The Night Bird

Frost Easton, Book 1

By: Brian Freeman

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Homicide detective Frost Easton doesn't like coincidences. When a series of bizarre deaths rock San Francisco - as seemingly random women suffer violent psychotic breaks - Frost looks for a connection that leads him to psychiatrist Francesca Stein. Frankie's controversial therapy helps people erase their most terrifying memories...and all the victims were her patients.

As Frost and Frankie carry out their own investigations, the case becomes increasingly personal - and dangerous. Long-submerged secrets surface as someone called the Night Bird taunts the pair with cryptic messages pertaining to the deaths. Soon Frankie is forced to confront strange gaps in her own memory, and Frost faces a killer who knows the detective's worst fears.

As the body count rises and the Night Bird circles ever closer, a dedicated cop and a brilliant doctor race to solve the puzzle before a cunning killer claims another victim.

©2017 Brian Freeman (P)2016 Brilliance Audio

Brian Freeman's "faux pas"....

Both Brian Freeman and Joe Barrett belong to the golden circle of my favorite writers/narrators and hence my expectations were high…but I felt let down.
The plot is not credible and the characters stiff and a bit of stereotype. It seems that Freeman wanted to diversify from the long (and very enjoyable) Jonathan Stride series and start all over with a new character ( Frost Easton) and new settings (San Francisco). The story is about a shrink who thinks she is helping people by erasing bad memories and a serial killer that gravitates around her. The story is creepy, at times suspenseful and, frankly, at times silly..
This is my first two-star rating to a great thriller writer with my advice to all of you to go for the good Jonathan Stride’s books.

A bit silly

The plot was just too silly. It seems that everyone can learn how to implant memories in others. Certainly, the psychiatrist who is one of the three main characters seems to do it quite well...and gets into trouble for it. OK. It MIGHT have worked, but the character development is so shoddy that they can't make the preposterous premise believable. They're not smart enough (put themselves in ridiculous situations time and time again). The police work is shoddy as well (at one point, the main character, Frost, lets a victim do some of his research...potentially putting her in danger). Barrett is actually quite good as the narrator EXCEPT when he does the deranged voice of the killer luring his victims on. The voice that is meant to be terrifying is cartoonish (and grating), making the performance rating go from five starts to three. Ultimately, the book is boring. I had to force myself to finish it.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!Freeman & Barrett are a winning team!

WOW! This is some kind of messed up story, and I say this with total admiration for Brian Freeman.
We have a psychologist who specializes in wiping out memories that people have when the memories interfere with the person's life. She demonstrates to the police just how fragile memories are and how suggestible people are. Some love her, others find her methods too controversial.
Anyway, the good Dr.'s patients are coming to her for help with their phobias and within days to weeks later they are loosing control in the most bizarre ways and committing suicide.
This story is so multilayered with one framing another, another one having an affair, family betrayal and old hurts that never go away.
There is lots of action and drama to what I guess would be a police procedural.
If you have ever read/listened to either the Jonathan Stride or Cab Bolton series (both are Excellent) then you will like this as well. Freeman has not lost his edgy style of writing, if anything he gets better with each new book.
Joe Barrett is one of my favorite narrators. His performance could not have been better if he tried.
MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
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Just awful.

If you like hearing a male trying to scream like a women, yelling or trying to sound spooky over and over again then this is for you. I myself hated it.

A wild, wild psychological thriller!

Brian Freeman writes another great novel! I believe it is his best to date. While not part of his wonderful Jonathan Stride series, it is at least as good. Brian Freeman and Joe Barrett are a great author-narrator audio book pair. I see that Audible listener Shelley posted a review earlier today. I agree with her comments and urge you to read her review.

One of the 3 Audible reviews posted before mine ranks this novel as one star because she was unable to get the audio to play. I wish she had contacted Audible rather than post a review. Such ratings and reviews are unfair to the author and narrator for an issue they did not cause.

Super fun read

This book was very interesting. I thought I had it figured out but was surprised how it went down. The best thing about this book was NO F bombs. I'm so sick of starting a good book only to find out that the language is so crude I really hate hearing the F word. It seam like every new book that comes out the author feels like they have to throw in some token F words to make it "gritty". Glad this one didn't.

Narrators voice intolerable

Could not finish. Could not tolerate the narrators gravelly voice and inflection. Would not recommend.

Oh Come On! Will This Thing Never End?

Overwritten! Shallow! Annoying! Un-credible!

You know, I think that Brian Freeman could probably write a very good mystery, if he meets an editor with a blue pencil. And the willingness to say, "Um, no Brian... There's no one anywhere like you imagine these characters to be." Joe Barrett can do voices well, and he can do characters better. Unfortunately he lacked better characters in this wondering, endless, mess.

A surprise thriller

Many twist and turns to grab your attention. As usual the detective has issues but these do not play a large part in the story.
Two stories for the doctor one a moral dilemma about her method of psychotherapy treatment and the second about family loyalty family abuse. There is a lot of investigative action. I'm glad a used the credit

Keeps you wondering

This book kept wondering what was going to happen next. I could bearly put the book down. every moment I got was for reading this book. Thanks to the author.

Interesting story. Terrible narrator!

The narrator clearly watched Mary Poppins before narrating this book. The one English character sounds like a hopped up version of DickVan Dyke’s chimney sweep. So distracting.

Expected better from Brian....

I just couldn't get into this.....l absolutely ADORED the Jonathon Stride books, but this just didn't meet my expectations at all. I just can't like or engage with any of the characters. The narration is great, but I found myself drifting off and missing big chunks of the story. I finally bailed after about 4 hours. I may go back to it, but probably won't......

reasonably good who dunnit story

well narrated, I finished it but didn't find myself thinking about it afterwards. nothing special in my opinion.

Dick van Dyke meets Les Patterson

A strange book mainly for the cod psychology and the narrator's attempt at a British accent.

Okay story, very annoying performance

The voice the narrator puts on for women is beyond irritating - so off putting.

The story kept me listening but overall was pretty ridiculous and none of the characters are likeable.

misleadingly rotten

Having undergone therapeutic hypnosis for a phobia, I was really annoyed at the lack of research done into it in this novel and the fantastical story that a hypnotherapist can literally remove memories. What a load of crap. That is not how it works and there is no 'trance' state, god it's 2019 and we're still peddling the same old crap.

The Night Bird

This is the first book by Brian Freeman that i have read/ listened to and i thoroughly enjoyed it.
The plot was well thought out, i couldn't imagine coming up with such a storyline, i was hooked right from the beginning.
I secretly hoped that something would come of Frost and Lucy ...... not forgetting Shrak !
I did have to keep going back here and there to jog my memory as to what had happened, there were some twists along the way but if you enjoy a novel with a dark side this is for you.
I am going to hunt for more novels by this author and I'm hoping that the next will have as good a storyline and character's with as interesting lives as this ....... im really hoping that i haven't been spoilt for more.
This is the 1st book i have ever written a review for so it must have been good !

The nightbird

Really enjoyed this book although the plot was predictable, I had it on audiobook well performed by narrator

Hard to stop listening

I started reading this on my kindle but had to buy the audiobook to carry on listening when I wasn't In a position to read. A brilliant thriller