The Burying Place

February 8, 2010
Though Jonathan Stride is still recovering from injuries he suffered in a high fall at the start of Freeman’s intriguing if overly plotted fourth thriller featuring the Duluth, Minn., police detective (after In the Dark
), he’s soon looking into the kidnapping of the 11-month-old daughter of a Grand Rapids, Minn., surgeon, Dr. Marcus Glenn, who happens to be a local cop’s brother-in-law. Jonathan thinks the kidnapping is an inside job, especially after unsavory secrets about the arrogant surgeon come to light. Meanwhile, Jonathan’s partner, Det. Maggie Bei, aided by rookie Kasey Kennedy, scrambles to catch a serial killer who’s murdered several women in Duluth. When Kasey is witness to the fiend abducting a victim, the killer becomes fixated on Kasey. An appropriately creepy atmosphere and well-rounded, flawed characters compensate only in part for the forced connection between the two cases, either of which could have easily carried the novel.

Jonathan Stride, a Duluth, Minnesota, police detective, finds himself dealing with two concurrent mysteries, the kidnapping of a prominent local doctor's toddler and a serial killer who preys on women. Joe Barrett's rendition of Edgar Award winner Freeman's latest effort perfectly captures the suspense of this engrossing mystery. His voice, low and breathy, suggests secrecy and danger, along with a hint of world-weariness that is especially appropriate for the burned-out Stride. Barrett handles the Minnesota accents with restraint, but some of his female characters border on caricature. That's a minor quibble, however, as his performance should keep listeners intrigued as the mysteries unravel. M.H.N. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine