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Jonathan Stride #10
Funeral for a Friend
You re safe, Stride. I found the body at the Deeps. I buried him.
Jonathan Stride s best friend, Steve Garske, makes a shocking deathbed confession: he protected Stride by covering up a murder. Hours later, the police dig up Steve s yard and find a body with a bullet hole in its skull.
Stride is pretty sure he knows who it is. Seven years ago, an out-of-town reporter disappeared while investigating anonymous allegations of rape against a prominent politician. Back then, the police believed that the reporter drowned at a dangerous swimming hole called the Deeps but the discovery of the body changes everything. Now Stride s partner, Maggie Bei, is forced to ask Stride an uncomfortable question: Did you kill him?
Stride is obviously hiding things. He was the last person to see the reporter alive. And he admits lying to Maggie about that meeting, but won t tell her why. With suspicion in the murder pointing at him, Stride finds himself off the case and on leave from the Duluth Police.
His only ally in clearing his name is his wife, Serena, who retraces the reporter s investigation into the explosive allegations. The clues all point to a hot Duluth summer years earlier that everyone in town would prefer to forget.
Someone was willing to kill rather than let those long-ago secrets come out, and the suspect with the strongest motive is Stride.
Jonathan Stride s best friend, Steve Garske, makes a shocking deathbed confession: he protected Stride by covering up a murder. Hours later, the police dig up Steve s yard and find a body with a bullet hole in its skull.
Stride is pretty sure he knows who it is. Seven years ago, an out-of-town reporter disappeared while investigating anonymous allegations of rape against a prominent politician. Back then, the police believed that the reporter drowned at a dangerous swimming hole called the Deeps but the discovery of the body changes everything. Now Stride s partner, Maggie Bei, is forced to ask Stride an uncomfortable question: Did you kill him?
Stride is obviously hiding things. He was the last person to see the reporter alive. And he admits lying to Maggie about that meeting, but won t tell her why. With suspicion in the murder pointing at him, Stride finds himself off the case and on leave from the Duluth Police.
His only ally in clearing his name is his wife, Serena, who retraces the reporter s investigation into the explosive allegations. The clues all point to a hot Duluth summer years earlier that everyone in town would prefer to forget.
Someone was willing to kill rather than let those long-ago secrets come out, and the suspect with the strongest motive is Stride.
300 pages, Hardcover
First published September 22, 2020
380 people are currently reading
4283 people want to read
About the author
Brian Freeman
61 books3,092 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 320 reviews
September 30, 2020
I looked forward to this story after, "Alter Ego." Instead, this goes off the rails and crashes. 1 of 10 stars
February 4, 2021
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Water falling.
Jonathan Stride was dreaming. A nightmare, really. He’d been having a recurring nightmare for nights on end. In reality, his best friend, Steve Garske, was dying of cancer. Stride’s subconscious was trying to tell him something.
When he sees his friend for the last time, he hears something very strange: “Don’t worry. I found the body after you left, and I took care of it. I buried him.”
Being a police lieutenant, Stride does the right thing and has his friend’s yard dug up after the funeral. Sure enough, there’s a body. This turns out to open a Pandora’s box – a 30-year-old unsolved murder, the fact that Stride had lied to his partner Maggie Bie about what happened when he met with the murder victim. A politician is thrust into the spotlight by accusations of a of rape that occurred at that same time. Then comes another twist – his second wife enters the picture, and despite the unpleasantness of their relationship, Stride knows he must find the truth about everything that happened. He is suspended, of course, so he and his wife Serena, also a cop, investigate on their own. Complicating matters is the 18-year-old who lives with them, Cat Mateo, a young woman with a troubled past who simply cannot steer clear of danger.
As usual, Freeman’s writing captures the scenery and spirit of Duluth with Lake Superior and all her moods, lake effect storms, nearby streams and woodlands, and downtown nightlife. Having grown up in nearby Cloquet, it’s always fun to revisit Duluth through Stride’s eyes. And nobody writes twists and turns quite like Brian Freeman. Just when I started thinking quite early on that this plot was too predictable – WHAM! Something happened that I did not expect. That happened several times until – well, until all the other theories were disproven, and eventually there was no one left to blame except _______.
I would strongly suggest reading the Stride books in order. I have read them in order, and I still forgot that Serena was his third wife, not his second! It’s important to know where Cat came from and what she’s been through. It helps me tolerate her a little better, although I do think it’s about time for her to finally get her act together, mature, and move on. There are signals of potential changes for other characters, and I’m curious to see what happens next.
5 stars
Water falling.
Jonathan Stride was dreaming. A nightmare, really. He’d been having a recurring nightmare for nights on end. In reality, his best friend, Steve Garske, was dying of cancer. Stride’s subconscious was trying to tell him something.
When he sees his friend for the last time, he hears something very strange: “Don’t worry. I found the body after you left, and I took care of it. I buried him.”
Being a police lieutenant, Stride does the right thing and has his friend’s yard dug up after the funeral. Sure enough, there’s a body. This turns out to open a Pandora’s box – a 30-year-old unsolved murder, the fact that Stride had lied to his partner Maggie Bie about what happened when he met with the murder victim. A politician is thrust into the spotlight by accusations of a of rape that occurred at that same time. Then comes another twist – his second wife enters the picture, and despite the unpleasantness of their relationship, Stride knows he must find the truth about everything that happened. He is suspended, of course, so he and his wife Serena, also a cop, investigate on their own. Complicating matters is the 18-year-old who lives with them, Cat Mateo, a young woman with a troubled past who simply cannot steer clear of danger.
As usual, Freeman’s writing captures the scenery and spirit of Duluth with Lake Superior and all her moods, lake effect storms, nearby streams and woodlands, and downtown nightlife. Having grown up in nearby Cloquet, it’s always fun to revisit Duluth through Stride’s eyes. And nobody writes twists and turns quite like Brian Freeman. Just when I started thinking quite early on that this plot was too predictable – WHAM! Something happened that I did not expect. That happened several times until – well, until all the other theories were disproven, and eventually there was no one left to blame except _______.
I would strongly suggest reading the Stride books in order. I have read them in order, and I still forgot that Serena was his third wife, not his second! It’s important to know where Cat came from and what she’s been through. It helps me tolerate her a little better, although I do think it’s about time for her to finally get her act together, mature, and move on. There are signals of potential changes for other characters, and I’m curious to see what happens next.
5 stars
October 21, 2020
If you’re a fan of Brian Freeman’s Jonathan Stride series, I think you’ll really enjoy this book. Much of it is based on an event in Stride’s past. I was puzzled when Andrea was introduced as Stride’s second wife. I don’t recall her at all. I thought Serena was his second. The alternate story line involved Cat. I have a hard time relating to Cat. I wish she’d learn from her bad decisions. She’s 18 now, but with her history, she should know better.
August 6, 2022
Freeman pulls off another complex story filled with secrets, damaged characters, and hidden motives. The story begins when the buried body of man missing for seven years is found. He was murdered, and Stride, the hero of this series, is a prime suspect. The local big-shot is running for the U.S. Senate, and the dead man was trying to dig up the details of an alleged rape the big-shot committed when he was 18. Also, someone is stalking Kat, Stride’s teenage adopted daughter.
Ironically, the police (Stride, his wife Serena, his ex-lover Maggie) several times reject the idea of coincidence. It turns out, however, that one murder and assorted other crimes are coincidental. This works anyway because it’s fiction, and we’re happy to have more crime, more suspects, and more victims. Freeman’s signature flaw is that he pushes too hard: normal, well-adjusted characters embrace an obsessive-compulsive behavior because it seems mysterious, bad guys spend years taunting their victims from hiding, always smart enough to stay invisible, so deeply crazy they devote their lives to taunting, yet rational and normal enough to not give themselves away, nor go too far. Even so, the twisted ending makes it worth the read.
Ironically, the police (Stride, his wife Serena, his ex-lover Maggie) several times reject the idea of coincidence. It turns out, however, that one murder and assorted other crimes are coincidental. This works anyway because it’s fiction, and we’re happy to have more crime, more suspects, and more victims. Freeman’s signature flaw is that he pushes too hard: normal, well-adjusted characters embrace an obsessive-compulsive behavior because it seems mysterious, bad guys spend years taunting their victims from hiding, always smart enough to stay invisible, so deeply crazy they devote their lives to taunting, yet rational and normal enough to not give themselves away, nor go too far. Even so, the twisted ending makes it worth the read.
October 1, 2024
In the tenth book in this series we find its central figure, Duluth cop Jonathan Stride, involved in an investigation concerning the discovery of a body in the garden of his recently deceased close friend, Steve Garske. Only this time around it’s Stride that’s being investigated, courtesy of a deathbed confession by his friend. The body has been identified as an investigative reporter who’d been in town chasing down a suspected rape victim, the woman having anonymously named a prominent local politician as the perpetrator. And Stride, it was noted, had been the last person to see the reporter alive, at The Deeps, a notoriously dangerous local swimming spot. It had been assumed the man had drowned in an act of misadventure, but now things are starting to look very different.
Stride is strangely sanguine about the investigation, refusing to open up as to why he’s acting thus and refusing to explain his position further, even to his wife, also a Deluth cop. But here’s the thing with long running series: over time the core set of characters experience all sorts of adventures and mishaps, sometimes to a point that the overall picture starts to look more than a little incongruous. As the investigation begins, we discover that three central figures in Stride’s life have each been the victim of rape – what odds do you give that? But despite this rather odd fact, the story does gradually knit together pretty well, and it’s certainly the most emotionally charged episode I’ve read.
The downside here is that readers are required to accept a number of coincidences and at least one character whose back story and subsequent actions are somewhat hard to swallow. Towards the end, there is a frantic – and very exciting – scene in which much of the truth is exposed, and all hell is let loose. This action draws some of the threads together, but it’s not quite the end of the story. There remains one more mystery to resolve. But the final answer isn’t long in coming, and once again it’s one that, in my mind, stretches credulity.
I like Stride, and in this tale, the author explores the inner thoughts of Freeman’s lead character more thoroughly and more satisfyingly than I’ve seen before. I also enjoy the pace and the atmosphere the author creates in telling these stories. There’s a strong back-up cast, too – there really is a lot to like in this series. So perhaps a somewhat unlikely (okay, frankly unbelievable) knitting together of events as well as at least one character whose story and behaviour is hard to comprehend and accept is an acceptable price to pay for another chunk of time in the company of this crew. I think so, but I can only bring myself to award three stars for all the reasons I’ve stated.
Stride is strangely sanguine about the investigation, refusing to open up as to why he’s acting thus and refusing to explain his position further, even to his wife, also a Deluth cop. But here’s the thing with long running series: over time the core set of characters experience all sorts of adventures and mishaps, sometimes to a point that the overall picture starts to look more than a little incongruous. As the investigation begins, we discover that three central figures in Stride’s life have each been the victim of rape – what odds do you give that? But despite this rather odd fact, the story does gradually knit together pretty well, and it’s certainly the most emotionally charged episode I’ve read.
