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Stripped (2006)

Stripped (2006)

Book Info

Author
Genre
Rating
3.95 of 5 Votes: 5
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ISBN
0312340443 (ISBN13: 9780312340445)
Language
English
Publisher
minotaur books

About book Stripped (2006)

PROTAGONIST: Detec. Jonathan Stride and Serena DialSETTING: Las VegasSERIES: #2 of 2RATING: 3.25It's got to be true love if someone is willing to move from the cold, crisp secluded world of Duluth, Minnesota, to hot, happening Las Vegas to be with their significant other—and that's just what Detective Jonathan Stride does to be with fellow detective Serena Dial. Although they work in different departments, they do have cases that overlap and involve both of them. Stride’s new partner is a woman named Amanda Gillen who seems to have been given the assignment with an eye toward putting both of them in their place. Lieutentant Sawhill believes that former lieutenant Stride is some kind of podunk who is incapable of handling big-city crime. Amanda is a non-operative transsexual (original equipment intact) who is constantly humiliated by the rest of the department, even though she is extremely capable and hard working. Fortunately, Jonathan and Amanda hit it off and are a very high performing team.There is a series of strange killings going on in Sin City—an innocent 12-year-old boy run down by a car; a retired schoolteacher with her throat cut; a young, rich playboy killed on the streets—that don’t make any sense at all. During the investigation of each of these seemingly unrelated crimes, links are established to the murder of a sultry showgirl who was killed years earlier. What kind of grudge does the killer have that involves people who clearly had nothing to do with that murder? What associations have been made in his mind that merit such drastic actions? The stakes are high—the killer is becoming more and more brazen and out of control.Stripped has a good plot premise, and its pages are inhabited by the kinds of characters you'd expect to find in Vegas. I particularly enjoyed the budding friendship of Stride and Gillen. However, I do have a bone to pick with how the investigation was run. Why is it that in many police procedurals a certain character will be mentioned over and over as a person of substantial interest to the police and they don't end up interrogating that person until the case has dragged along for quite some time?Additionally, Jonathan and Serena are supposedly deeply in love; however, I never felt a strong connection between them in the scenes involving the two of them. The relationship was depicted in almost syrupy terms. So if they are soulmates and so into one another, why does one of them cheat on the other? The point where the book almost hit the wall was when the other easily decided to overlook this transgression because it wasn't a matter of love, but lust. Freeman shows all the signs of being able to write a top-notch thriller. However, there were several scenes that were close to over-the-top; and the resolution was completely out of left field. My opinion of the book was lowered significantly as a result. Generally, when an author tries to be too tricky and clever in the denouement, it ends up backfiring. That's certainly what happened for me in the case of Stripped.

REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; AUGUST 18, 2015Narrator: Joe BarrettI'm so angry with the author for making Serena cheating on Jon. Not with a man, mind you, but with a woman. It's still cheating to me even if Jon and the rest of the world's maled population, find it a turn-on. I found it especially sickening when it happens just after Serena's telling herself how she needs Jon and silently begging him not to leave her. Jon never thought that but, on the contrary, is very much in love with Serena.Lesbian affair aside, I didn't like this book mainly because it focused too much on the personal relationship between Serena and Jon. I want my crime/thrillers to skip the romance and personal entanglements and focus on solving the crime. Because of the love triangle, even though Serena insists she doesn't love Claire (but could come to love her), I felt as if I was being dragged into an erotic romance (granted sans the explicit sex).I'm especially annoyed because this Serena female follows Jon back to Minnesota so I'm not going to be rid of her. I was beginning to enjoy this series after a lacklustre start with Immoral and now I'm setting the series aside until I get over (if I can) what Freeman did and accept the baggage-ridden Serena in Jon's life.Joe Barrett's performance was excellent here, reminding me of Richard Ferrone who narrated all the Lucas Davenport books.

Do You like book Stripped (2006)?

STRIPPED (Police Proc-Las Vegas-Cont) – G+Freeman, Brian – 2nd in seriesSt. Martin’s Minotaur, 2006- Amer Hardcover*** Detective Jonathan Stride has relocated from Minneapolis to Las Vegas and is living with new love Detective Serena Dial who is working hard to get over her troubled past. The two detectives are working different cases—Stride the murder of a wealthy trust-fund baby and Dial the hit-and-run of a small boy. As the investigations proceed, the two cases collide with more murders and a secret kept since the 1960s.*** Freeman creates complicated characters that are fascinating and very involving. The plot is a complicated one, dealing with secrets, power, trust, betrayal, loyalty; all the characteristics that can either lead to the best or worst in people. In this case, it’s mostly the worst. There is suspense, gunplay, and secrets revealed, long with love and sex. Although I felt plot was a bit overcomplicated and the story bogged down a big in the middle, it was still exciting and definitely kept me turning the pages.
—LJ

I devoured Freeman's first book Immoral in short order. From beginning to end I was completely absorbed by it. Stripped is just as addicting and fantastic as the first novel.The second novel places Stride in Vegas. He's now a police officer in the LVPD and is still in his relationship with Selena Dial whom he fell head over heels in love with during the course of ImmoralAs the book opens, Freeman makes the reader witness to a 40 year old murder of a popular Las Vegas show girl. Flashing to the present we have two totally unrelated crimes. Or so it seems. A hit and run on a young boy and the murder of a trust fund playboy during a dalliance with a hooker. Serena draws the hit and run case and soon finds that there's more to it than just a cowardly driver. Stride draws the trust fund baby murder and to his trained eye he knows it's much more than a random act of violence in a city that has no shortage of violence.Is everything related? How could these two seemingly unrelated crimes be tied to a 40 year old murder? Leave it to Brian Freeman to make something that seems a stretch of the imagination at first glass something totally plausible.Brian Freeman is a master of writing deep, rich characters. The relationship between Stride and Dial is a story unto itself and is as compelling as the plot of the book. Their relationship, along with the clues they uncover in their own separate cases are equally addictive. What's more, Freeman delves deeper into each of them. We learn more about what makes Stride tick and we learn a great deal more about Serena and her past. She's not just a supporting character or love interest to spice things up. She's a main character unto herself. Even the minor players, pop off the page and are a joy to read.I can't praise this book or Freeman enough. His stories are compelling with twists and turns that will have you biting your nails until you hit the last page. The characters are as real as can be and the subject matter is always compelling and handled well. Nothing for pure shock, nothing just as filler. Everything has its purpose and its done well.You'll be thinking about this book long after you've turned the last page.
—Matt Schiariti

I learned that it is possible to have too many music references. At times I thought I was reading someone's country music playlist.I also learned that too much description detracts from the story.The story was good, the execution was acceptable. With that said, I would have loved more dialogue. I am a believer that you learn more about a character from "hearing" them speak. There is so much history with these characters that I feel like I am being cheated by only learning a few scraps here and there. This is the second book in the series and I was left with questions and no hope of hearing the answers. I also don't know what the characters look like. There was very little description of the characters in this book. It was hard to "see" them. Most series books I read, the author describes their appearance at some point in each book so that if you picked up that book and read it, you would be fine. I like series books, but I like them to be able to stand alone too. So, two books in and I still don't really know what Jonathan Stride looks like.I am a little less than thrilled that this book, as well as Immoral ended with a "happy" ending. It wrapped up a little to nicely for my likes.I am getting ready to order the third in the series, because I am invested. I am only ordering hardback to fulfill a club selection.
—Heather

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