Stripped

August 7, 2006
At the start of Freeman's solid second thriller (after 2005's Immoral
), detective Jonathan Stride has left his job in Duluth, Minn., for Las Vegas, Nev. The action begins with a flashback to Sin City in the 1950s and the murder of a famous exotic dancer, a case never fully resolved and having a lot to do with the present-day brutal assassination of a rich young "trust fund baby," MJ Lane, whose dad may have been involved in the earlier murder. As Stride and his new police partner, Amanda Gillen, investigate, they plunge deep into the roots of the city. Freeman depicts his characters well, especially the good-natured Stride; his cop girlfriend, Serena Dial; and his partner, Amanda. Freeman has crafted a strong narrative, rife with sex and violence, though the complex plot at times gets bogged down by overly extensive backstories and a prose style that shades toward the purple.

October 1, 2006
Detective Jonathan Stride has left his northern Minnesota roots to follow his lover, Detective Serena Dial, to her home turf of Las Vegas, where he joins her on the Metro Homicide Division. In Stride's first case, a wealthy playboy is murdered in what appears to be an assassination. Stride soon discovers that someone is killing people connected to the 40-year-old murder of a showgirl. Meanwhile, Dial is investigating the seemingly senseless hit-and-run death of a ten-year-old boy. As the two cases converge, additional murders ensue. Although we know the killer's identity by the middle of the book, the suspense mounts as Stride and Dial each face personal demons while delving into Sin City's past. Guilt-stained relationships can't be kept hidden, even though Vegas keeps reinventing itself and sometimes justice must be delivered outside a courtroom. Edgar Award finalist Freeman's latest book is every bit as good as "Immoral "is, and a third in the series is coming soon. Highly recommended for all mystery and thriller collections."Roland Person, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2006
In Freeman's second mystery featuring Minnesota native Jonathan Stride, the midwestern detective relocates to Sin City after meeting--and falling hard for--tall, emerald\x7f eyed Las Vegas investigator Serena Dial. Though Stride and Dial are not professional partners, they soon find themselves tackling a trio of murder cases that might be connected: the four-decades-old slaying of a scandalous starlet, the recent shooting of a handsome young playboy, and the hit\x7f and\x7f run death of a 12\x7f year\x7f old boy. Freeman wastes no time setting the tawdry tone of Las Vegas: "The city operated on jungle rules: feed under the cool cover of darkness, and find a patch of shade to sleep through the hot days." But what sets the author apart are his rich, complex characters: Stride's detective partner, Amanda, a transsexual who must endure the daily taunts of her colleagues (a surprising mind-set in a city where anything goes); Serena Dial, whose troubled past--and attraction to other women--puts her romantic relationship with Stride to the test; and Stride himself, immersed in a surreal new setting and facing a smart, brazen mercenary hell\x7f bent on revenge. Recommended for fans of Harlan Coben, who will enjoy the compelling cast and swift, sinuous plot.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)