What do you think?
Rate this book
Jonathan Stride #5.6
Turn to Stone
This novella from master of suspense Brian Freeman, winner of the International Thriller Writers Award, is not to be missed. --
Turn to Stone takes place in the days immediately preceding the events of The Cold Nowhere, the sixth book in Freeman's thrilling 'Jonathan Stride' series. On his way back to Duluth, Stride stops to visit the grave of his mother in a small Wisconsin town. After a shocking occurrence in the cemetery, Stride becomes enmeshed in a gruesome and suspenseful search for a killer who knows things no one else alive should know.
Turn to Stone takes place in the days immediately preceding the events of The Cold Nowhere, the sixth book in Freeman's thrilling 'Jonathan Stride' series. On his way back to Duluth, Stride stops to visit the grave of his mother in a small Wisconsin town. After a shocking occurrence in the cemetery, Stride becomes enmeshed in a gruesome and suspenseful search for a killer who knows things no one else alive should know.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
310 people are currently reading
1123 people want to read
About the author
Brian Freeman
61 books3,113 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).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
March 6, 2022
FREEMAN es un genio. Otra novela negra de gran suspense y calidad, a pesar de su menor extension, muy buena desde el inicio hasta el final. Sigue siendo mi autor favorito de novela negra.
August 8, 2022
Terminamos el mes con este tremendo libro!!! 🙌
Fue una historia corta, pero la verdad es que me llevé una grata sorpresa!
La trama comienza con nuestro protagonista estando en un cementerio y presenciando el suicidio de un policia.
La historia dió muchisimos giros que no vi venir para nada! 🤯
Lo recomiendo muchisimo a los que les gusta novela negra/thriller, es un libro corto y disfrutable!
Fue una historia corta, pero la verdad es que me llevé una grata sorpresa!
La trama comienza con nuestro protagonista estando en un cementerio y presenciando el suicidio de un policia.
La historia dió muchisimos giros que no vi venir para nada! 🤯
Lo recomiendo muchisimo a los que les gusta novela negra/thriller, es un libro corto y disfrutable!
August 24, 2015
The Novitiate. It sounds like a holy place, doesn’t it? Believe me, in Brian Freeman’s novella, “Turned to Stone,” its sanctity has been violated. My first clue was the pentagram on the cover in the “o” of the word “Stone.” Something terrible happened at the abandoned, burned-out building near Shawano, Wisconsin, which formerly housed an order of Catholic brothers.
Lieutenant Jonathan Stride is travelling through southeastern Wisconsin on his way home to Duluth one dark, cold April night when he is inexplicably drawn into the town of Shawano toward the cemetery where his mother is buried. As he prepares to leave her gravesite, a police car pulls in, and the unthinkable happens. Before Stride can react, the man shoots himself. Stride soon finds himself sucked into a case where he is not wanted, except that the man’s widow wants an explanation. Kelli Andrews is the survivor of that horrible ordeal at the Novitiate four years earlier, and the dead cop was known as the hero who saved her and subsequently married her.
But soon there is another body, and Stride can’t help himself. Even though he knows he is way out of his territory, he can’t just walk away. I couldn’t either. Part one ended with a single word: “Teufel.” In German, it means, “devil.” I gasped and then found myself holding my breath.
Stride believes in evil all right, but he knows the devil didn’t commit this murder. This was the work of a human. What about the victim of the kidnapping and torture, Kelli Andrews? What does she believe? Freeman did a masterful job of casting suspicion and then turning around and creating doubt. I had bits of this puzzle figured out but not all of it. The characterization, as usual, is superb. If you’re expecting more of Serena and Maggie in this one, put those thoughts out of your head. Jonathan Stride is single and regretting his mistakes, but in this story, he is only focused on the task at hand. You’d think that in a small town like Shawano there would be no secrets, but there are. Some of Freeman’s characters in this book have deep, dark secrets.
Der Teufel, the devil, is a theme that snakes through the entire novella like a cold, unseen shadow, casting fear and loathing like a dank cloud that smothers the light. I must add here that I have a fear and hatred of snakes, and the frequent use of the word to describe the wind’s affect on the blowing snow caught my eye; then I realized that Freeman was doing it on purpose, as another symbol of the devil. Freeman is so adept at creating mood in his writing through the use of scenery and weather. In “Turn to Stone,” he draws on a real place, adds the snow, damp, and chill of the early Wisconsin springtime, and mixes it with his own unique imagination. The result is a wickedly good thriller that held me spellbound.
5 stars
Lieutenant Jonathan Stride is travelling through southeastern Wisconsin on his way home to Duluth one dark, cold April night when he is inexplicably drawn into the town of Shawano toward the cemetery where his mother is buried. As he prepares to leave her gravesite, a police car pulls in, and the unthinkable happens. Before Stride can react, the man shoots himself. Stride soon finds himself sucked into a case where he is not wanted, except that the man’s widow wants an explanation. Kelli Andrews is the survivor of that horrible ordeal at the Novitiate four years earlier, and the dead cop was known as the hero who saved her and subsequently married her.
But soon there is another body, and Stride can’t help himself. Even though he knows he is way out of his territory, he can’t just walk away. I couldn’t either. Part one ended with a single word: “Teufel.” In German, it means, “devil.” I gasped and then found myself holding my breath.
Stride believes in evil all right, but he knows the devil didn’t commit this murder. This was the work of a human. What about the victim of the kidnapping and torture, Kelli Andrews? What does she believe? Freeman did a masterful job of casting suspicion and then turning around and creating doubt. I had bits of this puzzle figured out but not all of it. The characterization, as usual, is superb. If you’re expecting more of Serena and Maggie in this one, put those thoughts out of your head. Jonathan Stride is single and regretting his mistakes, but in this story, he is only focused on the task at hand. You’d think that in a small town like Shawano there would be no secrets, but there are. Some of Freeman’s characters in this book have deep, dark secrets.
Der Teufel, the devil, is a theme that snakes through the entire novella like a cold, unseen shadow, casting fear and loathing like a dank cloud that smothers the light. I must add here that I have a fear and hatred of snakes, and the frequent use of the word to describe the wind’s affect on the blowing snow caught my eye; then I realized that Freeman was doing it on purpose, as another symbol of the devil. Freeman is so adept at creating mood in his writing through the use of scenery and weather. In “Turn to Stone,” he draws on a real place, adds the snow, damp, and chill of the early Wisconsin springtime, and mixes it with his own unique imagination. The result is a wickedly good thriller that held me spellbound.
5 stars
February 19, 2017
Detective Jonathan Stride is returning home one night when he decides to stop in the cemetery and pay respects to his mother and grandparents who are permanently resting there. During the course of his visit, a local sheriff's car pulls up, an officer steps out, pulls out his gun and takes his own life.
Asked by the man's widow to investigate the reason why her husband would kill himself, Stride finds himself opposed by the sheriff .. and a wall of silence from the community.
Does his suicide death have something to so with the fact that his wife is a survivor of a kidnapping several years earlier? The son of the kidnapper is a young silent teenager riding a motorbike and seemingly is following Stride. What does he know?
Book Blurb: Against his better instincts, Stride becomes enmeshed in a gruesome and suspenseful search for a local killer who knows things no one alive should know--and who may kill again to keep it that way.
The Jonathan Stride series is one of my favorites. Stride is a man of many layers. He's where he wants to be professionally, but it's his personal life that seems to be taking a hit these days. Maggie, his deputy, is a character I don't particularly care for. She comes across as a bit secretive and very manipulative when it comes to Stride.
This short read (less than 200 pages) is mysterious and suspenseful. When other bodies start to fall, Stride ferrets out the secrets like only he can. The ending was quite a surprise.
Asked by the man's widow to investigate the reason why her husband would kill himself, Stride finds himself opposed by the sheriff .. and a wall of silence from the community.
Does his suicide death have something to so with the fact that his wife is a survivor of a kidnapping several years earlier? The son of the kidnapper is a young silent teenager riding a motorbike and seemingly is following Stride. What does he know?
Book Blurb: Against his better instincts, Stride becomes enmeshed in a gruesome and suspenseful search for a local killer who knows things no one alive should know--and who may kill again to keep it that way.
The Jonathan Stride series is one of my favorites. Stride is a man of many layers. He's where he wants to be professionally, but it's his personal life that seems to be taking a hit these days. Maggie, his deputy, is a character I don't particularly care for. She comes across as a bit secretive and very manipulative when it comes to Stride.
This short read (less than 200 pages) is mysterious and suspenseful. When other bodies start to fall, Stride ferrets out the secrets like only he can. The ending was quite a surprise.
February 19, 2014
My new novella TURN TO STONE is half the length of an entire novel. It's the perfect opportunity to meet Jonathan Stride again as he tackles one of his most shocking cases ever.
Stride stops in a snowy cemetery in the small town of Shawano, Wisconsin, to visit his mother's grave, but he finds himself a witness to a shocking act of violence. Stride is a stranger in town, and the local police don't want him there...but his search for the truth makes him fear that a gruesome crime is about to happen.
I've been to Shawano many times on the way to Door County (where my sixth book THE BONE HOUSE is set), and I did an event at the local library last spring. At the time, one of my Wisconsin readers suggested I visit an old ruined Novitiate building outside the town.
I did -- and I loved the ruined setting of the building on the shores of the Wolf River. It looked like a perfect place for the kind of dark things you find in my books. When I talked with my publisher over the summer about doing a special Stride novella ahead of the release of THE COLD NOWHERE, I immediately thought about Shawano and that scary old ruined estate. So that's how TURN TO STONE started.
TURN TO STONE works hand in hand with THE COLD NOWHERE. When you read Chapter 1 of the new novel, you'll find Stride getting back to his Duluth cottage around 2:00 am one night. I always wondered why he was getting back so late. Now, in TURN TO STONE, you'll find out exactly what terrible crime was keeping Stride away from home.
You can start reading TURN TO STONE with an excerpt at my web site: http://www.bfreemanbooks.com/turn-to-...
Stride stops in a snowy cemetery in the small town of Shawano, Wisconsin, to visit his mother's grave, but he finds himself a witness to a shocking act of violence. Stride is a stranger in town, and the local police don't want him there...but his search for the truth makes him fear that a gruesome crime is about to happen.
I've been to Shawano many times on the way to Door County (where my sixth book THE BONE HOUSE is set), and I did an event at the local library last spring. At the time, one of my Wisconsin readers suggested I visit an old ruined Novitiate building outside the town.
I did -- and I loved the ruined setting of the building on the shores of the Wolf River. It looked like a perfect place for the kind of dark things you find in my books. When I talked with my publisher over the summer about doing a special Stride novella ahead of the release of THE COLD NOWHERE, I immediately thought about Shawano and that scary old ruined estate. So that's how TURN TO STONE started.
TURN TO STONE works hand in hand with THE COLD NOWHERE. When you read Chapter 1 of the new novel, you'll find Stride getting back to his Duluth cottage around 2:00 am one night. I always wondered why he was getting back so late. Now, in TURN TO STONE, you'll find out exactly what terrible crime was keeping Stride away from home.
