Goodbye to the Dead

Starred review from January 18, 2016
The recovery of a gun used to kill a young woman outside a seedy Duluth, Minn., bar propels Freeman’s deftly plotted seventh Jonathan Stride novel (after 2014’s The Cold Nowhere). Nine years earlier, Dr. Janine Snow, a highly respected heart specialist, went to prison for fatally shooting her abrasive journalist husband, Jay Ferris. The gun used on Ferris wasn’t found, until the bar murder. The older case has a personal connection for police detective Stride; his beloved late wife, Cindy, was Janine’s best friend and drove her home on the night of the crime. Stride and Serena Dial, a police officer who’s also his girlfriend, investigate both murders. Meanwhile, Stride and Serena must deal with the problems of their pregnant 17-year-old ward, Cat Mateo. Stride’s heartfelt memories of Cindy and his reluctance to fully commit to Serena, coupled with an in-depth look at the book’s supporting characters, make this police procedural a standout. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents.

The newest installment in the Jonathan Stride series intertwines two murders: the mysterious shooting of a young woman outside a seedy bar in Duluth and the eight-year-old murder of a wealthy surgeon's husband in his home. Joe Barrett's sturdy narration sounds authentic for brawny Detective Stride, yet he also sensitively portrays Stride's emotions as he recalls his beloved wife, who was tangled up in the old murder case before dying of cancer. This whodunit has more conversations than skirmishes, and the few action scenes are enhanced by Barrett's intensity. Barrett does a mostly straightforward reading of the dialogue but provides enough nuance to allow the listener to understand which character is speaking. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine