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Gideon

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When they asked him to be a ghost writer, he didn't realise they wanted him dead.

Struggling writer Carl Granville is hired to turn an old diary, articles and letters - in which all names and locations have been blanked out - into a compelling fiction. For this, and for his silence, he will be paid a quarter of a million dollars. But Carl soon realises that the book is more than just a potential bestseller. It is a revelation of chilling evil and a decades-long cover-up by someone with far-reaching power. He begins to wonder how his book will be used, and just who is the true storyteller.

Then - suddenly, brutally - two people close to Carl are murdered, his apartment is ransacked, his computer stolen, and he himself is the chief suspect. With no alibi and no proof of his shadowy assignment, Carl becomes a man on the run. He knows too much - but not enough to save himself...

580 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1999

38 people are currently reading
584 people want to read

About the author

Russell Andrews

15 books42 followers
A pseudonym used by David Handler with Peter Gethers

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5 stars
293 (25%)
4 stars
436 (38%)
3 stars
302 (26%)
2 stars
74 (6%)
1 star
26 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
Profile Image for Faouzia.
Author 1 book82 followers
June 22, 2015
Imagine that you're an aspirant author, and a well known editor accepts to publish your book, only there's a condition. You have to write another book based on old mysterious diaries with dates, names and places erased. Those diaries hold a dark secret. And then couple of weeks later, you wake up to find that your editor is dead and you're accused of her murder with two more murders. As you realize it's all about those diaries and the secret they hold, a chase across the country starts: you have to run for your life and at the same time discover the truth and clear your name!!
Interesting, isn't it??

Well, this was a fast paced thriller, a nicely plotted story with interesting twists. I loved the mystery about the diaries and how i discovered gradually the links between the different characters and events, how the past was reconstructed, it was a good book, and i enjoyed it greatly.
In a way, this book shows the gravity of the Media's control over the public opinion and how easily people can be manipulated.
i enjoyed also the "clin d'oeil" to the politician's world, the way people struggle to get power and control, and what they're willing to do to preserve it!!

I found this book in a second hand bookstore, i never heard of the author before and no one recommended it to me. It was a very lucky choice as it turned out to be a very entertaining book, which i greatly enjoyed and i recommend it to my friends :)
Profile Image for Maria Silva :) .
29 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2022
Eu nem sei oq dizer, estou abesbilica sinceramente!
Recomendo muito, tipo vão já ler pls, não há cena melhor que este livro, um final fantástico, reviravoltas do nada que não esperava, apanhou-me de surpresa mesmo, não estava nada à espera que fosse assim tão bom e tipo cheio de mistério, personagens msm bem construídas, a pessoa fica com grande ligação a elas, especialmente ao Carl e à relação que ele vai desenvolvendo com a Amanda (shippo bué, partners in crime omg).
Leiam só juro, não se vão arrepender, uma história de fundo do crlh msm, super deep, e aborda todos os tópicos possíveis (homicídios, política dos EUA, corrupção, suicídio, etc).
Profile Image for Eadie Burke.
1,981 reviews16 followers
October 14, 2015
This book was a gripping page turner which was hard to put down. It is full of suspense that keeps you guessing until the very last page. It is a political intrigue that comes together in the end in a way that is unimaginable. This was an excellent debut and I look forward to reading the next one from Russell Andrews. I recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers as it is a very good entertaining read.
Profile Image for Seizure Romero.
511 reviews176 followers
September 5, 2007
...kinda fun bubblegum for the brain, but there are a few disbelief-threatening plot complications to keep the story going. Too much of that and you go directly from edge-of-the-seat tension to irritation & throwing the book across the room.
UPDATE/SPOILER ALERT: I slogged through to the end & this book blows. Pacing is off-- what is supposed to foreshadow and draw the reader further into the story seems more like random & pointless plot complication. Characters who manage to f**k up dramatically at JUST the right time and an assassin who ends up being someone who we think is dead...but this misapprehension plays no important role whatsoever. HER death, which I'm sure was supposed to be oh-so-creepy and mysterious, one more missing link in the vast conspiracy chain...is just another poorly executed plot point. Not only should you NOT buy or read this book, you SHOULD write nasty letters to the authors who are quoted gushing ecstatically about how much this isn't a steaming pile. They lied.
Profile Image for Scott.
73 reviews
September 13, 2013
What a great ride! So I stop at a tag sale near my house and didnt like the book selection. Talked to the owner for a while and bought this because I felt guilty.$1 and sat on my shelf for a week. Then I picked it up thinking Id read a few pages. Couple of days later and was really engaged. I LOVE when that happens. This was a great action, mystery, thriller. Some fun and at times REALLY surprising twists. NY...to the White House...to the sleepy South where secrets are buried...this book read like a Dan Brown novel. You could see the movie while reading it. Would recommend to anyone that likes a good action, mystery.
Profile Image for Wijdane.
11 reviews5 followers
March 3, 2016
oh where do I begin! the surprises? the shocks? the pain? Gideon took me to a whole new level on how Thrillers truly are , kept me awake and with each chapter i finish my curiosity grows. I have to say it's my number one thriller story after Dead simple by peter james
Profile Image for Rae.
106 reviews7 followers
November 10, 2016
I read the first half of this book purely because I'm currently in bed with a cold and wanted something non-challenging to distract me. I dropped it halfway through, after the mandatory awkward 1999 hacking scene was immediately followed by a still more uncomfortable scene in a gay bar -- in which the men who hit on an established character are described without pronouns and in clunky gender-neutral terms, to allow the shocking revelation that said character is interested in men. This was a move rather characteristic of the generally bad writing in this book, in which objects or events are frequently described for half a page or so, in vague but emotive terms, before the reader finally finds out just what they are. That's a minor annoyance, but after a few repetitions I found it was really starting to annoy me.