You can start reading TURN TO STONE with an excerpt at my web site: http://www.bfreemanbooks.com/turn-to-...
August 2, 2022
I’ve missed a few episodes in this series but it was good to catch up again with Duluth based homicide lieutenant Jonathan Stride. Travelling back to his home, he decides to stop off at a small Wisconsin town to visit the grave of his mother. However, his timing is such that he witnesses something I’m sure he’d wish he hadn’t seen.
I listened to an audio version of this novella, superbly read by talking book stalwart Joe Barrett. At five and a half hours it was about the perfect length for me: twisty and tight, with no sign of the bloating that came come with some lengthier mysteries. As usual, I didn’t work out whodunnit, but more importantly I enjoyed the journey to the final denouement.
If I have a bone to pick, it would only be that the route to resolution may be just a little too convoluted. But that’s probably a picky gripe. This is a story that will certainly prompt me to re-visit the series, perhaps with the tale that picks up directly from the point this one finishes.
I listened to an audio version of this novella, superbly read by talking book stalwart Joe Barrett. At five and a half hours it was about the perfect length for me: twisty and tight, with no sign of the bloating that came come with some lengthier mysteries. As usual, I didn’t work out whodunnit, but more importantly I enjoyed the journey to the final denouement.
If I have a bone to pick, it would only be that the route to resolution may be just a little too convoluted. But that’s probably a picky gripe. This is a story that will certainly prompt me to re-visit the series, perhaps with the tale that picks up directly from the point this one finishes.
April 1, 2021
Me ha sorprendido, es el primer libro que leo del autor y escogí esta novela para ver si me gustaba su estilo. La verdad es que me ha tenido en ascuas y cuando pensaba que los tiros iban por un lado, no señor.
Está bien escrito y todo lo que ocurre está muy bien hilvanado.
Leeré más de Brian Freeman.
Está bien escrito y todo lo que ocurre está muy bien hilvanado.
Leeré más de Brian Freeman.
September 5, 2020
Un caso más de Jonathan Stride, en este caso no estará acompañado de su equipo, ya que los acontecimientos no ocurren en su Duluth natal, sino en el pueblecito de Shawano.
Una investigación en la que nada es lo que parece, que acaba derivando en un asesinato, y dónde acabas sospechando de todo el mundo.
Me ha gustado mucho esta novela corta, con sus dosis de intriga, giros y demás y un final a la altura.
Una investigación en la que nada es lo que parece, que acaba derivando en un asesinato, y dónde acabas sospechando de todo el mundo.
Me ha gustado mucho esta novela corta, con sus dosis de intriga, giros y demás y un final a la altura.
February 24, 2014
Brian Freeman's Lt. Jonathon Stride, Duluth, PD is one of those characters that exhibits a noble sense of integrity and justice. He's a smart detective trying to maneuver his love life while out-thinking his criminal adversaries. This outstanding novella takes a somewhat different turn when Stride stops by to visit his mothers grave in another town and witnesses a local cop commit suicide. His curiosity peaked, he is compelled to find the answer in this complex, page turning plot twister. I like Jonathon Stride because he's a good guy with heart and soul. We can't really ask any more from our fictional lead characters, can we?
September 11, 2024
Muy entretenido y estupendamente escrito, como los demás, es una gran saga.
August 5, 2017
Never heard of Brian Freeman before. This is a short story (a novella), interesting enough for breaks between books. Stride, the main character, witnesses the suicide of a police officer, while he is paying a visit to dead relatives in a cemetery. Not wanting to, he becomes involved in solving why the officer did it, unleasing some hell along the way.
The end of this story leads you into his next one, “The cold nowhere”, which I still don’t know if I will read. But this one was quite entertaining and fast paced, and the characters were quite believable. Four stars out of five.
The end of this story leads you into his next one, “The cold nowhere”, which I still don’t know if I will read. But this one was quite entertaining and fast paced, and the characters were quite believable. Four stars out of five.
September 21, 2020
Brian Freeman has been one of my favorite authors - his writing style is generally fast-paced, suspenseful, his mysteries have depth, interesting characters, and surprising twists! This novella was no exception - most of those boxes checked. BUT in ”Turn To Stone”, the use of F*Bombs, and the abundant use of other expletives, really sort of ruined it for me. 2.5 Stars - rounded up to 3.
March 14, 2015
I have enjoyed previous entries in the Jonathan Stride series and it was a pleasure to return to another. Lt. Stride of the Duluth Detective Unit decided to pause on his way back home at the small town where his mother was buried, to briefly visit her gravesite. Just as he finished, a sheriff’s car pulled up to the cemetery. Thinking someone in town had seen his flashlight and called the police, he headed over toward the car only to watch in horror as the deputy stands in front of the car and blows his brains out.
Turns out the dead deputy, Percy Andrews, was a local hero, having rescued a woman he subsequently married from a particularly vicious man after being kidnapped and tortured for a week..
Stride, being Stride, can’t leave well enough alone. Despite the Sheriff’s unequivocal request to leave the investigation alone, Stride is a bit taken by Percy’s widow who is soon charged with the murder of Greg Hamlin. Percy had been investigating Hamlin’s disappearance. His body is soon found in Percy’s RV out in the woods. He, too, had been tortured. Stride is soon unraveling a tangled web of interconnections leading to murder that had their genesis decades earlier. The victims had the word Teufel carved on their chests. Was the Devil involved? Very enjoyable read that lead in an unexpected direction.
One thing. The last paragraph leads directly into the next book, Cold Nowhere. I sometimes find that irritating.
