Brian Freeman is back with a wonderful new novel as cool and chilling as a Minnesota night. In the Dark is the fourth in the Lt. John Stride series. Stride is a veteran with the Duluth, Minnesota, PD. When an old acquaintance of his comes back to town, emotional wounds are re-opened for Stride and many other people in his life.
Decades earlier, the sister of his future wife was brutally murdered in a city park. There were never any arrests but there were as many rumors about the attack as there were possible suspects, all with their own motives.
This book has great dialog, plot, and character development. Every twist and turn in the story line (with the possible exception of one or two in the climax) is believable and realistic. The ending is satisfying as questions are answered and secrets are revealed.
Freeman’s debut novel, Immoral, was a creepy psychological hit. The two follow-ups were solid but nothing spectacular. In the Dark is proof that Freeman is among the top-shelf of crime novelists and will continue to win over new fans.
The Pros: Clever storytelling, believable plot twists, great ending.
The Cons: Supporting characters from other Lt. Stride novels don’t add as much to the tale as they usually do.
The Bottom Line: Freeman hits a home run with In the Dark, a story that has all the elements that make detective novels great.