What else? The main character is a 28-year-old man who tells all the women he wants to seduce to call him 'Granny'. I assumed this was an unfortunate coincidence and that Americans don't use that word for their grandmothers, but it turned out I was being too generous. Midway through the book, a character is reluctant to take his phone call because both her grandmothers are dead, until she realises it's him.

This character is a tousle-haired, boyish man with a love of basketball, an inclination away from getting tied down into adult life, and a struggling career as a writer -- and, believe it or not, he is the most believable, fleshed-out, multidimensional character in the whole book. Highlights include his upstairs neighbour, a blonde aspiring actress who is of course just as attracted to him as vice versa; a powerful female editor with a wardrobe full of black leather; a clothes-conscious gay man and, oh, a whole mess of black and Southern stereotypes. I felt deeply embarrassed reading this book.

Apparently I'm quite good at selecting things to read, because I had forgotten that books could be this bad.
Profile Image for Lee Pletzers.
6 reviews4 followers
May 25, 2010
Gideon
Russell Andrews
Warner Books
ISBN: 0751528900
©2000 Review of second edition

A struggling writer, Carl Granville, gets the opportunity of a lifetime. An editor offers to publish his books if he writes one special book for her. He has ghost written before and so (naturally) he accepts the project. There are stipulations and at first he finds them weird but gets used to them. He has a very limited time to get the book done. It’s time sensitive.

On the day he accepts, a new girl moved into the apartment above him and he helps her get a large seat into her apartment. They form a relationship.

Harry –one of the stipulations—watches him writing. He never speaks. He is there to ensure Carl works and that Carl copies none of the information handed to him in the form of a diary. He is allowed to make notes only.

He is part way through the book when the editor is killed.
Harry doesn’t show up at his apartment.
Carl’s laptop is stolen.
His new girlfriend is killed.
He is the suspect for both murders.
There is no proof of his assignment, no records.
He flees, determined to find out who is behind this and clear his name. The only person who can help him is his ex, a reporter for a major newspaper.


The book is a good and fast read. The many plots interweave into one hell of a story, though I feel it is a little over-written. Sometimes, there is too much detail and some clues he gets seem to be just plan lucky when they pan out.

I found I didn’t like Carl very much, nor his ex. Harry, I liked.

Overall, the story is good and entertaining. It is a thriller that ranks up there with thrillers of today and well worth the investment.

