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Spilled Blood
Winner - Best Hardcover Novel - 2013 Thriller Awards A taut thriller about two rural Minnesota towns locked in a deadly feud--and a teenage girl caught in the crossfire. Linked by the Spirit River, the two towns couldn't be more in affluent Barron, a powerful and secretive scientific research corporation enriches its residents, while downriver in blue-collar St. Croix, victims of that company's carcinogenic waste struggle to survive. The bad blood between the communities escalates into open warfare when the beautiful Ashlynn, daughter of the corporation's president, is found shot dead--and a St. Croix girl, Olivia Hawk, is accused of the crime. Reluctantly, Olivia's mother summons her estranged husband Christopher, a Minneapolis lawyer, to come defend his daughter. As Christopher struggles to unravel the mystery of Ashlynn's murder and save his own daughter, he uncovers some ugly truths that endanger the residents of both towns. And looming over everything are the chilling, apocalyptic threats from a murderous psychopath known only as "Aquarius."
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2012
About the author
Brian Freeman
53 books2,897 followersBrian Freeman is a New York Times bestselling author of psychological thrillers, including the Jonathan Stride and Frost Easton series. His books have been sold in 46 countries and 22 languages. He is widely acclaimed for his "you are there" settings and his complex, engaging characters and twist-filled plots. Brian was also selected as the official author to continue Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne series, and his novel THE BOURNE EVOLUTION was named one of the Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2020 by Kirkus.
Brian's seventh novel SPILLED BLOOD won the award for Best Hardcover Novel in the annual Thriller Awards given out by the International Thriller Writers organization, and his fifth novel THE BURYING PLACE was a finalist for the same award. His novel THE DEEP, DEEP SNOW was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original.
His debut thriller, IMMORAL, won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel and was a nominee for the Edgar, Dagger, Anthony, and Barry Awards. IMMORAL was named an International Book of the Month, a distinction shared with authors such as Harlan Coben and Lisa Unger.
All of Brian's books are also available in audiobook editions. His novels THE BONE HOUSE and SEASON OF FEAR were both finalists for Best Audiobook of the Year in Thriller/Suspense.
For more information on Brian's books, visit his web site at bfreemanbooks.com or find him on Facebook at facebook.com/bfreemanfans or Twitter and Instagram (@bfreemanbooks).
Brian's seventh novel SPILLED BLOOD won the award for Best Hardcover Novel in the annual Thriller Awards given out by the International Thriller Writers organization, and his fifth novel THE BURYING PLACE was a finalist for the same award. His novel THE DEEP, DEEP SNOW was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original.
His debut thriller, IMMORAL, won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel and was a nominee for the Edgar, Dagger, Anthony, and Barry Awards. IMMORAL was named an International Book of the Month, a distinction shared with authors such as Harlan Coben and Lisa Unger.
All of Brian's books are also available in audiobook editions. His novels THE BONE HOUSE and SEASON OF FEAR were both finalists for Best Audiobook of the Year in Thriller/Suspense.
For more information on Brian's books, visit his web site at bfreemanbooks.com or find him on Facebook at facebook.com/bfreemanfans or Twitter and Instagram (@bfreemanbooks).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 472 reviews
November 25, 2015
The grass is always greener on the other side, isn’t it? In Brian Freeman’s stand-alone novel, Spilled Blood, residents of upscale Barron have everything that ordinary folks across the Spirit River town of St. Croix do not – especially health. Barron’s top-secret scientific research facility, Mondamin, was the defendant in a lawsuit brought by families of cancer victims in St. Croix. The feuding made some folks think of the Hatfields and McCoys, while others considered the Montagues vs. the Capulets. The hostilities escalate out of control when Ashlynn, the daughter of Mondamin’s president is killed. It seems like an open-and-shut case. A St. Croix high school girl is arrested. End of story?
Not by a long shot. The accused girl’s father, Chris Hawk, is a Minneapolis lawyer who travels to the small southwestern Minnesota town where his ex-wife and daughter live. It doesn’t matter that he doesn’t practice criminal law; he will do whatever it takes to represent his daughter and prove her innocence. Mr. Freeman allows his protagonist to take many liberties as a contract lawyer that a defense attorney would never get away with. He’s not perfect, but I found him to be a very likable guy. Olivia, his only child, a strong-willed teen who is charged with the murder, is also an appealing character. I felt myself believing her, even as her father doubted. She is a complex character, and I think that Freeman did a good job portraying her teenage temperament and mindset.
Outside the Hawk family, there were other superbly written characters, good, solid people who were faced with difficult circumstances. Some made terrible mistakes. Some hid behind a façade of respectability and only seemed to be virtuous. And there were some who were truly vile. In the midst of it all was a mysterious person called Aquarius. This individual sent threatening notes to citizens warning of death and destruction. Was this person responsible for Ashlynn’s death, or was this something altogether different?
Spilled Blood commanded my attention from start to finish. In some of Brian Freeman’s previous works, I’ve been frustrated by lack of clues. His murderer seemed to just appear from nowhere. Not this time. Was I surprised by the revelations? Not especially. I suspected. Let’s say it was a process of elimination. I just didn’t know the motivation. Getting there was so much fun. I suspected others. I wanted to see what would happen next and how, or if, it all tied together.
Ominous darkness and hatred aside, I found some themes running through this book, like the river called Spirit. There are links between the environment and humans that cannot be ignored. Humans are linked one to another, for better or for worse. In the end, it all came down to that interdependence. I loved witnessing the slow, tentative process of Chris and his ex-wife Hannah re-discovering each other. I loved, too, that despite all the destruction and loss, I felt that this book actually ended on a hopeful note.
5 stars
Not by a long shot. The accused girl’s father, Chris Hawk, is a Minneapolis lawyer who travels to the small southwestern Minnesota town where his ex-wife and daughter live. It doesn’t matter that he doesn’t practice criminal law; he will do whatever it takes to represent his daughter and prove her innocence. Mr. Freeman allows his protagonist to take many liberties as a contract lawyer that a defense attorney would never get away with. He’s not perfect, but I found him to be a very likable guy. Olivia, his only child, a strong-willed teen who is charged with the murder, is also an appealing character. I felt myself believing her, even as her father doubted. She is a complex character, and I think that Freeman did a good job portraying her teenage temperament and mindset.
Outside the Hawk family, there were other superbly written characters, good, solid people who were faced with difficult circumstances. Some made terrible mistakes. Some hid behind a façade of respectability and only seemed to be virtuous. And there were some who were truly vile. In the midst of it all was a mysterious person called Aquarius. This individual sent threatening notes to citizens warning of death and destruction. Was this person responsible for Ashlynn’s death, or was this something altogether different?
Spilled Blood commanded my attention from start to finish. In some of Brian Freeman’s previous works, I’ve been frustrated by lack of clues. His murderer seemed to just appear from nowhere. Not this time. Was I surprised by the revelations? Not especially. I suspected. Let’s say it was a process of elimination. I just didn’t know the motivation. Getting there was so much fun. I suspected others. I wanted to see what would happen next and how, or if, it all tied together.
Ominous darkness and hatred aside, I found some themes running through this book, like the river called Spirit. There are links between the environment and humans that cannot be ignored. Humans are linked one to another, for better or for worse. In the end, it all came down to that interdependence. I loved witnessing the slow, tentative process of Chris and his ex-wife Hannah re-discovering each other. I loved, too, that despite all the destruction and loss, I felt that this book actually ended on a hopeful note.
5 stars
July 15, 2021
Soy una gran fan de Brian Freeman, me encanta su manera de escribir y sus tramas me atrapan desde el inicio.
Me encanta su serie Jonathan Stride, pero en esta ocasión he leido un libro que es independiente.
La trama comienza con el asesinato de Ashlynn, en el cual parece que la culpable es Olivia, Chris Hawk va a intentar descubrir la verdad porque no puede creer que su hija sea una asesina.
Y aquí es donde se pone interesante, dos pueblos enfrentados, Barron y St. Clair, violencia, chantajes, mentiras, sobornos, una red de pederastia,.....
El ritmo de esta novela es algo más lento al que me tiene acostumbrada Freeman, pero no por ello la novela está exenta de interés, seguimos a Chris Hawk, padre y abogado, en esta aventura que inicia para demostrar que su hija no es culpable, y poco a poco iremos descubriendo lo que esconden los habitantes de Barron y St. Clair.
Algunas escenas del final del libro, no me han terminado de encajar, me han parecido algo peliculeras, pero en conjunto el libro me ha gustado mucho.
Me encanta su serie Jonathan Stride, pero en esta ocasión he leido un libro que es independiente.
La trama comienza con el asesinato de Ashlynn, en el cual parece que la culpable es Olivia, Chris Hawk va a intentar descubrir la verdad porque no puede creer que su hija sea una asesina.
Y aquí es donde se pone interesante, dos pueblos enfrentados, Barron y St. Clair, violencia, chantajes, mentiras, sobornos, una red de pederastia,.....
El ritmo de esta novela es algo más lento al que me tiene acostumbrada Freeman, pero no por ello la novela está exenta de interés, seguimos a Chris Hawk, padre y abogado, en esta aventura que inicia para demostrar que su hija no es culpable, y poco a poco iremos descubriendo lo que esconden los habitantes de Barron y St. Clair.
Algunas escenas del final del libro, no me han terminado de encajar, me han parecido algo peliculeras, pero en conjunto el libro me ha gustado mucho.
December 6, 2020
GENIAL, COMO TODO LO DE FREEMAN
February 12, 2017
Spilled Blood is the first book I have read by Brian Freeman, and I have enjoyed it. This year I have decided to challenge myself to broaden my authors base, and I was surprised and alighted to enjoy Spilled Blood. Spilled Blood is about the murder of Ashlynn and charging Olivia for the killing and how this affected the small rural community. Spilled Blood continues to explore the way Olivia father a city lawyer investigates to prove Olivia's innocent of murder. I like the way Brian Freeman portrayed the relationship between adults and young people and how grieve can affect people's behaviours. The readers of Spilled Blood will enjoy the unexpected romance between Olivia's Mum and Dad and the twist and turns of the story which climaxed with a surprising conclusion. Reading Spilled Blood, you will learn about the devastation of chemical spillage on a local community. Also, how a little incident can cause communities to try and destroy each other. I recommend this book.
March 28, 2015
I really enjoyed this stand alone novel by Brian Freeman. I think this is the best of all his books since Immoral. There were multiple facets to the storyline: environmental, porn, death, disaster, family, and love. I kept guessing who the culprit was and was wrong every time. There were some scenes that had my heart pounding! I couldn't read fast enough!
May 13, 2015
Two stars means "It was ok" and that is what I think of this book. It was ok.
It got me through my days, I didn't die from boredom or frustration, and the storyline went from point a to b all the way to z in a logical progression. The writing was fine, the plot was fine.
I hated the main character; Chris is a complete asshole and I wanted him to die many times throughout the story. He was really good at taking information given to him in confidence and then spreading it all around town. I hated that about him.
To me, the ending, from the killer-reveal to the final word, was melodramatic and silly. It was "Me Man! Me Save Day!" hero fiction and not in a fun way. There was the "Oh no, heartstring! They're being plucked" moment, there was the "Oh no, if only X,Y, or Z could have happened" moment, there was only one person who could fix it all and that grated on my nerves.
I was never invested in the tale. I didn't care who killed whom or why or how they'd see justice meted out, etc. I wasn't involved but was, instead, merely along for the ride.
I can see the appeal this story will have to its intended readership, though. For instance, my dad would love it and my mom would have enjoyed it before she stopped enjoying this type of story (she only does cozy mysteries now).
It got me through my days, I didn't die from boredom or frustration, and the storyline went from point a to b all the way to z in a logical progression. The writing was fine, the plot was fine.
I hated the main character; Chris is a complete asshole and I wanted him to die many times throughout the story. He was really good at taking information given to him in confidence and then spreading it all around town. I hated that about him.
To me, the ending, from the killer-reveal to the final word, was melodramatic and silly. It was "Me Man! Me Save Day!" hero fiction and not in a fun way. There was the "Oh no, heartstring! They're being plucked" moment, there was the "Oh no, if only X,Y, or Z could have happened" moment, there was only one person who could fix it all and that grated on my nerves.
I was never invested in the tale. I didn't care who killed whom or why or how they'd see justice meted out, etc. I wasn't involved but was, instead, merely along for the ride.
I can see the appeal this story will have to its intended readership, though. For instance, my dad would love it and my mom would have enjoyed it before she stopped enjoying this type of story (she only does cozy mysteries now).
Read
May 1, 2012"SPILLED BLOOD is everything a great suspense novel should be: gripping, shocking, and moving. Brian Freeman proves once again he's a master of psychological suspense, as he layers one family's crisis with an entire town's drama, building to an epic crescendo of rage, revenge and redemption."
– Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
– Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
March 2, 2020
Intriguing twists and turns to keep you guessing then second guessing the opinions you form reading or in my case listening. Great audio book for those of you who enjoy audios. The main character rushes to aid his 16 year old daughter who has been accused of murder. She claims she didn't do it, but even as her dad, he can't be sure she is telling the truth. While the story unfolds, it becomes clear that there are multiple subplots that intertwine and intersect with the murder and something more sinister may be at play here. I always enjoy this author's books, but this one is definitely going onto my favorites list.
May 24, 2012
3.5 This was a very good stand alone by Freeman, the tension and hate were palpable and it definitely showed that even in small towns evil exists. Enjoyed the storyline and even liked the character of one of the "bad guys." Many different threads and the story moved quickly. Freeman can definitely write good books.
May 13, 2018
It’s been a long, long time since I have read any of Brian’s books. And even though this was not a Stride novel and was a stand alone, I enjoyed it very much. I had read in someone’s review that they saw the twists coming. Maybe they were part psychic as I didn’t guess any of it. I also thoroughly enjoyed the short story at the end and was happy to see a comeback of Stride.
February 13, 2014
I expected a bit more from this 2013 Thriller Award Winner for Best Hardcover Novel. It had an interesting premise and at its core, the psychological aspect that I find fascinating. Another book that examines the question of what we will do for our children. Two feuding towns, two sets of teens involved in what is almost like gang warfare, two girls brought face to face, one with a gun, the other with a secret, and a game of Russian Roulette began Spilled Blood with a literal One, Two, Three. When one girl is found dead, the father of the other, a lawyer, will defend his daughter at all costs. Add environmental intrigue, and what could have been a great read fell flat for me as it seemed convoluted and disjointed.
I will try another of Freeman's books as there was promise here and another might suit me better.
I will try another of Freeman's books as there was promise here and another might suit me better.
November 1, 2015
I think this is my favorite Brian Freeman novel thus far. He can definitely weave a complex story. I liked the MC. I first thought that it was a little odd to have a lawyer trying to solve the mystery, but it worked, because he was also the father of the accused.
There was a lot of things going on in this book, but it flowed very nicely. The mystery/crime (there was certainly more than one) had some great twists. It had some great red herrings, but it wasn't hard to peg who Aquarius was. But as far as the who the murderer was, I didn't see it coming.
There was a lot of things going on in this book, but it flowed very nicely. The mystery/crime (there was certainly more than one) had some great twists. It had some great red herrings, but it wasn't hard to peg who Aquarius was. But as far as the who the murderer was, I didn't see it coming.
August 30, 2016
I loved the first Freeman book I read, The Bone House, so surprised this one didn't do much for me. I was annoyed with the mopey protagonist. Didn't connect with the characters who seemed pretty one-dimensional with the exception of. Most of the book, I was waiting for things to happen, and then there were too many heavy handed surprises at the end. I won't give up on Freeman, but hope the next one I read is better.
July 29, 2015
Fabulous!
February 5, 2017
Two small towns in rural Minnesota have as much drama as a big city with one difference -- everybody knows everybody. Chris Hawk, a divorced dad and a lawyer, races to the small town where his ex-wife and daughter, Olivia, now live to save his daughter from being sent to prison for murder. His investigation uncovers many, many secrets and a mysterious psychopath threatens to destroy them all. With all the drama that only teenagers can amass, this story has many different aspects but moves smoothly with an epic ending.
April 16, 2012
I have read all of Brian Freemans books and they just keep getting better and better. This one pulled me in right from the start and kept me guessing right to the end. I was sure I had figured out who the killer was but turned out to be very wrong! I found it hard to put this book down and was constantly thinking about it even when not reading - that to me is the sign of an excellent story!
I would also highly recommend Brian Freemans psychological suspense novels featuring detectives Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial, the first being "Immoral"!
I would also highly recommend Brian Freemans psychological suspense novels featuring detectives Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial, the first being "Immoral"!
September 7, 2020
Freeman delivers a stand-alone with breathless momentum. This is what good suspense is all about.
March 25, 2017
Mixed feelings with this book. A pretty good story with lots of twists - but I got bored too many times along the way- Maybe some other reviews will make you decided if you pick up this book.
June 10, 2023
What a page turner!! I didn't want to set it down!!! And what you think isn't what it is. Now this is a thriller that will have you like WTF!! What a twist!!!!!
June 23, 2012
Brian Freeman writes the type of book that you cannot predict. You start out thinking that the evil person is obvious, but as each layer is revealed, you realize that you were wrong. Then being a lover of mysteries and suspense, you point yourself in a different direction and once again, Mr. Freeman exposes the error in your attempt at logic. There are no red herrings, you are left to your own suppositions and skillfully you are shown the blunders of your ways.
“Wise men can be the most foolish. We ask, is it better to do nothing in the face of injustice or do the wrong thing?”
The background of St. Croix and Barron are laid out in a Hatfield and McCoy way. The towns battle over the corrupt practices of a chemical company; a company that employs some and may be at the heart of the death of others. The reader wonders if the intent of Florian Steele followed that of Spock in the “needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few”.
“Decent men could do abominable things”
When Florian’s daughter Ashlynn is murdered, all fingers point to Olivia Hawk the estranged daughter of attorney Chris Hawk. I was dreading that the book would be an offshoot of Defending Jacob by William Landay, but it is not. Though each book is about an attorney father fighting for their child, that is where the similarities end. This book holds its own as the reader is lead through the dark hearts of man, from chemical production to murder to adult subject matters – all for the sake of family and secrets.
“One by one, they had all come face to face with the devil.”
Though there does appear to be multiple paths, the storylines bring the reader to a final conclusion that has you on the edge of your seat wondering who will survive and who will be swallowed up by a river that symbolizes the current that is flowing through each of their lives and determined to wash both the land and their souls clean.
What brought all of their lives to this point is fascinating.
“He wished he could change the past. Some mistakes couldn’t be corrected; they could only be endured.”
Brian Freeman writes a thrill ride. Sit down, grab on and know that you are not leaving your chair until the last sentence is read.
“The trouble was that revenge knew no boundaries….”
August 30, 2015
Spilled Blood is an okay thriller that gave me something to listen to on my commute without ever really thrilling me. I came close to giving a 2 star rating but I think that was partly due to the audio narrator and as there's no 2.5 it ended up with a rather generous 3. The audio narrator has one of those voices that is heard over a creepy movie trailer - "Once they were a normal suburban family... until the stranger came... now things will never be the same again..." which may work in that scenario but grates after 12 hours. Oddly enough, he does different voices for each of the character's dialogue and they are fine.
The story itself is about an absent father, Chris, who turns up to help his daughter, Olivia, when she gets into trouble during a feud between 2 small towns. A research facility has brought prosperity to one town while being suspected of causing illness and death in the other. Cue feud. Olivia has been accused of murder and her father is determined to clear her name. He sleuths around the town, somehow getting strangers to take him into their confidence before betraying them with no ill affects.
The tale has plenty of possibilities and there are some decent characters but it all felt rather flat to me (not helped by the gravelly narration). There were a couple of sub plots and red herrings, and the resolution was quite imaginative, but it began to drag fairly early on for me and I found myself wanting it to be over so I could get onto something else. How much this had to do with Mr Laryngitis reading it I'm not sure, but it certainly didn't help. Unless you enjoy movie trailer voiceovers, I would suggest the print/Kindle version... or perhaps try a different book.
The story itself is about an absent father, Chris, who turns up to help his daughter, Olivia, when she gets into trouble during a feud between 2 small towns. A research facility has brought prosperity to one town while being suspected of causing illness and death in the other. Cue feud. Olivia has been accused of murder and her father is determined to clear her name. He sleuths around the town, somehow getting strangers to take him into their confidence before betraying them with no ill affects.
The tale has plenty of possibilities and there are some decent characters but it all felt rather flat to me (not helped by the gravelly narration). There were a couple of sub plots and red herrings, and the resolution was quite imaginative, but it began to drag fairly early on for me and I found myself wanting it to be over so I could get onto something else. How much this had to do with Mr Laryngitis reading it I'm not sure, but it certainly didn't help. Unless you enjoy movie trailer voiceovers, I would suggest the print/Kindle version... or perhaps try a different book.
May 10, 2012
“Spilled Blood” by Brian Freeman, published by SilverOak.
Category – Mystery/Thriller
“Spilled Blood” is a mystery/thriller of the highest order. Brian Freeman grabbed me with his first novel “Immoral”, a novel I still talk about and tell everyone I picked two possible murder suspects and was wrong on both of them. In “Spilled Blood” he does it again.
In a small Minnesota town there are young people dying of cancer. The source of this cancer may be tied to the research corporation, Mondamin. Although an independent epidemiologist has cleared the company of any wrongdoing, suspicions remain.
The daughter of the owner of Mondamin is murdered and a young teenager is accused of the crime. It looks like an open and shut case until her father, a lawyer, arrives in town and starts asking questions. All of a sudden there are almost as many suspects as there are people in the town. There is also threatening notes being sent by the unknown “Aquarius” who seems to be seeking revenge on Mondamin.
There are dirty secrets being exposed on every page from abortion, child pornography, bribery, extortion, and just about everything else you can think of.
A top notch mystery that will keep you turning the pages because you absolutely must know what will be revealed on the next page. “Spilled Blood” presents the reader with the almost impossible task of figuring who did what, when, and how.
Category – Mystery/Thriller
“Spilled Blood” is a mystery/thriller of the highest order. Brian Freeman grabbed me with his first novel “Immoral”, a novel I still talk about and tell everyone I picked two possible murder suspects and was wrong on both of them. In “Spilled Blood” he does it again.
In a small Minnesota town there are young people dying of cancer. The source of this cancer may be tied to the research corporation, Mondamin. Although an independent epidemiologist has cleared the company of any wrongdoing, suspicions remain.
The daughter of the owner of Mondamin is murdered and a young teenager is accused of the crime. It looks like an open and shut case until her father, a lawyer, arrives in town and starts asking questions. All of a sudden there are almost as many suspects as there are people in the town. There is also threatening notes being sent by the unknown “Aquarius” who seems to be seeking revenge on Mondamin.
There are dirty secrets being exposed on every page from abortion, child pornography, bribery, extortion, and just about everything else you can think of.
A top notch mystery that will keep you turning the pages because you absolutely must know what will be revealed on the next page. “Spilled Blood” presents the reader with the almost impossible task of figuring who did what, when, and how.
April 23, 2017
The prologue opened with Olivia holding a gun to Ashland’s head and pulling the trigger putting a bullet in Ashland’s brain and killing her. Olivia’s mother, Hannah Groman-Hawk, called her dad, Chris Hawk, an attorney and told him that their daughter was sitting in jail accused of murder. When Olivia’s dad asked her if she did it, Olivia emphatically said no. Tanya, Olivia’s friend, who saw Olivia put the gun to Ashland’s head and saw her pull back the trigger, walked away after Olivia ignored her pleas to put down the gun.
Spilled Blood was a fun and scary rollercoaster ride with a story about an issue faced by many USA small towns. None of the characters were likable because they will remind you of those unlikeable people you have to deal with everyday. What made me appreciate the story was that it brought attention to Monsanto who genetically modifies food (GMO), seeds, organisms and anything else that can be modified genetically that may be linked to Autism, leukemia and other illnesses.
Joe Barrett’s storytelling made me feel as though I was in the story watching the events go down from afar.
Spilled Blood was a fun and scary rollercoaster ride with a story about an issue faced by many USA small towns. None of the characters were likable because they will remind you of those unlikeable people you have to deal with everyday. What made me appreciate the story was that it brought attention to Monsanto who genetically modifies food (GMO), seeds, organisms and anything else that can be modified genetically that may be linked to Autism, leukemia and other illnesses.
Joe Barrett’s storytelling made me feel as though I was in the story watching the events go down from afar.
May 3, 2024
I found Brian Freeman's book among free books on Audible. I do like the ones about Jonathan Stride but this one was really good!
****
I listened to this book again while it was free on Audible. I would have given this book ten stars if I could!
The book starts in "Ghost town" where Ashlynn had to stop after getting a flat tire.
Olivia and Tanya are there drinking beer thinking about their friend who had died from cancer 3 years ago. Ashlynn's dad owns a company that might have caused the cancer that has killed several kids in St Croix.
