The Burying Place [Kindle Edition]

I recently read, 'The Watcher' and reacquainted myself with Jonathan Stride and his team with a great deal of enjoyment. So much so that I quickly found this latest book and, again, enjoyed pretty much every page.

Stride is well created by the author. In this outing, he is recovering from his near death experience in the previous book and it's not a happy process. Whilst he tries to overcome his flashbacks and keep his love life intact, there is the question of a serial killer on the rampage and a baby kidnapping to solve. The author keeps us guessing until the very end and I, for one, was glad to be caught out with just who was responsible.

There are several characters in this book (and the earlier ones, of course) who are now developing their own personalities, no longer overshadowed by Stride. This opens up the storyline whilst not taking away the suspense as they track down the guilty.

It's a great thriller; I hope the next one remains as taut and as readable as this. I rather fancy it will.

This is a detective thriller following the dual investigation of the disappearance and probable murder of three women and the disapperance of a child, all set during a winter in Minnesota. The detectives and their interrelationships play a significant part of the story. There's lots good with this book but also some bad and that ends up taking alot away from the overall story.

Freeman has brought together a complex plot here with lots of twists and turns and some you could see but some genuine surprise's that will have me re-reading a few sections. It makes for a very effective page turner. What was expecially good was the unpeeling of many characters secrets, some of the terror/suspense/action parts and the authors voice.

However the plot is let down where several police procedures seem very slack and appear to be there to let the plot go in the direction it needs too. Simple personel checks, no back up for police offices, people left alone and not radioing in movements are some examples. I was going to give the book 4 stars but these issues piled up, especially toward the prolonged (good) climax, and I got a bit fed up with them. There was a major and minor incident were police where searching / on the look out for people/things in dark places and neither bother taking a torch. Meant some excellent tense action but was a bit daft to be in that position in the first place.

Another claring issue is the lead detective only vaguely remembers being a partner with Denise for FOUR years and doesn't seem to know the basic's of her family.

Quick comment on the level of gore. There are a few yukky bits in the book but probably on a bar with Connelly (only read one) rather than the higher level of Karin Slaughter but its certainly well above Agatha Christie.

I like my thrillers to be exciting and page turning , which this book was but I also like story to be tight with very few holes. This had a few to many holes, without them it could have been on par with the one Micheal Connelly I've read which was much tighter.

This is the 5th book in Brian Freemans Stride & Serena series, and personally I found it to be the most exciting yet. Kasey is a small town cop, working hard to support her out of work husband and young child. She is driving home one night when she unwittingly stumbles across the latest victim of the North lands killer who has been the subject of a statewide search by local police, headed by veteran cop Maggie Bei. Soon enough Kasey finds herself straight in the middle of the investigation, and it's soon clear that the killer has his sights set on her.
Meanwhile Stride is recouperating after his fall from a bridge in the last book;The Watcher in his remote house on the lake. Unfortunately he's not coping well and is also growing distant from long term girlfriend, and fellow cop, Serena Dial. One night Stride & Dial are confronted by a fellow officer in need of help. An infant has gone missing from the large house of a wealthy surgeon and the twosomes expertise is needed on the case. While Stride struggles to decide wether he is ready to get back on the force, Serena jumps straight in, embracing a new challenge that doesnt involve her relationship.
This book is frighteningly fast paced. I read it in two days and I simply couldn't put it down, even turning up for work a few minutes late just so i could finish a chapter. The regular characters that we have been following for quite a few years now are finally all coming to the forefront, meaning it's no longer just a Jonathan Stride book. We get to indulge in the lives of both Serena and Maggie also, including a cast of beautifully portrayed secondary characters. The only thing letting this one down is the fact that I think the storyline itself could have done with a bit more tightening up, but thats really the only fault I could find. A full throttle juggernaut of a thriller, can easily be read by itself as well as part of the series.