoming the type of partner Serena needs him to be. But the most interesting character in The Cold Nowhere is Cat. She had a father who abused her mother, she was orphaned at a very young age, and her life has been a series of abusive relationships and risky choices. She is desperate to survive but does not believe that she is deserving of love.
In their quest for pieces to puzzles both new and old, the detectives delve into an investigation of prostitution, a missing person case, and multiple murders. Mr. Freeman is fond of twists and surprises, but I didn’t find the revelations in this one to be too shocking. I did, however, very much enjoy the ride, and I look forward to reading Goodbye to the Dead.
4 stars
Okay, The Cold Nowhere is the sixth of Brian Freeman’s Jonathan Stride mystery thrillers, and you really have to know what’s gone on in previous books to appreciate the complex, messy relationships among these three characters. That’s all I’m saying about that.
As for the plot, Freeman throws in teenage prostitutes, rich men, and murder. Oh my! When a 16-year-old runaway named Catalina Mateo shows up at his house, Stride vows to help her because of what he failed to do ten years earlier – protect her mother when she was stabbed to death multiple times by her husband, who then shot himself. Cat, who was six at the time, hid under the porch and heard it all. But what really happened? She claims that someone has been following her and trying to kill her. Are these the drug-induced imaginings of a messed up kid, or could someone really be after her?
Anyone who has read Brian Freeman’s works knows that he loves to use the city of Duluth as his backdrop, and he creates mood, tension, and excitement through the use of images. In this book, we get a sense of anxiety at the Aerial Lift Bridge as a driver impatiently wait for the bridge so he can cross. We shiver from cold and fear in the fog and ice over Lake Superior as a desperate girl jumps off a ship to escape her stalker. We shudder nervously as Cat crosses Graffiti Graveyard, a place where itinerants hang out.
Freeman also continues to develop his three main characters: Jonathan Stride, Maggie Bei, and Serena Dial. Each of the three has heavy baggage and each is in a different place as far as healing. Some of it seems annoying, but it seemed within the realm of possibility that the ladies would have their claws out and be hissing at one another. I expect that by the time we see them again, they will be acting more like adults. Love her or hate her, there is a lot of Maggie in this book. Stride makes some necessary – I’d say “strides,” but at times they’re more like baby steps – toward becoming the type of partner Serena needs him to be. But the most interesting character in The Cold Nowhere is Cat. She had a father who abused her mother, she was orphaned at a very young age, and her life has been a series of abusive relationships and risky choices. She is desperate to survive but does not believe that she is deserving of love.
In their quest for pieces to puzzles both new and old, the detectives delve into an investigation of prostitution, a missing person case, and multiple murders. Mr. Freeman is fond of twists and surprises, but I didn’t find the revelations in this one to be too shocking. I did, however, very much enjoy the ride, and I look forward to reading Goodbye to the Dead.
4 stars
April 28, 2014
I've read the first couple of Brian Freeman's novels featuring protagonist Jonathan Stride. His latest novel, The Cold Nowhere, is the sixth in the series.
A young girl trapped on a boat, pursued by an unknown assailant. She's not as helpless as her pursuer might think though...."Wherever she went, whatever she did, Cat always carried a knife." She escapes - and lands on Detective Stride's doorstep.
Stride is back working in Duluth, Minnesota. And his past has come back to haunt him as well. Stride knows Cat - he failed to save her mother. Michaela was brutally murdered by her husband - stabbed to death, in fact. And now Cat swears someone is trying to trying to kill her too. Stride vows to help her. "He couldn't undo what was done or erase his mistakes. All he could do was make a promise."
Familiar and recurring characters appear in The Cold Nowhere - notably Stride's partner Maggie Bei and ex-lover/partner Serena Dial. I 've enjoyed these two female characters in the past. They're strong personalities. A secondary personal storyline always adds to a book. The sexual tension and rivalry between these two women and Stride has been carried on throughout this series. A little bit is good. A lot, not so much. In The Cold Nowhere, I found myself growing weary of the repetitiveness of it. And for me, it cheapened the two female leads.
Stride is struggling with inner turmoil - for many pages.
"She'd opened the door for him, and all he had to do was walk through it. All he had do was open up. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to do what she'd done for him and lay himself bare."
Enough already. I found myself skipping pages and glossing over these poignant moments by the middle of the book. I was looking for a novel closer to Freeman's first book (which was award winning) More crime, less angst.
The crime storyline was well plotted crime and the final whodunit was a good one. There were a few procedural/plot points that bothered me. An upscale prostitution ring may be operating because the rate of STD's in the city has risen? Hmm, if it's upscale, I wouldn't expect the rate of STD's to go up or raise suspicion. And the other one that bothered me was Maggie (who I really like) giving information about a crime/case to a civilian.
There were a few awkward similes....
"She should have been pretty, but life and want had gnawed at her face like an attack of bed bugs."
And more insects...
"Insanely cold - twenty degrees below zero. Stride felt the wind chewing like maggots at his face."
There was just too much 'stuff' that got in the way of what could have been a really good crime read. I'm in the minority on this one, as The Cold Nowhere was just an okay read for me.
A young girl trapped on a boat, pursued by an unknown assailant. She's not as helpless as her pursuer might think though...."Wherever she went, whatever she did, Cat always carried a knife." She escapes - and lands on Detective Stride's doorstep.
Stride is back working in Duluth, Minnesota. And his past has come back to haunt him as well. Stride knows Cat - he failed to save her mother. Michaela was brutally murdered by her husband - stabbed to death, in fact. And now Cat swears someone is trying to trying to kill her too. Stride vows to help her. "He couldn't undo what was done or erase his mistakes. All he could do was make a promise."
Familiar and recurring characters appear in The Cold Nowhere - notably Stride's partner Maggie Bei and ex-lover/partner Serena Dial. I 've enjoyed these two female characters in the past. They're strong personalities. A secondary personal storyline always adds to a book. The sexual tension and rivalry between these two women and Stride has been carried on throughout this series. A little bit is good. A lot, not so much. In The Cold Nowhere, I found myself growing weary of the repetitiveness of it. And for me, it cheapened the two female leads.