After Olivia is arrested for shooting Ashlynn her dad comes to St Croix. He's shocked by the violence! Someone breaks into his motel room and destroys his
things. When he gets to his ex wife's house someone shoots at the house from a car!
Christopher is a lawyer and he's going to try to defend his daughter. When he starts digging he finds that a lot is going on in both Baron and St Croix.
This is a novel and it's a good book to start with before you read his great series about Jonathan Stride.
****
I listened to this book again while it was free on Audible. I would have given this book ten stars if I could!
The book starts in "Ghost town" where Ashlynn had to stop after getting a flat tire.
Olivia and Tanya are there drinking beer thinking about their friend who had died from cancer 3 years ago. Ashlynn's dad owns a company that might have caused the cancer that has killed several kids in St Croix.
After Olivia is arrested for shooting Ashlynn her dad comes to St Croix. He's shocked by the violence! Someone breaks into his motel room and destroys his
things. When he gets to his ex wife's house someone shoots at the house from a car!
Christopher is a lawyer and he's going to try to defend his daughter. When he starts digging he finds that a lot is going on in both Baron and St Croix.
This is a novel and it's a good book to start with before you read his great series about Jonathan Stride.
February 5, 2012
*Disclaimer I won this ARC from Goodreads
I really enjoyed this book and found it very hard to put down. The story was extremely captivating and the characters were very well-developed. Usually with this type of thriller/mystery, I can figure out the ending early on, but not with Spilled Blood. I was very surprised by the ending and it was a perfect climax to a very well-done story.
I have never read anything by the author before but will be picking up his other novels, as I thoroughly enjoyed his writing and would compare him to some of my favorites, such as Harlan Coben or James Patterson.
I really enjoyed this book and found it very hard to put down. The story was extremely captivating and the characters were very well-developed. Usually with this type of thriller/mystery, I can figure out the ending early on, but not with Spilled Blood. I was very surprised by the ending and it was a perfect climax to a very well-done story.
I have never read anything by the author before but will be picking up his other novels, as I thoroughly enjoyed his writing and would compare him to some of my favorites, such as Harlan Coben or James Patterson.
June 26, 2017
Excellent. There's a good reason why this book won so many awards. As much as I enjoy the Jonathan Stride series, I think this might be my favorite book by Freeman, to date.
I've reached the point where I know Freeman has at least 2 twists coming and in this case I picked them both out pretty early, but I don't think either was obvious. I'm mostly patting myself on the back, but even though I suspected what was coming, I really enjoyed getting there.
Excellent pace. Great characters. Intricate plotting and well done twists all make this an easy book to recommend. A definite 4.5 stars for the genre. I devoured this book and you will too.
Highly recommended.
I've reached the point where I know Freeman has at least 2 twists coming and in this case I picked them both out pretty early, but I don't think either was obvious. I'm mostly patting myself on the back, but even though I suspected what was coming, I really enjoyed getting there.
Excellent pace. Great characters. Intricate plotting and well done twists all make this an easy book to recommend. A definite 4.5 stars for the genre. I devoured this book and you will too.
Highly recommended.
June 22, 2012
There was something about this book that made me not quite like it as well as the previous publications. It is a good story, with well developed characters for the most part. It's perhaps just a mystery that is a moral with a great bit of tragedy involved. However I still liked it, and if you are a Brian Freeman fan, you should like it as well.
October 23, 2012
Oh my gosh! The butler did it! (not really, but it felt like that kind of mystery) And one and two and three and twist and twist! Wow! What a ride! Two small towns with a growing feud. A lawyer, a priest, a wealthy CEO, high school kids that are being infused by slow and dangerous anger...you get the picture. But who done it? Great book.
September 18, 2015
Brian Freeman can tell a very good story and this one kept me interested until the end. The characters were very believable and the plot was excellent. Environmental and family issues are at the center of this mystery about two small towns. I highly recommend this novel and I look forward to reading more of Brian Freeman's books as they don't disappoint.
August 23, 2020
Absolutely LOVE this author. This one can be read as a stand-alone, which is a nice switch up if you want to take a break from his detective series (or if you're like me and know the second you read the next in line of his detective series, you won't accomplish anything until you read at least 2 more after that).
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