Jonathan Stride Books in Order
Part ofBrian Freeman Books in OrderExplore the Jonathan Stride series by Brian Freeman in order, with book summaries, Duluth setting details, and practical advice on where to begin.
Last updated: July 15, 2026
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Jonathan Stride books in publication order
15 books
Immoral
by Brian Freeman
2005
Two teenage girls vanish from the same Duluth high school, and Lieutenant Jonathan Stride refuses to accept the easy serial-killer explanation. A murder trial without a body exposes ugly secrets, then sends the case in a far darker direction.
Stripped
by Brian Freeman
2006
In Las Vegas, Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial investigate a celebrity murder and a brutal hit-and-run that seem unrelated. Their cases lead toward an old showgirl killing and a predator who is not finished hunting.
Stalked
by Brian Freeman
2007
An escaped killer targets Serena Dial, the woman who helped send him to prison. At the same time, Stride's partner Maggie becomes a suspect in her husband's death, leaving Stride to protect both women as the cases converge.
In The Dark
by Brian Freeman
2008
In The Dark / The Watcher
by Brian Freeman
2008
A writer returns to Duluth to revisit the unsolved murder of Jonathan Stride's late wife's sister. As Stride digs into the thirty-year-old crime, present-day violence suggests someone is still desperate to keep the past buried.
The Burying Place
by Brian Freeman
2009
Jonathan Stride investigates the kidnapping of an infant from a prominent Minnesota family's home while Maggie Bei pursues a killer stalking women nearby. The two cases uncover private betrayals, and danger closes in on a rookie officer.
Spitting Devil
by Brian Freeman
2012
Alison Malville fears her husband is a serial killer after murdered women are found wearing pieces of her clothing. As nightmares and suspicion consume her home, Jonathan Stride searches for the truth behind a chilling pattern.
The Cold Nowhere
by Brian Freeman
2013
A half-frozen teenage girl arrives at Jonathan Stride's Lake Superior cottage, asking protection from a stalker. Her mother was a woman Stride once failed to save, and helping her may uncover a new, deadly danger.
Turn to Stone
by Brian Freeman
2014
While visiting his mother's grave in rural Wisconsin, Jonathan Stride witnesses a young deputy's suicide. The deputy's widow asks him to investigate, leading Stride into the dark aftermath of an old kidnapping and a town determined to stay silent.
Goodbye to the Dead
by Brian Freeman
2015
A gun recovered after a new murder reopens the case of a respected doctor convicted of killing her husband years earlier. For Jonathan Stride, the investigation is personal because his late wife was the doctor's closest friend.
Marathon
by Brian Freeman
2017
A viral social-media post falsely identifies a Muslim taxi driver as a terrorist, turning him into the target of a furious public hunt. Jonathan Stride races to find the real threat before fear and misinformation claim more lives.
Alter Ego
by Brian Freeman
2018
A Hollywood film crew arrives in Duluth to dramatize one of Jonathan Stride's old cases, stirring up fresh trouble. When a local murder and an attack on a young survivor collide, Stride faces secrets that fame has made more dangerous.
Funeral for a Friend
by Brian Freeman
2020
Jonathan Stride's dying best friend confesses to burying a body to protect him. When the body is found in Stride's yard, the detective becomes a murder suspect and must uncover the secret his friend took to the grave.
The Zero Night
by Brian Freeman
2022
Back from a long medical leave, Jonathan Stride helps Maggie Bei investigate a woman's apparent kidnapping after her husband pays ransom. The case is full of lies, while Serena faces painful memories triggered by her mother's death.
Where the Road Ends
by Brian Freeman
2026
After a Duluth judge and his wife are murdered, Maggie Bei shoots an intruder she believes is the killer. Jonathan Stride discovers the man was unarmed and must find the real murderer before Maggie's life is destroyed.
Jonathan Stride books in chronological order

Immoral
by Brian Freeman
2005Jonathan Stride, Book 1
Stripped
by Brian Freeman
2006Jonathan Stride, Book 2
Stalked
by Brian Freeman
2007Jonathan Stride, Book 3
In The Dark / The Watcher
by Brian Freeman
2008Jonathan Stride, Book 4
The Burying Place
by Brian Freeman
2009Jonathan Stride, Book 5
Spitting Devil
by Brian Freeman
2012Jonathan Stride, Book 6
The Cold Nowhere
by Brian Freeman
2013Jonathan Stride, Book 7
Turn to Stone
by Brian Freeman
2014Jonathan Stride, Book 8
Goodbye to the Dead
by Brian Freeman
2015Jonathan Stride, Book 9
Marathon
by Brian Freeman
2017Jonathan Stride, Book 10
Alter Ego
by Brian Freeman
2018Jonathan Stride, Book 11
Funeral for a Friend
by Brian Freeman
2020Jonathan Stride, Book 12
The Zero Night
by Brian Freeman
2022Jonathan Stride, Book 13
Where the Road Ends
by Brian Freeman
2026Jonathan Stride, Book 14
Series background & context
The Jonathan Stride novels follow a Duluth, Minnesota, homicide lieutenant whose cases keep colliding with old grief, hidden lives, and the harsh weather off Lake Superior. Jonathan Stride is steady under pressure and stubborn when a victim has been ignored, but he is not a clean-slate detective. He carries the loss of his first wife, Cindy, and the weight of investigations that did not end the way he wanted.
The series starts with Immoral, when two teenage girls disappear from the same high school. The case introduces Stride's patient, questioning style and the way Freeman builds suspense from conflicting accounts. What seems obvious at first is usually not the whole story. The early books also establish Maggie Bei, Stride's longtime partner, and Serena Dial, a former Las Vegas detective whose relationship with Stride develops across the series.
Duluth matters as much as the cases.
The city and its surroundings provide more than a backdrop. Lake-effect snow, lakefront homes, empty stretches of road, old neighborhoods, and the chill of a northern winter shape how people move through these stories. Stripped takes Stride and Serena to Las Vegas, while Stalked puts the women closest to Stride in immediate danger. By In the Dark, a decades-old murder tied to Cindy's family forces him to revisit his own past.
Later books broaden the emotional stakes. The Burying Place links a child abduction and a series of killings. The Cold Nowhere brings a troubled teenager from Stride's past into his isolated life. In Goodbye to the Dead, an old gun reopens questions surrounding Cindy's friend. Cases may be complete by each ending, but the people solving them do not return to the same place.
That continuity is the point.
The series has room for short fiction, including Spitting Devil and the novella Turn to Stone, but the main novels form the clearest path through Stride's changing relationships and career. Marathon and Alter Ego bring contemporary public pressure and media attention into the mix, while Funeral for a Friend and The Zero Night push Stride, Serena, and Maggie into cases with painful personal connections.
These are psychological police thrillers rather than cozy puzzles. The crimes can be dark, and Freeman spends time on the fear, guilt, loyalties, and bad decisions surrounding them. Start with Immoral and read forward for the fullest picture of Stride's life, his colleagues, and a city where the cold often hides more than it reveals.
Edited by
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