"There's plenty of murder and mystery to go around in this new Jonathan Stride novel."
Goodbye To The Dead
By: Brian Freeman
Genres: Mystery Police Procedural
Posted: April 26, 2016
Dr. Snow was convicted of murdering her husband and has been serving 8 years in prison. About the same time that the murder occurs, Cindy Stride is having the first symptoms of the disease that would take her life within a year. Cindy had a very hard time believing that her friend, a famous and talented heart surgeon, would go so far as to kill her husband but she has become a witness in the case. Jonathan always believed that Janine was guilty and Cindy disagreed.
Told in both the present and the past, it is interesting to get to know Cindy a bit more. Even though she has been mentioned in past Stride novels, this is the first time that readers are treated to really getting acquainted with her. It did make me question why Cindy was so hesitant to see her doctor when she began to have painful symptoms. Instead, she chose to hide the symptoms from everyone until it was too late for her doctor to do very much. That is something that Jonathan also questioned and has had trouble living with that knowledge since Cindy's death.
The twists and turns of GOODBYE TO THE DEAD are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Told in Brian Freeman's typical compelling manner, it is one of the best in the Stride series yet. I have been a longtime fan of Mr. Freeman's books and GOODBYE TO THE DEAD only reminded me of why I love his writing so much.
While this is the latest in a series, GOODBYE TO THE DEAD can also be read as a standalone story. That means if you are not familiar with Brian Freeman's books, you can certainly jump right in and start getting acquainted with one of the best mystery writers around these days. At turns, creepy, puzzling and emotional; GOODBYE TO THE DEAD is everything that you want a great book to be.
Book Summary
Detective Jonathan Stride's first wife, Cindy, died of cancer eight years ago, but her ghost hangs over Stride's relationship with current lover, and fellow detective, Serena Dial. When Serena witnesses a brutal murder outside a Duluth bar, she stumbles onto a case with roots that go all the way back to the last year of Cindy Stride's life.
At the time, Cindy and Stride were on opposite sides of a domestic murder investigation. Gorgeous, brilliant Janine Snow--a surgeon transplanted to Duluth from Texas--was the prime suspect in the shooting death of her husband. Cindy believed her friend Janine was innocent, but Stride thought all the evidence pointed to the surgeon--even though the gun was never found. Despite Cindy's attempts to help Janine, the case led to a high-profile murder trial in which Janine was convicted and sent to prison.
During the current investigation, Serena finds a gun used in the murder of a woman connected to an organized crime syndicate--a gun that turns out to be the same weapon used to kill Janine Snow's husband. Two unrelated cases years apart suddenly have a mysterious connection. As Stride investigates the possibility that human traffickers are targeting women in the Duluth port, he begins to question whether he made a terrible mistake eight years ago by putting an innocent woman in prison. And whether he will ever be able to make peace with the memory of his beloved wife and give his heart to Serena.
Read an Excerpt
by: Brian Freeman
Quercus
March 1, 2016
On Sale: March 8, 2016
Featuring: Jonathan Stride; Serena Dial
448 pages
ISBN: 1623659116
EAN: 9781623659110
Kindle: B011J4H1O8
Hardcover / e-Book