Gideon

Rating:
Summary: A Chilling Page Turner
Review: I loved this book! Normally, I would give something as entertaining as this 5 stars...but some of the violence is sickening. There is one part toward the beginning involving a crime against a mother and child...it was deeply sickening. In any case, you will stay up late to finish this one...and find out who or what Gideon is.

Rating:
Summary: IF A BOOK CAN HAVE A SPLIT PERSONALITY, THIS ONE DOES
Review: This book amazed me. I have never seen such masterful story telling and such pure junk combined under one cover.

The plot and its execution was wonderful. I was held on the edge right to the unexpected ending. What bothered me, and detracted from the book, was the change in writing. A few chapters of excellence, then without warning, a few chapters that almost caused me to give up my pursuit of the ending. The worst were the phony and stilted computer exchanges, then the editorials and speeches.

Overall, the book is worth reading. The undefined and mystery laden beginning does not unfold into a definite plot until the middle of the book, but it catches and holds the reader non-stop. The slender thread that holds it together starts to thicken and by the time you think you've got things straight... it skillfully yanks you in another direction.

This is a novel that is all too believable in terms of abuse of power, and it peeks into corners that most of us would prefer to overlook. Were it not for the unfortunate sections of junk writing this book would deserve five stars. Well worth the read however, if you can over look those parts that just do not fit.

Rating:
Summary: ...and then there were none
Review: If you don't know the meaning of "body count", you will find out rather soon when reading this gripping, fast, interesting, well written book.

The story is about a ghost writer who obviously knows too much about a person playing an important role in the society, although he doesn't know his name. Soon, writer Carl is suspected to be the murderer of his editor and his neighbor. On the run, he takes refuge with his ex-girlfriend Amanda. After two more dead bodies they are forced to find the truth about the story Carl was writing. But obviously a killer follows them closely (is that the reason why this guy is called "Closer?").

Finally, they find out what happened in the life of this important person (with some more dead bodies being piled up around them) and return to confront the responsible people with their knowledge. Knowledge is power, and that is known also by a multi-billion media tycoon who plays an important role in the book.

The page-turning style and high speed of this novel keeps you going from the start until the end. This of course makes it possible for you to forget the usual questions which come up when it comes to thrillers: Why don't killers simply shoot their targets but usually try to talk to them or make some "show" (bombs, unusual dresses,...)? The true story about the "popular person" can surely kill a political career, but is it the reason to commit suicide? Why are fired former policemen always fat and sweating? Especially, the murder of the two women at the very beginning is even after the end of the book not fully understandable.

But - excluding the body count which is comparable to typical James Bond movies - the story was really fun to read. The author won't get the Nobel Prize for that, but you can have some entertaining hours with this novel.

Rating:
Summary: Kernel of Truth
Review: Gideon is an excellent thriller. It is an easy fast read. Most people will read this book straight through. If you are a typical American, then you probably take our democracy for granted including the protections afforded to all Americans under the Bill of Rights.

The subtext of this book is a wake up call as to what is happening in our country with globalization and these mega multi-billion dollar mergers. It is this kernel of truth, which has direct application to the upcoming election 2000.

It is unusual for a book to be both thrilling, entertaining and informative all at the same time. Gideon accomplishes all of this and more. No doubt Gideon will be made into a movie in the near future.

Put this book on your must read list. You won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Turn your brain off and enjoy
Review: A fast paced, fun summer read with good characters and insightful satire of the media. Just don't think about it too much. However, since I have been thinking about it, I wonder:

1. Since the "book" Carl is hired to write is never intended to be published, or, it appears, even finished, why hire a writer in the first place? Why couldn't the editor who hires him have dashed off the needed pages?

2. If the intent is blackmail, why are they trying to kill two minor players who can confirm that the blackmailable incident took place while ignoring one of the major players in the incident?

Rating:
Summary: Good and fast paced, with a decent plot
Review: Very good read, I enjoyed it, in fact, I just mailed my copy to my mom. It was fast-paced without being just a "junk-food" type of story. I had to "make" myself put it down and go to sleep at night.

Rating:
Summary: Gideon
Review: Dear Everybody It tooked me few days to read Gideon,because this book has 600 hundred pages.I must admit that this was one of the best books I have ever read in my whole life. Why? Read it and you'll see...

Rating:
Summary: An absolute cracker
Review: A great thriller, that keeps you guessing. I'm looking forward to "Russell Andrews" writing more books. I'm usually a Tom Clancy / Dale Brown reader, and this was every bit as good as anything by those two. The characters have a wonderful depth, and even though you know who the bad guys are early on, it still keeps you guessing until the end. Straight into my top 5 all time books. Good work Peter Gethers and David Handler, or should I say Russell?

The other reviews tell you what it's about so I won't bother. Instead I'll just say buy it, you won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: A NON-STOP,COMPULSIVE READ
Review: Carl Granville is the writer hired to take the pages of an old diary and turn them into bestselling fiction. The identity of Gideon is a secret and all the names and locations in the diary are blacked out...Granville will be fed bits of information as the novel progresses. The deeper Carl becomes involved with this project, the closer he gets to danger, resulting in several deaths, information being stolen and his apartment ransacked.

With Carl the main suspect in the murders, he must run for his life to prove his innocence and bring together the secrets and identity of Gideon. His race will bring him to need the help of ex-girlfiend, journalist, Amanda, and together the two will discover a chilling, cover-up.

"Gideon" is so fast-paced, you will be likely to finish it in one sitting. The novel does not give much information until the end, and what an ending it is! You will be guessing from the first page all the way to the end.

Russell Andrews has written a novel that teases you with plot twists, and intricately twists and turns them to the shocking climax.

A great summer read.

A MUST read!

Nick Gonnella

Rating:
Summary: Three Days of the Condor Revisited
Review: Remember when Robert Redford's character in Three Days of the Condor struggled to understand why all of his colleagues were assassinated? All he could explain was he "just read books". Well, Carl Granville was hired to write a book about GIDEON. Little did he know anyone connected with him or the book would also be systematically eliminated as with Redford's character. This is a fast-moving, heart-wrenching, politically explosive ride that has this reader seeing John Cusack (Pushing Tin, Con Air, Grosse Pointe Blank)as Carl Granville and Tammy Lauren (ex-Ginger of t.v.'s Homefront and Walker: Texas Ranger) as Amanda Mays. Somewhere between the power and greed one has to know the difference between right and wrong. As the body count rises, so do the stakes. All because of ONE secret. (Actually, there are a few more stunners as well!) And these two are more than up to the challenge. In this day and age of computer technology and information databases, these two use every bit of high-tech equipment, common sense, a good bottle of hair dye and a savvy computer hacker/friend with an attitude to stay alive. There are a many twists and turns through this story and some truths more shocking than others. There is a conclusion this roller coaster ride. Yet one wonders of all the untold stories out there, how many more Gideons will never know justice or be able to rest in peace? I, personally, want to see Carl Granville and Amanda Mays get back to what they do best, investigative reporting! Maybe they right a few more wrongs after resting up at Big Willie's! :-)

P.S. There is a mistake between Page 268 - 270. If anyone spots the problem, please e-mail me at: [e-mail] or let the author know you spotted the same mistake.