Alter Ego by Brian Freeman is the 9th book in the Jonathan Stride mystery series. Publisher: Quercus, coming May 1, 2018

When a freak auto accident kills a driver on the remote roads outside Duluth, Jonathan Stride is disturbed to discover that the victim appears to be a “ghost,” with a false identity and no evidence to suggest who he really was. Alarmingly, a gun is found in the car–and the gun has recently been fired.

The next day, Stride learns that a Duluth college student has also vanished, and he worries that the two incidents are related. But what would have put an ordinary young woman in the crosshairs of a man who has all the hallmarks of an assassin for hire?

Stride’s investigation of the girl’s disappearance leads him into the midst of a film crew in Duluth, where a movie is being made based on a case in Stride’s own past. The actor playing Stride is Hollywood royalty, an award-winning icon who has charmed his way to the top of the box office.

But Stride soon hears whispers that his cinematic alter ego has a dark side . . . and in trying to expose the truth, he makes a powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to protect his reputation.

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As always, Brian temps me with the title of his books and once I start reading, I was enraptured with all that was happening between the pages. In his latest case, Stride and his team are working on two unrelated murders, until that pivotal moment when it appears that there is a connection to a movie being filmed. With some dastardly dealings perpetrated on the page, this book takes off like a rocket ship, full speed ahead in a fast-paced and intoxicating drama that I could not put down until all was said and done. Well-executed and staged, the author does a great job in pulling me in and capturing the essence of the multi-plot story being told with visually descriptive narrative that put me in the middle of all the action. The criminal element was front and center, but the crux of this riveting drama was gathering the means necessary to end it and that’s when everything exploded as the rush of the story cascaded to a frenetic pacing that had me devouring every single page as quickly as I can until that intensifying moment where I held my breath at the outcome. Bravo Cat. Bravo Brian. Well done. Well done.

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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.