Stride is struggling with inner turmoil - for many pages.
"She'd opened the door for him, and all he had to do was walk through it. All he had do was open up. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to do what she'd done for him and lay himself bare."
Enough already. I found myself skipping pages and glossing over these poignant moments by the middle of the book. I was looking for a novel closer to Freeman's first book (which was award winning) More crime, less angst.
The crime storyline was well plotted crime and the final whodunit was a good one. There were a few procedural/plot points that bothered me. An upscale prostitution ring may be operating because the rate of STD's in the city has risen? Hmm, if it's upscale, I wouldn't expect the rate of STD's to go up or raise suspicion. And the other one that bothered me was Maggie (who I really like) giving information about a crime/case to a civilian.
There were a few awkward similes....
"She should have been pretty, but life and want had gnawed at her face like an attack of bed bugs."
And more insects...
"Insanely cold - twenty degrees below zero. Stride felt the wind chewing like maggots at his face."
There was just too much 'stuff' that got in the way of what could have been a really good crime read. I'm in the minority on this one, as The Cold Nowhere was just an okay read for me.
September 11, 2024
Me encanta! Esta saga es un filón, me la estoy leyendo entera, merece la pena.
January 21, 2014
The Cold Nowhere: Brian Freeman
Each person faces his/her own demons, fears, and remembrances in different ways. Some hide from the truth while others bury it even deeper within the confines of their mind. Survival means many things to different people and often both teens and adults search for their own way to stay alive. When one young girl named Cat finds herself in a dangerous situation that she put herself in thinking she was just taking care of some rich man’s needs for money, she thinks fast, devises a plan in her mind and takes action before winding up a victim of someone that lurks in the dark and cannot be seen. Facing the body of this man whom she knocked out with the heel of her shoe, Cat holds a knife within the fingers of her hand and has to decide whether to take his life or find a way to escape. On a boat with other girls and many other people and one man who is lurking in the dark almost like a phantom, she manages to find her way, although blindly at times in the dark, down some slippery passageways and jumps off the side of the boat into the canal finding her way to safety in a most unusual way.
Jonathan Stride is a police detective on the Duluth Police force. Coming home he senses something when approaching his home. Gun in hand he enters his condo and finds someone hiding in a closet. Wet, dirty, afraid and quite fragile, he uses his every skill and calmly gains the confidence of this young girl making he feel safe. But, what is her true story and who is following her? Why does she relate that some is trying to kill her? What about her makes him take her in and want to protect her? How does she relate to someone from his past? The Cold Nowhere by Brian Freeman brings to light these issues and many more as Jonathan Stride along with this partner Maggie Bei take on Cat, find out about her past and learn more about her present.
Memories flood back as the author reminds readers of her past and the tragic death of her mother to which she was an eyewitness. Hiding within the confines of her porch deep within the Minnesota woods, this young child at only six years of age witnessed the brutal stabbing of her mother by her own father. Screams, shouts, blood, terror fills the air and her heart but she is helpless. Ten years later this sixteen-year-old teen walks the street, is a victim of so much abuse and finds her way to a party for a rich businessman-taking place at a lakeside locale. Prostitution is her manner of survival and doing tricks her forte. Someone is stalking her and trying to kill her and her only means of survival is to plunge deeply into the cold and frigid waters of the canal and find her way to the one man’s home for help: Jonathan Stride.
As the story unfolds we hear Jonathan’s first words to Cat, finding out that she is the daughter of Michaela Mateo someone from his past whose murder still preys on his mind. First on the scene finding her brutally butchered body and seeing her husband Marty Gamble’s next to hers with a gun that he turned on himself, after taking her body apart with a knife, Jonathan now has to decide how to help Cat and if the story she related to him is the truth.
Cat is plagued with nightmares about someone that was supposed to care for her but used her and others for his own purpose. As events from her past come front and center in the present she places not only Stride in danger but others too. While Stride looks into her past, meets with a young prostitute, learns that Cat just might be telling some part of a truth, someone protecting her loses her life while confronting his partner about her actions that might change their relationship even more. Memories flood back and their time together relived as Maggie Bei enlists the help of her new boyfriend to find out more about Cat before someone else pays with their life. But, within this intricate plot we hear the voice of K2 the Chief of Police who is tight with the one man who seems to hold too many cards, a card dealer that has connections with a janitor who seems to be able to provide entertainment when needed. Lenny the sleazy car salesman has too much power and is up for city council as well as Curt his supplier of women at parties keeping clients happy. But, just whose voice do we hear on the phone making sure that Cat will be eliminated and anyone else that stands in his/her way. When Kim is asked to watch over Cat, talk with her and take her to dinner, what happens when they return will bring back memories of another violent murder enacted in the same way?
When Serena Dial reenters Stride’s life will they be able to forget the past, deal with the present and find out who is after Cat? With Kim’s murder still fresh and a killer lose Cat is concerned that she might be next but evidence points in so many directions that Stride, Maggie and Serena need to work overtime to find this elusive killer that is more than two steps ahead of them. Added in Cat’s Aunt Dory has a secret that she wants to confess, refuses to get any kind of help for her drug addiction and swears she would never leave or hurt Cat. But, sometimes promises are not meant to be broken but fate steps in and they are. When a female reporter goes missing and the link is made to the murder of Lowball Lenny’s wife Rebekah, the clue that binds it together comes right back at Cat. As Margot questioned Cat, published an article on her in her paper, interviewed Lenny and many others someone wanted her out of the way and provided their own version of a Cold Nowhere for her final resting place. A teenage prostitution ring in their own backyard, a rich and powerful car dealer and politician, a police chief in his hip pocket so to speak binding Stride’s hands in many ways as he enlists the help of Maggie, Serena and a really adorable sergeant named Guppo, who provides the humor and spark in many ways in this investigation.