Turns out the dead deputy, Percy Andrews, was a local hero, having rescued a woman he subsequently married from a particularly vicious man after being kidnapped and tortured for a week..
Stride, being Stride, can’t leave well enough alone. Despite the Sheriff’s unequivocal request to leave the investigation alone, Stride is a bit taken by Percy’s widow who is soon charged with the murder of Greg Hamlin. Percy had been investigating Hamlin’s disappearance. His body is soon found in Percy’s RV out in the woods. He, too, had been tortured. Stride is soon unraveling a tangled web of interconnections leading to murder that had their genesis decades earlier. The victims had the word Teufel carved on their chests. Was the Devil involved? Very enjoyable read that lead in an unexpected direction.
One thing. The last paragraph leads directly into the next book, Cold Nowhere. I sometimes find that irritating.
November 22, 2022
And this Boys and Girls is why Brian Freeman is THE KING! This book had more twists and turns than a masterfully crafted roller coaster.
If there was one criticism I had, it would be that I didn’t like the choice of narrator. I thought he sounded much older and frail than Stride.
If there was one criticism I had, it would be that I didn’t like the choice of narrator. I thought he sounded much older and frail than Stride.
February 21, 2014
There are a handful of authors whose work I buy automatically without even reading the book descriptions. Brian freeman is one of those authors, and Turn to Stone does not disappoint. As gripping as anything I've read in a long time, it sucked me in from the very beginning, and I found myself reading it in almost one sitting, ultimately finishing it in a day because I HAD to know what happened next.
.What Freeman does so well in Turn to Stone, as he does with all his novels, is work the fine line between right and wrong, guilt and innocence. Things that seem black and white upon first inspection turn to muddled gray tones as the story progresses, a testament to well-drawn, genuine characters. From the stalwart, yet imperfect Stride, to truly SICK and TWISTED villains and all points in between, Freeman knows how to create characters, flesh them out, and depict true and believable motivations, all while weaving a good number of intricate plot lines into a razor sharp story.
The plotting is tight, the dialogue organic, the plot compelling and addictive, and the writing borders on addictive. And when you're done, when the case is solved, you get an ending that will stick with you for a very long time. You may think you have it figured out, but chances are you don't. You may think you know these characters, but there's always something else lurking beneath the surface. The author points at that well-drawn line in the sand, the one that separates good and evil, and stomps all over it.
If you're a Brian Freeman fan you'll feel right at home with Turn to Stone. If you haven't read him yet, I suggest you go read the first Stride novel, 'Immoral' right now. In the world of crime/psychological thrillers and mysteries, Freeman stands out as one of the best.
.What Freeman does so well in Turn to Stone, as he does with all his novels, is work the fine line between right and wrong, guilt and innocence. Things that seem black and white upon first inspection turn to muddled gray tones as the story progresses, a testament to well-drawn, genuine characters. From the stalwart, yet imperfect Stride, to truly SICK and TWISTED villains and all points in between, Freeman knows how to create characters, flesh them out, and depict true and believable motivations, all while weaving a good number of intricate plot lines into a razor sharp story.
The plotting is tight, the dialogue organic, the plot compelling and addictive, and the writing borders on addictive. And when you're done, when the case is solved, you get an ending that will stick with you for a very long time. You may think you have it figured out, but chances are you don't. You may think you know these characters, but there's always something else lurking beneath the surface. The author points at that well-drawn line in the sand, the one that separates good and evil, and stomps all over it.
If you're a Brian Freeman fan you'll feel right at home with Turn to Stone. If you haven't read him yet, I suggest you go read the first Stride novel, 'Immoral' right now. In the world of crime/psychological thrillers and mysteries, Freeman stands out as one of the best.
August 8, 2015
This little 'half-book/novella' was a super quick read. I liked this. It even had a bit of a creepy vibe which was new and added an extra little twist to the story.
My biggest complaint about this series is how all the women want a piece of Johnny. Sometimes this squabbling comes across as a little adolescent. So, I absolutely loved that there was no love interest in this book. It was just Johnny doing what Johnny does. So 4 stars.
My biggest complaint about this series is how all the women want a piece of Johnny. Sometimes this squabbling comes across as a little adolescent. So, I absolutely loved that there was no love interest in this book. It was just Johnny doing what Johnny does. So 4 stars.
February 28, 2020
Great book for this series. I stopped reading them for a bit but now I’m back on it. Love Stride and his unconventional ways of finding out the truth. He stops in a small town to view his mother’s grave and is pulled into the small towns mystery immediately! Dumb luck! He can’t go anywhere without murder all around him!
June 13, 2014
You can translate this review on: http://labibliotecadidrusie.blogspot.it/
Un thriller psicologico molto sottile e particolare.
L'inizio è d'effetto: un cimitero di notte (ma non dovrebbero essere chiusi?), un poliziotto che guarda, un altro che arriva e si spara.
Ammettiamo tutti che, anche senza essere detective, la cosa un po' impressione la fa. E Stride è un detective, per una volta quasi normale, che rimane, suo malgrado, incuriosito, se non proprio shockato, dal gesto di quella specie di collega.
Un poliziotto che si suicida fa sempre un certo effetto, ma Stride scopre presto che non c'è solo quello. Percy infatti sembrava non avere molti motivi per un gesto simile. O almeno non li aveva fino a pochi giorni prima.
Attraverso gli occhi del protagonista la vicenda si dipana velocemente e con un buon numero di colpi di scena, ben dosati e distribuiti.