The downside here is that readers are required to accept a number of coincidences and at least one character whose back story and subsequent actions are somewhat hard to swallow. Towards the end, there is a frantic – and very exciting – scene in which much of the truth is exposed, and all hell is let loose. This action draws some of the threads together, but it’s not quite the end of the story. There remains one more mystery to resolve. But the final answer isn’t long in coming, and once again it’s one that, in my mind, stretches credulity.
I like Stride, and in this tale, the author explores the inner thoughts of Freeman’s lead character more thoroughly and more satisfyingly than I’ve seen before. I also enjoy the pace and the atmosphere the author creates in telling these stories. There’s a strong back-up cast, too – there really is a lot to like in this series. So perhaps a somewhat unlikely (okay, frankly unbelievable) knitting together of events as well as at least one character whose story and behaviour is hard to comprehend and accept is an acceptable price to pay for another chunk of time in the company of this crew. I think so, but I can only bring myself to award three stars for all the reasons I’ve stated.
September 22, 2020
Jonathan Stride’s best friend, Steve Garske, makes a shocking deathbed confession: he protected Stride by covering up a murder. Hours later, the police dig up Steve’s yard and find a body with a bullet hole in its skull. The victim ... a reporter looking for the woman who made an anonymous claim of rape against a well-known politician.
Stride was the last known person to see this man ... but he's lied to protect someone. Stride is off the case and he is a prime suspect in the man's murder. His partner, Maggie Bei, is now lead investigator ... and that includes questioning Stride.
His only ally in clearing his name is his wife, Serena, who retraces the reporter’s investigation into the explosive allegations. The clues all point to a hot Duluth summer years earlier that everyone in town would prefer to forget.
Someone was willing to kill rather than let those long-ago secrets come out, and the suspect with the strongest motive … is Stride.
As with all this author's books, this is a well-written crime thriller, an action-packed page turner with twists and turns that keep on coming. There are plenty of suspects to watch .. and many buried dark secrets. Although 10th in the series, it can be read as a stand alone. However, I strongly recommend starting at the very beginning of this series for some serious 5-star reading.
Many thanks to the author / Blackstone Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime thriller/fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
September 30, 2020
Jonathon Stride is back in stride with a cold case murder mystery in Duluth, MN. All the familiar characters are involved in this complex police procedural riddled with murder, rape, politics, blackmail and sex. Like the preceding books in this ongoing series, the very appealing characters power a fast paced story with surprising twists and turns.
May 7, 2022
Loved catching up with this clan!! Solid character growth and a confounding murder from the past made this chapter in the series one of its best. Duluth or bust!
4 Stars in Stride
4 Stars in Stride
August 2, 2020
I left Duluth when I graduated from UMD in 1969 and then spent 4 years in the U.S. Coast Guard. I really loved Duluth and I wanted to read Funeral for a Friend
to see if he would put any of the places I knew growing up in the book. Brian Freeman did just that starting with the Deeps (his term) off Seven Bridges Road. Made it seem bigger than I remember. Park Point and I have many memories with the Northern Lights and fires, ever walk to the end the easy way through the forest, and then by the beach. But memories are fun but let me say I miss the old curling club and having our East hockey games in it was fun. To the book, this is 15 years since Brian Freeman began writing about Jonathan Stride in his series I read the first several books
as being the first. Let's just say Stride seems to have an endless love life, however a dampener has been put on it. I can vouch that we had wild party's in High School and wilder parties in college. Always wondered way I wasn't killed during the time Duluth. But Brian hones in on one particular party where Andrea (Strides 2nd wife) when she was only 17 years old was raped. Everything revolves around this. Even Cat who is living with the Stride's has brought someone who is in love with her to where she needs someone keep surveillance on her.
It's a full body rendition of a story that Brian always keeps going with no lags anywhere. This story brought back memories that were great and Brian has many sub stories to make this a readable book. I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars. It made my day.
to see if he would put any of the places I knew growing up in the book. Brian Freeman did just that starting with the Deeps (his term) off Seven Bridges Road. Made it seem bigger than I remember. Park Point and I have many memories with the Northern Lights and fires, ever walk to the end the easy way through the forest, and then by the beach. But memories are fun but let me say I miss the old curling club and having our East hockey games in it was fun. To the book, this is 15 years since Brian Freeman began writing about Jonathan Stride in his series I read the first several books
as being the first. Let's just say Stride seems to have an endless love life, however a dampener has been put on it. I can vouch that we had wild party's in High School and wilder parties in college. Always wondered way I wasn't killed during the time Duluth. But Brian hones in on one particular party where Andrea (Strides 2nd wife) when she was only 17 years old was raped. Everything revolves around this. Even Cat who is living with the Stride's has brought someone who is in love with her to where she needs someone keep surveillance on her.It's a full body rendition of a story that Brian always keeps going with no lags anywhere. This story brought back memories that were great and Brian has many sub stories to make this a readable book. I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars. It made my day.
September 14, 2020
Outstanding new episode for the Jonathon Stride series! The narrator definitely helps bring an already very strong plot and characters to life by enhancing the characters personalities with the unique voices he gives them as well as enhancing the emotions of the moment. If you haven't read/listened to the Stride series, you are seriously missing out. Drama, murder, mystery, love, hate, action and so much more rolled into a very cohesive and entertaining plot to keep you listening for hours!
July 11, 2020
Lake Superior, Duluth.
The last thing that dying dr. Steve says to his life-long best friend police-chief Jonathan Stride is that he buried the body that (he thinks that) Jonathan killed and that nobody knows about it. Stride knows that he didn’t kill anybody but he has a good idea about the identity of the victim. In his garden, they find the body of Ned Baer, a journalist who disappeared 7 years earlier. Stride was the last man, to see him alive. The journalist came to town to find the woman that anonymously accused politician Devin Card of raping her when she was 17, a woman that did not want to be found. We learn early in the book that this woman is Andrea, Stride’s ex-wife. Did she kill the journalist herself, did Ned kill him to protect her anonymity, or did the politician kill him to get rid of the whole story? As Stride is a suspect in this case because he lied back then about certain aspects and refuses to talk now apart from swearing that he’s innocent, he’s suspended for the time of the inquest. His old enemy Dan Erickson leads the investigation and he would love nothing better than finding Stride guilty.
There’s also a second case that clouds the family life of the Stride family even more. Cat, the runaway teenager that lives with Jonathan and Serena, receives weird notes and photos of herself that prove that she’s being stalked. Things get from bad to worse and she’s allocated a police bodyguard.
The story starts out really slow and as the suspense builds up, it gains momentum and cannot be stopped anymore. You fall from 1 surprise into the next. There are so many twists and turns that I can’t put a number on them. And when you think that you’ve solved the case, there’s yet another new element that changes the picture again.
It’s a shame that I haven’t found this series earlier on. This is number 10 already and there are several references to things that happened in the past and even though this story depends hugely on this past, it’s perfectly possible to read and enjoy this book without having read the others. I advise you to read them in order as I think it will increase your pleasure.
The story alternates constantly between both storylines and even though both cases have nothing to do with each other apart from both involving the Stride extended family, somehow Freeman manages to bring them together in the end.
I thank Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC; this is my unbiased and honest review of it.
The last thing that dying dr. Steve says to his life-long best friend police-chief Jonathan Stride is that he buried the body that (he thinks that) Jonathan killed and that nobody knows about it. Stride knows that he didn’t kill anybody but he has a good idea about the identity of the victim. In his garden, they find the body of Ned Baer, a journalist who disappeared 7 years earlier. Stride was the last man, to see him alive. The journalist came to town to find the woman that anonymously accused politician Devin Card of raping her when she was 17, a woman that did not want to be found. We learn early in the book that this woman is Andrea, Stride’s ex-wife. Did she kill the journalist herself, did Ned kill him to protect her anonymity, or did the politician kill him to get rid of the whole story? As Stride is a suspect in this case because he lied back then about certain aspects and refuses to talk now apart from swearing that he’s innocent, he’s suspended for the time of the inquest. His old enemy Dan Erickson leads the investigation and he would love nothing better than finding Stride guilty.
There’s also a second case that clouds the family life of the Stride family even more. Cat, the runaway teenager that lives with Jonathan and Serena, receives weird notes and photos of herself that prove that she’s being stalked. Things get from bad to worse and she’s allocated a police bodyguard.
The story starts out really slow and as the suspense builds up, it gains momentum and cannot be stopped anymore. You fall from 1 surprise into the next. There are so many twists and turns that I can’t put a number on them. And when you think that you’ve solved the case, there’s yet another new element that changes the picture again.
It’s a shame that I haven’t found this series earlier on. This is number 10 already and there are several references to things that happened in the past and even though this story depends hugely on this past, it’s perfectly possible to read and enjoy this book without having read the others. I advise you to read them in order as I think it will increase your pleasure.
The story alternates constantly between both storylines and even though both cases have nothing to do with each other apart from both involving the Stride extended family, somehow Freeman manages to bring them together in the end.
I thank Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC; this is my unbiased and honest review of it.
November 11, 2020
This book has got to be up for most overrated. A prize with 100's to 1000's of possible entries for 2020 alone, here on Goodreads. A poster just says "neurotic". That's an accurate description. These are cops and responsible adults? No more of these for me.
And why, oh why- would you put up with that attitude and enable an 18 year old brat as if she was doing you a favor by living off of you? Blind leading the blind. Who seem to believe they are eagle eyes on top of it.
And why, oh why- would you put up with that attitude and enable an 18 year old brat as if she was doing you a favor by living off of you? Blind leading the blind. Who seem to believe they are eagle eyes on top of it.
September 17, 2020
This is the most recent offering in the Jonathan Stride series which is set in Duluth, MN. Freeman does a great job of capturing the setting and characters. I found the ending a bit convoluted, but this was a quick enjoyable read.
November 13, 2022
Loved this 10th book in Brian Freeman's "Jonathan Stride" series!
September 22, 2020
I think I have read all of Brain Freeman’s books in the Jonathan Stride series as well as some of his other novels. I have really enjoyed the Stride series set in Duluth I have to admit that I was not overly enthralled with this book as it just didn’t seem as good as the others in the series. I have reached the point where I am tired of reading about the exploits of their quasi adopted daughter Cat. She has become more of a hinderance than an asset from my point of view. That being said, Freeman has built more than enough credit in my list of very good writers that I will be reading his next book. Hey, we can’t be perfect all the time.
Jonathan Stride’s best friend, Steve Garske, makes a shocking deathbed confession: he protected Stride by covering up a murder. Hours later, the police dig up Steve’s yard and find a body with a bullet hole in its skull.
Stride is pretty sure he knows who it is. Seven years ago, an out-of-town reporter disappeared while investigating anonymous allegations of rape against a prominent politician. Back then, the police believed that the reporter drowned at a dangerous swimming hole called the Deeps … but the discovery of the body changes everything. Now Stride’s partner, Maggie Bei, is forced to ask Stride an uncomfortable question: Did you kill him?
Jonathan Stride’s best friend, Steve Garske, makes a shocking deathbed confession: he protected Stride by covering up a murder. Hours later, the police dig up Steve’s yard and find a body with a bullet hole in its skull.
Stride is pretty sure he knows who it is. Seven years ago, an out-of-town reporter disappeared while investigating anonymous allegations of rape against a prominent politician. Back then, the police believed that the reporter drowned at a dangerous swimming hole called the Deeps … but the discovery of the body changes everything. Now Stride’s partner, Maggie Bei, is forced to ask Stride an uncomfortable question: Did you kill him?
April 21, 2021
Brian Freeman has quickly rose to the top as one of my very favorite authors! His books are multilayered, full of mystery, with suspense, wit, grit, and humor. They feature realistic emotion inside a sometimes complicated career or relationship. “Funeral For A Friend”, checks all the boxes. Had me hooked from the first to the last page. This is one of Freeman’s best!
Although the book touches on previous novels, Freeman does a great job weaving in the necessary details so that the reader doesn’t miss a beat. This can be read as a stand alone.
Thoroughly enjoyed the plot, the writing, the narration. Foul language kept to a minimum - no explicit sex scenes. Well done!
5 Stars
Although the book touches on previous novels, Freeman does a great job weaving in the necessary details so that the reader doesn’t miss a beat. This can be read as a stand alone.
Thoroughly enjoyed the plot, the writing, the narration. Foul language kept to a minimum - no explicit sex scenes. Well done!
5 Stars
April 5, 2021
I love Jonathan Stride! I love Serena! I love Maggie!
This has been one of my all time favorite detective mystery series. The characters are all so full of layers and complications that it feels like they are real. I have listened to this series on audible and I have enjoyed everything about it. The narrator is so consistent with the voices that you have no doubt who is who. I have listened to this series out of order and it has not mattered at all. I have one or two left in the series that I missed so I still have that to look forward to. I will miss these characters when I finish.
This has been one of my all time favorite detective mystery series. The characters are all so full of layers and complications that it feels like they are real. I have listened to this series on audible and I have enjoyed everything about it. The narrator is so consistent with the voices that you have no doubt who is who. I have listened to this series out of order and it has not mattered at all. I have one or two left in the series that I missed so I still have that to look forward to. I will miss these characters when I finish.
January 11, 2021
Compelling drama with a great sweeping setting on Lake Superior. I am starting to like this Stride guy, though I wish he had a different name (too similar to Strider or Cormoran Strike. Come on).
I have read one of the earlier ones in this series and I might go back and fill in the gaps. I like that these can easily be read as standalones though.
I have read one of the earlier ones in this series and I might go back and fill in the gaps. I like that these can easily be read as standalones though.
September 22, 2020
My favorite all-time book is IMMORAL which is book #1 in the Jonathan Stride series. This book might be my 2nd favorite book in the series because it’s a suspenseful page turner of layered mystery and swirling emotion. This book has a series of characters that bring a mystic mystique and lead the reader to an unexpected threshold by the end.
Best read of 2020 for me!
Best read of 2020 for me!
October 18, 2020
Brian Freeman and his most popular character, Jonathan Stride, are celebrating their 15th anniversary together. FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, the 10th installment in the series, is perhaps the most moving and heartfelt of all of his stories.
It begins with Stride waking up next to his wife, Serena, after suffering another recurring nightmare in which he is dead. He believes that he is having these terrible dreams because his longtime best friend, Steve Garske, is not far away from finally succumbing to cancer. Stride has always been a closed-off police officer, while Steve is a life-loving family doctor. They will have their most meaningful and confusing conversation when Steve tells Stride not to worry anymore about the Deeps because he buried the body.
While this revelation initially will not mean much to the reader, it really hits home with Stride, who is hearing things he has not thought of in years. Steve passes away, but throughout the funeral, Stride cannot help but try to make sense of his deathbed confession. The Deeps is a dangerous part of the local riverway in Duluth, MN, which people often dare each other to jump in and face. Many have lost that challenge. Seven years earlier, an out-of-town reporter named Ned Baer disappeared and foul play was feared. The last place he was seen was the Deeps, and one of the last people who allegedly saw him was Stride.
This story consumes FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND because it ties in everyone involved in the plot, past and present. Baer had threatened to come forward with a story he came upon that would harm several residents in Duluth, some of whom are now quite powerful. It revolves around a house party attended by Stride's now ex-wife, Andrea Forseth, where she was supposedly raped. Local whispering had always held that the most popular boy at school, Devin Card, was to blame for this heinous act. In the present day, Devin is running for State Attorney General and cannot have past allegations like this resurface to sink his campaign. His friend and campaign manager, Peter Stanhope, will do anything to squash this accusation.
Stride is also in the spotlight, and not in a good way. When Baer’s body is dug up on Steve’s property, Stride becomes the primary suspect in the murder and is temporarily put on suspension from the force as the matter is investigated further. His partner, Maggie Bei, now must work on the case with Dan Erickson, her ex-lover who is not a fan of Stride. While they proceed with their investigation, Stride and his wife begin to conduct their own. The only issue is that Serena, herself a member of the Duluth P.D., is not completely sure of her husband's innocence.
Andrea will be forced to relive the most horrible night of her life, over and over again. At the same time, Devin must face allegations that nearly crushed his family years earlier when he first ran for office. Baer was far from likable, but was the story that he was about to release the truth? If so, was its contents worth killing him over? As Baer's final days are retraced, things are slowly put back together, and every road the investigations go down appears to end without a definite answer. It seems too easy for Stride or Devin to have been behind Baer's death, but sometimes the simplest solution is the correct one.
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND is by far Brian Freeman’s most emotional novel, and to say that the ending is a wild one would be a gross understatement. Jonathan Stride is one of the more complex and therefore likable characters in crime fiction, and this latest entry in the series is a clear standout.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
It begins with Stride waking up next to his wife, Serena, after suffering another recurring nightmare in which he is dead. He believes that he is having these terrible dreams because his longtime best friend, Steve Garske, is not far away from finally succumbing to cancer. Stride has always been a closed-off police officer, while Steve is a life-loving family doctor. They will have their most meaningful and confusing conversation when Steve tells Stride not to worry anymore about the Deeps because he buried the body.
While this revelation initially will not mean much to the reader, it really hits home with Stride, who is hearing things he has not thought of in years. Steve passes away, but throughout the funeral, Stride cannot help but try to make sense of his deathbed confession. The Deeps is a dangerous part of the local riverway in Duluth, MN, which people often dare each other to jump in and face. Many have lost that challenge. Seven years earlier, an out-of-town reporter named Ned Baer disappeared and foul play was feared. The last place he was seen was the Deeps, and one of the last people who allegedly saw him was Stride.
This story consumes FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND because it ties in everyone involved in the plot, past and present. Baer had threatened to come forward with a story he came upon that would harm several residents in Duluth, some of whom are now quite powerful. It revolves around a house party attended by Stride's now ex-wife, Andrea Forseth, where she was supposedly raped. Local whispering had always held that the most popular boy at school, Devin Card, was to blame for this heinous act. In the present day, Devin is running for State Attorney General and cannot have past allegations like this resurface to sink his campaign. His friend and campaign manager, Peter Stanhope, will do anything to squash this accusation.
Stride is also in the spotlight, and not in a good way. When Baer’s body is dug up on Steve’s property, Stride becomes the primary suspect in the murder and is temporarily put on suspension from the force as the matter is investigated further. His partner, Maggie Bei, now must work on the case with Dan Erickson, her ex-lover who is not a fan of Stride. While they proceed with their investigation, Stride and his wife begin to conduct their own. The only issue is that Serena, herself a member of the Duluth P.D., is not completely sure of her husband's innocence.
Andrea will be forced to relive the most horrible night of her life, over and over again. At the same time, Devin must face allegations that nearly crushed his family years earlier when he first ran for office. Baer was far from likable, but was the story that he was about to release the truth? If so, was its contents worth killing him over? As Baer's final days are retraced, things are slowly put back together, and every road the investigations go down appears to end without a definite answer. It seems too easy for Stride or Devin to have been behind Baer's death, but sometimes the simplest solution is the correct one.
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND is by far Brian Freeman’s most emotional novel, and to say that the ending is a wild one would be a gross understatement. Jonathan Stride is one of the more complex and therefore likable characters in crime fiction, and this latest entry in the series is a clear standout.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
September 26, 2020
This is another great entry into what has become one of my favorite series. I read this book in two sittings and honestly didn't want to put it down at any point in time.
Freeman has not only created a great hero in his protagonist Jonathan Stride, but he's filled his world with a fun, interesting cast that readers of the series will come to enjoy as much as they do Stride. And they are all on display in this book and their stories and actions all weave together seamlessly. My biggest complaint is that there wasn't more of all of them.
The pace is fantastic. The story is strong and intricately plotted as Freeman's books usually are and I won't give anything away, but I will say there's a point in this book, and you'll know when you reach it, where Freeman just levels you. As I like to say, he got me in my "Brian's Song" place--but since that's an old guy reference, I'll clue you into the fact that the original Brian's Song movie is the only movie ever made guaranteed to make any grown man cry, every time.
How do you not give a book that affects you so strongly a full 5 stars? I don't know. I can't do it. So it's a full 5-star book for me and the very highest of recommendations. Though--I will say this--if you haven't read the previous 9 books in this series, you can start with this one if you want, but you're missing out if you don't start at the beginning. Not because this book isn't fully self-contained, but because as with my other favorite series writers, there are two plots--the plot of the individual story, and the plot of the entire series. The way these characters grow and evolve and arc across the series is fun to watch and each installment is just much more rich if you take the series as a whole.
So, do it. Read it. I recommend it highly.
Freeman has not only created a great hero in his protagonist Jonathan Stride, but he's filled his world with a fun, interesting cast that readers of the series will come to enjoy as much as they do Stride. And they are all on display in this book and their stories and actions all weave together seamlessly. My biggest complaint is that there wasn't more of all of them.
The pace is fantastic. The story is strong and intricately plotted as Freeman's books usually are and I won't give anything away, but I will say there's a point in this book, and you'll know when you reach it, where Freeman just levels you. As I like to say, he got me in my "Brian's Song" place--but since that's an old guy reference, I'll clue you into the fact that the original Brian's Song movie is the only movie ever made guaranteed to make any grown man cry, every time.
How do you not give a book that affects you so strongly a full 5 stars? I don't know. I can't do it. So it's a full 5-star book for me and the very highest of recommendations. Though--I will say this--if you haven't read the previous 9 books in this series, you can start with this one if you want, but you're missing out if you don't start at the beginning. Not because this book isn't fully self-contained, but because as with my other favorite series writers, there are two plots--the plot of the individual story, and the plot of the entire series. The way these characters grow and evolve and arc across the series is fun to watch and each installment is just much more rich if you take the series as a whole.
So, do it. Read it. I recommend it highly.
December 3, 2020
I love the Jonathan Stride series. It's what brought me to the magic of Brian Freeman's thrillers and it's this series that make any Freeman book an automatic buy. Funeral for a Friend, like every other Stride books, tells a wonderful story, peopled with flawed yet sympathetic people (I don't even think of them as characters anymore; more like old friends), a mesmerizing sense of place (before reading the Stride books, I never would have been so eager to someday see Duluth, MN), and, of course, a suspenseful, mysterious story that kept me turning pages long into the night. Highly recommended...and if you're new to Freeman, start with the first book, IMMORTAL. I guarantee you'll be hooked.
January 18, 2021
Very good entry in the Jonathan Stride series. Stride's best friend makes a death bed confession that sets in motion a whole series of events that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Good characters-both the series regulars and the newbies- and a solid mystery made this a very enjoyable read.
September 21, 2020
It all starts with the confession of a dying man to his lifelong friend, “Don’t worry you’re safe. I found the body, and buried it.” The only trouble is, the friend is a police officer, and he did not commit the murder.
This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone too. I think it was a great plot, with multiple characters, each with a very distinct personality and a voice of their own, and their background stories, which all eventually merge towards the end of the story. I liked how the complex relationships between the characters were described, it was so on point.
It sure was gripping and kept me turning the pages, but midway through the story, it all became a bit too unbelievable and unrealistic, and I found myself struggling with it. Also, I felt there were too many liberties taken with the usual police procedures. The ending wasn’t predictable, and that’s just something. I think it makes for a lazy read for a lazy weekend.
Thanks to Netgalley, authors, and publishers for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone too. I think it was a great plot, with multiple characters, each with a very distinct personality and a voice of their own, and their background stories, which all eventually merge towards the end of the story. I liked how the complex relationships between the characters were described, it was so on point.
It sure was gripping and kept me turning the pages, but midway through the story, it all became a bit too unbelievable and unrealistic, and I found myself struggling with it. Also, I felt there were too many liberties taken with the usual police procedures. The ending wasn’t predictable, and that’s just something. I think it makes for a lazy read for a lazy weekend.
Thanks to Netgalley, authors, and publishers for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2024
The book begins with an interesting premise. Jonathan Stride's close friend is at the palliative stage of his cancer. At their last visit, he tells Jonathan not to worry he buried the body in his front yard. Of course, Jonathan being a respectable cop arranges for the yard to be dug up. His friend wasn't kidding and the death wasn't accidental. The investigation moves on from there with Jonathan being the prime suspect.
This was a fine read, probably more enjoyable if I had read more of Brian Freeman's earlier books to better understand some of the relationships. Freeman's description of the picturesque countryside around Duluth was an added pleasure.
This was a fine read, probably more enjoyable if I had read more of Brian Freeman's earlier books to better understand some of the relationships. Freeman's description of the picturesque countryside around Duluth was an added pleasure.
September 24, 2020
This was an interesting book, it really made a lot of characters take a look at their lives and have them wondering if they are happy. Not something most people contemplate often.
Stride is at a cross roads in his life, he was before, but the actions in this book make it so much clearer. I liked that with what was happening in this book he was forced to go back to a time in his life that wasn't really happy, with his ex-wife. I feel that by the time things ended he has settled that better in his mind, always a good thing. But the one thing that really surprised me was the choice that Stride made between the big women in his life and who he choose. I honestly never thought that if he was given the choice he would pick someone over than his great love.
Cat's part in this one was a bit crazy! She often reckless and it drives me nuts. I think maybe she will settle down now, things were scary to her and she saw all that she could loose. Plus there are the new similarities with how Brayden's life went that I hope open up her eyes.
Stride is at a cross roads in his life, he was before, but the actions in this book make it so much clearer. I liked that with what was happening in this book he was forced to go back to a time in his life that wasn't really happy, with his ex-wife. I feel that by the time things ended he has settled that better in his mind, always a good thing. But the one thing that really surprised me was the choice that Stride made between the big women in his life and who he choose. I honestly never thought that if he was given the choice he would pick someone over than his great love.
Cat's part in this one was a bit crazy! She often reckless and it drives me nuts. I think maybe she will settle down now, things were scary to her and she saw all that she could loose. Plus there are the new similarities with how Brayden's life went that I hope open up her eyes.
September 6, 2020
Read my review: https://bit.ly/3bvobAV
Book: Funeral for a Friend (Jonathan Stride #10)
Author: Brian Freeman
Release date (if applicable): September 22, 2020
Synopsis: Stride’s friend is dying. He has one last secret to tell Stride before he goes. The body of a reporter who was tormenting Stride’s former wife is buried in his yard with a bullet in his head. Who killed him and why are all eyes on Jonathan Stride? While Stride is trying to clear his name, his ward, Cat finds herself with a stalker who wants her dead.
My rating: Oh so 5 Stars!
My opinion: So, while 2020 has been a stressful year, I have had numerous great things happen. One of those has been the release of a Jonathan Stride novel two years in the making. Brian Freeman is tops on my list for favorite living American mystery writers and one of the top authors I recommend, so when I saw a Jonathan Stride novel in the works, I became giddy. Brian writes stories and characters that suck the reader in almost immediately. Funeral for a Friend was no exception. I found myself having to make myself stop reading it to make time to continue with other books I am currently reading.
Source: Netgalley for review
Would I recommend? Hell yes! Brian Freeman is my number one recommended living American mystery writer and for good reason. I love reviewing his books because every time I do, I get to introduce new readers to a GREAT mystery writer. Mr. Freeman is fantastic about throwing in great twists and turns that throw readers off until the very end. Funeral for a Friend was no different.
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Funeral for a Friend is number 10 in the Stride series. Now, authors and publishers hate when I do this, but, particularly with this series, give yourself an extra treat and read the series prior to reading this book. Brian Freeman is one of the most character driven authors I read and he remained true to process in this book. This book has a lot of reference to his past books, so a reader may find themselves lost. Can this book be read as a standalone? Sure, but why not give yourself that little extra treat and meet a great new series?!?!
Book: Funeral for a Friend (Jonathan Stride #10)
Author: Brian Freeman
Release date (if applicable): September 22, 2020
Synopsis: Stride’s friend is dying. He has one last secret to tell Stride before he goes. The body of a reporter who was tormenting Stride’s former wife is buried in his yard with a bullet in his head. Who killed him and why are all eyes on Jonathan Stride? While Stride is trying to clear his name, his ward, Cat finds herself with a stalker who wants her dead.
My rating: Oh so 5 Stars!
My opinion: So, while 2020 has been a stressful year, I have had numerous great things happen. One of those has been the release of a Jonathan Stride novel two years in the making. Brian Freeman is tops on my list for favorite living American mystery writers and one of the top authors I recommend, so when I saw a Jonathan Stride novel in the works, I became giddy. Brian writes stories and characters that suck the reader in almost immediately. Funeral for a Friend was no exception. I found myself having to make myself stop reading it to make time to continue with other books I am currently reading.
Source: Netgalley for review
Would I recommend? Hell yes! Brian Freeman is my number one recommended living American mystery writer and for good reason. I love reviewing his books because every time I do, I get to introduce new readers to a GREAT mystery writer. Mr. Freeman is fantastic about throwing in great twists and turns that throw readers off until the very end. Funeral for a Friend was no different.
Stand Alone or Part of a Series: Funeral for a Friend is number 10 in the Stride series. Now, authors and publishers hate when I do this, but, particularly with this series, give yourself an extra treat and read the series prior to reading this book. Brian Freeman is one of the most character driven authors I read and he remained true to process in this book. This book has a lot of reference to his past books, so a reader may find themselves lost. Can this book be read as a standalone? Sure, but why not give yourself that little extra treat and meet a great new series?!?!
September 29, 2020
OK, we're in the middle of a pandemic, nothing is happening as planned and then this book drops onto my Kindle on release day. I didn't start it because I wanted to keep it for a while and not rush through it - as I said nothing is going as planned at the moment - I started it as soon as I had finished the current book I was reading. Intending to take my time and make it last - nothing is going as planned - I'm finished and already waiting for the next one.
The good news is that Stride, Serena and Maggie are an island of stability in these uncertain times, steady as a rock. The plot is great, covering events from the past echoing into events in the present and giving Stride the problem of becoming a suspect. I don't go over the plot in detail, you can get that by looking at the book summary, all you need to know is that 15 years after he first produced Stride (happy anniversary Mr Freeman), Brian Freeman continues to deliver on the series. I don't know how he does it when writing other books and taking on Jason Bourne, which he also does brilliantly by the way.
Selfishly I want him to work faster! Buy the book, read the book and tell others to do the same
The good news is that Stride, Serena and Maggie are an island of stability in these uncertain times, steady as a rock. The plot is great, covering events from the past echoing into events in the present and giving Stride the problem of becoming a suspect. I don't go over the plot in detail, you can get that by looking at the book summary, all you need to know is that 15 years after he first produced Stride (happy anniversary Mr Freeman), Brian Freeman continues to deliver on the series. I don't know how he does it when writing other books and taking on Jason Bourne, which he also does brilliantly by the way.
Selfishly I want him to work faster! Buy the book, read the book and tell others to do the same
April 16, 2022
Jonathan Stride s best friend, Steve Garske, makes a shocking deathbed confession: he protected Stride by covering up a murder. Hours later, the police dig up Steve s yard and find a body with a bullet hole in its skull.
Stride is pretty sure he knows who it is. Seven years ago, an out-of-town reporter disappeared while investigating anonymous allegations of rape against a prominent politician.
Stride is obviously hiding things. He was the last person to see the reporter alive.
His only ally in clearing his name is his wife, Serena, who retraces the reporter s investigation into allegations of a rape by a prominent politician.
Someone was willing to kill rather than let those long-ago secrets come out, and the suspect with the strongest motive is Stride.
Stride is pretty sure he knows who it is. Seven years ago, an out-of-town reporter disappeared while investigating anonymous allegations of rape against a prominent politician.
Stride is obviously hiding things. He was the last person to see the reporter alive.
His only ally in clearing his name is his wife, Serena, who retraces the reporter s investigation into allegations of a rape by a prominent politician.
Someone was willing to kill rather than let those long-ago secrets come out, and the suspect with the strongest motive is Stride.
May 20, 2020
All right readers! Another winner in the Jonathan Stride series! Mark the month of September, 2020 for the release of this explosive thriller with more twists and turns than a West Virginia mountain road. I have a feeling you will not want to put this one down until the end and boy what an ending it is! I have to tell you I did not see this one coming. This series just keeps getting better and better. Hurry up with the next one, Mr. Freeman!
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
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