The Zero Night

Thriller Award winner Freeman’s strong 11th Jonathan Stride novel (after 2020’s Funeral for a Friend) finds the Duluth, Minn., cop, who once headed major crimes before he almost died from a gunshot wound, returning to work after more than a year of medical leave to help his old partner, Lt. Maggie Bei, with a kidnapping case. Attorney Gavin Webster contacted Maggie to report that his wife, Chelsey, had been abducted several days earlier; he complied with the kidnapper’s demands to pay a $100,000 ransom and to not involve the police, but, despite that, he’s heard nothing further, and Chelsey remains missing. Maggie suspects Gavin may not be telling her the whole story, indeed may have faked the abduction as a way of ending his marriage. Meanwhile, Stride must contend with the struggles of his wife, Serena, also a cop, after she learns that her abusive mother has died, reviving fraught emotions and threatening her hard-won sobriety. Freeman makes the inner lives of the Strides accessible even for newcomers, and perfectly balances plot twists and character development. Those who like their crime thrillers infused with humanity will be rewarded. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider ICM Partners. (Nov.)