Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Penguin Books (2016), 336 pages
Description
"In Nicci's French's thrilling fifth book, London psychotherapist Frieda Klein herself becomes the prime suspect in a murder. A bloated corpse turns up in the Thames, throat slashed, and the only clue is a hospital wristband reading Dr. F. Klein. Frieda is taken to see the body and realizes with horror that it is Sandy, her ex-boyfriend. She's certain that the killer is Dean Reeve--the man who has never stopped haunting her. But the police think he has been dead for years, and Frieda is their number one suspect. With few options, Frieda goes on the run to save herself and try to uncover the truth. Praise for the Frieda Klein Mystery series: "Fierce, fascinating, and full of insight, Frieda Klein is irresistible." --Val McDermid, bestselling author ofSplinter the Silence "Sophisticated, gripping, addictive. Crime novels that stand head and shoulders above the competition." --Sophie Hannah, bestselling author of Woman with a Secret "Complex psychological suspense at its best." --Booklist (starred review)"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
I launched into Friday On My Mind, book five of the Freida Klein series by Nicci French, directly after finishing Thursday’s Children.
Fast paced and tense this is another page turning installment of the series. In Friday On My Mind, Frieda is accused of murder when the body of her ex lover, Sandy
Frieda is of course expecting her search for evidence will lead her to prove Dean Reeve is alive and culpable, but as she delves into Sandy’s recent past, she begins to wonder if someone else could be responsible. In her methodical and fearless way Frieda insinuates into the lives of those closest to Sandy, doggedly hunting his killer all while trying to keep a low profile but as the mystery unfolds a shocking twist proves the murderer is closer than she thinks. Even though Frieda manages to stay one step ahead of the police, a reckoning with the killer has consequences for all of them, both deadly and unexpected.
“‘That’s part of Freida’s problem. She doesn’t want to get off. She wants the truth.'”
Though Frieda is determined to protect her loyal friends from the fall out of the case, they rally to support her, even when it puts them at risk of prosecution. Karlsson in particular faces trouble when he defends Freida against the vindictive police commissioner and his pet psychiatrist. Josef shrugs off threats of deportation, doing everything he can to aid Frieda’s fight, and even the emotionally fragile Sasha doesn’t hesitate to offer her refuge.
“‘I just follow where the evidence leads me, and in this case the evidence suggests that where Frieda Klein goes a trail of chaos follows. What her precise role in this happens to be has always been difficult to pin down. As you will probably discover, Frieda Klein also has some strange associates. How these things happen, I don’t pretend to know, but they happen, and they continue to happen'”
I’m looking forward to learning what happens next.
Fast paced and tense this is another page turning installment of the series. In Friday On My Mind, Frieda is accused of murder when the body of her ex lover, Sandy
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is found floating in the Thames, his throat slit. While the police focus their investigation on Frieda, she immediately suspects her obsessive stalker, Dean Reeve, is responsible and unable to convince the police of her innocence, goes on the run, determined to expose the killer and clear her name.Frieda is of course expecting her search for evidence will lead her to prove Dean Reeve is alive and culpable, but as she delves into Sandy’s recent past, she begins to wonder if someone else could be responsible. In her methodical and fearless way Frieda insinuates into the lives of those closest to Sandy, doggedly hunting his killer all while trying to keep a low profile but as the mystery unfolds a shocking twist proves the murderer is closer than she thinks. Even though Frieda manages to stay one step ahead of the police, a reckoning with the killer has consequences for all of them, both deadly and unexpected.
“‘That’s part of Freida’s problem. She doesn’t want to get off. She wants the truth.'”
Though Frieda is determined to protect her loyal friends from the fall out of the case, they rally to support her, even when it puts them at risk of prosecution. Karlsson in particular faces trouble when he defends Freida against the vindictive police commissioner and his pet psychiatrist. Josef shrugs off threats of deportation, doing everything he can to aid Frieda’s fight, and even the emotionally fragile Sasha doesn’t hesitate to offer her refuge.
“‘I just follow where the evidence leads me, and in this case the evidence suggests that where Frieda Klein goes a trail of chaos follows. What her precise role in this happens to be has always been difficult to pin down. As you will probably discover, Frieda Klein also has some strange associates. How these things happen, I don’t pretend to know, but they happen, and they continue to happen'”
I’m looking forward to learning what happens next.