The air is frigid, the climate really cold, the snow falls in huge drifts and the powdery spray often blinds your eyes as the cold winter in Duluth plays a major part in this novel hampering many parts of the investigation, making it hard to get around causing accidents. Michaela Mateo and her husband Marty Gamble, Cat’s parents are at the center of this investigation even though they are dead. Michaela brutally killed by Marty and Marty in what appears as a suicide shooting himself in head with his gun. But, did he or was it made to look like a murder and what about the home invasion of Lenny’s house killing his wife? Did the person they caught really commit the crime or is what his girlfriend stated the truth?
Taking Cat back to the scene of the crime both Serena and Stride hope to jog her memory unlocking a piece of the mystery that even her sleazy psychiatrist did not learn. When the threads begin to bind together and the truth behind several murders comes out you won’t believe who was behind the murder of Michaela and Marty and who the puppeteer was that manipulated so many people into his lair.
You can hear the snow crunch under your feet and feel the cold chill in the air as Cat runs for her life, winds up in serious danger and learns of betrayals, deceit, lies and finally trust as some of the themes that run through this book along with spousal, mental, verbal and physical abuse.
Pondering his or her relationship takes back seat when Cat is in danger and someone close to her proves not to be trusted. But, when all is said and done just whom can she trust and where will this young teen wind up?
Brooke Hahne helps teens in trouble running the Praying Hands Shelter and spends time writing grant proposals to get funding to help kids in need. But, like Cat, Maggie, Serena and even Stride she has a secret that has been buried for so long when it comes out many lives will be saved. Lenny Keck’s wife was killed in what appeared to be a home invasion but did he pay someone to kill her? Margot Huizenfelt a journalist questions Cat, Brooke and several others as she begins to piece the puzzle together and winds up dead in a deep freeze.
Surprises come within this intricate plot in many different ways as Maggie and Serena vie for Stride’s loyalty and attention but which one will he choose and who will be left out in the cold? Tensions rise every time these two are within ten feet of each other. One works with Stride and the other wants his heart. When the final scene is played out and the killer is revealed just who it is will surprise you as some murderers hide in plain sight while others remain hidden forever. Frightening, graphically depicted, this fast paced mystery/thriller will keep you guessing throughout the entire novel as one killer takes so many into deep, dark, frigid and cold places within their hearts, minds, their bodies as souls as The Cold Nowhere can be anyplace you find yourself alone, depressed and feeling hopeless.
Faced with her own demons, hoping to find her way into a life with some semblance Cat faces one more major decision as she comes face to face with a killer, learns the harsh truth about her parent’s deaths as the fate of so many just might be in the grip of the hand holding the knife. Author Brian Freeman allows readers to decide their own feelings for Cat, whether she can be trusted or is she still hiding something that has been buried within her for so long that when it comes out things would change not only for her but others too. Murder, hate, lies, greed, fear, regret, forgiveness and trust: Which ones will survive and which ones will finally find their own way and buried in their own Cold Nowhere and just where will Stride, Serena and Cat wind up next? This is Brian Freeman’s best Stride novel with the suspense top notch.
Fran Lewis: reviewer
Each person faces his/her own demons, fears, and remembrances in different ways. Some hide from the truth while others bury it even deeper within the confines of their mind. Survival means many things to different people and often both teens and adults search for their own way to stay alive. When one young girl named Cat finds herself in a dangerous situation that she put herself in thinking she was just taking care of some rich man’s needs for money, she thinks fast, devises a plan in her mind and takes action before winding up a victim of someone that lurks in the dark and cannot be seen. Facing the body of this man whom she knocked out with the heel of her shoe, Cat holds a knife within the fingers of her hand and has to decide whether to take his life or find a way to escape. On a boat with other girls and many other people and one man who is lurking in the dark almost like a phantom, she manages to find her way, although blindly at times in the dark, down some slippery passageways and jumps off the side of the boat into the canal finding her way to safety in a most unusual way.
Jonathan Stride is a police detective on the Duluth Police force. Coming home he senses something when approaching his home. Gun in hand he enters his condo and finds someone hiding in a closet. Wet, dirty, afraid and quite fragile, he uses his every skill and calmly gains the confidence of this young girl making he feel safe. But, what is her true story and who is following her? Why does she relate that some is trying to kill her? What about her makes him take her in and want to protect her? How does she relate to someone from his past? The Cold Nowhere by Brian Freeman brings to light these issues and many more as Jonathan Stride along with this partner Maggie Bei take on Cat, find out about her past and learn more about her present.
Memories flood back as the author reminds readers of her past and the tragic death of her mother to which she was an eyewitness. Hiding within the confines of her porch deep within the Minnesota woods, this young child at only six years of age witnessed the brutal stabbing of her mother by her own father. Screams, shouts, blood, terror fills the air and her heart but she is helpless. Ten years later this sixteen-year-old teen walks the street, is a victim of so much abuse and finds her way to a party for a rich businessman-taking place at a lakeside locale. Prostitution is her manner of survival and doing tricks her forte. Someone is stalking her and trying to kill her and her only means of survival is to plunge deeply into the cold and frigid waters of the canal and find her way to the one man’s home for help: Jonathan Stride.
As the story unfolds we hear Jonathan’s first words to Cat, finding out that she is the daughter of Michaela Mateo someone from his past whose murder still preys on his mind. First on the scene finding her brutally butchered body and seeing her husband Marty Gamble’s next to hers with a gun that he turned on himself, after taking her body apart with a knife, Jonathan now has to decide how to help Cat and if the story she related to him is the truth.
Cat is plagued with nightmares about someone that was supposed to care for her but used her and others for his own purpose. As events from her past come front and center in the present she places not only Stride in danger but others too. While Stride looks into her past, meets with a young prostitute, learns that Cat just might be telling some part of a truth, someone protecting her loses her life while confronting his partner about her actions that might change their relationship even more. Memories flood back and their time together relived as Maggie Bei enlists the help of her new boyfriend to find out more about Cat before someone else pays with their life. But, within this intricate plot we hear the voice of K2 the Chief of Police who is tight with the one man who seems to hold too many cards, a card dealer that has connections with a janitor who seems to be able to provide entertainment when needed. Lenny the sleazy car salesman has too much power and is up for city council as well as Curt his supplier of women at parties keeping clients happy. But, just whose voice do we hear on the phone making sure that Cat will be eliminated and anyone else that stands in his/her way. When Kim is asked to watch over Cat, talk with her and take her to dinner, what happens when they return will bring back memories of another violent murder enacted in the same way?
