Gideon's Fog

Gideon #20

by J.J. Marric

What was the connection between a series of savage assaults in a pea-soup London fog... a strangled girl in a secluded park.... a seemingly senseless slaying on a deserted highway.. a crackpot anti-sex protest movement... and a queen's ransom in stolen jewels? There was just one way for Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard to find the maddeningly elu7sive answer: Bideon had to put his life on the line in the most dangerous gamble of his career.

Genres: Mystery, Procedural, Mystery Thriller

191 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1974

About the author

A pseudonym used by John Creasey.

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

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The substitute author, whoever he/she was, did a good job of duplicating Creasey's feel and characterization, but strayed into putting Gideon and Hobbs in the thick of the criminal action, which made it less realistic than Creasey's approach. Still, it was nicely exciting.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy a Commander Gideon police procedural. Gideon's Fog is the 20th book in this series by J.J. Marric and it's as good as the others. For those who've never explored the series (have you Carolien? private joke), Commander Gideon is one of the top police officers in London, the head of CID.

In this story, as usual, there are a number of cases being investigated. It starts with a thick fog coating the British Isles. Gideon, driving home, remembers when he was a kid, holding a candle in such fogs and earning pence by escorting people home. He sees a young man doing the same thing but becomes suspicious. Parking his car, he goes into the fog, pretends to be lost and meeting the boy is escorted into the park where two henchmen try to mug him. At the same time, a man is meeting his lover to take her into the park to murder her. While burying the body, he finds a box but puts it back so that the body won't be discovered.

The next day, Gideon discovers his capable assistant, Asst Superintendent Hobbs hasn't reported to work. (Hobbs is the fiancé of Gideon's daughter Penny) As the day progresses, he begins to worry about Hobbs' absence and he starts a quiet investigation into his absence. Hobbs was investigating a major jewelry heist organization and on the side was investigating a group that has been invading London parks to keep young people from having romantic liaisons in the park.

As the story progresses, we begin to see what happened to Hobbs. We find more about the jewelry issue and the other. There are also smaller side cases that his staff are looking into. It's difficult to describe a Gideon story, except to say like the best police procedurals (and there are a few I follow) they are peopled with dedicated cops who work hard to help their citizens. Sort of idealistic maybe but still they always leave you feeling secure. Does everything get resolved satisfactorily, not necessarily. People still die, some cases remain unsolved but it's an enjoyable ride. (3.5 stars)

[C. John Kerry]

This is the second last Gideon book that John Creasey wrote. The fog in the title could easily refer to one of two things, or perhaps to both. First is the fog that has enveloped London at the beginning of the book. Many of the events of this novel play off that fog. The other fog could be the disappearance of his second in command, Alec Hobbs. Gideon has no idea why he was kidnapped and the fact that Hobbs was working on something but hadn't yet told Gideon is no help to the situation. There are two other situations that have to be dealt with. One is that jewels are being smuggled out of England and the police have no idea how it is being done. Secondly there is a group nicknamed Elsie that has undertaken a campaign against the use of London's parks by young people for certain activities of an amourous nature. And of course there is the usual murder, actually two which are connected. As a further complication Alec Hobbs is the fiancé of Gideon's youngest daughter. Of course all comes well in the end, and there is at least a bit of a surprise when the mastermind of it all is discovered. All in all a nice police procedural. Happy reading.

[Alonzo Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Gideon, a chief Superintendent for the London cop shop is always going to get it right. When a regular old fashioned pea-souper descends on his town, he’s going to do the job of a lowly constable, and nail the crooks taking advantage of the smog to mug innocents trying to find their homes. But can he manage to keep his copper perfection when Alec Hobbs, his chief assistant and fiancée of his beloved daughter, disappears? That’s Gideon’s Fog right there — how the be the best cop that ever wore a badge and do right by his family.

Having an absolutely perfect hero is going to rob a book of some subtlety. Fortunately, this kind of boy’s own literature really does not need it. Although written in 70s, (with a unique ecological/feminist twist to prove it), the book’s heart is in the literary 30s. Worth finding.

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent police procedural written in a time when it was still OK to like people on the police force. Scotland Yard, as with any other branch of law enforcement, has people who command with excellence and those who are just there marking time. The protagonist of this book are of the heroic variety while still being fully human with doubts and fears. The ending is particularly satisfying, though the plot is interesting all the way through.

[Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and moving, but a little too much like Ian Fleming.

[Echo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun mystery, and easy to follow even though I'd never read any of the other Gideon series. The characters are overall likeable, and I enjoyed how Marric writes.

[Delores Alger · Rating 4 out of 5]

creasey's gideon