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LibraryThing member cissa
This time Freida is on the run, literally. Her ex-lover's body has been found, and while the clues do not really point to her in a way that makes sense, she's an easy choice for the murderer. Even her lawyer recommends a plea bargain rather than finding the actual murderer...
This is more
While the overall shape of the mystery makes sense, I am not sure the details do, especially the hospital bracelet and the wooden toys. I mean, if I were planning to kill my ex-lover, I would certainly NOT add a hospital bracelet with my name to the corpse! I won't give spoilers, but I am not sure that the murderer's actions made any kind of sense in the end, at least in some of the details.
Still, it's a good read, and very much a page-turner. It's not the place to start with this series, though.
This is more
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interesting in getting Freida out of her comfort zone than in the mystery per se; while I was not exactly surprised by the resolution, it was not foreshadowed well. However, she needs to rely on her friends, and they come through despite her reluctance to draw on them.While the overall shape of the mystery makes sense, I am not sure the details do, especially the hospital bracelet and the wooden toys. I mean, if I were planning to kill my ex-lover, I would certainly NOT add a hospital bracelet with my name to the corpse! I won't give spoilers, but I am not sure that the murderer's actions made any kind of sense in the end, at least in some of the details.
Still, it's a good read, and very much a page-turner. It's not the place to start with this series, though.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
This is book five in the detective/psychological thriller series featuring psychotherapist Dr. Frieda Klein, who is the occasional collaborator of London Detective Chief Inspector Malcolm Karlsson.
This book begins with the discovery of a male corpse in the Thames, wearing a hospital band labeled
Discussion: Who Frieda is and what she wants continue to elude us. While Frieda has gotten better at asking for help, one wonders why her friends are so loyal to her; she gives so little of herself to them.
Evaluation: I can’t decide if I have reconciled myself to Frieda being so enigmatic, or if I am tired of it; perhaps a little of each. The authors (Nicci French is the pseudonym for the writing team of husband and wife Nicci Gerrard and Sean French) have apparently decided to keep her character opaque. In this book, I also think they did not come up with a good enough motive for the actual guilty person to have turned into a killer. Still, in spite of its faults, the authors have kept the series interesting enough, and I'm hoping to last through the end of the "week" in this series (one presumes Saturday and Sunday are to come).
This book begins with the discovery of a male corpse in the Thames, wearing a hospital band labeled
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Dr. F. Klein. This leads the police to Frieda, who identifies the body as that of Sandy Holland, her former lover. The police, especially those hostile to Frieda as well as to Karlsson, immediately suspect Frieda, although one has to wonder why they would think she would identify herself so plainly if she had murdered someone. When it becomes clear that the police intend to arrest Frieda, she goes into hiding, with the goal of finding out who actually did kill Sandy.Discussion: Who Frieda is and what she wants continue to elude us. While Frieda has gotten better at asking for help, one wonders why her friends are so loyal to her; she gives so little of herself to them.
Evaluation: I can’t decide if I have reconciled myself to Frieda being so enigmatic, or if I am tired of it; perhaps a little of each. The authors (Nicci French is the pseudonym for the writing team of husband and wife Nicci Gerrard and Sean French) have apparently decided to keep her character opaque. In this book, I also think they did not come up with a good enough motive for the actual guilty person to have turned into a killer. Still, in spite of its faults, the authors have kept the series interesting enough, and I'm hoping to last through the end of the "week" in this series (one presumes Saturday and Sunday are to come).
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LibraryThing member smik
Freda Klein is not popular with the police. They have noticed that people around her seem to die; not only that, she often seems to have been responsible for the killing although so far no case has yet stuck. To rub salt into the wound, often Freda has been a conducting a police consultation at the
So when her name crops up in connected with the corpse retrieved from the Thames, Commissioner Crawford takes it upon himself to warn the investigating officer that Freda Klein is bad news. And then, just as they are ready to lay charges, Freda disappears. According to the police this is tantamount to a confession of guilt, but that is not how Freda herself sees it.
An excellent read.
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time.So when her name crops up in connected with the corpse retrieved from the Thames, Commissioner Crawford takes it upon himself to warn the investigating officer that Freda Klein is bad news. And then, just as they are ready to lay charges, Freda disappears. According to the police this is tantamount to a confession of guilt, but that is not how Freda herself sees it.
An excellent read.
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LibraryThing member jhullie
Another great read from the fabulous duo. I can't get enough of Frieda Klein. She is such a realistic and likable character. The plot lines are well thought out and the stories work so well. I'm hoping for a stunning Saturday sequel soon.
LibraryThing member diana.hauser
FRIDAY ON MY MIND: A FRIEDA KLEIN MYSTERY by Nicci French is Book 5 in this series.
I was hesitant about this title. The plot seemed a bit unbelievable - the police accusing and condemning Frieda of murder; with very little evidence. Crawford and Halbrook are out for revenge and their pursuit of
I am very attached to the ‘river’ thread that runs through these titles. I liked the scene (p.200-202) when Frieda asks Ethan to kneel on the ground and put his ear to the manhole cover. Frieda explains that the sound he hears is water. FK “Long, long ago there was a river, a little river”…”But then they hid the river. That’s it, down there. It’s called Earl’s Sluice.”
This conversation is in reference to the forgotten, buried River Halbrook. The analogy between Frieda’s personality and the buried, forgotten rivers of London really resonates with me.
I did enjoy this suspenseful, riveting, interesting title.
I was hesitant about this title. The plot seemed a bit unbelievable - the police accusing and condemning Frieda of murder; with very little evidence. Crawford and Halbrook are out for revenge and their pursuit of
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Frieda sends her into hiding. But I ended up liking it very much. FRIDAY ON MY MIND delves deeply into Frieda’s own personality with very meaningful examples of friendship, loyalty, trust and kindness.I am very attached to the ‘river’ thread that runs through these titles. I liked the scene (p.200-202) when Frieda asks Ethan to kneel on the ground and put his ear to the manhole cover. Frieda explains that the sound he hears is water. FK “Long, long ago there was a river, a little river”…”But then they hid the river. That’s it, down there. It’s called Earl’s Sluice.”
This conversation is in reference to the forgotten, buried River Halbrook. The analogy between Frieda’s personality and the buried, forgotten rivers of London really resonates with me.
I did enjoy this suspenseful, riveting, interesting title.
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LibraryThing member SquirrelHead
This is the fifth book in the Frieda Klein series. It starts with a bloated corpse floating down the Thames River. Once the police have pulled the body out of the water they check for identification but discover there is no wallet or cell phone. The fully clothed body of the man has a hospital band
Frieda is now a suspect in a murder.
“It’s complicated being Frieda’s friend.” Reuben made that statement as a group of her friends and supporters were gathering, trying to figure out where she was. Frieda is accused of murder in this book and we are introduced to a new cast of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department. My favorite detective, Malcolm Karlsson, is still making appearances in this series. Also a shadowy sort of character named Levin sits in and observes on an investigation. Not sure where he will fit in, reminds you of a CIA characters i movies.
Frieda puts me in mind of a more polished, cooler version of Jessica Fletcher of the Murder She Wrote stories. There is always a murder connecting and threading itself into her life. It’s not a cozy mystery for sure. I was sad to read this one as I liked the character who departed.
Foodie stuff….…
“She went to the shops and bought herself enough for the next few days; milk, bread and butter, some bags of salad and Sicilian tomatoes, salty blue cheese, smoked salmon, raspberries and a little carton of cream.
Once home, she had a long bath, then roamed through each room, making doubly sure everything was in its proper place. She ate smoked salmon on rye bread and drank a single glass of white wine."
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which reads Dr. F. Klein.Frieda is now a suspect in a murder.
“It’s complicated being Frieda’s friend.” Reuben made that statement as a group of her friends and supporters were gathering, trying to figure out where she was. Frieda is accused of murder in this book and we are introduced to a new cast of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department. My favorite detective, Malcolm Karlsson, is still making appearances in this series. Also a shadowy sort of character named Levin sits in and observes on an investigation. Not sure where he will fit in, reminds you of a CIA characters i movies.
Frieda puts me in mind of a more polished, cooler version of Jessica Fletcher of the Murder She Wrote stories. There is always a murder connecting and threading itself into her life. It’s not a cozy mystery for sure. I was sad to read this one as I liked the character who departed.
Foodie stuff….…
“She went to the shops and bought herself enough for the next few days; milk, bread and butter, some bags of salad and Sicilian tomatoes, salty blue cheese, smoked salmon, raspberries and a little carton of cream.
Once home, she had a long bath, then roamed through each room, making doubly sure everything was in its proper place. She ate smoked salmon on rye bread and drank a single glass of white wine."
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LibraryThing member Ameise1
After Frieda's former friend was found dead, the suspicion fell on Frieda. She had to go down because the police were looking for her. Frieda would not be Frieda if she did not conduct her own investigations, which led to the death of her former lover. She was more or less on her own, only Joseph
Only with time did she get help from her nearest ally.
It was a very adventurous exciting reading.
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helped her. Only with time did she get help from her nearest ally.
It was a very adventurous exciting reading.
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LibraryThing member joweirqt
Um, well I'm afraid I didn't enjoy this all that much. Frieda Klein is not an engaging or likeable character and that has left me a bit bored by this whole series.
I hope this writing team will leave the series now (or are there Saturday and Sunday books to come?) and go back to their original style
I hope this writing team will leave the series now (or are there Saturday and Sunday books to come?) and go back to their original style
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of story telling which was gripping, exciting and thrilling. And we had the pleasure of meeting new characters with every new book's release. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
While I was thoroughly engaged by Friday On My Mind, the fifth book in author Nicci French’s mystery series, the plot was one of the weaker ones and required the reader to accept a lot that didn’t really make a lot of sense. I think this book would most likely only appeal to those of us who are
When Frieda’s ex-lover is pulled from the Thames River with his throat cut, she immediately believes it is the work of her stalker, Dean Reeve. But as she is the only one who believes Reeve is still alive suspicion actually falls on Frieda. When it gets to the point of placing Frieda under arrest, she goes on the run and slowly uncovers some clues that lead her in another direction. Unfortunately, the actual murderer is keeping an eye on her and has plans to silence her forever.
The book moves at a fast pace and as Frieda becomes hunted by both the police and the murderer it builds to an exciting finish. This is a series that really needs to be read in order so as to understand Frieda’s motives, her friends staunch loyalty, and the ever present danger that lurks on the horizon. Well written with some dark humor inserted to lighten the atmosphere, Friday On My Mind, while not the best in the series, was, for me, both thrilling and addictive.
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already enthralled by Frieda Klein and are willing to follow her no matter how messy the story becomes.When Frieda’s ex-lover is pulled from the Thames River with his throat cut, she immediately believes it is the work of her stalker, Dean Reeve. But as she is the only one who believes Reeve is still alive suspicion actually falls on Frieda. When it gets to the point of placing Frieda under arrest, she goes on the run and slowly uncovers some clues that lead her in another direction. Unfortunately, the actual murderer is keeping an eye on her and has plans to silence her forever.
The book moves at a fast pace and as Frieda becomes hunted by both the police and the murderer it builds to an exciting finish. This is a series that really needs to be read in order so as to understand Frieda’s motives, her friends staunch loyalty, and the ever present danger that lurks on the horizon. Well written with some dark humor inserted to lighten the atmosphere, Friday On My Mind, while not the best in the series, was, for me, both thrilling and addictive.
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LibraryThing member juju2cat
I found a couple of older books in this series that I hadn't read at my local library that were for sale; It was like Christmas!!
Loved the beginning of this book. A child thought they had seen a whale in the Thames river but much to her father's horror it was a body. And not just any body, it was
I devour these novels. They are somewhat dark in nature but that's what I like.
Loved the beginning of this book. A child thought they had seen a whale in the Thames river but much to her father's horror it was a body. And not just any body, it was
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Frieda's ex-boyfriend Sandy. And so begins an investigation which will eventually lead the police to assume that the murderer was Frieda.I devour these novels. They are somewhat dark in nature but that's what I like.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-07-02
Physical description
336 p.; 5.3 inches
ISBN
0143127225 / 9780143127222