Gli ingredienti che caratterizzano un buon thriller ci sono tutti e Freeman riesce a mixarli davvero bene. Probabilmente gli elementi originali non sono molti, ma il racconto suscita comunque tutte le giuste emozioni: curiosità, dubbio, intuizione e sorpresa.
Tra l'altro è uno di quei romanzi che adoro perché gli indizi ci sono, ma in genere li si notano alla fine quando, una volta scoperto il colpevole, si riesce a collegarli.
E' presente anche un leggero alone soprannaturale, in quanto viene data alcune volte la colpa al diavolo e alla possessione demoniaca per quello che accade. Per fortuna Stride non ci crede e continua ad indagare.
Apprezzabili anche i sottili risvolti psicologici e le analisi. Da un lato mi è spiaciuto che non fossero più approfondite, dall'altro forse avrebbero appesantito e spezzato un romanzo che invece si mantiene veloce e scorrevole.
Carino il finale da serie televisiva che chiude il libro, ma potrebbe anche costituire l'inizio di un nuovo episodio.
Personaggi: Jonathan Stride è il 'figlioccio' di Freeman, protagonista di più di una vicenda, che suppongo costituiscano una serie all'interno della quale si inserisce anche questa. Nel racconto ci sono riferimenti al passato ma non è necessario aver letto gli altri libri per comprenderli (anzi, se non avessi sbirciato la biografia non avrei neanche supposto l'esistenza di testi pregressi) e questo è un punto a favore. Venendo al personaggio in sé, per una volta niente misantropo asociale scontroso e scorbutico (per i quali io, comunque, stravedo), ma un uomo un filo più normale e pacato che usa la logica con freddezza ma non ritiene di dover fare la guerra al mondo facendo pure l'incompreso. Certo, ha i suoi problemi relazionali, ma rientrano un po' più nei canoni standard delle persone comuni.
Gli altri credo che siano delle 'comparse' attinenti a questo singolo romanzo, che non vedremo nei successivi (né suppongo siano nei precedenti). Forse sono un po' più stereotipati, ma non per questo brutti.
Kelly è quella che forse mi lascia più perplessa, non perché sia mal riuscita, ma perché è un personaggio molto complesso, con uno storico pesante che ha lasciato segni che avrei voluto più approfonditi e analizzati.
Stesso discorso per Mike. Un ragazzino che ha subito così tanto meritava un approfondimento. Non su ciò che gli è capitato, ma sul suo modo di pensare e di affrontare le cose.
Adorabile la figura dello zio Richard.
Stile: Veloce, scorrevole e piacevole. Freeman si sofferma poco sulle descrizioni e su tutto ciò che può far rallentare il romanzo a favore di una scrittura intensa e cinematografica incentrata sulle azioni. Il lettore non viene mai tediato, i colpi di scena sono ben dosati e si viene tenuti spesso con il fiato sospeso. Anche il ritmo è ben calibrato, non mette ansia ma non ti permette di lasciare il libro. Io l'ho finito continuando a dire: un ultimo capitolo poi smetto, tanto ci metto due minuti.
Giudizio finale complessivo: Forse non un capolavoro ma comunque un libro scorrevole che mi è piaciuto molto. Ho scoperto un personaggio a suo modo affascinante di cui voglio leggere ancora.
Ho adorato l'uso del 'niente è come appare' e la psicologia contorta dei protagonisti.
Sono rimasta a lungo indecisa se giudicarlo troppo veloce e poco approfondito, o giustamente intenso senza rallentamenti. Propendo per la seconda. Nonostante avessi preferito l'approfondimento di alcuni aspetti, alla fine ne ho apprezzato di più la scorrevolezza.
Inoltre, pur essendo basato sulla psicologia, è piuttosto leggero e comprensibile e adatto a tutti in qualunque momento.
Un plauso inoltre per avermi incuriosita abbastanza da voler leggere anche i lavori precedenti e successivi.
Voto: 8/10
Un thriller psicologico molto sottile e particolare.
L'inizio è d'effetto: un cimitero di notte (ma non dovrebbero essere chiusi?), un poliziotto che guarda, un altro che arriva e si spara.
Ammettiamo tutti che, anche senza essere detective, la cosa un po' impressione la fa. E Stride è un detective, per una volta quasi normale, che rimane, suo malgrado, incuriosito, se non proprio shockato, dal gesto di quella specie di collega.
Un poliziotto che si suicida fa sempre un certo effetto, ma Stride scopre presto che non c'è solo quello. Percy infatti sembrava non avere molti motivi per un gesto simile. O almeno non li aveva fino a pochi giorni prima.
Attraverso gli occhi del protagonista la vicenda si dipana velocemente e con un buon numero di colpi di scena, ben dosati e distribuiti.
Gli ingredienti che caratterizzano un buon thriller ci sono tutti e Freeman riesce a mixarli davvero bene. Probabilmente gli elementi originali non sono molti, ma il racconto suscita comunque tutte le giuste emozioni: curiosità, dubbio, intuizione e sorpresa.
Tra l'altro è uno di quei romanzi che adoro perché gli indizi ci sono, ma in genere li si notano alla fine quando, una volta scoperto il colpevole, si riesce a collegarli.
E' presente anche un leggero alone soprannaturale, in quanto viene data alcune volte la colpa al diavolo e alla possessione demoniaca per quello che accade. Per fortuna Stride non ci crede e continua ad indagare.
Apprezzabili anche i sottili risvolti psicologici e le analisi. Da un lato mi è spiaciuto che non fossero più approfondite, dall'altro forse avrebbero appesantito e spezzato un romanzo che invece si mantiene veloce e scorrevole.
Carino il finale da serie televisiva che chiude il libro, ma potrebbe anche costituire l'inizio di un nuovo episodio.
