Praise for

Brian Freeman

“Enthralling . . . Freeman brings all the characters to life, highlighting their strengths as well as the darkness that lies within each of them, thus adding a delicious sense of uncertainty as to their motives. Readers will have a tough time putting this one down.”

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
on The Deep, Deep Snow

“Some of the most literate and stylish writing you’ll find anywhere today.”

—Jeffery Deaver

“This guy can tell a story.”

—Michael Connelly

“Brian Freeman is, quite simply, a first-rate storyteller.”

—Nelson DeMille

“This book is a delight to read. The dialogue is crisp and natural. The storytelling seems unflawed, with the tiniest of breadcrumbs from one chapter suddenly resurfacing and making their purpose known. The Deep, Deep Snow is one to share with friends, to recommend for book clubs, or to stash away for a second reading down the road. It’s just that good.”

—Star Tribune on The Deep, Deep Snow

“From the author of the Jonathan Stride mystery series comes a crisply written story about a small-town sheriff’s deputy whose investigation of a missing-person case exposes lies and secrets . . . Shelby Lake, the star of the show, is a terrific character . . . She’s a tough, compassionate woman who absolutely will not be distracted from her search for the truth.”

—Booklist

ALSO BY BRIAN FREEMAN

The Deep, Deep Snow

The Frost Easton Series

The Crooked Street

The Voice Inside

The Night Bird

The Jonathan Stride Series

Funeral for a Friend

Alter Ego*

Marathon

Goodbye to the Dead

The Cold Nowhere

Turn to Stone (e-novella)

Spitting Devil (e-short story)

The Burying Place

In the Dark

Stalked

Stripped

Immoral

The Cab Bolton Series

Season of Fear

The Bone House

*Cab Bolton also appears in Alter Ego

Copyright © 2022 by Brian Freeman
Published in 2022 by Blackstone Publishing
Cover design by Brobel Design

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced
or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the
publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

The characters and events in this book are fictitious.
Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental
and not intended by the author.

Trade e-book ISBN 978-1-6651-0972-7
Library e-book ISBN 979-8-200-83406-8
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural

CIP data for this book is available from the Library of Congress

Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Rd.
Ashland, OR 97520

www.BlackstonePublishing.com

For Marcia

I know you'll never forgive me...

I know you’ll never forgive me for what I did.

Believe me, I’m not trying to convince you that I’m a better person than I am, or asking you to find any sympathy for me in your heart. I won’t even ask that you not hate me. It’s too late for that.