Gideon's Sword

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: John Glover

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Introducing Gideon Crew: trickster, prodigy, master thief....

At 12, Gideon Crew witnessed his father, a world-class mathematician, accused of treason and gunned down.

At 24, summoned to his dying mother's bedside, Gideon learned the truth: His father was framed and deliberately slaughtered. With her last breath, she begged her son to avenge him.

Now, with a new purpose in his life, Gideon crafts a one-time mission of vengeance, aimed at the perpetrator of his father's destruction. His plan is meticulous, spectacular, and successful.

But from the shadows, someone is watching. A very powerful someone, who is impressed by Gideon's special skills. Someone who has need of just such a renegade.

For Gideon, this operation may be only the beginning....

©2011 Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child (P)2011 Hachette Audio

After reading the Pendergast series I was expecting a tighter story line.

Still good but I was expecting more from this power house writing team. Characters were well developed.

Well written, but predictable.

Good story, but it was a bit predictable. The main character seems to be a contrasting mix of a well read, highly knowledgeable guy who has zero ability to see the obvious about the people he meets. Narrator needs to work on alternate character voices and expressing various emotions. Highly listenable, but portions that were supposed to be edge of seat were narrated the same as business as usual.

Fast paced, and surprisingly suprising

What did you love best about Gideon's Sword?

I love action, thriller and mystery. This book is all of those things.
At times, the author's descriptions or word choice seemed almost jouvenille, but somehow, I was still intrigued and addicted. And I couldn't wait to keep going.
I guess I just laughed off the unbelievably un-believable parts and stuck to the guts of it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gideon's Sword?

Not really. It's just one of those quick reads you read for pure enjoyment. I'll take nothing away from it but a fun time. It's not deep or life changing in any way.

Which scene was your favorite?

Bleh. Yes and no. There are times where it seems to technical and researched, and there are times where it seems like the author got tired and just made something up to keep it going.
And then there's Orchid. I'm not sure if he just desperately wanted a James Bond-eque character who finds women along the way. But there was way too much connection and emotion for a 2 hour interaction. And too much feeling and heart break later on. She should have been left out completely.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The narrator is a man, and more than half of the characters are women. They all ended up with low voices that sounded more like a grandfather? Even the young ones. Thank goodness there are descriptions of the voices in the book so I could counter what I was hearing with what the Author was most likely picturing as he wrote it.
The narrator seems to change up Gideon's voice quite a bit through the book as well which annoyed me. But only slightly.

Any additional comments?

Good read. Great for a short weekend trip or plane ride. Not too much thinking, just action, adventure and an ending.

Good New Series by Preston and Child

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. The story line is good, the characters interesting. The only problem was the narrator. He had a slow, staccato, way of reading that made me take notice that it was being read instead of performed. Also, they didn't need to have the sounds like music in the midst of the story.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. Preston and Child write good books with good plot-lines.that keep you wanting more.

What three words best describe John Glover’s voice?

staccato, lose attention, sounded like he was reading every word - flat

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes but not like Preston and Childs other books.

Any additional comments?

This was a good book with poor narration. I will read the next one in the series because I love Preston and Child books.

Good book

This was quite a departure from what I expect from Preston/Child (type/genre), but it was very good -- an obvious cliff-hanger though and that almost always makes me feel cheated. I like a book to have a solid close to it, but with characters and plot line that are strong enough that you still want more.

Unbelievable

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I just couldn't develop any sympathy or connection with the main character: Gideon Crew. Too many times I found myself saying, "So what?" I think the premise has some promise, but book just seemed flat.

Would you be willing to try another book from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child ? Why or why not?

Sure. They have a great track record.

What about John Glover’s performance did you like?

The book was acted, not simply narrated.

Do you think Gideon's Sword needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I know there are follow books, but I think I will spend my money elsewhere.

Excellent Drive Time

we drove from Canada to Napa and listened to this the entire time and the trip flew by!

ending is stupid

was pretty good until the last chapter, then the wheels came off. It made absolutely no sense at all

P&C develop a new exciting character

Loved it! It's brain candy with a loose connection to reality. I look forward to Gideon's next adventure.

Yet another great Preston-Child character!

I liked this audible a lot. It was easy to listen to and understand.
Gideon Crew is yet another Preston-Child likable character. Agent Pendergast will always be my favorite but Gideon is clever and interesting too.