Brian Freeman's Bio


Brian Freeman: Author of psychological suspense novels

Brian Freeman, 58, was born on March 23 in Chicago, Illinois, the United States. He attended Carleton College where he graduated in 1984 with magna cum laude in English. Before becoming an author, Freeman was a director of marketing and public relations at the international law firm of Faegre & Benson. He debuted in 2005 with his novel, Immoral, which won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the Edgar Award.

Freeman writes psychological thrillers featuring Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial, and series featuring Cab Bolton and Frost Easton, as well as the Jason Bourne series that have been sold in 46 countries and are available in 22 languages. 

Freemen credits his grandmother and his 8th grade composition teacher for his success as a writer.

His novel Spilled Blood won the award for Best Hardcover Novel in the annual Thriller Awards, and his novel The Burying Place was a finalist for the same award. His novel The Deep, Deep Snow was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original.

Freeman has also been named by Putnam and the Robert Ludlum estate as the official author to continue Ludlum’s famous Jason Bourne franchise. His first Bourne novel The Bourne Evolution was named one of the Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2020 by Kirkus.

“My goal is to write books with haunting characters and a lightning-fast pace,” he says. “My stories are about the hidden intimate motives that draw people across some dark lines. The twists and turns keep you turning the pages, and each piece in the puzzle gives you new insight into the heroes, victims, and villains.”

Freeman adds: “I don’t like books where the characters are all good or all bad. I want them to live in the real world, where morality means tough choices and a lot of shades of gray. I hope that’s why readers relate so intensely to the people in my books.”

He is particularly known for the “you are there” sense of place in his novels, from dead-of-winter Minnesota to the tropical storms of Florida. He scouts real-life locales for all of his books and brings to life dramatic settings such as Duluth, San Francisco, Tampa, Las Vegas, and Door County, Wisconsin.  
“Nobody writes weather like Brian Freeman,” says one reviewer.

Freeman has lived in Minnesota for more than 35 years with his wife, Marcia, who is his partner in life and in the book business. They both stay closely connected to his readers.

Below are some Freeman’s novels:

  • Immoral (2005), Jonathan Stride Novel (Book 1) 

  • Stripped (2006), Jonathan Stride Novel (Book 2)

  • Stalked (2007), Jonathan Stride Novel (Book 3)

  • In the Dark (2008), Jonathan Stride Novel (Book 4) [The United Kingdom version of this book is titled The Watcher]

  • The Burying Place (2010), Jonathan Stride Novel (Book 5)

  • The Agency (2010), with Ali Gunn as Ally O'Brien

  • The Bone House (2011), Cab Bolton Novel (Book 1)

  • Spilled Blood (2012), 2013 International Thriller Award for Best Novel

  • Spitting Devil (2012), a short story

  • The Cold Nowhere (2013), Jonathan Stride Novel (Book 6)

  • Turned to Stone (2014), Jonathan Stride Novella

  • Season of Fear (2015), Cab Bolton Novel (Book 2)   

  • West 57 (2015), as B.N. Freeman, self-published

  • Goodbye to the Dead (2016), Jonathan Stride Novel (Book 7)

  • Marathon (2017), Jonathan Stride Novel (Book 8)

  • The Night Bird (2017), Frost Easton Novel (Book 1)

  • Alter Ego (2018), Jonathan Stride Novel (Book 9)

  • The Voice Inside (2018), Frost Easton Novel (Book 2)

  • The Crooked Street (2019), Frost Easton Novel (Book 3)

  • Thief River Falls (2020)   

  • Funeral For A friend (2020), Jonathan Stride Novel (Book 10)

  • The Deep, Deep Snow (2020)       

  • The Bourne Evolution (2020), Jason Bourne Book 

  • Infinite (2021)       

  • The Bourne Treachery (2021), Jason Bourne Book