71%
Profile Image for Keith.
275 reviews8 followers
July 4, 2011
Carl Granville, an aspiring novelist, is introduced to the hottest agent in New York and she offers him the opportunity of a lifetime; to become an extremely well paid ghost writer for a new novel which, she claims, could change the course of history. There is, however a caveat; no one can know the true identity of the book’s author including Granville. His research material is delivered to him each day with all names and locations redacted and the courier waits until he’s finished with the originals. So begins an exciting adventure of intrigue, murder and mayhem. When his new agent is found murdered and anyone associated with the project begins to disappear or turn up dead, Carl realizes that something has gone terribly wrong and he too must run for his life. This is an exciting mystery novel with lots of twists and turns throughout and then even manages to deliver a surprise ending. I’d call it a real “page turner” if I hadn’t listened to it as and audio book.
1 review
October 29, 2020
This has possibly been one of the worst books I've ever read. After an exciting beginning, the story just gets bogged down with some of the laziest writing I've seen. With pages that have weird illustrations, (A fake FBI website chocked full with a Top 10 most wanted and everything.) ridiculous twists that don't track with who the characters were. *Spoilers* For instance, a Secret Service agent (who happens to be gay) that couldn't identify a WOMAN in men's clothing. The authors also used any excuse to use the "n-word" for no real foreseeable reason other than to just do it. All the Black Southern characters spoke like slaves, while, An uneducated Southern White Woman spoke with perfect grammar. This "book" was a complete waste of time and I wish I could get that time back.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Freda Malone.
378 reviews66 followers
March 16, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. It was very different from your typical CIA, FBI and who dun'it mystery. I particularly enjoyed reading the ending. Simply wrapped up by the very people who were innocent in the whole book, by broadcasting it to the world, unknown to the villains - was brilliant. I've read too many endings where the villains were taken to jail, prison or trial to be judge by only a few of their peers. I was wow'ed by the way the story unfolded about the president. It was a simple read, not too much complicated detail that usually bores me to tears.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Habib Rezanejad.
13 reviews2 followers
March 26, 2019
I have mixed feelings about this book. This was my first book ever in this genre, mystery fiction. In one hand, it was fun to read. However, on the other hand, some parts were very predictable and cliche. Another thing that really irritated me in few places was that the "professional assassins" failed in every critical moment so the main character somehow managed to survive. I think it was also predictable. There were some parts that had good twists.
772 reviews12 followers
December 21, 2021
Carl Granville is a young guy trying to make it as a writer and has had some success. Then he's hired to ghost write a novel based on a diary. And the money is fabulous. But the project soon gets way beyond weird. Professional killers are involved as well as high level politicians. The story is fast and furious and fascinating. If you've ever read and enjoyed Stephen Hunter, try this one out. If you haven't, try it anyway. Trust me.
Profile Image for Zanna Hugo.
63 reviews
May 23, 2016
Sometimes all you want is a good old gripping story that you can escape to when you want to slip away from real life. No overly fancy plot twists or crazy literary feats, just a good story, well written. Two thumbs up.
Profile Image for Judy .
817 reviews2 followers
December 28, 2018
Actually 2.5 and I did like it MOST of the time. Interesting characters, unique plot, certainly mysterious for the first 300-400 pages! On the flip side, the ending disappointed both in length (OK, end this already!) and in resolution. That said, I'd read another Andrews!
Profile Image for Bob Box.
3,162 reviews25 followers
September 4, 2021
Read in 1999. A high concept political thriller.
Profile Image for Carlos Mock.
932 reviews14 followers
October 18, 2020
Gideon (Mass Market Paperback) by Russell Andrews

The first thing about this book is that Russell Andrews is a pseudonym for Peter Gethers and David Handler. The second thing is that it's not that good.

Carl Amos Granville (Granny) is an aspiring writer in NYC. His agent has died and at her funeral, he's approached by Maggie Peterson - APEX, NY publisher's best agent - with a proposal to "ghost" write a novel about Gideon. He's promised $250,000 dollars for his efforts, $50,000 upfront - but it must be done quickly.

As Carl writes, he realizes that the book is not fiction and it pertains to an important person that is going going to be brought down.

Soon after that, people start dying - starting with Maggie - and Carl is the main suspect. He reaches out to APEX publisher, Nathan Bartholomew - but there's no record of Carl being employed by APEX. nor of his contract with Maggie. Carl does the only thing he can do - flee.

Helped by his ex-girlfriend - Amanda Mays, editor for the Washington Journal - they go on a search to figure out who Gideon is. They are followed by multiple murderers and many other people die. Will they be able to figure out who Gideon is, and will they save themselves?

