Wednesday, December 01, 2021

Gideon's Rescue by Alan Russell

 
First Line: The Arctic air had brought bitter cold to the Colorado prairie.
 
LAPD detective Michael Gideon and his K-9 partner Sirius literally walked through fire to catch an infamous serial killer known as The Weatherman. Gideon still suffers from fire dreams and PTSD. 
 
To help the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, Gideon has been strong-armed into visiting the Weatherman (AKA Ellis Haines) monthly with crime scene photos they want Haines to analyze. This month's visit sparks a discovery: there's a new serial killer on the loose, and he's seeding his crime scenes with messages meant for Haines.

This isn't the only thing on Gideon's plate. He's searching for a young woman's fiance who's gone missing, and he's trying to bring down a dogfighting ring after meeting a sweet pitbull named Emily who was left for dead. No rest for the weary...

~

As much as I like this author's ability to create an exciting scene and put me right in the middle of it, no matter how much I like watching his K-9 partner work, this is the last Gideon & Sirius mystery I'll be reading. Why? It's got nothing to do with the marvelous Sirius and everything to do with the human half of the partnership, Gideon.

In the first two books, Gideon angered me by not paying attention to what Sirius was trying to tell him, and both times Gideon got the stuffing punched and kicked out of him. (That's what you get for not paying attention, stupid!) Here in Gideon's Rescue, he didn't ignore any canine messages, but he showed callous disregard for the situations he put a very traumatized dog in. Not only that, but he rationalized the need to put himself in a TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) moment, and if not for the clear thinking and action of a friend, Gideon's bacon would have been well and truly fried.

This is a shame because Russell does know how to tell a good tale. The investigations into the missing fiance and the dogfighting ring were very well-done, and the whole serial-killers-communicating-with-each-other scenario gave me plenty of food for thought. I tend to be a pacifist, a live-and-let-live type of person, but there are times when I think throwing the switch is best. Just how many serial killers are being kept alive because they're "helping" law enforcement? And how many are actually providing information that brings closure to grieving families or puts killers behind bars? Pardon me for being cynical in my belief that the number is a very low one. There is no real reason to put any faith in a serial killer because they've proved time and time again that their only concern is for themselves.

As you can see, although I've run as far down this track with LAPD Detective Michael Gideon as my patience will allow, Alan Russell does create stories that draw me in, keep me interested, and make me think.
 
Gideon's Rescue by Alan Russell
ASIN: B07CHPDQTM
Three Tails Press © 2018
eBook, 305 pages
 
Police Procedural/Working Dog, #4 Gideon & Sirius mystery
Rating: C-
Source: Purchased from Amazon.

4 comments:

  1. If I'm being honest, Cathy, this one doesn't appeal to me. I do like mysteries where dog like Sirius play a role. But I'm not much of a one for the serial killer theme. And this one doesn't sound as though it has characters that would really appeal to me. Oh, well, no book is for everyone.

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  2. Thank you for a very honest review.

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