When Serena Dial reenters Stride’s life will they be able to forget the past, deal with the present and find out who is after Cat? With Kim’s murder still fresh and a killer lose Cat is concerned that she might be next but evidence points in so many directions that Stride, Maggie and Serena need to work overtime to find this elusive killer that is more than two steps ahead of them. Added in Cat’s Aunt Dory has a secret that she wants to confess, refuses to get any kind of help for her drug addiction and swears she would never leave or hurt Cat. But, sometimes promises are not meant to be broken but fate steps in and they are. When a female reporter goes missing and the link is made to the murder of Lowball Lenny’s wife Rebekah, the clue that binds it together comes right back at Cat. As Margot questioned Cat, published an article on her in her paper, interviewed Lenny and many others someone wanted her out of the way and provided their own version of a Cold Nowhere for her final resting place. A teenage prostitution ring in their own backyard, a rich and powerful car dealer and politician, a police chief in his hip pocket so to speak binding Stride’s hands in many ways as he enlists the help of Maggie, Serena and a really adorable sergeant named Guppo, who provides the humor and spark in many ways in this investigation.
The air is frigid, the climate really cold, the snow falls in huge drifts and the powdery spray often blinds your eyes as the cold winter in Duluth plays a major part in this novel hampering many parts of the investigation, making it hard to get around causing accidents. Michaela Mateo and her husband Marty Gamble, Cat’s parents are at the center of this investigation even though they are dead. Michaela brutally killed by Marty and Marty in what appears as a suicide shooting himself in head with his gun. But, did he or was it made to look like a murder and what about the home invasion of Lenny’s house killing his wife? Did the person they caught really commit the crime or is what his girlfriend stated the truth?
Taking Cat back to the scene of the crime both Serena and Stride hope to jog her memory unlocking a piece of the mystery that even her sleazy psychiatrist did not learn. When the threads begin to bind together and the truth behind several murders comes out you won’t believe who was behind the murder of Michaela and Marty and who the puppeteer was that manipulated so many people into his lair.
You can hear the snow crunch under your feet and feel the cold chill in the air as Cat runs for her life, winds up in serious danger and learns of betrayals, deceit, lies and finally trust as some of the themes that run through this book along with spousal, mental, verbal and physical abuse.
Pondering his or her relationship takes back seat when Cat is in danger and someone close to her proves not to be trusted. But, when all is said and done just whom can she trust and where will this young teen wind up?
Brooke Hahne helps teens in trouble running the Praying Hands Shelter and spends time writing grant proposals to get funding to help kids in need. But, like Cat, Maggie, Serena and even Stride she has a secret that has been buried for so long when it comes out many lives will be saved. Lenny Keck’s wife was killed in what appeared to be a home invasion but did he pay someone to kill her? Margot Huizenfelt a journalist questions Cat, Brooke and several others as she begins to piece the puzzle together and winds up dead in a deep freeze.
Surprises come within this intricate plot in many different ways as Maggie and Serena vie for Stride’s loyalty and attention but which one will he choose and who will be left out in the cold? Tensions rise every time these two are within ten feet of each other. One works with Stride and the other wants his heart. When the final scene is played out and the killer is revealed just who it is will surprise you as some murderers hide in plain sight while others remain hidden forever. Frightening, graphically depicted, this fast paced mystery/thriller will keep you guessing throughout the entire novel as one killer takes so many into deep, dark, frigid and cold places within their hearts, minds, their bodies as souls as The Cold Nowhere can be anyplace you find yourself alone, depressed and feeling hopeless.
Faced with her own demons, hoping to find her way into a life with some semblance Cat faces one more major decision as she comes face to face with a killer, learns the harsh truth about her parent’s deaths as the fate of so many just might be in the grip of the hand holding the knife. Author Brian Freeman allows readers to decide their own feelings for Cat, whether she can be trusted or is she still hiding something that has been buried within her for so long that when it comes out things would change not only for her but others too. Murder, hate, lies, greed, fear, regret, forgiveness and trust: Which ones will survive and which ones will finally find their own way and buried in their own Cold Nowhere and just where will Stride, Serena and Cat wind up next? This is Brian Freeman’s best Stride novel with the suspense top notch.
Fran Lewis: reviewer
November 15, 2021
THE COLD NOWHERE [2013] By Brian Freeman
My Review Five Stars*****
This is Book 6 of the author’s Jonathan Stride series and it takes place in the days immediately following the events depicted in his chilling Novella TURN TO STONE and following the gripping Short Story SPITTING DEVIL. It was also published three years following the previous Jonathan Stride novel (2010’s THE BURYING PLACE). I read Freeman’s first book in his Stride series IMMORAL [2005] in April of this year and I was hooked.
Brian Freeman was a “new to me” author until fairly recently. He cemented my fan loyalty with the second installment of his Frost Easton trilogy. That is somewhat interesting since I hadn’t been unduly impressed by my first exposure to his writing (THIEF RIVER FALLS), and although I did really like THE NIGHT BIRD, it was THE VOICE INSIDE that knocked my socks off. The third book in the trilogy featuring San Francisco’s quirky Frost Easton was a surprising flat disappointment. That gets us to Brian Freeman’s Stride series. I have absolutely loved the first five books, and they are crazy good crime fiction with story lines and plot twists that run the gamut of the human experience. Freeman is gutsy and fearless taking his protagonists into the darkest and most twisted situations you can imagine and the theme of sex and passion underscore all of his sensational suspense novels. Freeman has demonstrated master story telling ability, the capacity to create gripping and believable dialogue, and a talent at misdirection and shocking plot twists that ranks up there with the likes of Deaver.
