Brian Freeman (1) (1963–)

My library's mistake produced a pretty good end result when I received the book with the right title...but the wrong author. I've read Brian Freeman's books before so rather than returning it, I kept it and read it. Glad that I did. For Hallie Evers it was the worst fourth of July imaginable. It's not every day that your boss fires you, your boyfriend texts a break-up and informs you that he's going to date your roommate, oh...and did I mention that you are pronounced dead? This is only the show more beginning for Hallie. She has memories that are clearly NOT hers and after being released from the hospital that she doesn't remember ever being taken to, by a doctor that she's never seen or met before but obviously knows her, she boards a plane for Boston, a city that she feels she has to return to but knows she has NEVER been anywhere near. Once there she will meet a sister that she remembers vividly but also remembers that she is an only child. This nightmare is not finished with her by any means. A pair of assailants nearly kidnap her before they’re run off, and Todd Kivel, a private eye who appears out of nowhere to rescue her, gets killed for his trouble. Clearly Hallie’s being tracked by some unknown someone who is plotting a deeper game. I did almost figure it out...but not all of it. Just when you think that the "Big Reveal" has arrived...you're wrong. It's only the beginning to a new set of mysteries. The question remains are these or are they not the worst, most confusing dreams ever ...and whose dreams, are they? This book was without a doubt one of the best "mistakes" I ever read. show less

Sin duda mucho mejor que la primera entrega de esta serie, si el primer libro fue bueno, este es mucho mejor.

Desde la primera página hasta la última, Brian Freeman nos lleva en una literal montaña rusa. Una historia ambientada nada menos que en la ciudad de Las Vegas, la capital del pecado, asesinatos, mafia, matones a sueldo y por supuesto un asesino en serie.

Hablando del thriller el ritmo es espectacular, no te da un respiro, tenemos a un asesino en serie meticuloso, frío e show more inteligente, pero no es el único malo de esta historia y creo que eso le da un plus que nos hace retener el aliento por momentos. La investigación es intrincada, complicada y muy bien manejada.

Brian Freeman les da a sus libros un toque que no había visto antes y me refiero a que el peso de la vida personal de sus protagonistas y actores es tan importante y tan fuerte como la misma historia del thriller, si bien es una de las características principales en la novela negra, en este caso lo he sentido con más peso que en cualquier otra que haya leído.

La personalidad de John Stride, sus razones, sus motivos para moverse de ciudad, el profundo amor que siente por Serena y en el caso de ella, su pasado, su amor por Stride, pero también el reconocimiento de lo que es ella y sus tentaciones, tienen tanto peso dentro del libro como los propios asesinatos.

Me encanta el estilo de Freeman, me encanta su manera de contar sus historias, pero me gustan mucho más lo que cuenta, es tan común que en este género los autores norteamericanos sean tan peliculeros, es tan fácil ver que todos escriben sus libros esperando que alguien les filme una película, es tan definido ese estilo en ellos que casi podría leer un libro de este género sin saber quién lo escribe y saber que fue escrito por un norteamericano, sin embargo, Freeman no es así, no tiene ese estilo tan típico de sus coterráneos, no voy a negar que algunas escenas son muy típicas de “Duro de matar”, pero en lo general se centra en su historia, en lo que cuenta y no en la acción que conlleva dicha historia.

Un autor a seguir, tengo poco de haberlo descubierto, por supuesto que seguiré la serie, me gusta mucho y vale la pena leerlo, es entretenimiento asegurado show less

rural, small-town, suspense, superstitions, abduction, law-enforcement, family-dynamics, friendship, secrets*****

Sadness. For a young boy who disappeared, for a war vet convicted of his wife's murder, for a vital middle aged sheriff who develops early onset dementia, and for his adopted daughter who was abandoned shortly after her birth but came to be an exceptional deputy in a remote part of the country. The story of the characters and the convoluted mystery they are wrapped in is show more incredibly well done. No spoilers.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you! show less

Photograph is a standalone mystery novel by the author who has brought us some new thrilling novels in the Jason Bourne universe (ones I have thoroughly enjoyed), so I was intrigued to read something that was completely original by him. And I was not disappointed. With characters that were intriguing and fully fleshed out to a plot that was fun, but also full of twists and turns, this was one enjoyable mystery.

The MC Shannon was a complex person who had experienced personal trauma in her show more life, an experience that made her decide to open a private investigation agency to help other women. There were a lot of depths to this character and I personally liked the exploration of how the trauma has impacted her life as I thought it was done with sensitivity and compassion. Shannon is a determined person who cares deeply for others and it shows in her interactions throughout the story. Now I wasn't a complete fan of Shannon at the beginning of the book as she came across as a bit spoiled, especially when dealing with her estranged father, but she did grow on as the book progressed, to the point where I really enjoyed her personality. She is not gullible, and I appreciated how she took the time to ensure she was safe when she did certain things. It always bugs me when a main characters does something stupid, with no regard to personal safety, puts others at risk as well, and there is not much said about such behaviour. This book didn't take that approach which suited me.

The plot moved along relatively quickly, even if the beginning was a bit slow. However, the 'slowness' is a relative term as it was necessary to build up certain relationships and understanding of certain situations, but once that was done, it took off and the tension never let up, throwing the reader twist after twist. I changed my mind about who was responsible a few times, but did figure it out before the end. And it was just a random statement that caught my eye and made me think the way I did, otherwise I would not have clued in to who it was. I totally loved how the mystery and the plot revolved around a single photo taken years ago and how the author managed to link everything in this book to that photo.

Verdict
Photograph was a very intricately plotted mystery with plenty of twists and turns, and I really liked the fact that it was so different from the Bourne thrillers he writes. But, while I did think Shannon had some good character development, I also thought the secondary characters could have been more developed as that would have added to the richness of the story. However, I highly recommend this to any reader who likes a psychological thriller/mystery, and I also recommend his Jason Bourne novels to those who love thrillers. Personally, I would love to see another book featuring this character. Hint, hint!! show less