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.

Lost Dog by Alan Russell

First Line: Angie's growling awakened her.

LAPD Detective Michael Gideon's K-9 partner Sirius rescues a lost dog from a pack of coyotes, but when they try to return the dog to its owner, they discover that the woman is missing.

Heather Moreland has clearly disappeared under suspicious circumstances, and the more Gideon digs into the woman's past, the more convinced he becomes that she's in danger-- that is if she's not already dead.

As he searches for Heather Moreland, Gideon is also troubled by the death of Langston Walker, the leader of a support group for the families of murder victims. The last time they'd spoken, Walker mentioned a cold case he'd reopened, and Gideon can't help wonder if reopening that case had anything to do with his death. Between trying to find the missing woman and his concerns over Walker's death, Gideon certainly has his hands full, so it's a good thing he has Sirius to help.

I continue to enjoy Alan Russell's Gideon & Sirius series, especially since this third book, Lost Dog, avoided something that had annoyed me in the previous two books. In Burning Man and Guardians of the Night, Sirius-- a normally extremely well-behaved dog-- threw a fit about something, and Gideon ignored him. Subsequently, Gideon experienced a great deal of pain for dismissing his partner's concerns. That doesn't happen this time, and that thrilled me to no end. Gideon may be a smart aleck, but he's a smart aleck who can learn.

Although I knew the identity of the killer seconds after the character was introduced, there was still a lot to enjoy in this book. The missing woman, Heather Moreland, had a very small part that still packed a powerful punch. Russell had to be economical with his words, but he delineated Heather's character so well that I actively worried about her safety all the way through the book.

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Michael Gideon's sort of character. He's a smart aleck, and I love his use of puns and poetry, his references to movies and television, and so much more. If I don't actually laugh out loud, Gideon usually makes me smile as I read his quips.

Russell usually adds to my knowledge as I read these books, and Lost Dog is no exception. I learned about two systems installed in Gideon's patrol car: a special air conditioning system, and something called a Hot-N-Pop. If the temperature inside the car gets too high and the human does not respond, one of the doors will automatically unlock and pop open so the dog can get out. There have been K-9 deaths here in Phoenix due to the animals being in locked patrol cars, so when I read about these systems, I immediately wondered about our police department installing them.

Read a Gideon & Sirius mystery and you will learn things. You will laugh. And you will find yourself on the edge of your seat wondering if man and dog are going to save the day. Bring on book four!

Lost Dog by Alan Russell

ASIN: B018E898Z2

Thomas & Mercer © 2016

eBook, 322 pages

Police Procedural/Working Dog, #3 Gideon & Sirius mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Burning Man by Alan Russell

First Line: Even before I pressed down hard on the gas, Sirius was aware that something was up.

Los Angeles police officer Michael Gideon and his K-9 partner Sirius are heroes and celebrities after capturing a serial killer in the midst of a roaring inferno. After months of rehab, Sirius may not be able to resume his official duties as a member of the LAPD, but with Gideon heading up the new Special Cases Unit, wherever Gideon goes, Sirius is going to be right by his side. With the official case of a crucified teenager in a city park and the personal case of an abandoned dead baby at the foot of Angel's Flight, the two are not going to have any spare time, and that suits them both just fine.

2018 seems to be my year of reading mysteries that have detectives with canine partners. Most of these books have been excellent reads, and Burning Man continues the trend. Reminiscent of Michael Connelly, Alan Russell's first Gideon and Sirius mystery makes the setting one of the strongest characters in the book. Readers learn interesting bits of Los Angeles history along the way, and the fierce Santa Ana winds and fire add a great deal of tension.

I loved the voice of Michael Gideon as well as his sense of humor. When told that he's going to head up the Special Cases Unit, he asks, "What would I tell people? That I work in the Defense Against the Dark Arts Division?" This is a man who is still suffering from PTSD. His burns may have healed, but his mind hasn't, and being on the job is helping to keep him sane. The only thing that bugged me about Gideon was his TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) moment when he completely disregarded Sirius's behavior in a parking lot.

My annoyance was short-lived, however, because the cases he was trying to solve were too interesting. The crucified teenager put a lot of miles on Gideon's car because the dead boy wasn't who he appeared to be, and since he was popular, he had a very wide circle of acquaintances. The investigation into the death of the abandoned baby was very personal to Gideon, and it allowed readers to look more deeply into his backstory. His handling of this second case said a lot about him as a person.

Burning Man is a book in which I learned quite a few things about weather, fire, Los Angeles history, skin grafts, and the Safely Surrendered Baby Law. This fast-paced book's two investigations also kept me guessing. But it's the smart-alecky character of Michael Gideon and his dog Sirius that are going to make me reach for the other books in the series. Good stuff!

Burning Man by Alan Russell

eISBN: 9781612186092

Thomas & Mercer © 2012

eBook, 328 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Gideon & Sirius mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.