Gideon's Power

Gideon #15

by J.J. Marric

When London's power outages become suspiciously frequent, Scotland Yard Commander George Gideon sends his men to look into the case, as he attempts to solve a kidnapping and murder case

Genres: Mystery, Procedural, Fiction, Crime, Police

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

A pseudonym used by John Creasey.

The Gideon series was continued after Creasey's death by William Vivian Butler.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the mystery / spy / thriller series written by English author, J.J. Marric (John Creasey), who wrote under many pseudonyms, such as The Baron series, the Toff, Dr. Palfrey, Inspector West, etc, so far, the Commander Gideon police procedural series is by far my favorite. Gideon's Power is the 15th book in the series, which consists of 22 books, so I've still got a few left to read.

As per normal, Commander Gideon is dealing with a number of ongoing cases in Gideon's Power. The Power in the title refers to power outages that have been occurring throughout London. Are they sabotage or accidents? As well, a number of manufacturing businesses have been targeted with fire bombs. One of his Superintendents is investigating a child's murder and rape and another young girl goes missing in another district. Is it the same perpetrator? Hmmm... Gideon's 2nd in command is on vacation in Scotland and his temporary replacement isn't working to Gideon's satisfaction. A new lady has appeared in the secretarial pool and has somewhat distracted Gideon.

So lots going on and Gideon handles it all with his normal aplomb, grumpy and taciturn but just an excellent police officer. And the team at his disposal, even though some can be difficult at times, especially Inspector Lemaitre who is investigating the bombing at a furniture manufacturer. But Gideon doesn't want yes men. He wants smart, dedicated, hard working men and that's the type of personalities he engenders with his own work ethic and with his straight - forward way of going about things.

It's all very interesting, nicely complex, neatly resolved (for the most part) and all in all, an entertaining story from beginning to end. It has definitely become one of my favorite series and I always enjoy coming back to it. (4.0 stars)

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

J. J. Marric (John Creasey) has the wonderful ability to weave together the stories of several crimes, some which seem minor and some which may affect large portions of the city. These novels often focus on an aspect of London--the last one revolved around the Thames; this one around the city's power grid. The crimes range from the abduction and murder of a little girl (there was an abduction and murder of a young girl in the last one as well) to sabotage, arson, murder, and stock market manipulation. Well done.

[Mary]

I have no idea how to rate this, but it was an enjoyable read that kept my mind occupied at a time when it's hard for me to focus. I think my mother might have read the Gideon series when I was a kid, and although I have no memory of reading any of them myself, the book somehow seemed comfortingly familiar. Hope I can find more of the series in the local used book stores.

[Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now Creasey has combined the subplots into one larger than life but believable and exciting story.

[Meri McCoy-Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done police procedural from 1960's Britain. Interesting how the way to "bring down society" is through its electrical plants. Still some truth to that--just different means.

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the back of the book: Gideon is trapped. He was tracking down all the mysterious happenings--the frequent power failures, the raging factory fire that took lives, and the murdering of children. How could he solve them if he himself was caught in a mind-boggling trap?

My take: Decent police procedural. I've read a couple of the Gideon series before and remember liking those better. This one is a tad bit scattered for my taste. I realize that in real life the police are dealing with dozens of cases all at the same time. But that doesn't really make for great story-telling. Marric does a reasonable job juggling the various plot-lines, but naturally, given that this is a short, paperback novel, some of the plots don't get much of a treatment. And, honestly, the main plot (sabotage at the powerplants and factories) doesn't get the treatment deserved.

Oh, and I've mentioned before--I don't like stories that involve children being murdered. The only good thing was that THAT wasnt' the main plot. Otherwise, I might have had to quit

[C. John Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trying to catch up on writing reviews for books I’ve read. The main case here is power failures at various power plants. The question to be determined is are they all accidents or is sabotage involved. As well it appears industrial sabotage might also be involved. As well we have another missing child, a common theme in these books. Add in a murder and an old case possibly being re-opened and we have a typical time for Commander Gideon. As always not everything is neatly tied up by the end but such is reality. All in all an interesting addition to the series.

[KarenC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Furniture factory fire; power outages; missing child; and a lingering case from the past keep Commander Gideon & his colleagues busy. A tight police procedural with building suspense and some smart investigations.

[Margareth8537 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never seem to read these in order but it doesn't seem to matter. Gideon is a nicely drawn character

[Delores Alger · Rating 4 out of 5]

creasey's gideon