Excellent debut - Rated 
I bought this book because I'd read his second novel 'Stripped' rather by chance and I wanted to know how the main characters had initially teamed up; then to see how they compared book to book.
This book is not as good as the seond but only because the second is really very good indeed. (I have written my own review of 'Stripped'.) Nonetheless, it introduces us to Jonathan Stride, his police team members and, as we progress through the book, to his new partner in love and crime detection.
I did want to know what had happened to Stride's second wife and this book reveals all.
I don't need to discuss the plot; that's been done elsewhere. Just to say, even if you've read 'Stripped' and latterly, 'Stalked' you still must read this one.
Who's Brian Freeman? A great story-teller, that's who - Rated 
Let me get straight to the point. If you like crime fiction, especially the novels that really twist your mind in knots while you try to figure out what's going on, then you need to buy IMMORAL. If, like me, you read and enjoy the likes of Connelly, Gerritsen, Deaver, Coben, Slaughter, Connolly and Child and some pretty decent Brit writers such as McDermid, Billingham, Robinson and MacBride, then you will not be disappointed by this newcomer to the genre. He's good. He's very good, in fact.
This novel actually represents the first in a series featuring Lieutenant Jonathan Stride, later to be joined by Las Vegas Police Detective Serena Dial. Stride is based in Duluth, north Minnesota, a town on the edge of Lake Superior that I had never heard of before, and presumably not many others know it either as it doesn't even have a Starbucks (shock, horror). The story revolves around the disappearance of a rebellious, sexy and in many ways mysterious teenage girl named Rachel, whose behaviour affected several people before she disappeared and whose personality continues to influence others - including Stride - years after she was last seen. The tale also involves the love life of forty-something Stride himself, initially a widower having lost his wife to cancer a year before the story begins. His bedroom exploits are a little too graphically detailed for my own personal tastes, but it's fair to say that his romantic asides are very relevant to the plot and are not merely bolted-on to please a certain sector of the readership. Most importantly though the central story of what happened to Rachel is very well told and I was kept guessing right to the end. More than guessing, actually - at times I felt like shouting at the page demanding to know what's going on! The only disappointment was finishing it, because I simply did not want it to end. It more than held my interest at all times, there is never a dull moment and there is a complete absence of gratuitous violence. Brian Freeman has written two follow-ups to this debut novel and I'm going to buy them both. Definitely a crime fiction writer who knows his way around the courtroom and one to watch out for in the future.
A first rate thriller - Rated
I am always weary of trying out new authors, but this guy is up there with Patterson and Connelly !
Fast paced and plenty of action, he had me guessing up to the final pages. Just not another standard thriller. i highly recommend this guy and can't wait for more !
Great new crime writer - Rated
What a find Mr Freeman is! This is fresh new crime writing at it's best, at long last Messrs Connelly and Rankin will be challenged for the no 1 crime writers position.
Gripping, twisting, and involving. - Rated
From business writer to skilled master of storytelling in one fell swoop. This psychological thriller/detective story gripped me from the very first pages, where we look in on the pivotal act of the book without being allowed close enough to identify characters or context. These facets of the book are beautifully drawn into vivid creations as the story progresses and the drama of the developments in the ensuing investigation is only emphasised by the brilliantly timed flashbacks. Once you start reading this book, you won't want to put it down and, unlike many novels in this genre, the ending will certainly not disappoint.
So good I wanted to re-read it straight away!
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