Personaggi: Jonathan Stride è il 'figlioccio' di Freeman, protagonista di più di una vicenda, che suppongo costituiscano una serie all'interno della quale si inserisce anche questa. Nel racconto ci sono riferimenti al passato ma non è necessario aver letto gli altri libri per comprenderli (anzi, se non avessi sbirciato la biografia non avrei neanche supposto l'esistenza di testi pregressi) e questo è un punto a favore. Venendo al personaggio in sé, per una volta niente misantropo asociale scontroso e scorbutico (per i quali io, comunque, stravedo), ma un uomo un filo più normale e pacato che usa la logica con freddezza ma non ritiene di dover fare la guerra al mondo facendo pure l'incompreso. Certo, ha i suoi problemi relazionali, ma rientrano un po' più nei canoni standard delle persone comuni.
Gli altri credo che siano delle 'comparse' attinenti a questo singolo romanzo, che non vedremo nei successivi (né suppongo siano nei precedenti). Forse sono un po' più stereotipati, ma non per questo brutti.
Kelly è quella che forse mi lascia più perplessa, non perché sia mal riuscita, ma perché è un personaggio molto complesso, con uno storico pesante che ha lasciato segni che avrei voluto più approfonditi e analizzati.
Stesso discorso per Mike. Un ragazzino che ha subito così tanto meritava un approfondimento. Non su ciò che gli è capitato, ma sul suo modo di pensare e di affrontare le cose.
Adorabile la figura dello zio Richard.
Stile: Veloce, scorrevole e piacevole. Freeman si sofferma poco sulle descrizioni e su tutto ciò che può far rallentare il romanzo a favore di una scrittura intensa e cinematografica incentrata sulle azioni. Il lettore non viene mai tediato, i colpi di scena sono ben dosati e si viene tenuti spesso con il fiato sospeso. Anche il ritmo è ben calibrato, non mette ansia ma non ti permette di lasciare il libro. Io l'ho finito continuando a dire: un ultimo capitolo poi smetto, tanto ci metto due minuti.
Giudizio finale complessivo: Forse non un capolavoro ma comunque un libro scorrevole che mi è piaciuto molto. Ho scoperto un personaggio a suo modo affascinante di cui voglio leggere ancora.
Ho adorato l'uso del 'niente è come appare' e la psicologia contorta dei protagonisti.
Sono rimasta a lungo indecisa se giudicarlo troppo veloce e poco approfondito, o giustamente intenso senza rallentamenti. Propendo per la seconda. Nonostante avessi preferito l'approfondimento di alcuni aspetti, alla fine ne ho apprezzato di più la scorrevolezza.
Inoltre, pur essendo basato sulla psicologia, è piuttosto leggero e comprensibile e adatto a tutti in qualunque momento.
Un plauso inoltre per avermi incuriosita abbastanza da voler leggere anche i lavori precedenti e successivi.
Voto: 8/10
January 3, 2017
I liked this book. My only issue is that I felt some of the Stride's investigation came too easily. He knew all the right questions to ask all the right people. I understand that he's badass but that doesn't always go over well in a story.
September 28, 2021
TURN TO STONE [2014] (Jonathan Stride #5.6) By Brian Freeman
My Review Five Stars*****
This novella is considered to be a “prelude” to the sixth full-length Jonathan Stride book THE COLD NOWHERE. The Kindle Edition I purchased contains an excerpt from the upcoming Stride novel.
I just finished the short story titled SPITTING DEVIL, which was also written to help fill in the period of time between THE BURYING PLACE [2010] and the next full-length book to feature Detective Jonathan Stride. I was left with the feeling that Freeman and the short story format weren’t a good fit. That is not true for this novella (or “long” story) in which the author has enough space to develop fully realized characters and to unleash his creative juices to spin one gripping and absolutely chilling crime thriller.
Stride is making the long trek back to his home in Duluth, Minnesota when he decides to make an impromptu detour to visit his mother’s gravesite in a small Wisconsin town. A police cruiser pulls into the cemetery as Stride is walking among the tombstones. A uniformed officer from the local sheriff’s department steps out of the car and before Jon can react to the unfolding scene the man pulls his service weapon and shoots himself in the head. Stride gives his statement to the police and goes to his uncle Richard’s home to visit and spend the night.
The local sheriff wants Stride to hit the road, but the suicide victim’s wife Kelli pleads with Jon to investigate the events leading up to her husband Percy’s desperate act. Stride finds himself agreeing to make some unofficial inquiries in an effort to find the reason the man she loved had become desperate enough to kill himself. Stride quickly learns that Kelli had been the victim of a horrifying abduction by one of her disturbed patients in the past, and only after days of sadistic torture, rape, and degradation had she been rescued by Percy. The kidnapping had made the news all over the country, and Percy had been declared a hero after killing the predator and saving the victim. Kelli explains that she and Percy later fell in love and were married which leant a romantic element to the tale of terror.
This story is a “whodunit” that may very well have been spawned in hell. Stride later locates an article about demonic possession authored by Kelli. She had highlighted a host of different cases where the perpetrators had all used the same language to describe what happened them. Speaking of “language” and the Devil, it really is spookier in German (‘Der Teufel’).
“They said that something cold inhabited their bodies, some kind of physical presence. They lost empathy. Their moral compass went haywire, like they couldn’t understand right or wrong. They turned to stone.”
