Marathon

By: Brian Freeman

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

On a rainy June morning, tens of thousands of people crowd into Duluth for the city's biggest annual event: the Duluth Marathon. Exhausted runners push to reach the finish line and spectators line the streets to cheer them on. Then, in a terrifying echo of the Boston bombing, there is an explosion along the race course, leaving many people dead and injured.

Within minutes, Jonathan Stride, Serena Dial, and Maggie Bei are at work with the FBI to find the terrorists behind the tragedy. As social media feeds a flood of rumors and misinformation, one spectator remembers being jostled by a young man with a backpack not far from the bomb site. He spots a Muslim man in a tourist's photo of the event and is convinced that this was the man who bumped into him in the crowd - but now the man's backpack is missing.

When he tweets the photo to the public, the young man, Khan Rashid, becomes the most wanted man in the city. And the manhunt is on.

But are the answers behind the Duluth bombing more complex than anyone realizes? And can Stride, Serena, and Maggie find the truth before more innocent people are killed?

©2017 Brian Freeman (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Disappointingly Predictable

One of my favorite reviewer's gave this audiobook 5 stars but I could not make it past chapter 7. Shaking my head I jumped to the last four chapters to see if I was right and found I was.
This audiobook is too predictable.
I like this author very much, but he preached to the point of making me bored.
The ending is so neatly wrapped up that it needs a bow.
I recommend sticking with the earlier audiobooks in this series.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Stop with the preaching!!!

I actually AGREE with the author's message, but pleeeease: don't LECTURE! I listen to audiobooks to escape what is currently going on in this country (the demonizing of immigrants being just one of the catastrophes). If the author had managed to convey his point in a less plodding and obvious way, it would have been "a novel." THIS was unbearable. Obvious and manipulative ( I could not finish it, hard as I tried simply because I have been a fan of the author). Love this series and hope the author gets back on track. This one was just plain lazy.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT!!!!

Any additional comments?

This is another one of my favorite series. I have listened to all of the Jonathan Stride books at least twice (I like reruns when I have nothing new to listen to). I can't say enough about the books other than to recommend them all.
In this book there is a marathon going on in the city of Duluth, Minnesota. As the runners begin crossing the finish line a knapsack containing a bomb inside a glass fronted store is detonated. A few people die, many are injured.
One man believes he saw the culprit and finds a picture of him on the internet, he posts the picture and tells people that this is the man responsible. One problem, the picture is that of an innocent man. What follows is a series of tragedies, more people die unnecessarily. An entire city is out for vengeance/justice and an innocent man is on the run but not without suffering a personal tragedy himself because of the vigilantes.
While all this is going on there is another background storyline. A woman has moved into town who is an advocate of civil rights and racial profiling, meaning she is very outspoken about people who appear to be middle eastern and calling all believers in the Muslim religion murderers. She incites people to take action.
The two plots collide in an explosive (but believable) ending.
EXCELLENT book, fast paced with out a single dull moment.
Joe Barrett narrates the book (as well as all the other Stride books). He does an Outstanding job.
This book has my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!!!!
If you found this review helpful please indicate so.
Thank You.

18 of 24 people found this review helpful

A Heavy Handed Morality Tale

As much as I love this series, this particular installment was disappointing. I didn't appreciate how it rubbed my nose in its message and telegraphed all its outcomes early and often. All the obviously misplaced outrage got a bit tedious after a while. Joe Barrett, as always, did a fine job with the narration . . . as he has done on all the Stride audiobooks.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great story; great narration!

Author Brian Freeman is relatively new to me, but I have listened to 6 of his audio novels during recent months as he is becoming one of my favorites. Marathon is Freeman's latest release. The subject is a bomb in a backpack exploding near the finish line of the annual marathon in Duluth MN. Several people are killed and many injured. Many people rush to judgment and a well known provocateur comes to town to further inflame ethnic/religious mistrust and hatred. The FBI also arrives to help with the investigation.

Marathon is an outstanding mystery and suspense police procedural which deals openly with the horrible impact of false assumptions of responsibility on the lives of innocent individuals and families. Joe Barrett narrates. This novel has my highest recommendation.

11 of 15 people found this review helpful

Too Politically Correct for me

What would have made Marathon better?

Treating the free speech movement with fairness

What could Brian Freeman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Not treating American values as the villian

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It was a good mystery, but the political message hurt any entertainment value.

Any additional comments?

In this age of free speech being blown away on campus, I don't understand Brian Freeman's intense dislike of women in the movement.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Story that is relevant right now.

Interesting and timely story. Hit the mark. I almost stopped listening as it hurt my heart. Glad I finished.

Another good read

Just as all the one's before, this novel brings a good storyline for Jonathan Stride. I love the unexpected update for Jonathan and Serena as well as Cat. This story focuses on a major issue that exists in the world today and sheds light on how that issue can lead to much bigger ones. A very unexpected ending though!

the best ever

A very meaningful And timely book. I not only enjoyed the story and all the characters but found myself emotionally and intellectually involved with both sorrow and joy and prayers to be a better person. Mr. Freeman you have managed to put into words the fact that we are all alike in the beginning and in our hearts. Hopefully we can learn to keep that thought in our hearts and minds as we go through our lives. Thank You

Another great Jonathan Stride installment.

As always, this Jonathan Stride novel was gripping and suspenseful. In Marathon, it introduces the life altering damage social media, hate, and assumptions can make. I liked that this story was a little different than the rest, but with all the same characters I love.