Where is Anybody?

Gideon Sable #5

by Simon R. Green

Legendary master thief and conman Gideon Sable must pull off an impossible heist to save his partner's life in this fast-paced supernatural thriller from New York Times bestselling British fantasy author Simon R. Green

Gideon Sable specializes in stealing the kind of things that can't usually be stolen. But these days the legendary master thief is officially retired from the caper game. Now, instead of pulling off elaborate heists with his crew of supernatural specialists, he runs a magical shop in the heart of London with his partner Annie Anybody. Still, he can't resist occasionally going out in the night to steal things when Annie's not looking. For old times' sake - and for the joy of the con.

But after one of his late-night illicit jaunts, Gideon returns to the shop to find that while he's been stealing, someone else has been hard at work . . . stealing from him. I have taken Annie Anybody, reads the note on the countertop. If you ever want to see her again, you must find and steal Time's Arrow. You have forty-eight hours.

Stealing the legendary Arrow isn't a challenge; it's certain death. But Gideon will stop at nothing to save Annie from their unknown enemy - with or without the help of his talented, terrifying former crew . . .

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Mystery, Humor

191 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2024

About the author

Simon Richard Green is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. His first publication was in 1979.

His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.

Excerpted from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Jannelies (there is no hope anymore) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gideon and Annie live a relatively calm life, buying and selling magical objects in their (not so) little store. But Gideon is missing the thrill of stealing things, so at night he frequently slips out. One night he returns to discover Annie (Anybody) is missing! In order to get her back, he is forced to steal something really rare, an object that lets you go back in time to right all the wrongs you’ve done. This object is currently part of a secret exhibition at a secret location where people with lots of secrets go to admire them. Sort of a museum…

Gideon cannot fulfil this task alone, so he gathers his old friend – and some of his enemies as well. Things do not go as smoothly as he hoped for, and during the story he discovers lots of new secrets about his old friend and enemies.

I just loved reading this because it’s so over the top! From the stuffed bear that guards Gideon’s shop, to my absolute favourite the mirror that is just not any mirror. All characters, whether they are good or bad, have the same kind of dark humour and often I had to laugh out loud.
All things come to an end and I think (and I’m not the only one here) that this is the end of this series. That’s a pity but I can understand why there had to be an ending to this series. It’s all rounded up nicely! I’m looking forward to reading more books by Simon Green as I’ve read a lot of them in the past already.

Thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this review copy.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Where is Anybody?” is the fifth (and possibly the last?) Gideon Sable novel by Simon R. Green. Gideon is the master thief, able to steal things that shouldn’t exist, or may be legends, or are just really neat.

The start is very similar to the previous novel; as the owners of Old Harry's Place magic shop, Gideon and his partner Annie Anybody feel they should step back and not risk life and limb going on perilous adventures. But that gets quite boring, and soon Gideon is sneaking off behind Annie’s back to steal something that he shouldn’t.

But Gideon gets a surprise when he returns to the shop: while he was off stealing, somebody stole Annie Anybody! To get her back, he will need to reassemble his crew once again: the Damned (Lex Talon) and his partner Switch-It-Suzie, who are off dealing with a cult, as well as their adopted werewolf daughter Polly who is out hunting a great hunter on a desert island.

Similar to my last Gideon reviews, this is a short novel that follows the basic formula set up in the previous four outings: Gideon gets a mysterious request that is always more than meets the eye, he goes on a mini-adventure, then the major adventure takes place with a surprise twist. Just because it follows a formula doesn’t mean that it’s not entertaining. Enjoy the witty banter, marvel at the latest gadgets and tricky items, and be surprised at the twist at the end. A fun one-sitting read, this time it looks like Mr. Green may be ready to move on from Gideon and his crew.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Severn House via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been reading his author for years, so I know exactly what I’m getting when I read one. While his books aren’t perfect, I still quite enjoy them just like I did this one. Poor Gideon doesn’t know what to do with himself after Annie is kidnapped, and he can’t find her using any magical means. So, he gets the old crew together to find her. I was surprised at the end, as I generally am since this author usually has a twist, and this was quite a twist. I think this might be the last book in the series considering how it ended. Yes, this series follows a formula, but I still enjoy them anyway as the books are entertaining, witty, action-packed, and fun. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Carolyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed this series though the Nightsides are my fave of this author. I struggled to get into this entry unlike previous releases.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gideon Sable is a lot of things – thief, rogue, collector, jack of all slightly nefarious trades and a master of several of them – more than he admits but then he likes to be underestimated. It’s all part of the game, after all.