In this sixth outing Stride is nearing the big “50” and his craggy good looks include some silver in his hair to accompany those “pirate eyes” of his. Authors who create a successful series character manage to turn out books for literally years if not decades, and of course Lucas Davenport, Jack Reacher, and the iconic Harry Bosch are the “big three” who immediately come to mind. In the early days Lee Child penned a few books that pre-dated Reacher’s unforgettable debut in the chilling first novel THE KILLING FLOOR. Connelly is allowing Harry to get older and wiser (not to mention more tolerable and even likeable a lot of the time). Let’s not talk about Lucas, who hasn’t fared so well. That said, Freeman is one smart writer. He has introduced events and characters from Stride’s past whose stories and predicaments land squarely in “present day”. In essence the reader is treated to an intriguing Cold Case in addition to an exciting and fresh homicide investigation. That’s a brilliant strategy, and he pulls it off masterfully in THE COLD NOWHERE. Jonathan, arriving back to his lonely abode after the chilling conclusion of the top shelf novella TURN TO STONE (loved it), he encounters a youthful version of a woman he “was a little bit in love with” back when he was married to Cindy. The girl (“Cat”) is the spitting image of her mother Michaela Mateo who was savagely slashed to death by her abusive estranged husband. Stride has been carrying a boatload of guilt over her murder for the past 10 years because he wasn’t there to protect Michaela as he promised her that he would be. Now “Cat” her troubled 16-year-old daughter has come to Stone’s doorstep because she has nowhere else to turn. The street kid who has been dabbling in drugs and selling her body to strangers is now convinced that someone is stalking and trying to kill her. Responsible parties in the shelters, the rehab centers, and the police department think the girl is being histrionic or possible so drug addled she doesn’t know what end is up. Then there’s her fetish with knives and night terrors…
The ever-watchful Maggie Bei doesn’t trust the young girl under Stride’s roof, not one bit. She has been playing with a new “boy toy” who is a much younger stud muffin on the police force. That said she remains disgruntled and spending time battling her emotions over the brief ill-fated sexual liaison with Stride.
This is a lonely and stressful time for Stone, the period without Serena has stretched into months, and his relationship with his partner Bei is no longer platonic, no longer intimate, and well, no longer much of anything except stressed to the point of going south in a big way.
The reader sees Stone take the high road and pull out all the stops to protect the troubled teenaged girl who comes to him for refuge. Stride remembers all too vividly the 6-year-old frightened little girl from 10 years ago. He had been first on the scene and pulled her from her hiding place beneath the porch and away from the house where her mother’s body laid in a river of blood and her father’s brains were splattered on the door.
Stone’s former lover Serena has taken a position with the sheriff’s department in a different jurisdiction putting physical distance into the equation. She is working a missing person case which is in reality a presumed dead and can’t locate the victim’s body kind of situation. She has been busy as a beaver, losing those few extra pounds, working out and restoring her body and overall appearance to its previous drop-dead gorgeous condition. She and Jonny haven’t seen each other since the breakup but this current case will re-unite them again in a working together relationship. This book works effectively as a standalone crime fiction thriller but failure to have read the prior installments is to any new reader’s detriment. The history of Jonny and Serena is factually just a subplot to a chilling cold case that has tentacles of terror that reach into the present for one “knock it out of the ballpark” conclusion. Nevertheless, the romantic angle made the novel so much more special for me since I read the books in order.
The title of this top shelf installment of his Stride book series [THE COLD NOWHERE] is a call out or reference to a conversation between Stride and Cat (the 16-year-old girl from his past who holds the key to the decade old mystery of multiple homicides). Stride is being supportive while Cat is asking him about the disposition of a person’s soul after they die. Stride does his best to be honest and avoid empty platitudes while offering some semblance of hope. The kid responds:
“There’s no heaven. It’s just a lie that people tell. I think death is nothing but a cold nowhere.”
THE COLD NOWHERE is Freeman at his finest, and he takes you on a visceral page-turning unforgettable thrill ride in this truly crime fiction standout. I would rank the Jonathan Stride series with the best of the best.
THIS CRIME FICTION STANDOUT PUNCHES YOU IN THE SOLAR PLEXUS, MAKES YOUR HEART ACHE, AND TAKES YOU ON A VISCERAL PAGE-TURNING THRILL RIDE YOU WON'T SOON FORGET
My Review Five Stars*****
This is Book 6 of the author’s Jonathan Stride series and it takes place in the days immediately following the events depicted in his chilling Novella TURN TO STONE and following the gripping Short Story SPITTING DEVIL. It was also published three years following the previous Jonathan Stride novel (2010’s THE BURYING PLACE). I read Freeman’s first book in his Stride series IMMORAL [2005] in April of this year and I was hooked.
Brian Freeman was a “new to me” author until fairly recently. He cemented my fan loyalty with the second installment of his Frost Easton trilogy. That is somewhat interesting since I hadn’t been unduly impressed by my first exposure to his writing (THIEF RIVER FALLS), and although I did really like THE NIGHT BIRD, it was THE VOICE INSIDE that knocked my socks off. The third book in the trilogy featuring San Francisco’s quirky Frost Easton was a surprising flat disappointment. That gets us to Brian Freeman’s Stride series. I have absolutely loved the first five books, and they are crazy good crime fiction with story lines and plot twists that run the gamut of the human experience. Freeman is gutsy and fearless taking his protagonists into the darkest and most twisted situations you can imagine and the theme of sex and passion underscore all of his sensational suspense novels. Freeman has demonstrated master story telling ability, the capacity to create gripping and believable dialogue, and a talent at misdirection and shocking plot twists that ranks up there with the likes of Deaver.
In this sixth outing Stride is nearing the big “50” and his craggy good looks include some silver in his hair to accompany those “pirate eyes” of his. Authors who create a successful series character manage to turn out books for literally years if not decades, and of course Lucas Davenport, Jack Reacher, and the iconic Harry Bosch are the “big three” who immediately come to mind. In the early days Lee Child penned a few books that pre-dated Reacher’s unforgettable debut in the chilling first novel THE KILLING FLOOR. Connelly is allowing Harry to get older and wiser (not to mention more tolerable and even likeable a lot of the time). Let’s not talk about Lucas, who hasn’t fared so well. That said, Freeman is one smart writer. He has introduced events and characters from Stride’s past whose stories and predicaments land squarely in “present day”. In essence the reader is treated to an intriguing Cold Case in addition to an exciting and fresh homicide investigation. That’s a brilliant strategy, and he pulls it off masterfully in THE COLD NOWHERE. Jonathan, arriving back to his lonely abode after the chilling conclusion of the top shelf novella TURN TO STONE (loved it), he encounters a youthful version of a woman he “was a little bit in love with” back when he was married to Cindy. The girl (“Cat”) is the spitting image of her mother Michaela Mateo who was savagely slashed to death by her abusive estranged husband. Stride has been carrying a boatload of guilt over her murder for the past 10 years because he wasn’t there to protect Michaela as he promised her that he would be. Now “Cat” her troubled 16-year-old daughter has come to Stone’s doorstep because she has nowhere else to turn. The street kid who has been dabbling in drugs and selling her body to strangers is now convinced that someone is stalking and trying to kill her. Responsible parties in the shelters, the rehab centers, and the police department think the girl is being histrionic or possible so drug addled she doesn’t know what end is up. Then there’s her fetish with knives and night terrors…
The ever-watchful Maggie Bei doesn’t trust the young girl under Stride’s roof, not one bit. She has been playing with a new “boy toy” who is a much younger stud muffin on the police force. That said she remains disgruntled and spending time battling her emotions over the brief ill-fated sexual liaison with Stride.
This is a lonely and stressful time for Stone, the period without Serena has stretched into months, and his relationship with his partner Bei is no longer platonic, no longer intimate, and well, no longer much of anything except stressed to the point of going south in a big way.
The reader sees Stone take the high road and pull out all the stops to protect the troubled teenaged girl who comes to him for refuge. Stride remembers all too vividly the 6-year-old frightened little girl from 10 years ago. He had been first on the scene and pulled her from her hiding place beneath the porch and away from the house where her mother’s body laid in a river of blood and her father’s brains were splattered on the door.
Stone’s former lover Serena has taken a position with the sheriff’s department in a different jurisdiction putting physical distance into the equation. She is working a missing person case which is in reality a presumed dead and can’t locate the victim’s body kind of situation. She has been busy as a beaver, losing those few extra pounds, working out and restoring her body and overall appearance to its previous drop-dead gorgeous condition. She and Jonny haven’t seen each other since the breakup but this current case will re-unite them again in a working together relationship. This book works effectively as a standalone crime fiction thriller but failure to have read the prior installments is to any new reader’s detriment. The history of Jonny and Serena is factually just a subplot to a chilling cold case that has tentacles of terror that reach into the present for one “knock it out of the ballpark” conclusion. Nevertheless, the romantic angle made the novel so much more special for me since I read the books in order.
The title of this top shelf installment of his Stride book series [THE COLD NOWHERE] is a call out or reference to a conversation between Stride and Cat (the 16-year-old girl from his past who holds the key to the decade old mystery of multiple homicides). Stride is being supportive while Cat is asking him about the disposition of a person’s soul after they die. Stride does his best to be honest and avoid empty platitudes while offering some semblance of hope. The kid responds:
“There’s no heaven. It’s just a lie that people tell. I think death is nothing but a cold nowhere.”
THE COLD NOWHERE is Freeman at his finest, and he takes you on a visceral page-turning unforgettable thrill ride in this truly crime fiction standout. I would rank the Jonathan Stride series with the best of the best.
THIS CRIME FICTION STANDOUT PUNCHES YOU IN THE SOLAR PLEXUS, MAKES YOUR HEART ACHE, AND TAKES YOU ON A VISCERAL PAGE-TURNING THRILL RIDE YOU WON'T SOON FORGET
October 28, 2017
Tutto inizia con una fuga rocambolesca di una ragazzina non ancora maggiorenne da una festa privata a base di sesso e alcol e al conseguente inseguimento da parte di uno sconosciuto. Catalina riesce a sottrarsi all'inseguitore e si rifugia in casa di Jonathan Stride, che già l'aveva salvata dalla furia paterna in una fredda notte invernale di 10 anni prima.
Jonathan cerca di capire se quello che racconta Cat sia la verità, o frutto della sua fantasia o, peggio ancora, delle allucinazioni da droghe.
Ma troppe morti si susseguono e tutte sembrano portare ai fatti accaduti 10 anni prima. E così è.
E, districandosi tra legami affettivi, ricordi, rimpianti e rimorsi, bisogna scoprire chi c'è dietro.
Non male! Non conoscevo l'autore, ma mi sono appassionata alla storia di Catalina e all'investigazione di Jonathan Stride. Non so se sono tonta io, o è stato l'autore a portarmi fuori strada, ma l'identità dell'assassino è riuscita a sorprendermi, era un nome che non avevo nemmeno preso in considerazione :-D
Jonathan cerca di capire se quello che racconta Cat sia la verità, o frutto della sua fantasia o, peggio ancora, delle allucinazioni da droghe.
Ma troppe morti si susseguono e tutte sembrano portare ai fatti accaduti 10 anni prima. E così è.
E, districandosi tra legami affettivi, ricordi, rimpianti e rimorsi, bisogna scoprire chi c'è dietro.
Non male! Non conoscevo l'autore, ma mi sono appassionata alla storia di Catalina e all'investigazione di Jonathan Stride. Non so se sono tonta io, o è stato l'autore a portarmi fuori strada, ma l'identità dell'assassino è riuscita a sorprendermi, era un nome che non avevo nemmeno preso in considerazione :-D
December 20, 2018
Yine sevdiğim bir yazarın sevdiğim bir kitabı. Bu adamın kitapları çok kolay okunuyor. Sürükleyici oluyor. Ama tahmin etmede bu sefer çok başarılıydım. Ana olaylardan birini şak diye tahmin ettim diğerleri pek aklıma gelmedi valla. Yazar sonunu iyi bir karıştırayım da şaşırsınlar demiş. Genel olarak güzeldi ama. Zevkle okudum. Saksıyı iyice çalıştırdım ne olabilir diye. Bir de Maggie-Jonathan-Serena gerilimini sevmedim. Cat’in davranışlarını çok abartılı buldum. Sonunu çok tasarlamış yazar. Ama bu bir serinin 6. kitabı. Yani hikaye bitmedi. Okuyabilirsiniz 👍🏻
August 19, 2017
A most excellent 5 star read, as usual Brian did it again!
Let me start out by saying this girl has been a Brian Freeman fan since his first book "Immoral" came out and blew me right out of the water back in 2005. That Brian and his wife live in Minnesota as do I, makes this series for me a must read!
The Cold Nowhere is another great thrill ride, the 6th in this series and Duluth PD Lieutenant Jonathan Stride is fighting the bad guys again. I was off base as to "who done it" and I love when that happens. Unfortunately I am not liking Maggie very much this time around, she was way off base treating Cat the way she did. I do enjoy a flawed character but someone needs to knock that chip off her shoulder, someone like Stride. Serena is back so the dynamic has changed, in a good way. I felt the ending was a long time coming for... everyone.
Stride is living alone now that Serena rightfully left him, in his cabin in the very cold Duluth MN. woods. He comes home one night to find footprints in the snow leading right to his door. Gun in hand he goes in and feeling a breeze blowing through the house he walks around to find a broken window. Someone is in his house. That some one turns out to be an almost frozen teenager on the floor of his closet.
Ten years ago 6 year old Catalina Mateo was hiding under the porch when her father hacked her mother to death with a knife, then with a gun killed himself. Cat heard the horror and has been running from life ever since.
With no one but her aunt Dory who has more problems than Cat herself she has spiraled into drugs and prostitution, never being able to leave the horror of her past behind. Stride was the cop who promised to keep Cat's mom Michaela safe from her old man and when he couldn't he also could never forget what happened. Cat remembered Stride from all those years ago and with nowhere to turn and someone stalking her and wanting her dead, as a last resort, she turns to him for help.
Stride decides to help Cat much to the chagrin of Stride's partner, Maggie Bei who rides him and Cat incessantly throughout the story, much to my chagrin!
A female reporter is missing and presumed dead, could she have figured out what Stride needs to know? Could it be the rich and powerful car dealer and politician Lowball Lenny with secrets of his own? Why is K2 the Chief of police on Lenny's side, what does he know that Stride doesn't? How does the sleazy psychiatrist fit in to all this? These are the questions Stride needs answered and with the help of his lost love Serena they try to figure out who wants Cat dead and why. Bodies start to pile up, the tension mounts, suspects seem to be everywhere and the ending is, well...you'll just have to read the book to see what the ending reveals! This Freeman fan will be patiently waiting for the next Stride book.
Let me start out by saying this girl has been a Brian Freeman fan since his first book "Immoral" came out and blew me right out of the water back in 2005. That Brian and his wife live in Minnesota as do I, makes this series for me a must read!
The Cold Nowhere is another great thrill ride, the 6th in this series and Duluth PD Lieutenant Jonathan Stride is fighting the bad guys again. I was off base as to "who done it" and I love when that happens. Unfortunately I am not liking Maggie very much this time around, she was way off base treating Cat the way she did. I do enjoy a flawed character but someone needs to knock that chip off her shoulder, someone like Stride. Serena is back so the dynamic has changed, in a good way. I felt the ending was a long time coming for... everyone.
Stride is living alone now that Serena rightfully left him, in his cabin in the very cold Duluth MN. woods. He comes home one night to find footprints in the snow leading right to his door. Gun in hand he goes in and feeling a breeze blowing through the house he walks around to find a broken window. Someone is in his house. That some one turns out to be an almost frozen teenager on the floor of his closet.
Ten years ago 6 year old Catalina Mateo was hiding under the porch when her father hacked her mother to death with a knife, then with a gun killed himself. Cat heard the horror and has been running from life ever since.
With no one but her aunt Dory who has more problems than Cat herself she has spiraled into drugs and prostitution, never being able to leave the horror of her past behind. Stride was the cop who promised to keep Cat's mom Michaela safe from her old man and when he couldn't he also could never forget what happened. Cat remembered Stride from all those years ago and with nowhere to turn and someone stalking her and wanting her dead, as a last resort, she turns to him for help.
Stride decides to help Cat much to the chagrin of Stride's partner, Maggie Bei who rides him and Cat incessantly throughout the story, much to my chagrin!
A female reporter is missing and presumed dead, could she have figured out what Stride needs to know? Could it be the rich and powerful car dealer and politician Lowball Lenny with secrets of his own? Why is K2 the Chief of police on Lenny's side, what does he know that Stride doesn't? How does the sleazy psychiatrist fit in to all this? These are the questions Stride needs answered and with the help of his lost love Serena they try to figure out who wants Cat dead and why. Bodies start to pile up, the tension mounts, suspects seem to be everywhere and the ending is, well...you'll just have to read the book to see what the ending reveals! This Freeman fan will be patiently waiting for the next Stride book.
April 22, 2015
Audiobook well read by Joe Barrett. This book, 6th in the series, directly follows Turn to Stone (numbered as 5.6). I have read several of the Jonathan Stride series and have found most to be quite enjoyable. This one has a good mystery once you can get past the narcissistic psychobabble related to Jonathan’s relationship with women. It would seem they all fawn over him and then get into cat-fights about him. The battle between Maggie and Serena is silly, distracting and unprofessional.
The rest of the book is pretty good. At the end of Turn to Stone, Stride returns home only to discover a young girl from his past hiding out in his house. That’s where Cold Nowhere begins and the investigation into why she is being chased links events from Stride’s past, a very wealthy car dealer, a home for battered women, a reporter who has disappeared, an evil counselor,and a prostitution ring. While some of Stride’s investigatory leaps seem a unsupported by evidence, it’s a mystery that keeps propelling you forward.
Having been to Duluth the setting and the importance of the lift bridge was perhaps more obvious to me than it might be to those never having visit Canal Park. I downgraded the book because I got a little tired of Stride’s constant superficial self-examination. But I’ll read (listen) to more.
The rest of the book is pretty good. At the end of Turn to Stone, Stride returns home only to discover a young girl from his past hiding out in his house. That’s where Cold Nowhere begins and the investigation into why she is being chased links events from Stride’s past, a very wealthy car dealer, a home for battered women, a reporter who has disappeared, an evil counselor,and a prostitution ring. While some of Stride’s investigatory leaps seem a unsupported by evidence, it’s a mystery that keeps propelling you forward.
Having been to Duluth the setting and the importance of the lift bridge was perhaps more obvious to me than it might be to those never having visit Canal Park. I downgraded the book because I got a little tired of Stride’s constant superficial self-examination. But I’ll read (listen) to more.
August 30, 2014
Lt. Stride always seems to arrive in the "nick of a minute late". It must be terribly frustrating for the man. Then, to run all over creation chasing down a key lead and finding out the person you were looking for was at your house the whole time. I think it's time for Mr. Freeman to give the good lieutenant a well-deserved vacation. I've enjoyed all the Stride series (extremely fast and engaging reads), but while reading them I've become increasingly exasperated by some of the bone-headed decisions Stride makes. Example, leaving your key witness protected by a single officer at your home after she's had more attempts on her life than a mafia informant. It's time to give it a rest and try new characters with a change of venue from the storm-ravaged, freezing Minnesota. If Serena appears in another book, she's going to end up with more scars than Frankenstein.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2014
Police Lt. Jonathon Stride tries to protect the daughter of a murder victim he knew in years past from a mysterious stalker in the winter wonderland of Duluth MN. Cat, a beautiful teenage prostitute, witnessed her parents murder/suicide years ago and turns to Stride for protection. The case gets complicated when Stride's former lovers; Serena and Maggie, team up to untangle a related and closed robbery and murder case of an influential car dealer's wife. Slow build to a strong, fast paced finale..............Ed
November 10, 2014
I absolutely love love love Brians books. Stride is a great character, Serena and Maggie I can see them on the screen!! Had to have a laugh when I read Maggie referring to Serena as Angie Harmon, as I can remember commenting to Brian on a book club conference call that Angie Harmon would make a perfect Serena on the TV screen. Looking forward to more great novels Brian. Maybe Stride and Serena could follow a case to Australia, along the Great Ocean Road. <3
September 25, 2019
Sometimes, when you read a good fiction, you know things are going on at the same time the action is being described in the book. That, to me, is the sign of a good plot with driving pace and a three-dimensional tale.
In The Cold Nowhere, Brian Freeman's sixth in the Duluth, Minn., detective Jonathan Stride series, that multiple action thing is going on perfectly. In my opinion, this is the best of the series. You know the plot; it's been discussed on other reviews already. But the key thing to notice in this is how Freeman leads the reader to a really good payoff. In many series, it seems the author seems to burn out after a while. Steve Martini's Paul Madriani's series, sadly, was like that. But Freeman's stuff keeps getting better and better. In The Cold Nowhere, while the reader may follow Stride's actions, he or she knows Serena Dial is doing something at the same time; the bad guys are acting up, Cat is hiding in the home, etc. And, just as you really begin wondering what the other characters are doing, Freeman changes scenes and writes of them. Like I said, it fits perfectly.
Freeman also uses the location as one of the characters. The cold, the Point, the Canal Park, the hills of Duluth, Lake Superior, Stride's home near the aerial lift bridge, they are all there fitting in. I grew up near Duluth and love the references. One of the major scenes takes place in the "graffiti graveyard" in the harbor port near the Blatnik Bridge. The actual spots make it even easier to see the action.
I've burned out of fiction reading this year and mainly stick with non-fiction sports. But Freeman's stuff has been enjoyable enough for me to get back into fiction. I'm already diving in to Goodbye to the Dead, his next in the Stride series.
In The Cold Nowhere, Brian Freeman's sixth in the Duluth, Minn., detective Jonathan Stride series, that multiple action thing is going on perfectly. In my opinion, this is the best of the series. You know the plot; it's been discussed on other reviews already. But the key thing to notice in this is how Freeman leads the reader to a really good payoff. In many series, it seems the author seems to burn out after a while. Steve Martini's Paul Madriani's series, sadly, was like that. But Freeman's stuff keeps getting better and better. In The Cold Nowhere, while the reader may follow Stride's actions, he or she knows Serena Dial is doing something at the same time; the bad guys are acting up, Cat is hiding in the home, etc. And, just as you really begin wondering what the other characters are doing, Freeman changes scenes and writes of them. Like I said, it fits perfectly.
Freeman also uses the location as one of the characters. The cold, the Point, the Canal Park, the hills of Duluth, Lake Superior, Stride's home near the aerial lift bridge, they are all there fitting in. I grew up near Duluth and love the references. One of the major scenes takes place in the "graffiti graveyard" in the harbor port near the Blatnik Bridge. The actual spots make it even easier to see the action.
I've burned out of fiction reading this year and mainly stick with non-fiction sports. But Freeman's stuff has been enjoyable enough for me to get back into fiction. I'm already diving in to Goodbye to the Dead, his next in the Stride series.
October 20, 2017
Double edge sword with two cold cases roaring back to the present... 10 yrs ago a catalyst (supreme irony in the name of the child) began... that tumbled along until the truth could no longer be contained. Well, one person might have been the limited needed to silence the ugly past, but when one is consumed with staying not guilty and free... their minds tend to overthink the situation. Two crimes, multiple deaths and a current degrading case have the Duluth duo team of Jonathan and Maggie working the clues backwards with Serena from the sheriff's office, who has joined for a missing person case of a reporter. What does the missing reporter have to do with cold cases? Crimes and karma work against each other as tragedy follows the truth to the surface.
P.S. I could feel the cold air of Minnesota breezing my skin... Brian has a knack to make a person shiver. Beautiful state, I like visiting in the summer; to sit by the lakes and read books
P.S. I could feel the cold air of Minnesota breezing my skin... Brian has a knack to make a person shiver. Beautiful state, I like visiting in the summer; to sit by the lakes and read books
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