Gideon's Corpse (Gideon Crew Series)

Formulaic thriller writing at it's absolute worst. Teenage stuff - impossible resolutions to ridiculous cliffhangers, plot holes big enough to drive humvees through, a hero who can dodge bullets from massed automatic weapons and plot twists so transparent that they can be seen chapters ahead. Hero and heroine, after escaping a helicopter searchlight (!?!?) washed down a raging river and thrown up on a sandbank, soaking wet... '...working together build a fire'. Puhhhlease. What did they do? Rub two cliches together?

This is the second Preston and Child I've read - the last one some years ago and it stunk too - and I was sucked in on this one by what appear to be good reviews. I'll be more careful next time.

Gideon Crew finds himself involved in a hostage situation because of having worked with the nuclear scientist who has taken the hostages, ranting maniacally. When the hostage situation ends, it's found that the scientist has been exposed to massive amounts of radiation which caused his aberration. The clear indication is that of a huge terrorist plot involving a nuclear weapon and a short deadline. Crew is assigned the job to try and succeed while the bloated Homeland Security response gets underway.

Preston and Child's other series character, FBI Agent Aloyisuis Pendergast remains my favorite but I found this a genuine page-turner. Gideon is a former art thief and later nuclear scientist who brings a peculiar set of skills to his job. But the question is, how do you compete with the US government in trying to resolve a plot which has only a few days to run until execution?

Excellent story.

I am in love with this duo of authors. It's not as good as their Pendergast series, but I enjoyed this book very much.

That's it. I'm throwing in the towel. I'm giving up on these two authors. I'm so disappointed that their books that were so riveting in the beginning have required me to suspend far too much disbelief now. In The Third Gate, Lincoln Child wanted me to sit idly by while he defied grade school simple arithmetic (see my review). Now Both he and Douglas Preston want me to endure cliched plot devices that have the characters actions looking so painfully forced they may as well be puppets wearing shock collars. For starters we have the gorgeous firey love interest, Alida, who starts out absolutely abhoring the protagonist, Gideon. She is reluctantly dragged into Gideon's run from the law once he is framed (sorry, but that's really not much of a spoiler). Despite having several chances of escaping from Gideon - who she has every reason to believe is a fundamentalist muslim terrorist and keep in mind she hated him before she even thought that about him - she refrains from overpowering him and fleeing or so much as screaming for help. The authors even clumsily force their team up by having the lawful authorities alomst immediately and ignorantly treat her like she's Gideon's accomplice and not an obvious hostage from the get-go. The author's then defy their own logic by NOT having the law stake out her father's home where she lives in an effort to catch her and Gideon. "Stake out!" What am I talking about!? A city is about to be anihilated in a nuclear catastrophe to dwarf the attack of 9/11. Her dad's house would have been literally torn apart in a search for her and Gideon! But apparently that logic would have run smack in the face of the plot that Preston and Childs are forcing through this book like a reluctant cow through a slaughter house killing floor. So after she and Gideon are done "playing hide the balistic missle in the nuclear silo" in some shelter in the wilderness - a Bond girl on Ecstasy couldn't have turned a 180 degrees and banged 007 faster than this lady jumps on Gideon - she and Gideon are free to traipse on over to Dad's to hide from the law. I thought initially that her coming onto Gideon was some tactic on her part to seduce him to let his guard down and manipulate him somehow, that she had to be a part of the plan that had framed him, but manipulate him to what end!? When the authors showed that her affections were genuine I couldn't decide which motivation for the character made less sense. Gideon actually uses the "I've-got-a-terminal-condition-and-I'm-going-to-die-soon line on her. AND SHE GOES FOR IT!!! It's a claim that he only half believes himself because it comes from a guy he works for that he hates. People who get a non-terminal cancer diagnosis from a reputable doctor will at least get a second opinion! Nope, that makes too much sense for our authors. This cow's gotta go through that killing floor.

Then there is Gideon's partner Fordyce, the straight-laced, by-the-book, rod-up-his-back-side FBI agent who is as much as walking cliche as the love interest. When Gideon is framed with nothing more than planted emails, the timing of the frame-up and method of it is so suspect, the average reader could have dismissed it as fishy. But Fordyce's reaction has to be abject anger and retribution or the authors have no plot and so the chase for Gideon ensues. Cattle prod that darn cow back onto the killing floor if ya' have to, boys! Reading how a white collar nerd manages to escape the clutches of several national and local law enforcement agencies on horseback with an actively resisting hostage in tow when the aforementioned agencies literally begin the chase within arm's reach of him is just one of the moments when I had to suspend disbelief - too much disbelief. It only dawns on Fordyce, the idiotic writer's pawn, that the emails are likely planted well after Gideon gets his "hot-on-the-run-sex" with Alida. Apparently the authors wanted him to remain ignorant long enough for their boy to get laid.

The urgency of a pending terrorist nuclear attack isn't felt at all in the mood of the book. I would expect a lot more public disorder and a greater military/law enforcement presence on the streets than is described in the story. The authors don't seem to have done any real research into the actual procedures that would be followed in a scenario like this or the coordination among agencies that would happen. Why would they bother when they haven't even given any thought to how their characters should be believably motivated. I have a clear sense that Preston and Childs just aren't trying as hard as they used to. Whatever. Cow's dead.

I loved this book...Fast paced and full of suspense....I could not put this bok down...looking forward to the next one

I bought this book, because I truly enjoyed "Gideon's Sword," by the same authors. I was hoping for a bit more than this book produced. Preston & Child are generally great writers and I enjoy reading them. However, compared to the previous book in the series, this one fell a little flat, particularly in caring about Gideon's dilemmas. But once into the story, the action was fast paced and left me wanting more. So, I am giving it 4 stars.

I thoroughly enjoy the Gideon Crew novels by Preston and Child. There are always twists and turns in the storyline that keep me guessing.

I love any & all the books by these two publishers, there are great and full of info. you would never think about.
So they entertain as well as teach.

I think Preston & Child always write a great book!

I generally enjoy Preston and Child but this is one of the most ridiculous, contrived plot lines I think I've ever read. I finished the book only because I have a rule for myself that I don't start a book and not finish it. But, it was, I'm afraid, not the best investment of my time.