But he’s been trying to go straight – or as straight as anyone can who operates in Old Soho – after the events of Not of This World. But it’s not working for him. He misses the thrill of the hunt – and the curiosities and oddities store he inherited always needs more stock.

He may have sorta/kinda convinced himself that’s that’s enough to justify all of his occasional illegal forays into other people’s collections – particularly as he only steals from people – and creatures – who really, really deserve it. But his partner, Annie Anybody, can always see right through him.

She always wears someone else’s face, so it’s easy for her to spot that her partner is wearing a mask of contentment that doesn’t quite fit. Gideon may always be ‘the man with a plan’ but this time Annie has a plan of her very own – and it’s much, much better than Gideon’s.

All he has to do is get the old gang back together – or at least as together as some of them can ever be – and ride to Annie’s rescue. Because Annie’s been kidnapped by one of Gideon’s many, many old enemies – and he’ll do anything to get her back. No matter how many impossibly well-guarded collections he has to burgle to save the love of his life.

But no plan – not even Gideon’s – survives first contact, especially when that enemy already knows all of Gideon’s tricks. As Annie’s kidnapper most definitely and absolutely does.

Escape Rating B: If the TV series Leverage had a book baby with the author’s own Nightside series the result would be Gideon Sable. Gideon is a liar, a thief, and a con artist, much like Nate Ford in Leverage – who is also ‘a man with a plan’. But Gideon, even though he usually operates outside the law and against the powers that be, only operates against villains who are much worse than he has any intention of ever being – even if those he considers fair game often represent that law OR are themselves among the powers-that-be. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and Gideon Sable is right there waiting for some of them to step over a line that sometimes only he can see.

But he’s not really Gideon Sable. Or rather he IS Sable now but he hasn’t always been. In Old Soho, the mask and moniker of Gideon Sable belongs to whoever can steal it and keep it. In the first book in the series, The Best Thing You Can Steal, he had just assumed that identity – whoever he used to be.

This story, which looks like the final book in the series, reads like a bit of a victory lap for the character – in spite of his desperation to save Annie and enact some serious justice on whoever took her from him.

Along the way, first he has to get the old gang back together – and every single one of them needs help before they are available to help him. Even old friends and enemies manage to pop onstage for a brief moment and fans of the series will enjoy seeing most of them again – even the ones that Gideon himself would prefer to drop into a pit lined with spikes or vipers or both.

One of the things that has made this series work for me is that Gideon is a stream-of-consciousness snarkmaster of the first order and we see everything from inside his wry, cynical, sarcastic head. If you like his voice, you’ll enjoy the series – and probably most of the author’s other series – because the style is the same throughout and his worlds tend to bleed into one another – often literally.

Just don’t attempt to start here. It would be like reading the last chapter of a book before the first – before anything that’s going on in the ending has enough backstory to make sense. But all the books in the series are just barely above novella length, so if you like a lot of sass and snark in your protagonists then Gideon Sable might be your jam.

It certainly has been mine, and I’m sad that this series seems to be ending. At least I still have a few of his Ishmael Jones series left to read for when I next need some high quality snarcasm!

Originally published at Reading Reality

[fleurette · Rating 3 out of 5]

It looks like this might be the final book in the series about Gideon Sable and his group of extraordinary friends.

This is quite a good story, yet I felt it was missing something compared to the earlier books in the series. However, I also think it serves excellently as a conclusion to the series; many characters we've met in previous books find the endings to their stories. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what I felt was missing that I found in the earlier books. Maybe it's because it was a series of smaller quests rather than one larger plan, or it could just be my current peculiar mood towards reading lately.

The book is written in the very typical style of this author that we have come to know from the previous books. It is full of good humor, sometimes a bit absurd, but above all, it's a wild ride. There's always something happening, with the action racing along at breakneck speed. This has always been a strong point of the series.

The plot is interesting and quite intricate. As I said, there are several smaller quests that lead to the ultimate goal of rescuing Annie Anybody, who has been kidnapped from Gideon's shop by a mysterious person. The kidnapper demands the legendary Time's Arrow in exchange, which must be stolen from a heavily guarded museum—something only Gideon and his friends can achieve. But to reassemble his team, Gideon must first help them complete a few smaller jobs.

In this way, we meet many familiar characters from previous books, both Gideon's friends and his enemies, who also appear in this story. Many of their stories find their conclusions here. I admit I didn't remember all of them equally well, but it was still nice to see so many familiar faces again. I was a bit disappointed with the ending, even though I think it provides a definitive conclusion to the series. Nonetheless, I was expecting something more spectacular.

While I feel that earlier books in the series could be read even if you hadn't read the previous ones, with this one, in my opinion, that's no longer possible. You simply won't have the necessary background on the characters to understand everything that's happening, and you won't be attached enough to them to care about them. So, I recommend this book primarily to those who have read the earlier books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Evald Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Azt hiszem, hogy a sorozat végéhez értünk, ami egyszerre szomorít el és tesz vidámmá, mert hogy ha tényleg sorozatzárás, akkor rohadt szépen oldotta meg. Persze lehet, hogy folytatja, és nem fogok megsértődni, de közben meg: miért folytatná?
Le lettek itt zárva dolgok, és csak azért nem kaparom ki a szemét azért, amit a Damned-el tett, mert hogy feloldozást kapott rögvest utána, és az egész jelenet nagyon szép volt. De azért egy kicsit rohadjon meg, mert Lex messze a legkedvesebb karakter volt számomra. A másik meg a Wild Card, és kicsit sajnálom, hogy csak egy jelenet erejéig tért vissza.
Maga a sztori a megszokottak szerint épült fel: random sidegig, a fő feladat felbukkanása, a crew összehívása, és everthing going batshit crazy. Viszont ezúttal sokkal személyesebb lett a fő feladat, és nagyon büszke vagyok magamra, hogy majdnem sikerült kitalálnom, hogy mi folyik a háttérben, mert ez eddig egyáltalán nem sikerült.
És még Sellyt is egészen megszerettem, pedig vele nagy egyoldalú beefjeim voltam, de aztán valahogy sikerült elfogadtatnia velem magát.
Polly is just awesome, hands down, kedvenc vérfarkasom.
És aztán persze egyetlen drága Sidneynk is belevetette magát az eseményekbe, amik számára is meglepően végződtek.
Na meg hát Gideon "the man with the plan" Sable, akinek tényleg mindig van egy terve, és őszintén lenyűgöz, hogy vágja ki magát a szorul helyzetekből.
Mindenkit szerettem, az egész őrült hajtóvadászat hozta, amit vártam tőle, és még ha a végére kicsit haragszom is, azért nem tudom utálni, mert olyan sorozatra, ami ennyi lelkesedést hordoz magában, nem is lehet. Meg annyira szeretem azokat a bizarr dolgokat, amiket kitalál hogy miket gyűjthetnek ezek az alvilági figurák, el nem tudom nektek mondani. Azt hiszem bárki más kezében egy átlagos heist sztori lenne, de Green valahogy annyi egyéniséget tud beletenni, hogy kitűnik a tömeg közül. Egyáltalán nem azért az egyik kedvencem, mert olyan írástechnikai brilliánsokat csinálna, hanem mert olyan szívvel és lélekkel ír, ami egyszerűen sugárzik a könyveiből. És kicsit úgy érzem magam, mintha Rejtő Jenő nyakon öntötte volna a regényeit némi mágiával.
És ha most megbocsátotok, mennem kell felhajtani a többi könyvét is.

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are series where if you plunged into the fifth book, you’d be completely floundering. This isn’t one of them. While I’d advise you to go back to the start of Gideon’s adventures in The Best Thing You Can Steal so you can more thoroughly enjoy his extraordinary crimes – it isn’t a dealbreaker if you don’t.

The next point I’d like to make is that the cover is somewhat misleading. The dark creepiness makes this one look far more horrific than it actually is. Yes, there is a reasonable pile of bodies by the end with some unexpected deaths that caught me unawares; yes the stakes are very high; and yes, some of the victims die in very nasty ways. But Green’s dark humour permeates the story to the extent I was often sniggering at the banter between the crew, even in the frequent life or death situations.

Gideon isn’t a good person – he’s a thief and con artist, whose instinct is to nick things that catch his eye. But he has lines he won’t cross. He steals from people who have done unpleasant things and while he’s clocked up an impressive number of powerful enemies, who’d like nothing more than to see him die in agony – he also has a surprising number of people who like him sufficiently to risk their lives to keep him safe. While I’ve enjoyed the whole series, I hadn’t felt quite as close to Gideon as I did to poor, stranded Ishmael in Green’s previous series – until this book. There is a thoroughly enjoyable plot twist at the end where I finally felt that Gideon’s defences are completely down and I was able to see the real person behind the façade. In fact, the ending is poignant, unexpected and quite funny – which is a neat trick to pull off in a series described as dark horror.

All in all, I’m sorry this series has come to an end, but that regret is tempered by the really good job Green makes in tying up all the loose threads and giving our hero’s adventures a satisfying conclusion. Recommended for fans of dark fantasy, who appreciate a bit of a laugh alongside the violence and monsters. While I obtained an arc of Where is Anybody? from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look at that. I’m the first to rate and review this book for Goodreads. Where is Everybody?
You’d think these series was more popular, because people love formula, and these are nothing if not formulaic. But there’s something amusing about them too. Enough for a person who strongly dislikes series of any sort to read all five.
And that something is the author’s cleverly imagined worlds and their trickery. The rest of his plotting is mostly hokey and rather cliched with overwhelming action sequences and too-convenient last-minute resolutions. But the characters themselves are fairly amusing (especially Sidney and Johnny Wildcard who is still gone, despite the teaser), except for a rather bland lead, and the magic tricks they use to get around their world are fun.
This time the plot is too convoluted even for fantasy. But until you get to the twist, you have your basic premise of Gideon Sable’s beloved Annie Anybody kidnapped. Promptly he gets the gang back together like he does in every book, and they go on to crush skulls and magic their way around to solve this like they do in every book.
This one, though, has a bit of a farewell in it a the end. Can Green actually be retiring Sable or simply rebranding? The author’s busy enough and has done enough serials to go either way. Will I miss it? No. But was it fun while it lasted? Yeah, kinda, sometimes. And it always did read so quickly. Thanks Netgalley.

[Steph Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have absolutely loved this Gideon Sable series from Simon R. Green, but found this final instalment a little less immersive than the other books, perhaps because it felt more obviously formulaic than usual?

Gideon begins a search for his missing partner, Annie Anybody, but is sent on a new side quest at every step of his main quest, meaning that for most of the book he is diverted away from metaphorically slaying the dragon in order to spend his time metaphorically picking mushrooms and killing rats. Any gamer will know and accept this scenario, but when it is repeated at every individual stage of a journey, it becomes too obviously ‘filler’ and therefore frustrating.

Still, we see all the favourite characters return – The Damned, Switch-It Sally, Polly, Sidney and a very brief Wild Card cameo – and the resolution/s to their character arcs for this final outing of the magic-heist-capades is very satisfying all round.

We get the usual high stakes, high body count, high coincidence count, chaotic and confusing adventure, which neatly ties the series up with no lingering regrets (I would say no lingering questions too, but who was Gideon Sable?!)

I love the world- and character-building of this world and would still jump at the chance to read more from it, even if it involved new characters and a completely different plot. Fans of snarky, quick-paced urban fantasy are likely to enjoy it as much as I do.

[MizzyRed · Rating 5 out of 5]

One last time to get the crew back together (after fighting off Satanists and heartless game hunters, to gather Lex, Sally, and Polly from their various endeavors) and save Annie while pulling off a great heist at the Midnight Club in order to get Time's Arrow as a bargaining chip for Annie's safe return. I believe this is a farewell, at least to this version of Gideon Sable and I must say he had a good run in this series, found friends and family and come to realize what the most important things in life are, not the heists, each grander and more wild than the last, but the people he cares for. So, yes, I enjoyed this last caper which also included traveling to another dimension and helping another him pull off a theft and releasing rare animals from a hunter's abode on a jungle island, it had a nice ad fitting ending that took care of Lex and Sally (whose love for each other is wonderful!) and Gideon and Annie (time to pass the mantle of Gideon Sable on to someone else).

This was an entertaining series with plenty of laugh out moments and nice little twists as Gideon outsmarts all the villains and getting away with the treasure. And I had fun reading them all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to read and review.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a huge fan of Simon R. Green's writing since I read his Nightside series years ago. I was sad when that series wrapped up, but have been very entertained by two of his newer series -- Ishmael Jones and Gideon Sable. Both series have that fantastical, other-worldly, supernatural feel like the Nightside books, with main characters that are just wonderfully weird. I grab each new book that comes out and just savor each series. Always entertaining!

Where is Anybody? is this 5th book in the Gideon Sable series. Gideon is a thief. A master thief. And, he only steals items that can't be stolen. So he isn't out pulling bank robberies and the every day sort of heists.....he's looking for legendary items, dangerous mythical doo-dads, cursed relics, or things that technically don't actually exist.

This time, someone close to Gideon has been kidnapped. And he has to find an out of this world item in order to get her back. And he only has two days to do it.

Wonderful, weird adventure with lots of suspense, action, and fun! I loved every word! Can't wait for the next book! Simon R. Green stories never disappoint. I had a great time reading this story!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Severn House. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

[Rachael Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Simon R. Green and I have been reading his works for YEARS. I love picking up his works, at this point the characters are like old friends. I think I started with his Nightside series and have worked through just about everything he has written up until this point.

If you like urban fantasy, This may be a series you would want to start from the beginning instead of picking up at this book. This is #5, so I certainly recommend working your way up to this point, so you know who the main players are and how we got to this point.

In this book, Gideon Sable, our main protagonist, has to find Annie after she has been kidnapped and of course magic is no help what-so-ever. Ultimately he has to get his rag-tag crew together and go on an adventure. I think the wit and humor along the way is always my favorite. who doesn't love smart-ass characters who's mouth gets them in trouble more often than not? I mean, that tends to be what most of Simon R. Green's main character's do. I love it every time! There's really never a dull moment and the book goes really quickly so you could read this in one or two sittings, so just do it!

[Marty Tool · Rating 5 out of 5]

As this may be the last in the series, I'm giving 5 stars as I loved the characters and stories. Gideon wants to keep his hand in the con and goes out on nightly jaunts thinking Annie doesn't notice, until he returns to find someone found Annie and left a kidnappers note. The only way to get her back is retrieving an impossible item. His only option is getting the old crew back together and nonstop action results. Always snarky, the dialog doesn't disappoint and the action and adventure doesn't either. I guessed early on who was behind the kidnapping, but there is still surprises throughout the book with a final chapter to sum it all up, which I really appreciated. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the trade of a free read for an honest opinion.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read and enjoyed all the five Gideon Sable novels. There's a lot of fun, humour, Gideon is a smart ass and the gang is crazy enough to keep me entertaining.
This time we start with a BANG and close with a BANG after saying good bye to some characters. There's surprises, there's humour and fun.
It could be the last in this series or a reboot but I will surely miss those who are gone.
Mr Green often uses a sort of template but I couldn't care less as I was having a lot of fun in reading this story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Kelsey Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars! This is a fun take on the heist genre. Where is Anybody is the 5th installation in the Gideon Sable series by Simon R. Green. I haven't read the rest of the series, but except for a few obscure facts, this book worked well as a standalone. This has the typical hijinks but also a great deal of humor, which made it feel rather cozy, despite the high stakes.

[L & J Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Gideon Sable and Annie Anybody adventure!
Gideon Sable, legendary thief has to save Annie from an unknown kidnapper and assembles his old crew in order to steal Time’s Arrow, which is what the kidnapper wants as ransom. Of course, not everything goes smoothly in this snarky and darkly humorous adventure.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all in Gideon Sable series and this book looks like the series is coming to end 😢.
I throughly enjoyed this series regardless of it being good or bad. These books were entertaining, witty, action-packed, and fun.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first one I have read in this series, and although it could be the last , unwilling probably go and read the others to get a taste of what series about.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

… and that’s a wrap

Really nice ending to the story. I felt like it was kind of obvious who had kidnapped Annie, but wasn’t sure why. A bunch of things took unexpected turns, and the book was a wild ride, but definitely stuck the landing.

[Jon Nielson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nonsense upon nonsense.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad to reach what appears to be the last book in this series.

[Corrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book was a blast until the end, which sucked.

[Derrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a simple story with it's simple tricks and tails... if you enjoy the rest of the series, this one just keeps it going.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun romp that feels like a goodbye

[Adam Brindle · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was absolute garbage from start to finish. felt like it was written by a 13 year old

[Trace Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
This was a wild fun ride with witty banter, unbelievable gadgets and a crew who would do anything for each other.

[Alexander Draganov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Финалната като че ли книга за крадеца Сейбъл позволява на Грийн да развихри безграничното си въображение, изправяйки Гидиън и приятелите му пред разнообразни и опасни противници, от които най-запомнящ се, макар и без да е основен злодей, а Марк Стоун. Финалната схватка в музея е изпълнена с обрати, правещи я изключителна, а развръзката е оригинална и поне аз не успях да я предвидя.

Всичко това прави книгата първокласно фентъзи, но поне аз не мога да не отбележа два от недостатъците на автора, рецидивиращи в цялата му кариера – първо, героите са направени прекалено силни и понякога това прави четенето монотонно, второ, твърде са кръвожадни и авторът не вижда проблем с това, понеже убиват от “лошите”. Честно казано, това мислене според мен е в основата на много от проблемите на света и се залага още на ниво популярна култура, което го прави крайно опасно – една от причините да се възхищавам на герои като Батман и Хари Потър, отказващи да убиват при каквито и да е било обстоятелства.

Цялото ми ревю може да прочетете в Цитаделата:
https://citadelata.com/where-is-anybo...