D. D. Warren
thriller
Series · psychological thriller
Jonathan Stride
The Jonathan Stride series by Brian Freeman has 12 known books (11 published; 1 announced) and is best read in publication order, starting with Immoral (2005). The next announced book, Where the Road Ends, is due 6 October 2026.
- Books
- 12 known books (12 novels)
- Published
- 11
- Announced
- 1
- First published
- 2005
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Thriller
- Last checked
Start here: Immoral (2005) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series. Announced future books are marked below.
- Book 1:
Immoral
Immoral (2005, 391 pages) opens the Jonathan Stride series, pitting the Duluth homicide detective against the disappearance of a local teenager and introducing his partner and eventual love interest, Maggie Bei, along with the guilt he carries over his wife's earlier death.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Immoral - Book 2:
Stripped
Stripped (2006, 352 pages) comes after Immoral and before Stalked in the Jonathan Stride series, continuing Brian Freeman's slow-burn ensemble of Duluth cops and civilians against the fog-bound, Lake Superior setting he treats almost as a character.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stripped - Book 3:
Stalked
Running 523 pages, Stalked (2007) is the third Jonathan Stride novel, one of several entries that foreground a specific traumatized point-of-view character alongside Stride's own investigation -- part of the psychological density that sets the series apart from a standard procedural.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stalked - Book 4:
In the Dark
In the Dark (2008, 387 pages) follows Stalked in the Jonathan Stride series, continuing Brian Freeman's Duluth-set procedural as the detective's evolving relationships with Maggie Bei and, later, Serena Dial develop across the run.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of In the Dark - Book 5:
The Burying Place
The Burying Place (2010, 342 pages) sits between In the Dark and The Cold Nowhere in the Jonathan Stride series, and is the point in the timeline where the short e-novellas Spitting Devil and Turn to Stone are set, adding texture to this stretch of the series.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Burying Place - Book 6:
The Cold Nowhere
The Cold Nowhere arrived three years after The Burying Place, continuing the Jonathan Stride series in 2013 (409 pages) as one of the entries that foregrounds a traumatized point-of-view character alongside Stride's investigation, deepening the series' focus on grief and obsession.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Cold Nowhere - Book 7:
Goodbye to the Dead
Goodbye to the Dead (2015, 421 pages) precedes Marathon in the Jonathan Stride series, continuing Brian Freeman's slow-burn ensemble of Duluth cops and civilians -- including troubled protégée Serena Dial, who becomes Stride's second wife -- across a series where not everyone survives.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Goodbye to the Dead - Book 8:
Marathon
Published in 2017, Marathon (401 pages) is the eighth Jonathan Stride novel, continuing the fog-bound, ice-locked Duluth setting and psychological focus on grief and guilt that Brian Freeman built the series around.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Marathon - Book 9:
Alter Ego
Alter Ego (2018, 201 pages) is the ninth Jonathan Stride novel, notable for crossing over with Brian Freeman's separate FBI profiler character Cab Bolton, who partners with Stride here -- no prior Cab Bolton reading is required, though it deepens the pairing.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Alter Ego - Book 10:
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend (2020) is the tenth entry in the Jonathan Stride series, continuing Brian Freeman's slow-burn ensemble of Duluth cops and civilians in the years after the case-a-year pace of the series' early run slowed to roughly every two to three years.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Funeral for a Friend - Book 11:
The Zero Night
Written by Brian Freeman, The Zero Night (2022) is the eleventh Jonathan Stride novel, continuing the Duluth homicide detective's story a few years ahead of the twelfth entry, Where the Road Ends.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Zero Night - Book 12:
Where the Road Ends
Following The Zero Night, Where the Road Ends (2026, 376 pages) is scheduled as the twelfth Jonathan Stride novel, arriving as Brian Freeman's Duluth-set series continues at its now-slower, roughly two-to-three-year release pace.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Where the Road Ends
About the Jonathan Stride series
Jonathan Stride is a homicide detective in Duluth, Minnesota, working the fog-bound, ice-locked streets along Lake Superior — a setting Brian Freeman treats almost as a character in itself, all grey water, dark woods and small-town secrets. The series opens with Immoral (2005), which pits Stride against the disappearance of a local teenager and introduces his partner (and eventual love interest) Maggie Bei, as well as the guilt he carries over the earlier death of his wife. Across the run, Freeman builds a slow-burn ensemble: Maggie's own arc, troubled protégée Serena Dial (who becomes Stride's second wife), and a rotating cast of Duluth cops and civilians who don't always survive the books they appear in.
What distinguishes the series from a standard police procedural is its psychological density — Freeman spends as much time on grief, obsession and guilt as on the mechanics of an investigation, and several entries (Stalked, The Cold Nowhere, Alter Ego) foreground a specific traumatized point-of-view character alongside Stride's own. The series crosses over occasionally with Freeman's other Duluth-adjacent characters: Cab Bolton (an FBI profiler) partners with Stride in Alter Ego, and Spitting Devil and Turn to Stone are shorter e-novella-length entries slotted between the numbered novels. After a run of case-a-year releases through the late 2000s, publication slowed to roughly every two to three years, with Where the Road Ends (2026) marking Stride's twelfth outing.
Frequently asked questions
How many Jonathan Stride books are there?
Twelve novels as of Where the Road Ends (2026), starting with Immoral (2005), plus two short e-novellas (Spitting Devil and Turn to Stone) that fit around book five.
What order should I read the Jonathan Stride books in?
Publication order, beginning with Immoral. The series tracks Stride's relationships and personal history closely enough that skipping around will spoil major developments.
Do I need to read Brian Freeman's other series before Jonathan Stride?
No. Jonathan Stride is Freeman's flagship series and the best starting point. Alter Ego features a crossover with his Cab Bolton character, but works fine without any Cab Bolton background.
Is there a new Jonathan Stride book coming?
Yes — Where the Road Ends, the twelfth Jonathan Stride novel, was published 6 October 2026.
If you like the Jonathan Stride series
Reading order last verified .