This is an outstanding tale of unspeakable horrors that are committed by men, the circle of abuse that creates human monsters, and it makes the reader ponder where the line between innocent victim ends and where the line for sadistic sexual psychopath begins. TURN TO STONE begins with Stride walking among the tombstones and you will feel like you’ve been walking behind him, nervously whistling in the dark. This is a chilling mystery with more than one victim and victimizer, and if you think you have it all figured out before the end of the novella, well…you haven’t.
This story is well worth the kudos from Jeffery Deaver, Michael Connelly, and Lisa Gardner that it garnered. I don’t recall having read a more haunting or chilling tale of murder and violence. I would award 10-Stars if I could.
ABSOLUTELY CHILLING TALE OF EVIL WHICH MAKES YOU ASK “DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE DEVIL?”
My Review Five Stars*****
This novella is considered to be a “prelude” to the sixth full-length Jonathan Stride book THE COLD NOWHERE. The Kindle Edition I purchased contains an excerpt from the upcoming Stride novel.
I just finished the short story titled SPITTING DEVIL, which was also written to help fill in the period of time between THE BURYING PLACE [2010] and the next full-length book to feature Detective Jonathan Stride. I was left with the feeling that Freeman and the short story format weren’t a good fit. That is not true for this novella (or “long” story) in which the author has enough space to develop fully realized characters and to unleash his creative juices to spin one gripping and absolutely chilling crime thriller.
Stride is making the long trek back to his home in Duluth, Minnesota when he decides to make an impromptu detour to visit his mother’s gravesite in a small Wisconsin town. A police cruiser pulls into the cemetery as Stride is walking among the tombstones. A uniformed officer from the local sheriff’s department steps out of the car and before Jon can react to the unfolding scene the man pulls his service weapon and shoots himself in the head. Stride gives his statement to the police and goes to his uncle Richard’s home to visit and spend the night.
The local sheriff wants Stride to hit the road, but the suicide victim’s wife Kelli pleads with Jon to investigate the events leading up to her husband Percy’s desperate act. Stride finds himself agreeing to make some unofficial inquiries in an effort to find the reason the man she loved had become desperate enough to kill himself. Stride quickly learns that Kelli had been the victim of a horrifying abduction by one of her disturbed patients in the past, and only after days of sadistic torture, rape, and degradation had she been rescued by Percy. The kidnapping had made the news all over the country, and Percy had been declared a hero after killing the predator and saving the victim. Kelli explains that she and Percy later fell in love and were married which leant a romantic element to the tale of terror.
This story is a “whodunit” that may very well have been spawned in hell. Stride later locates an article about demonic possession authored by Kelli. She had highlighted a host of different cases where the perpetrators had all used the same language to describe what happened them. Speaking of “language” and the Devil, it really is spookier in German (‘Der Teufel’).
“They said that something cold inhabited their bodies, some kind of physical presence. They lost empathy. Their moral compass went haywire, like they couldn’t understand right or wrong. They turned to stone.”
This is an outstanding tale of unspeakable horrors that are committed by men, the circle of abuse that creates human monsters, and it makes the reader ponder where the line between innocent victim ends and where the line for sadistic sexual psychopath begins. TURN TO STONE begins with Stride walking among the tombstones and you will feel like you’ve been walking behind him, nervously whistling in the dark. This is a chilling mystery with more than one victim and victimizer, and if you think you have it all figured out before the end of the novella, well…you haven’t.
This story is well worth the kudos from Jeffery Deaver, Michael Connelly, and Lisa Gardner that it garnered. I don’t recall having read a more haunting or chilling tale of murder and violence. I would award 10-Stars if I could.
ABSOLUTELY CHILLING TALE OF EVIL WHICH MAKES YOU ASK “DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE DEVIL?”
August 4, 2018
Clever Plot With Surprising Twists
For a short read, this moody mystery features a complex plot with several unexpected twists, which made me question the motives and actions of many secondary characters. The protagonist—homicide detective Jonathan Stride from Duluth, Minnesota—visits his mother’s grave in Wisconsin, and he sees a local police officer shoot himself. In this small town, everyone seems to have secrets and hidden connections to the suicide and a murder possibly tied to the suicide.
The wintry weather, isolated country homes, dense forests, old beliefs about a devil, and possibly haunted ruins add to the unsettling atmosphere.
I didn’t have problems reading this novella as a stand-alone, and the plot threads for this storyline are neatly tied off. However, when the protagonist returns to the city, another mystery confronts him. Trying to get me to read the next book? Knocked off a star.
For a short read, this moody mystery features a complex plot with several unexpected twists, which made me question the motives and actions of many secondary characters. The protagonist—homicide detective Jonathan Stride from Duluth, Minnesota—visits his mother’s grave in Wisconsin, and he sees a local police officer shoot himself. In this small town, everyone seems to have secrets and hidden connections to the suicide and a murder possibly tied to the suicide.
The wintry weather, isolated country homes, dense forests, old beliefs about a devil, and possibly haunted ruins add to the unsettling atmosphere.
I didn’t have problems reading this novella as a stand-alone, and the plot threads for this storyline are neatly tied off. However, when the protagonist returns to the city, another mystery confronts him. Trying to get me to read the next book? Knocked off a star.
August 21, 2025
Another great addition to the Stride series. This was more of a novella; shorter, and with Stride the main character without the rest of the usual cast. It took place in Shawano, WI, not Duluth. But the mystery behind the deaths and murders was wonderful - abusive teachers, religious traditions, abusive husbands, police cover ups, psychotic spouses, and even the devil and their white mice minions. So many twists and turns. And the introduction of Stride's only remaining family member. And Freeman did a masterful job of pull the story to close, and leading the reader down several false paths and assumptions of who done it, before the truth is finally revealed. But even the very, very end added final twists. A really enjoyable and great read!
June 16, 2018
A short novella in the Jonathan Stride series. Stride Is driving back from testifying in Milwaukee when he stops to visit the gravesite of his mother in Shawano, Wisconsin. While visiting the graveside a local sheriffs deputy pulls into the cemetery and promptly commit suicide. Stride is pulled in by his uncle to help the deputies wife find out why her husband killed himself. This wasn’t bad for a novella. I probably would’ve rated a four star except for the fact that I found the ending a little unfulfilling. Mr. Freeman was able to put it in a couple of his trademark twists and turns despite this being a short novella.
April 2, 2022
Gran bel thriller psicologico.
Scritto molto bene, temi molto brutti ma trattati sempre con una particolare attenzione, un pizzico di delicatezza in alcuni tratti, con frasi non dette ma intuite, quasi un senso di rispetto per le persone coinvolte.
Ricco di adrenalina, tiene incollato il lettore fino all'ultima pagina, fino al finale per niente scontato.
Quando tutto sembra chiaro, tutto si infittisce, quando sembra di aver capito o intuito il colpevole, o i colpevoli, tutto cambia, non è mai quel che sembra.
Non avevo mai letto nulla di questo autore e sicuramente leggerò altri suoi libri.
Superconsigliato agli amanti thrillerofili.
Scritto molto bene, temi molto brutti ma trattati sempre con una particolare attenzione, un pizzico di delicatezza in alcuni tratti, con frasi non dette ma intuite, quasi un senso di rispetto per le persone coinvolte.
Ricco di adrenalina, tiene incollato il lettore fino all'ultima pagina, fino al finale per niente scontato.
Quando tutto sembra chiaro, tutto si infittisce, quando sembra di aver capito o intuito il colpevole, o i colpevoli, tutto cambia, non è mai quel che sembra.
Non avevo mai letto nulla di questo autore e sicuramente leggerò altri suoi libri.
Superconsigliato agli amanti thrillerofili.
June 24, 2022
There are so few decent people in this world. I’m not saying it was always easy. Relationships are never easy. - Kelli Andrews, Loc. 365
Everybody starts out innocent, right? Then shit happens. - Neal Gandy
Childhood screws us up and we spend the rest of our lives trying to fix it. - Jonathan Stride, Loc. 860
I am not sure you can ever put right the mistakes of the past. Most of us never get the chance. Fact is, most of us don’t try. If it ever comes your way, Jon, you leap at it, okay? - Richard Heling, Loc. 2228
Definitely a page turner, perfect length for a very entertaining plot.
Everybody starts out innocent, right? Then shit happens. - Neal Gandy
Childhood screws us up and we spend the rest of our lives trying to fix it. - Jonathan Stride, Loc. 860
I am not sure you can ever put right the mistakes of the past. Most of us never get the chance. Fact is, most of us don’t try. If it ever comes your way, Jon, you leap at it, okay? - Richard Heling, Loc. 2228
Definitely a page turner, perfect length for a very entertaining plot.
January 19, 2022
This was a bit different from the other books in the series so far. This was Stride on his own in another state. He was on his way back from a court case and stopped to visit his moms grave, when something really bad happened right in front of him. Stride being Stride just couldn't walk away without some answers. His uncle lives in this town as well and asked him to help tie up the loose ends. Things quickly get messy and very tangled. When you feel you have it all figured out a new player emerges and changes the game. Great story and great narration.
March 30, 2018
A short story from the Stride series. It doesn't have the usual cast of characters surrounding Stride, but is well plotted and has good character development to keep the story flowing. It moves at a faster pace than most of the books do, but as a short story it is not unusual to move at an advanced pace. I'm looking forward to getting back into a meatier story in the next book, but this was definitely entertaining and worth the time to listen to!
March 14, 2019
Una trama intricata ma ben organizzata e concentrata in un libretto di poco più di 170 pagine che sicuramente merita di essere letto dagli amanti del genere.
Non amo i sequel e il finale di questo invita a proseguire in un'altra avventura che non so ancora se avrò voglia di intraprendere.
La scrittura utilizzata è tutta via piacevole e seppur non mi abbia convinta pienamente lo consiglio per l'originalità della vicenda.
Non amo i sequel e il finale di questo invita a proseguire in un'altra avventura che non so ancora se avrò voglia di intraprendere.
La scrittura utilizzata è tutta via piacevole e seppur non mi abbia convinta pienamente lo consiglio per l'originalità della vicenda.
October 14, 2022
I search for these books.
As usual, Mr Freeman’s books are overwhelmingly engrossing. Once I start one, I can’t put it down. His characters seem more than real. I always feel that it could be me that he’s fighting for. This is his true genius. I wait impatiently for the next book of his that I can find. He’s one of the best writers I know of. I will always read his books, somehow, every time I find one.
As usual, Mr Freeman’s books are overwhelmingly engrossing. Once I start one, I can’t put it down. His characters seem more than real. I always feel that it could be me that he’s fighting for. This is his true genius. I wait impatiently for the next book of his that I can find. He’s one of the best writers I know of. I will always read his books, somehow, every time I find one.
November 16, 2018
I think this is my first book from this author and once again it's a series!
This one was on the short side, which is probably a novella not a novel. It was good. Not great and certainly not an award winning novella. It dealt with, what the characters claimed it to be, demonic possession. However, many strange things did happen, but was it the devil?
This one was on the short side, which is probably a novella not a novel. It was good. Not great and certainly not an award winning novella. It dealt with, what the characters claimed it to be, demonic possession. However, many strange things did happen, but was it the devil?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews