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Jonathan Stride #9
Doppia identità
Duluth, Minnesota. Un uomo muore in un incidente stradale causato da un cervo: i documenti che ha con sé sono falsi e nel bagagliaio viene ritrovata una pistola, ancora calda. La giornata del detective Stride è appena cominciata. Chi è quell'uomo? A chi ha sparato quella pistola da cui mancano due proiettili?
Nel frattempo, la scomparsa di una studentessa di cinema conduce Stride a un set cinematografico che lo riguarda personalmente: a Duluth, infatti, stanno girando un film basato proprio su un vecchio caso di Stride, e l'attore che lo impersona, Dean Casperson, è una celebrità hollywoodiana. Sul set c'è perfino l'ultima vittima del serial killer di allora, la donna che Stride salvò da morte certa. Mentre le riprese continuano, il noto attore comincia a mostrare un lato oscuro che nessun tabloid aveva mai rivelato. Nel tentativo di scovare la verità sul suo alter ego, Stride scoprirà, con l'aiuto del poliziotto Cab Bolton, un legame tra Casperson e la morte di una quindicenne. Ma l'uomo è disposto a tutto pur di proteggere la sua reputazione.
Nel frattempo, la scomparsa di una studentessa di cinema conduce Stride a un set cinematografico che lo riguarda personalmente: a Duluth, infatti, stanno girando un film basato proprio su un vecchio caso di Stride, e l'attore che lo impersona, Dean Casperson, è una celebrità hollywoodiana. Sul set c'è perfino l'ultima vittima del serial killer di allora, la donna che Stride salvò da morte certa. Mentre le riprese continuano, il noto attore comincia a mostrare un lato oscuro che nessun tabloid aveva mai rivelato. Nel tentativo di scovare la verità sul suo alter ego, Stride scoprirà, con l'aiuto del poliziotto Cab Bolton, un legame tra Casperson e la morte di una quindicenne. Ma l'uomo è disposto a tutto pur di proteggere la sua reputazione.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2018
471 people are currently reading
1536 people want to read
About the author
Brian Freeman
61 books3,109 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 375 reviews
June 11, 2018
About this book, one might say “Ripped from the headlines!” One might also say “Sounds like an episode of Law & Order:Special Victims Unit.” One would be right.
A movie is being made based on an old case that Jonathan Stride investigated and solved. The star is a Hollywood icon who can make or break young actresses. The movie is titled The Caged Girl. Stride's old case was the murder of three young women. One after the other, they had been abducted and kept in a cage. A fourth was found and rescued by Stride. Now there are new murders being committed that Stride, Serena, Maggie, and Guppo are investigating, assisted by another of the author's characters, Cab Bolton.
Brian Freeman writes well, but this is just an okay story. It used stereotyped characters, was predictable, and had an overused plot.
A movie is being made based on an old case that Jonathan Stride investigated and solved. The star is a Hollywood icon who can make or break young actresses. The movie is titled The Caged Girl. Stride's old case was the murder of three young women. One after the other, they had been abducted and kept in a cage. A fourth was found and rescued by Stride. Now there are new murders being committed that Stride, Serena, Maggie, and Guppo are investigating, assisted by another of the author's characters, Cab Bolton.
Brian Freeman writes well, but this is just an okay story. It used stereotyped characters, was predictable, and had an overused plot.
March 14, 2018
The fans of Brian Freeman will absolutely love this book! Not only does Jonathan Stride make another appearance, but Cab Bolton does too.
Stride is called to an accident scene only to find the victim has a false identity and nothing pointing to his real name. Examining the gun in the trunk shows its been recently fired, and later on, finding that the same gun was used to kill a young woman sometime back.
He finds himself involved with the making of a movie ... all about Stride and one of his past cases .. the case that has left him with nightmares ever since he was too late to save three woman, but was able to save a fourth. It was a brutal case.
The actor playing Stride is on the Hollywood A list. He's handsome, rich, charming, ... but his alter ego has a dark side and will stop at nothing to keep his deep dark secrets hidden.
As with every Jonathan Stride book, it is well-written. The characters are outstanding .. each with a mental and moral quality that is distinct. I love how they all interact with each other. Adding Cab Bolton to the mix in this particular book made it really special. Seems like all my favorite characters are gathered in one spot.
The story premise is a good one .... taken from Breaking News Headline a while back. Hollywood's worst secrets exposed. There are twists and turns and an explosive ending I didn't see coming.
Highly recommended .. and although not mandatory, read the series in order.
Many thanks to the author / Quercus (US) / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of one of my favorite series and characters. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Stride is called to an accident scene only to find the victim has a false identity and nothing pointing to his real name. Examining the gun in the trunk shows its been recently fired, and later on, finding that the same gun was used to kill a young woman sometime back.
He finds himself involved with the making of a movie ... all about Stride and one of his past cases .. the case that has left him with nightmares ever since he was too late to save three woman, but was able to save a fourth. It was a brutal case.
The actor playing Stride is on the Hollywood A list. He's handsome, rich, charming, ... but his alter ego has a dark side and will stop at nothing to keep his deep dark secrets hidden.
As with every Jonathan Stride book, it is well-written. The characters are outstanding .. each with a mental and moral quality that is distinct. I love how they all interact with each other. Adding Cab Bolton to the mix in this particular book made it really special. Seems like all my favorite characters are gathered in one spot.
The story premise is a good one .... taken from Breaking News Headline a while back. Hollywood's worst secrets exposed. There are twists and turns and an explosive ending I didn't see coming.
Highly recommended .. and although not mandatory, read the series in order.
Many thanks to the author / Quercus (US) / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of one of my favorite series and characters. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
April 3, 2018
When a movie crew descends upon Duluth to shoot a film based on an old Jonathan Stride case, the North Shore’s famous detective becomes haunted by ghosts of that infamous case. “Save me.”
Alter Ego is the ninth novel in Brian Freeman’s Detective Stride series. Why “Alter Ego”? The actor who plays Stride, in essence, his alter ego, has a second self that his adoring public does not see. When a John Doe dies in a car crash outside of town, Stride’s partner Maggie Bei is called out to the cold, snowy scene. What she finds is a with a recently fired gun on the seat beside him. Will there be a body? This is starting to look like a hit – who was this man working for, and why? Some of the behavior of these guys is not too far from what we’ve seen lately in the headlines. The author takes his plot to the extreme; this is a murder mystery, after all.
Freeman pulls out all the stops in this book, giving major roles to Stride’s wife and fellow Duluth cop, Serena, as well as Maggie. He also brings in a guy from another series, Cab Bolton. Yup. I’ll skip the details, but I actually liked Cab better in this supporting role than I did when he had the lead in The Bone House. Even Jonny and Serena’s teenage foster daughter Cat has a big part in this story. Most of all, I welcomed the growing relationship of Cat and the relation she has with the adults she has come to accept as her parents.
While on the set, Stride can’t help being reminded of the woman he saved from a cage those years ago – and the women before her that he couldn’t get to in time. Now, there is an eerie sense of déjà vu. Do you believe in sixth sense? Mr. Freeman might help you see the light.
I was way off base with what I thought happened in the case of the caged women. I missed all the clues, but I did have problems with the final solution. It just didn’t seem realistic to me. There is also some cop humor and corny descriptions of the cold, but hey, you can’t beat Duluth, Minnesota, in the winter, and Freeman appreciates this.
Overall, Alter Ego is an entertaining, clever book. Thanks to NetGalley, Quercus, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
4 stars
Alter Ego is the ninth novel in Brian Freeman’s Detective Stride series. Why “Alter Ego”? The actor who plays Stride, in essence, his alter ego, has a second self that his adoring public does not see. When a John Doe dies in a car crash outside of town, Stride’s partner Maggie Bei is called out to the cold, snowy scene. What she finds is a with a recently fired gun on the seat beside him. Will there be a body? This is starting to look like a hit – who was this man working for, and why? Some of the behavior of these guys is not too far from what we’ve seen lately in the headlines. The author takes his plot to the extreme; this is a murder mystery, after all.
Freeman pulls out all the stops in this book, giving major roles to Stride’s wife and fellow Duluth cop, Serena, as well as Maggie. He also brings in a guy from another series, Cab Bolton. Yup. I’ll skip the details, but I actually liked Cab better in this supporting role than I did when he had the lead in The Bone House. Even Jonny and Serena’s teenage foster daughter Cat has a big part in this story. Most of all, I welcomed the growing relationship of Cat and the relation she has with the adults she has come to accept as her parents.
While on the set, Stride can’t help being reminded of the woman he saved from a cage those years ago – and the women before her that he couldn’t get to in time. Now, there is an eerie sense of déjà vu. Do you believe in sixth sense? Mr. Freeman might help you see the light.
I was way off base with what I thought happened in the case of the caged women. I missed all the clues, but I did have problems with the final solution. It just didn’t seem realistic to me. There is also some cop humor and corny descriptions of the cold, but hey, you can’t beat Duluth, Minnesota, in the winter, and Freeman appreciates this.
Overall, Alter Ego is an entertaining, clever book. Thanks to NetGalley, Quercus, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
4 stars
May 10, 2025
ALTER EGO [2019] By Brian Freeman
My Review 5.0 Stars
This was Book 9 of 10: Jonathan Stride series, and it had been abandoned and figuratively gathering dust on my virtual “Unread Books” shelf for longer than I care to admit. I have been a devoted reader of Freeman’s incredible and addictive Jonathan Stride series since I first discovered its existence. In my case I did not find out about Freeman’s standout police procedural series until 2021, over a decade and a half after it debuted. “Immoral” [2005] was the first novel to feature Minnesota homicide detective Jonathan Stride. I read the first six (6) installments in 2021. Book 7 (“Goodbye to the Dead” 2015) and 8 (“Marathon” 2017)) were both read in 2022.
I fell in love with this stellar series from Freeman the moment I experienced the thrill of reading the very first Jonathan Stride novel [“Immoral” 2005] released twenty years ago. Jonathan Stride is certainly in the company of Harry Bosch, and Michael Connelly does not edge past Freeman with his powerful, sensational, and emotion packed Stride stories. I would say they were neck and neck but for the fact that after reading all of the first 20 Bosch books, I have to admit that Stride is the more sympathetic protagonist of the two unforgettable homicide detectives. In addition, Freeman also manages to tap into my emotions more frequently overall and exhibits a more powerful writing style in this police procedural series.
The action takes place in Duluth, Minnesota, the home of Jonathan Stride. The book demonstrates the author’s flexibility with a multi-layered plot that provides loyal fans an update on the lives of the main characters while it remains primarily an action-driven storyline.
This novel can absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone book. However, I would advise any reader to explore the Jonathan Stride book series by Brian Freeman. Personally, I read all individual novels in any series adhering to their order of publication. It is my opinion that this method is the most fulfilling and enjoyable route to take. Think of it like you tune in to see a random episode of TWD and watch with fascination as the character of Carol saves her band of survivors single handedly from their heads being lopped off and their bodies being used to feed the cannibals of Terminus. You would never know and understand her incredible character arc.
There are only two book series that I was heartbroken to see end, and this was one of them. I was delighted when Freeman released a new Stride novel in 2022 which I purchased in a New York second, only for the final three novels in the series to go unread for over two years. My bad.
“Alter Ego” [2019] is a fascinating entry in the series, and once again Freeman’s consummate and crafty genius in juggling multiple plot lines and time frames is on display. It naturally helps if you are a fan of the series, but it is not mandatory, and you are guaranteed to be both chilled and thrilled with this blockbuster installment from the Jonathan Stride book collection.
You are pulled into the narrative the moment you start reading, and the descriptive prose of the snow-covered terrain and the sub-zero cold make you forget it is May. A mysterious stranger is traversing the snow-covered and isolated countryside while wearing inappropriate light clothing for the weather conditions. You read that he has only “ninety seconds to live”. His horrific fate will open Pandora’s Box and expose our intrepid hero Lt. Jonathan Stride to a baffling string of unsolved murders from present day reaching into the past. Maggie Bei of the Duluth Police is on hand to help solve the Rubik’s cube of an obvious hired assassin with no name and the nature of his covert mission hiking in the frigid fields at night.
In the meantime, Duluth, Minnesota citizens though chilled to the bone are now agog with heated excitement along with a contingent of feverish movie fans due to Hollywood shooting a major motion picture on location in their city. A notorious serial killer had been active more than a decade earlier and had murdered three women before Stride had rescued the fourth victim within two hours of her death by dehydration. The film was titled “The Caged Girl” and was based upon actual events. Eleven years earlier a serial killer had built a soundproof cage and had abducted and imprisoned a total of four successive women and imprisoned them in the cage with sensory deprivation and no way out until their respective deaths by dehydration. The sadistic murderer had made it personal by forcing the women to record a taped message which was delivered to the police department (“Save me, Jonathan Stride”).
The film’s screenwriter and executive producer was the son of the sociopathic serial killer Art Leipold. Chris Leipold had enlisted the cooperation of Lt. Stride to visit the set and meet the actors. The part of Jonathan Stride was being cast with the biggest star in Hollywood Dean Casperson. A well-known actress named Aimee Bowe was cast as the lone survivor who is rescued by the heroic Stride in the proverbial nick of time. A woman named Lori Fulkerson had been the fourth victim and the actress Aimee Bowe had been trying to elicit the Lori’s cooperation. It was important to get “inside the head” of the victim in that pivotal period where she could feel that her death was imminent.
Stride gets to meet his “Alter Ego” the internationally famous actor Dean Casperson, which is how the title of the book was derived. There is a scene in the novel where the fourth victim and sole survivor of “The Cage” is finally engaged with the actress Aimee Bowe and telling her that her portrayal of what she (Lori) had been feeling was not even close. Serena, Stride’s wife, is present for the interchanges between the actual victim and the actress who sought to inject realism into her portrayal of her. This was the most chilling dialogue in the whole book in my opinion. I was reminded of the early works of Lisa Gardner, particularly “Alone” and “Hide”.
The author has enriched his diverse characters in the Jonathan Stride universe to the extent that you know them like friends and associates. Long time fans love the beautiful Serena and feel like smacking the quirky, wise-cracking Asian Maggie Bei (Jonathan’s partner on the Duluth Police Department since the beginning). The stunningly beautiful teenager “Cat” is now a part of Jonathan and Serena’s life. They both love her as the daughter they never had, having rescued her from a morally bankrupt road of teen prostitution and crime. “Cat” (short for Catalina) really “stars” in this novel, and the author’s depiction of her still evolving character arc is outstanding, emotionally moving, and deftly written.
This is a page turner that you will find difficult to put down. There are poignant interactions between both Stride and Serena and Cat, their 17-year-old going on 27. The love among them is palpable and Freeman’s writing style in this outstanding series is simply magical. This is a crime thriller which morphs into multiple plot lines before all of the different roads lead to one final destination point. The incredibly real to life characters you have grown to care about are doing their part in making you happy, sad, worried, and even terrified when “Cat” plays a proverbial round of chess against a master villain who knows the game.
The backbone of the story is in part about how true celebrity, money, and power can shelter the worst perverted villains imaginable. It also drives home to Jonathan Stride that the immoral mistakes we make in our career or in our lives are like the idiom “chickens who come home to roost”. Johnny regrets his sin of looking the other way when he watched injustice unleashed and the innocent pay. The plot twist at the conclusion of this novel is surprisingly effective and serves as a reminder that we may never escape the outcomes of our behavior.
I have read other thrillers by Brian Freeman and enjoyed many of them. However, the Jonathon Stride Book Series is a stellar example of the highest pinnacle of achievement a series could ever reach. It delivers unparalleled excellence and a universe of fully fleshed out main and supporting characters that you will ever encounter and certainly never forget.
A MUST-READ SELECTION FROM THE JONATHAN STRIDE SERIES
My Review 5.0 Stars
This was Book 9 of 10: Jonathan Stride series, and it had been abandoned and figuratively gathering dust on my virtual “Unread Books” shelf for longer than I care to admit. I have been a devoted reader of Freeman’s incredible and addictive Jonathan Stride series since I first discovered its existence. In my case I did not find out about Freeman’s standout police procedural series until 2021, over a decade and a half after it debuted. “Immoral” [2005] was the first novel to feature Minnesota homicide detective Jonathan Stride. I read the first six (6) installments in 2021. Book 7 (“Goodbye to the Dead” 2015) and 8 (“Marathon” 2017)) were both read in 2022.
I fell in love with this stellar series from Freeman the moment I experienced the thrill of reading the very first Jonathan Stride novel [“Immoral” 2005] released twenty years ago. Jonathan Stride is certainly in the company of Harry Bosch, and Michael Connelly does not edge past Freeman with his powerful, sensational, and emotion packed Stride stories. I would say they were neck and neck but for the fact that after reading all of the first 20 Bosch books, I have to admit that Stride is the more sympathetic protagonist of the two unforgettable homicide detectives. In addition, Freeman also manages to tap into my emotions more frequently overall and exhibits a more powerful writing style in this police procedural series.
The action takes place in Duluth, Minnesota, the home of Jonathan Stride. The book demonstrates the author’s flexibility with a multi-layered plot that provides loyal fans an update on the lives of the main characters while it remains primarily an action-driven storyline.
This novel can absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone book. However, I would advise any reader to explore the Jonathan Stride book series by Brian Freeman. Personally, I read all individual novels in any series adhering to their order of publication. It is my opinion that this method is the most fulfilling and enjoyable route to take. Think of it like you tune in to see a random episode of TWD and watch with fascination as the character of Carol saves her band of survivors single handedly from their heads being lopped off and their bodies being used to feed the cannibals of Terminus. You would never know and understand her incredible character arc.
There are only two book series that I was heartbroken to see end, and this was one of them. I was delighted when Freeman released a new Stride novel in 2022 which I purchased in a New York second, only for the final three novels in the series to go unread for over two years. My bad.
“Alter Ego” [2019] is a fascinating entry in the series, and once again Freeman’s consummate and crafty genius in juggling multiple plot lines and time frames is on display. It naturally helps if you are a fan of the series, but it is not mandatory, and you are guaranteed to be both chilled and thrilled with this blockbuster installment from the Jonathan Stride book collection.
You are pulled into the narrative the moment you start reading, and the descriptive prose of the snow-covered terrain and the sub-zero cold make you forget it is May. A mysterious stranger is traversing the snow-covered and isolated countryside while wearing inappropriate light clothing for the weather conditions. You read that he has only “ninety seconds to live”. His horrific fate will open Pandora’s Box and expose our intrepid hero Lt. Jonathan Stride to a baffling string of unsolved murders from present day reaching into the past. Maggie Bei of the Duluth Police is on hand to help solve the Rubik’s cube of an obvious hired assassin with no name and the nature of his covert mission hiking in the frigid fields at night.
In the meantime, Duluth, Minnesota citizens though chilled to the bone are now agog with heated excitement along with a contingent of feverish movie fans due to Hollywood shooting a major motion picture on location in their city. A notorious serial killer had been active more than a decade earlier and had murdered three women before Stride had rescued the fourth victim within two hours of her death by dehydration. The film was titled “The Caged Girl” and was based upon actual events. Eleven years earlier a serial killer had built a soundproof cage and had abducted and imprisoned a total of four successive women and imprisoned them in the cage with sensory deprivation and no way out until their respective deaths by dehydration. The sadistic murderer had made it personal by forcing the women to record a taped message which was delivered to the police department (“Save me, Jonathan Stride”).
The film’s screenwriter and executive producer was the son of the sociopathic serial killer Art Leipold. Chris Leipold had enlisted the cooperation of Lt. Stride to visit the set and meet the actors. The part of Jonathan Stride was being cast with the biggest star in Hollywood Dean Casperson. A well-known actress named Aimee Bowe was cast as the lone survivor who is rescued by the heroic Stride in the proverbial nick of time. A woman named Lori Fulkerson had been the fourth victim and the actress Aimee Bowe had been trying to elicit the Lori’s cooperation. It was important to get “inside the head” of the victim in that pivotal period where she could feel that her death was imminent.
Stride gets to meet his “Alter Ego” the internationally famous actor Dean Casperson, which is how the title of the book was derived. There is a scene in the novel where the fourth victim and sole survivor of “The Cage” is finally engaged with the actress Aimee Bowe and telling her that her portrayal of what she (Lori) had been feeling was not even close. Serena, Stride’s wife, is present for the interchanges between the actual victim and the actress who sought to inject realism into her portrayal of her. This was the most chilling dialogue in the whole book in my opinion. I was reminded of the early works of Lisa Gardner, particularly “Alone” and “Hide”.
The author has enriched his diverse characters in the Jonathan Stride universe to the extent that you know them like friends and associates. Long time fans love the beautiful Serena and feel like smacking the quirky, wise-cracking Asian Maggie Bei (Jonathan’s partner on the Duluth Police Department since the beginning). The stunningly beautiful teenager “Cat” is now a part of Jonathan and Serena’s life. They both love her as the daughter they never had, having rescued her from a morally bankrupt road of teen prostitution and crime. “Cat” (short for Catalina) really “stars” in this novel, and the author’s depiction of her still evolving character arc is outstanding, emotionally moving, and deftly written.
This is a page turner that you will find difficult to put down. There are poignant interactions between both Stride and Serena and Cat, their 17-year-old going on 27. The love among them is palpable and Freeman’s writing style in this outstanding series is simply magical. This is a crime thriller which morphs into multiple plot lines before all of the different roads lead to one final destination point. The incredibly real to life characters you have grown to care about are doing their part in making you happy, sad, worried, and even terrified when “Cat” plays a proverbial round of chess against a master villain who knows the game.
The backbone of the story is in part about how true celebrity, money, and power can shelter the worst perverted villains imaginable. It also drives home to Jonathan Stride that the immoral mistakes we make in our career or in our lives are like the idiom “chickens who come home to roost”. Johnny regrets his sin of looking the other way when he watched injustice unleashed and the innocent pay. The plot twist at the conclusion of this novel is surprisingly effective and serves as a reminder that we may never escape the outcomes of our behavior.
I have read other thrillers by Brian Freeman and enjoyed many of them. However, the Jonathon Stride Book Series is a stellar example of the highest pinnacle of achievement a series could ever reach. It delivers unparalleled excellence and a universe of fully fleshed out main and supporting characters that you will ever encounter and certainly never forget.
A MUST-READ SELECTION FROM THE JONATHAN STRIDE SERIES
June 18, 2018
Another good story in this series. 8 of 10 stars
July 26, 2020
Did not finish
December 9, 2021
Okay, it's official. Freeman is now a competent mystery writer, his first ten or so novels not-withstanding. (Seven of the first eight in this series.) Here, Hollywood is making a big budget movie in Duluth, under the eyes of Stride, Maggie, and Serena. There are cast parties, hookups, groupies, and a big, big star who's kind of an asshole. Then a woman working on the movie disappears and a hired killer, dead in an accident, seems to be linked to the production.
There are some iffy plot stretches (like, the hired killer is hanging around before the murder he commits--apparently on retainer. The killer's employer apparently had a meeting and something like, 'Well, we seem to need to eliminate one or two people on every production, so we might as well have you on salary, save on travel costs,') but mostly the investigation develops credibly.
One other exception for me is a bit of supernatural hocus-pocus--'Oooh! I had a vision of the future and it came true!' It's not necessary for the story, and seems out of place. When I read fantasy, I suspend my disbelief because it's necessary to do so. Here, I just didn't believe, and when I thought about it, I thought, 'why don't you psychic people just identify the killer and we can be done?'
Freeman works hard create surprise endings, which makes them more satisfying. I guessed the solution near mid-book, but not because he gave it away. Having read many others, I knew Freeman would point the evidence at one suspect, then surprise us with an alternate, somebody who has a reasonable motive to protect the more-obvious suspect. One part of the plot I did not guess, because the guilty party, seemingly normal, was killing innocent people to make a point about a past injustice. I was not convinced anybody could be so calculating and so insane. Further irritation was provided by Stride and the other cops accepting the solution as presented. Perhaps now that Freeman is not filling the first 300 pages of his books with disturbed-character studies, he needs to be more careful about insane behavior as justification for crimes.
There are some iffy plot stretches (like, the hired killer is hanging around before the murder he commits--apparently on retainer. The killer's employer apparently had a meeting and something like, 'Well, we seem to need to eliminate one or two people on every production, so we might as well have you on salary, save on travel costs,') but mostly the investigation develops credibly.
One other exception for me is a bit of supernatural hocus-pocus--'Oooh! I had a vision of the future and it came true!' It's not necessary for the story, and seems out of place. When I read fantasy, I suspend my disbelief because it's necessary to do so. Here, I just didn't believe, and when I thought about it, I thought, 'why don't you psychic people just identify the killer and we can be done?'
Freeman works hard create surprise endings, which makes them more satisfying. I guessed the solution near mid-book, but not because he gave it away. Having read many others, I knew Freeman would point the evidence at one suspect, then surprise us with an alternate, somebody who has a reasonable motive to protect the more-obvious suspect. One part of the plot I did not guess, because the guilty party, seemingly normal, was killing innocent people to make a point about a past injustice. I was not convinced anybody could be so calculating and so insane. Further irritation was provided by Stride and the other cops accepting the solution as presented. Perhaps now that Freeman is not filling the first 300 pages of his books with disturbed-character studies, he needs to be more careful about insane behavior as justification for crimes.
March 29, 2018
JONATHAN STRIDE #9???? Why have I missed out on this series until now? I read this as a stand alone and it can be done easily. But.....WOW I have to read the rest in this series because Freeman's characters are amazing. I know that Jonathan Stride is the focus of this book but the friends, family and colleagues that walk with him are stellar too. ALTER EGO is defined as a different or hidden version of ones personality. Investigations and Evidence emerge as the pages are flipped at a rapid pace. Police drama takes place in Duluth with the temperature under ZERO! Tracks in the snow lead to murder, missing persons, cover-ups and things that are not as they appear on the surface. HEROES and VILLAINS OH MY!! "A copy of this book was provided by Quercus via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."
May 3, 2018
Thank you so much to Quercus USA for providing my copy of ALTER EGO by Brian Freeman - all opinions are my own.
ALTER EGO is the ninth installment of the Jonathan Stride series and even though this is the first book I’ve read, it did not hinder my reading experience. This can most definitely be read as a standalone.
Set in Duluth, detective Stride gets called out to the scene of a car accident where the deceased driver is learned to have a false identity. The investigation leads Stride to a film production set which happens to be based on one of his old cases, a woman trapped in a cage, which brings back an eerie sense of deja vu. A detective investigating a crime involving a movie production about said detective...where do I sign up?!! Stride learns his alter ego, the beloved Hollywood actor playing Stride, has a dark side that the public does not see. This aspect of the book sets a unique tone, which makes for a fun and thrilling story!
I enjoyed this book immensely! It’s incredibly fast paced with superb characters. The snowy, cold setting really adds to the overall feel of the story. This book has it all: secrets, murder, mystery, and interesting characters! Highly recommended! 4.5 stars!
ALTER EGO is the ninth installment of the Jonathan Stride series and even though this is the first book I’ve read, it did not hinder my reading experience. This can most definitely be read as a standalone.
Set in Duluth, detective Stride gets called out to the scene of a car accident where the deceased driver is learned to have a false identity. The investigation leads Stride to a film production set which happens to be based on one of his old cases, a woman trapped in a cage, which brings back an eerie sense of deja vu. A detective investigating a crime involving a movie production about said detective...where do I sign up?!! Stride learns his alter ego, the beloved Hollywood actor playing Stride, has a dark side that the public does not see. This aspect of the book sets a unique tone, which makes for a fun and thrilling story!
I enjoyed this book immensely! It’s incredibly fast paced with superb characters. The snowy, cold setting really adds to the overall feel of the story. This book has it all: secrets, murder, mystery, and interesting characters! Highly recommended! 4.5 stars!
May 14, 2018
Now we are back to what made this one of my favorite series. After a couple books that were just so so, this one is a home run. Loved the meshing of the two series, hopefully we can see more of that in the future. Great book, awesome characters and this one was all great writing, no filling of pages just to produce words. easy five star book!!
June 29, 2020
Brian Freeman's Jonathan Stride is one of my favorite books to pick up. Normally I give it a 4 star read and add another star for the series is so good - or give the story line a solid 3 star read, but wound up giving it 4 stars for such a terrific series. I just couldn't do it this time around. This barely made it a 3 star read - Nothing special here- the only reason why I finished it was because I really do like this series - ( Oh and I could do without Serena and Kat for sure!) I can only hope for number 10 t0 be better! I'm sure it will be for Freeman is an excellent author -
June 10, 2018
This has a 4.5 star beginning. It's the trend, plunging into crux action plot immediately. And here it was 5 star event for Duluth too. Excellent reality, Brian Freeman. North woods highway real START to this book.
But for me, this degree of body count and the interplay with the movie / film crew and star actors? Combined with the duo location sets for Maggie going to Florida's Gulf Coast. Something about it was just too hyperbole for me to enjoy any depth or MN real ambiance. The bad guys are way too bad and the good guys way too simple? Something like that. They don't seem bottom line normal folks, either way. And much of the middle of the book just became a he said, she said, drive and visit conversational exercise. Not only to reveal or inquire about connections, but also to credit maximum effusive for emotionally based character criteria. And a lot of that seemed so phony to me. So it became a slog. I was at one point cheering for the stag to pick up another one? Or something at all that wasn't surrounding Cat and her rather humongous ego and proclivity to the extremes in nearly everything.
But if you like your modern copper or who-dun-it detective fare with the ultra modern and fad prone latest issue to be the core of the perp. Or like the devil woman of age or the mafia like controlling ultra celeb as a type. Then you will like this one. I found them both cartoon like. And the appeal of Dean in every sense, I found underwhelming. But then, I am and have never been a person who sees the celeb as special. Especially in the entertainment industries of movies or sports.
This is the second book in a week that I've come across in this genre that has used the Harvey W. scoring pattern and the third that has the opioid core coupled with it or a gang plot for its distribution. It's great to be timely. But it's just seems to be trite to me. Lacking any unique inspiration or approach? Something like that.
But it's ok and overall it holds some fun observations. There were just too many of the other kind (like girls in boxes being tortured) to suggest that this is more than a 3 star read. Ok, but it won't at all send me into looking for more Stride fare. He as a person? He seems so stiff. Something about him and Serena as a couple too- it just doesn't have any alive/spark/buddy think or personality to it.
But for me, this degree of body count and the interplay with the movie / film crew and star actors? Combined with the duo location sets for Maggie going to Florida's Gulf Coast. Something about it was just too hyperbole for me to enjoy any depth or MN real ambiance. The bad guys are way too bad and the good guys way too simple? Something like that. They don't seem bottom line normal folks, either way. And much of the middle of the book just became a he said, she said, drive and visit conversational exercise. Not only to reveal or inquire about connections, but also to credit maximum effusive for emotionally based character criteria. And a lot of that seemed so phony to me. So it became a slog. I was at one point cheering for the stag to pick up another one? Or something at all that wasn't surrounding Cat and her rather humongous ego and proclivity to the extremes in nearly everything.
But if you like your modern copper or who-dun-it detective fare with the ultra modern and fad prone latest issue to be the core of the perp. Or like the devil woman of age or the mafia like controlling ultra celeb as a type. Then you will like this one. I found them both cartoon like. And the appeal of Dean in every sense, I found underwhelming. But then, I am and have never been a person who sees the celeb as special. Especially in the entertainment industries of movies or sports.
This is the second book in a week that I've come across in this genre that has used the Harvey W. scoring pattern and the third that has the opioid core coupled with it or a gang plot for its distribution. It's great to be timely. But it's just seems to be trite to me. Lacking any unique inspiration or approach? Something like that.
But it's ok and overall it holds some fun observations. There were just too many of the other kind (like girls in boxes being tortured) to suggest that this is more than a 3 star read. Ok, but it won't at all send me into looking for more Stride fare. He as a person? He seems so stiff. Something about him and Serena as a couple too- it just doesn't have any alive/spark/buddy think or personality to it.
May 10, 2018
First Sentence: The man in the Australian oilskin coat and black cowboy hat didn’t realize it yet, but fate had already dealt him the thirteenth tarot card.
The auto of a single-car crash is found with the driver dead and without any identifying documents. In the car is a recently fired gun. When the report of a missing college student reaches the desk of Lieutenant Jonathan Stride, he’s concerned that the two cases might be related. But what would link a student and a possible assassin? The investigation leads to a film set where a movie based on one of Stride’s cases is being made by the son of the man convicted of the murders. Still, someone doesn’t want Stride to solve this case.
After a very dramatic opening, Freeman does a good job of introducing the primary characters and providing their backgrounds. He also outlines the details of the case and the perpetrator of the case on which the movie is based. Both are very helpful readers new and prior.
Freeman brings back the character Lori Fulkerson, the only survivor of the case on which the movie is being made. Even if one hadn’t read the book in which she was previously involved, enough information is provided to understand the gist of the plot and have a sense of what the victims experienced—“Two hours. The docs said I would have been dead in two hours.” He nodded. “That’s right.” “I wish you’d been late,” she said.” The scene of the woman who survived and the actress portraying her in the film is very well done.
Freeman creates an excellent sense of place. Winter in Minnesota is cold, and Freeman ensures one can “feel” that cold—“Snow dusted his hair and melted down his back like cold fingers.”
There is a cross-over of a character from another of Freeman’s series, Cab Bolton, into this one which is enjoyable even if one hasn’t read the other series. Yes, procedurally it’s a bit suspect, but fiction allows for it and the character is appealing.
The story is bang on target with its theme of sex, drugs, and powerful men who are sexual predators—“Every actress has a story about someone in this business. They swallow it down and smile and pretend it never happened. It’s what women everywhere do with powerful men.”
“Alter Ego” is filled with twists and suspense with a plot that is very relevant to today. It’s a perfect weekend or airplane read.
ALTER EGO (Pol Proc-Jonathan Stride-Duluth, MN – Contemp) – G+
Freeman, Brian – 9th in series
Quercus – May 2018
The auto of a single-car crash is found with the driver dead and without any identifying documents. In the car is a recently fired gun. When the report of a missing college student reaches the desk of Lieutenant Jonathan Stride, he’s concerned that the two cases might be related. But what would link a student and a possible assassin? The investigation leads to a film set where a movie based on one of Stride’s cases is being made by the son of the man convicted of the murders. Still, someone doesn’t want Stride to solve this case.
After a very dramatic opening, Freeman does a good job of introducing the primary characters and providing their backgrounds. He also outlines the details of the case and the perpetrator of the case on which the movie is based. Both are very helpful readers new and prior.
Freeman brings back the character Lori Fulkerson, the only survivor of the case on which the movie is being made. Even if one hadn’t read the book in which she was previously involved, enough information is provided to understand the gist of the plot and have a sense of what the victims experienced—“Two hours. The docs said I would have been dead in two hours.” He nodded. “That’s right.” “I wish you’d been late,” she said.” The scene of the woman who survived and the actress portraying her in the film is very well done.
Freeman creates an excellent sense of place. Winter in Minnesota is cold, and Freeman ensures one can “feel” that cold—“Snow dusted his hair and melted down his back like cold fingers.”
There is a cross-over of a character from another of Freeman’s series, Cab Bolton, into this one which is enjoyable even if one hasn’t read the other series. Yes, procedurally it’s a bit suspect, but fiction allows for it and the character is appealing.
The story is bang on target with its theme of sex, drugs, and powerful men who are sexual predators—“Every actress has a story about someone in this business. They swallow it down and smile and pretend it never happened. It’s what women everywhere do with powerful men.”
“Alter Ego” is filled with twists and suspense with a plot that is very relevant to today. It’s a perfect weekend or airplane read.
ALTER EGO (Pol Proc-Jonathan Stride-Duluth, MN – Contemp) – G+
Freeman, Brian – 9th in series
Quercus – May 2018
October 20, 2022
Loved this 9th book in Brian Freeman's "Jonathan Stride" series!
June 12, 2018
What a stunning addition to the Jonathon Stride series. Great story line in this book. Stride is another of my favorite detectives that just keeps getting better as time goes by. I think the character development of each character has been done so well, and yes while reading the Stride series I feel like I'm with old friends. The character who has come a long way in this book, is Cat. She is now 17 and still has her reckless side, but she is working so hard at improving herself and believing she really is a good person. Stride and Serenna have given her a home filled with love, and Cat is finally realizing she deserves that love.
April 13, 2018
I felt like I was at home as the pages turned and the story unfolded. Alter Ego (Jonathan Stride #9) by Brian Freeman was an entertaining read. The book reunites readers with familiar characters from past books (Stride, Serena, Cat, Maggie, and Guppo) and had a special appearance by Cab (from the Cab Bolton series also by Freeman).
The plot of this book is twofold, a Hollywood film is being made in Duluth based on one of Stride’s older cases, and someone is murdering young women and dumping them in the area. Serena and Maggie seem to have the lead rolls throughout most of the book, with Stride playing more of a behind the scenes; supportive roll. There’s lots of police procedural activity, action, twists, family dynamics, and links to the past crime.
Some of the secondary characters are a bit flat and not fully developed with backgrounds, but this doesn’t take anything from the overall story. By the time the story ends all loose ends have been tied up, and there is no cliffhanger.
The book can be read as a standalone, but reading the previous books in the series will give the reader far more enjoyment, as they will have a better understanding of events and situations that tie the lead players together.
I wish to extend my thanks to the publisher – Quercus, the Author and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.
The Expected publication: May 1st 2018.
For me this was a 4 star read.
The plot of this book is twofold, a Hollywood film is being made in Duluth based on one of Stride’s older cases, and someone is murdering young women and dumping them in the area. Serena and Maggie seem to have the lead rolls throughout most of the book, with Stride playing more of a behind the scenes; supportive roll. There’s lots of police procedural activity, action, twists, family dynamics, and links to the past crime.
Some of the secondary characters are a bit flat and not fully developed with backgrounds, but this doesn’t take anything from the overall story. By the time the story ends all loose ends have been tied up, and there is no cliffhanger.
The book can be read as a standalone, but reading the previous books in the series will give the reader far more enjoyment, as they will have a better understanding of events and situations that tie the lead players together.
I wish to extend my thanks to the publisher – Quercus, the Author and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.
The Expected publication: May 1st 2018.
For me this was a 4 star read.
May 31, 2018
This was my third book by this author and it has been a long time since I read the first and second ones. I am officially making a mental note to myself right now - "Read more Brian Freeman".
There were so many plot twists on in this book. It was absolutely wonderful and I loved it!
I just knew early on in this book "who done it", and, of course, I wasn't even close. However, it turns out that my first pick was definitely a bad guy.
I thought through most of this book that we were going to only find a killer, one killer. I was SO wrong (Yay!!). With two or more bad people (nope, not a spoiler) bobbing up out of the water, the crimes are many and truly heinous.
No one without reading this book is going to get this part as it is solely intended for the author - Facebook Live? Way to go!!! I was clapping my hands and pump fisting simultaneously on that one!
An excellent read that truly kept my mind off the big storm that was happening in real life right outside my window as I was mesmerized in this twisting tale of power and corruption.
Thanks to Quercus Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
There were so many plot twists on in this book. It was absolutely wonderful and I loved it!
I just knew early on in this book "who done it", and, of course, I wasn't even close. However, it turns out that my first pick was definitely a bad guy.
I thought through most of this book that we were going to only find a killer, one killer. I was SO wrong (Yay!!). With two or more bad people (nope, not a spoiler) bobbing up out of the water, the crimes are many and truly heinous.
No one without reading this book is going to get this part as it is solely intended for the author - Facebook Live? Way to go!!! I was clapping my hands and pump fisting simultaneously on that one!
An excellent read that truly kept my mind off the big storm that was happening in real life right outside my window as I was mesmerized in this twisting tale of power and corruption.
Thanks to Quercus Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
May 12, 2018
I can't say enough good things about Brian Freeman. Some of my favorite writers are starting to get a little long in the tooth and while still producing quality books, I know that I need some younger, newer writers to be excited about and Freeman is at the top of that list.
Alter Ego is the second Jonathan Stride book in a row where Freeman has taken an issue out of the newspapers and given his story/plot/case great context in the larger world. Last time, it was about Terrorism and Social Media and News versus Entertainment and I thought it was masterfully done. This time Freeman takes on Hollywood and the idea of powerful men using and abusing women in a Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, Weinstein kind of way.
As he did in Marathon, Freeman gives us a lot to think about on the subject he takes on. The amazing thing is that he must have written it before the whole scandal hit which means his finger is directly on the pulse of the country and world right now.
And worry not, intrepid reader! There is a the promised "Freeman Flip" in this one where just when you think the case is solved, Freeman flips the script and gives you a bit of a shock. I have to admit, I saw this one coming, but how it plays out is really well done.
I also enjoyed the Cab Bolton crossover in this book. The main character of Freeman's other series is excellent in this book and fits in well. Unfortunately, fans of that series may find themselves upset at something Freeman does with another character from the Bolton series. I was actually really let down by it because of what it means for that other series, but the new angles he added should make that series more fun down the road as well. I guess you have to give a little and take a little.
One thing is for sure. Freeman is an excellent writer and he's only getting better and better as time goes by. If you're not on the Freeman train yet, all aboard!
Alter Ego is the second Jonathan Stride book in a row where Freeman has taken an issue out of the newspapers and given his story/plot/case great context in the larger world. Last time, it was about Terrorism and Social Media and News versus Entertainment and I thought it was masterfully done. This time Freeman takes on Hollywood and the idea of powerful men using and abusing women in a Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, Weinstein kind of way.
As he did in Marathon, Freeman gives us a lot to think about on the subject he takes on. The amazing thing is that he must have written it before the whole scandal hit which means his finger is directly on the pulse of the country and world right now.
And worry not, intrepid reader! There is a the promised "Freeman Flip" in this one where just when you think the case is solved, Freeman flips the script and gives you a bit of a shock. I have to admit, I saw this one coming, but how it plays out is really well done.
I also enjoyed the Cab Bolton crossover in this book. The main character of Freeman's other series is excellent in this book and fits in well. Unfortunately, fans of that series may find themselves upset at something Freeman does with another character from the Bolton series. I was actually really let down by it because of what it means for that other series, but the new angles he added should make that series more fun down the road as well. I guess you have to give a little and take a little.
One thing is for sure. Freeman is an excellent writer and he's only getting better and better as time goes by. If you're not on the Freeman train yet, all aboard!
Read
May 3, 2018"...he wouldn't change a day of his past or correct his mistakes even if he could. They were part of him. They were who he was. They were what made him Jonathan Stride."
A man is found dead inside a car on a snowy Duluth backroad -- he's got no identification but there's a recently fired gun and a copy of an entertainment tabloid in the vehicle. In addition, there's a report of a missing girl -- an intern who was working on the set of a movie being filmed in town. The Hollywood people are all there for THE CAGED GIRL and it stars one of the biggest names in the business -- and it so happens that this film is based on one of Stride's old cases. Eleven years ago 4 women were kidnapped at intervals and left to die alone in a soundproof cage. Luckily, Stride was able to find and rescue the last girl in time. Is there a connection between the dead man and the missing girl? Stride and his team are on the investigation. And what are these nasty rumors going around about the star of the movie?
Fast-paced and suspenseful police procedural thriller with a large cast of interesting characters. As this is the 9th book in a long-running series featuring Jonathan Stride, most of them are probably well known to fans. I have read only the first two and obviously missed a lot in the intervening books, but there was enough detail and backstory that I didn't feel lost.
I enjoyed this a lot, no spoilers, but I do have one huge irritation with the story. And that is Cat. Her actions and involvement just seemed over-the-top and completely triggered my disbelief meter. Other than that, I'd definitely recommend it and I want to go back and read the other books featuring these characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for the e-book ARC to read and review.
A man is found dead inside a car on a snowy Duluth backroad -- he's got no identification but there's a recently fired gun and a copy of an entertainment tabloid in the vehicle. In addition, there's a report of a missing girl -- an intern who was working on the set of a movie being filmed in town. The Hollywood people are all there for THE CAGED GIRL and it stars one of the biggest names in the business -- and it so happens that this film is based on one of Stride's old cases. Eleven years ago 4 women were kidnapped at intervals and left to die alone in a soundproof cage. Luckily, Stride was able to find and rescue the last girl in time. Is there a connection between the dead man and the missing girl? Stride and his team are on the investigation. And what are these nasty rumors going around about the star of the movie?
Fast-paced and suspenseful police procedural thriller with a large cast of interesting characters. As this is the 9th book in a long-running series featuring Jonathan Stride, most of them are probably well known to fans. I have read only the first two and obviously missed a lot in the intervening books, but there was enough detail and backstory that I didn't feel lost.
I enjoyed this a lot, no spoilers, but I do have one huge irritation with the story. And that is Cat. Her actions and involvement just seemed over-the-top and completely triggered my disbelief meter. Other than that, I'd definitely recommend it and I want to go back and read the other books featuring these characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for the e-book ARC to read and review.
March 30, 2021
I'm not sure what it is about Freeman's Jonathan Stride series but I really like them. They are not as well written as some other Minnesota based mysteries but still . . .
They're making a movie about Stride and one of his famous cases. Jonathan isn't greatly pleased at this but as the cliche says, it is what it is. And in the midst of big Hollywood stars spending time in Duluth a new criminal mystery arises.
Stride is backed up with his usual group of cops; his wife Serena, his partner Maggie and even his ward, Cat though she is neither a cop and I'm not sure that Jonathan or Serena consider her actions as help.
As with many of his books Freeman gives us a gentle but profound - wait; gentle? Hardly! He clubs us over the head with things straight out of the #MeToo movement.
Decently written, filled with action and mystery, this is a truly bloody whodoneit. Stride isn't as bold as Davenport, as smart as Rhyme, as daring as Bosch, but with dogged determination he gets the job done and the ride he takes us on as he does that job is well worth the fare.
They're making a movie about Stride and one of his famous cases. Jonathan isn't greatly pleased at this but as the cliche says, it is what it is. And in the midst of big Hollywood stars spending time in Duluth a new criminal mystery arises.
Stride is backed up with his usual group of cops; his wife Serena, his partner Maggie and even his ward, Cat though she is neither a cop and I'm not sure that Jonathan or Serena consider her actions as help.
As with many of his books Freeman gives us a gentle but profound - wait; gentle? Hardly! He clubs us over the head with things straight out of the #MeToo movement.
Decently written, filled with action and mystery, this is a truly bloody whodoneit. Stride isn't as bold as Davenport, as smart as Rhyme, as daring as Bosch, but with dogged determination he gets the job done and the ride he takes us on as he does that job is well worth the fare.
April 26, 2021
This entire series has been great!!
The author has crafted a great set of mysteries with deep characters. I have fallen in love with the characters and will miss them when the series ends. I have often had characters that i enjoyed but this is a different connection with the consistent group of characters.
The author has crafted a great set of mysteries with deep characters. I have fallen in love with the characters and will miss them when the series ends. I have often had characters that i enjoyed but this is a different connection with the consistent group of characters.
May 3, 2018
Thanks to Quercus Books for the advanced copy!
A thriller set in the tundra that is Minnesota, you say? This is a no-brainer! It's so rare that books are set in Minnesota, so whenever I find one I need to grab it. ALTER EGO by Brian Freeman takes place in Duluth, MN and he does a fantastic job putting the reader in the awful freezing temperatures that we endure every year.
Jonathan Stride takes on a case of a freak car accident that killed one of the drivers. Seems like a pretty simple case, but the victim isn't who their ID claims they are. With a ghost identity, Stride has his work cut out for him - and to complicate things there is a gun found in the trunk. When a college student in Duluth goes missing, he worries that these two cases are potentially related.
To complicate things, his investigation brings him to the film set. The movie is one about a case in Stride's past and he discovers that an award-winning actor is portraying him. As he digs deeper to find the missing college student, he begins to hear more about his alter ego and dark secrets he wouldn't want getting out.
I know all of us book lovers really enjoy a book within a book, but I will say that I enjoyed this movie within a book just as much. Having the two Jonathan Strides made for an interesting read and it helped build the suspense throughout! Who is the victim of the car crash? Where is the girl? How is his "alter ego" involved in all of this?
I really enjoyed Freeman's writing style - he pulls you in from the first chapter and the pacing stayed consistent throughout the mystery. He does a fantastic job dropping the reader into the cold winters of Duluth, MN (a place I know very well!). I will be picking up books 1-8 to get to know Stride more and see his old cases - maybe even the one the film is about??
I give this 5/5 stars!
A thriller set in the tundra that is Minnesota, you say? This is a no-brainer! It's so rare that books are set in Minnesota, so whenever I find one I need to grab it. ALTER EGO by Brian Freeman takes place in Duluth, MN and he does a fantastic job putting the reader in the awful freezing temperatures that we endure every year.
Jonathan Stride takes on a case of a freak car accident that killed one of the drivers. Seems like a pretty simple case, but the victim isn't who their ID claims they are. With a ghost identity, Stride has his work cut out for him - and to complicate things there is a gun found in the trunk. When a college student in Duluth goes missing, he worries that these two cases are potentially related.
To complicate things, his investigation brings him to the film set. The movie is one about a case in Stride's past and he discovers that an award-winning actor is portraying him. As he digs deeper to find the missing college student, he begins to hear more about his alter ego and dark secrets he wouldn't want getting out.
I know all of us book lovers really enjoy a book within a book, but I will say that I enjoyed this movie within a book just as much. Having the two Jonathan Strides made for an interesting read and it helped build the suspense throughout! Who is the victim of the car crash? Where is the girl? How is his "alter ego" involved in all of this?
I really enjoyed Freeman's writing style - he pulls you in from the first chapter and the pacing stayed consistent throughout the mystery. He does a fantastic job dropping the reader into the cold winters of Duluth, MN (a place I know very well!). I will be picking up books 1-8 to get to know Stride more and see his old cases - maybe even the one the film is about??
I give this 5/5 stars!
December 27, 2018
Jonathan Stride is called into investigate an auto accident where he discovers the victim has no identification and has a gun in the trunk that has been recently fired. Then he gets the call that a college student has disappeared and he is afraid that the two cases may be related. As Stride is investigating he is lead to the set of The Caged Girl, a movie based on the one case that gives him nightmares where a killer kept three girls in cages and they died before Stride could rescue them.
On the set of The Caged Girl, the main actor playing Striker is powerful and can make or break careers. But he has a dark secret that he will do anything to keep it hidden. While Stride is on set he is starting to get a sense of deja vu with the female actors. But he also gets a sense of dread. Will he figure out the secret before it is too late?
This is only the second book in this series that I have read but I loved it. I find it ironic how he is investigating the movie about his own investigation. There is lots of action and plenty of twists and turns as you rush to find out what happens next with this story.
This could easily be a television crime episode the way it plays out. I love how you could read this book as a standalone without getting lost, great for those of use that didn’t realize this is book nine in the series. It’s definitely one to check out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
On the set of The Caged Girl, the main actor playing Striker is powerful and can make or break careers. But he has a dark secret that he will do anything to keep it hidden. While Stride is on set he is starting to get a sense of deja vu with the female actors. But he also gets a sense of dread. Will he figure out the secret before it is too late?
This is only the second book in this series that I have read but I loved it. I find it ironic how he is investigating the movie about his own investigation. There is lots of action and plenty of twists and turns as you rush to find out what happens next with this story.
This could easily be a television crime episode the way it plays out. I love how you could read this book as a standalone without getting lost, great for those of use that didn’t realize this is book nine in the series. It’s definitely one to check out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
May 14, 2018
Brian Freeman's Jonathon Stride series has been one of my favourites for years (last years "Marathon" being an exception) and this book was pretty good with all the main characters sharing the spotlight at different times......Stride, Serena, Maggie, Cat and even Cab Bolton !
A case from the past where 3 women died in a cage and Stride miraculously saved a 4th is in the spotlight as a Hollywood team is in town filming a movie based on that case. But when one young woman goes missing, another is found dead and a mysterious man dies in a car crash things take a nasty turn. Add in the very topical present day theme in Hollywood of privileged, powerful men who are sexual predators and we have another disturbing layer to this mystery.
A case from the past where 3 women died in a cage and Stride miraculously saved a 4th is in the spotlight as a Hollywood team is in town filming a movie based on that case. But when one young woman goes missing, another is found dead and a mysterious man dies in a car crash things take a nasty turn. Add in the very topical present day theme in Hollywood of privileged, powerful men who are sexual predators and we have another disturbing layer to this mystery.
May 7, 2018
I liked how Stride’s past with a case played into this one. There was a lot that kept me guessing and a lot that floored me. I really liked how the main story dovetailed into what is happening in the US, particularly the entertainment industry. I also liked the see characters from the Cab Bolton Series show up in this one. If you haven’t read those books it won’t matter, but if you have it’s a nice addition.
I was really impressed with Cat with this book. She went above and beyond in helping. I only hope it helped to exercise out some of her demons.
I’m not sure what I think the last killer that was discovered. Mostly I was sad that this person needed help their whole life and never got it, causing them to harm so many others.
I was really impressed with Cat with this book. She went above and beyond in helping. I only hope it helped to exercise out some of her demons.
I’m not sure what I think the last killer that was discovered. Mostly I was sad that this person needed help their whole life and never got it, causing them to harm so many others.
April 19, 2018
Alter Ego by Brian Freeman is the 9th book in the Jonathan Stride series, but the first one I've read.
A film crew is making a movie of one of Stride's old cases and Stride is invited to the set. Watching the filming is a little problematic for Jonathan because it reminds him of the terrible case in which he was able to save only the last victim.
The actor playing Jonathan Stride in the movie is a Hollywood legend and the screenwriter is the son of the man convicted of the murders. While Jonathan is initially impressed with the actor's apparent warmth, he quickly realizes that career and image mean more to Dean Casperson than anything else.
When an intern goes missing from the set, Jonathan is asked to find her. As events develop, there are actually two story lines that may or may not be connected and plenty of twists and turns.
Alter Ego functioned perfectly well as a stand alone. I'm interested in more about Serena, Cat, and Maggie Bei, but only because I know they have been part of earlier books. Their characters are pretty well-defined in this novel, but since I liked them, I will be checking on earlier novels. There is also a character that is evidently a lead in another series (Cab Bolton), but helps Maggie when she is in Florida.
Read in March.
NetGalley/Quercus
Police Procedural. May 1, 2018. Print length: 400 pages.
A film crew is making a movie of one of Stride's old cases and Stride is invited to the set. Watching the filming is a little problematic for Jonathan because it reminds him of the terrible case in which he was able to save only the last victim.
The actor playing Jonathan Stride in the movie is a Hollywood legend and the screenwriter is the son of the man convicted of the murders. While Jonathan is initially impressed with the actor's apparent warmth, he quickly realizes that career and image mean more to Dean Casperson than anything else.
When an intern goes missing from the set, Jonathan is asked to find her. As events develop, there are actually two story lines that may or may not be connected and plenty of twists and turns.
Alter Ego functioned perfectly well as a stand alone. I'm interested in more about Serena, Cat, and Maggie Bei, but only because I know they have been part of earlier books. Their characters are pretty well-defined in this novel, but since I liked them, I will be checking on earlier novels. There is also a character that is evidently a lead in another series (Cab Bolton), but helps Maggie when she is in Florida.
Read in March.
NetGalley/Quercus
Police Procedural. May 1, 2018. Print length: 400 pages.
June 20, 2018
It amazes me how Brian Freeman is able to keep the Jonathan Stride series fresh and engrossing after 9 books, but he does. Even after 9 books, my 5 star reviews for this author are "no brainers".
His method on this book...A CROSSOVER! Jonathan Stride (or Maggie) meet Cab Bolton!
This book flowed fast as we learn more about the Strides and a mystery fresh out of Hollywood brought to the shores of Minnesota with fingertips with tentacles in Florida. That to me is what made this book a winner.
As is my standard piece of advice...Jonathon Stride is a VERY character driven series with complex characters. Read the books in order otherwise critical pieces/nuances of the characters will be lost. Trust me, but you'll find it is a treat. This is my number one series I recommend.
While you're at it...not that this is necessary...check out Brian's Cab Bolton series. While not as necessary as Jonathan Stride, Cab is still a treat.
Reviewed for author/publisher via Netgalley.
His method on this book...A CROSSOVER! Jonathan Stride (or Maggie) meet Cab Bolton!
This book flowed fast as we learn more about the Strides and a mystery fresh out of Hollywood brought to the shores of Minnesota with fingertips with tentacles in Florida. That to me is what made this book a winner.
As is my standard piece of advice...Jonathon Stride is a VERY character driven series with complex characters. Read the books in order otherwise critical pieces/nuances of the characters will be lost. Trust me, but you'll find it is a treat. This is my number one series I recommend.
While you're at it...not that this is necessary...check out Brian's Cab Bolton series. While not as necessary as Jonathan Stride, Cab is still a treat.
Reviewed for author/publisher via Netgalley.
December 9, 2024
I really liked this book over any so far. Cat gets into lot of serious situations that can be used against her as she gets older. She's put up as a really good woman as she's met all the players from a movie set, but then she's told that she's only 17 years old. Maggie is also in the story a lot as she's introduced to a man from Florida and has relations, she's still around Troy. Serena is also in a lot of scenes with Aimee Bowe who was a star on the movie set that was filming one of Stride's former cases. Nothing was as it was during the filming the cast was invited to many parties of the star playing Stride. Things got out of kilter when a Haley Adams was missing. Then a man with no name was killed with a semi truck and there was a gun in his car. That gives away the basic clues of the book but it's more involved than that. It's really invigorating and exciting as you read. You get stung at the end.
March 31, 2018
A car accident in Minnesota with a dead driver leads to a mystery. The drivers ID belongs to a dead man. There is a gun in the trunk of the car that ultimately ties to the murder of two women. In Duluth there is a movie being filmed about a case from Jonathan Strides past. An intern from the movie set has disappeared. The star of the movie is a charismatic Hollywood actor who may not be all he seems. The writer of the movie is the son of the man who was convicted of the killings in Strides old case.
This book is very well written with a great cast of characters and a good plot. There were so many aspects of this story I didn’t know which way to turn. Who was the man in the car, why did he murder the women and who did he work for? So many suspects! Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy of this book.
This book is very well written with a great cast of characters and a good plot. There were so many aspects of this story I didn’t know which way to turn. Who was the man in the car, why did he murder the women and who did he work for? So many suspects! Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy of this book.
September 10, 2018
A Hollywood film is being shot in Duluth, and it's about the serial murders that represented Lieutenant Jonathan Stride's best and worst moments as a cop. SPOILER ALERT (maybe): Four women were murdered by a former Duluth television anchor and one was saved by Stride. The film production poses two major problems: one of its stars is a sexual predator who has been untouchable by the law due to Hollywood's code of silence, and the filming of the old murders has triggered either a copycat or worse.
What could be worse? As becomes pretty clear early on, following a traffic death that leads to the uncovering of at least two murders, there may be connections between the two possible criminal issues. The examination of the connections drives the book. The characters are better than cardboard (Maggie Bei and the original serial murder survivor especially), if not especially deep, and Freeman knows how to propel his plot.
What could be worse? As becomes pretty clear early on, following a traffic death that leads to the uncovering of at least two murders, there may be connections between the two possible criminal issues. The examination of the connections drives the book. The characters are better than cardboard (Maggie Bei and the original serial murder survivor especially), if not especially deep, and Freeman knows how to propel his plot.
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