The 435 pages go quickly and the book is an easy read. However, there are too many second tear characters that dilute the main ones. It's hard to identify with any of them because they're usually dead by the end of the chapter. The plot is not believable and I found myself skipping because it was a bit crazy.

This would make for a great beach read, but I would not read anything else written by these two writers.
Profile Image for Kris.
35 reviews1 follower
November 13, 2023
This book was truly amazing.
I have no other words. I mean, I absolutely loved it. It was soo good, seriously, so really good. Oh man, nothing was what I thought at first. It had many plot twists, many of which I had to close the book and just stare at nothing at all, just thinking, processing...

Incredible.
The characters and the many points of view were great, I thought I wouldn't really like it, but it was really interesting and fun when it all clicked for me. When I saw everything as one, and not as many things just at random (not really random, but it didn't make sense for me yet). I actually had to start tabbing the book in some parts to try to figure it out and understand, and it worked for me, I mean, I didn't exactly figured all the things out, but there were moments where I needed to go back and find something and I had it tabbed so it was way easier for me to find it and to make the connections.

This book deserves more recognition, needs more recognition. This book was interesting, entertaining, captivating, it was soo worth it!

I bought this book because of the cover (published in 2000), the cover was so not what I was used to seeing that it made me want to know what it was about, it made me curious, so I read the back and instantly bought it.
I mean, how could a book cover be all black and have the name with a few color effects when pointing at the light and NOT make me interested enough to want to read it?

This book might just have become one of my favorites, honestly. Definitely top 10, maybe even number one, I don't know. I've never read anything like this before. I am absolutely enchanted by it. I am fascinated.
Profile Image for Vance Knox.
Author 2 books
November 10, 2025
A struggling writer, Carl Granville, gets the opportunity of a lifetime. An editor offers to publish his books if he writes one special book for her. He has ghost written before and so (naturally) he accepts the project. There are stipulations and at first he finds them weird but gets used to them. He has a very limited time to get the book done. It’s time sensitive.

On the day he accepts, a new girl moved into the apartment above him and he helps her get a large seat into her apartment. They form a relationship.

Harry –one of the stipulations—watches him writing. He never speaks. He is there to ensure Carl works and that Carl copies none of the information handed to him in the form of a diary. He is allowed to make notes only.

He is part way through the book when the editor is killed.
Harry doesn’t show up at his apartment.
Carl’s laptop is stolen.
His new girlfriend is killed.
He is the suspect for both murders.
There is no proof of his assignment, no records.
He flees, determined to find out who is behind this and clear his name. The only person who can help him is his ex, a reporter for a major newspaper.

The book is a good and fast read. The many plots interweave into one hell of a story, though I feel it is a little over-written. Sometimes, there is too much detail and some clues he gets seem to be just plan lucky when they pan out.

I found I didn’t like Carl very much, nor his ex. Harry, I liked.

Overall, the story is good and entertaining. It is a thriller that ranks up there with thrillers of today and well worth the investment.
Profile Image for Petre.
57 reviews
August 23, 2020
I read this novel twelve years ago, about two years after intense brain surgery was performed on me which utterly destroyed my entire nervous system, degraded my memory and rendered basically every muscle in my body weak. Obviously this book left me with a great impression, seeing as I reread it a decade later. I just remember the book having such a great story line and to reread it; I was not surprised to learn that the story was better than what I remembered.

Its a unique and complex story that runs down an rabbit hole of insanity. Its highly captivating and would make a great movie.

Not many novels make me rethink the past events in the story and try to figure out what happened and why it happened.

Not many novels fool me, make me laugh or leave me wandering.
This novel did do just that.

There was literally little to no literature flaws, the writing was witty, elegant and descriptive.
Some of it was humorously clever, like the line about the old Elvis fans that dressed like decaying teenagers....

This book is brilliant.
Profile Image for Gabrielle Simon.
137 reviews2 followers
May 9, 2025
Confession: if you’d told me I’d end up devouring a thriller about conspiracies, secret identities, and murders, I would’ve smiled politely and gone back to my dramas where people argue over kitchen renovations and existential crisis.

But Gideon landed in my lap — quite literally, wrapped in shiny paper, gifted by a friend who swore I needed a change, for a bit.

This novel starts slow, but then, like a fuse finally catching, the thing takes off. There are layers. And more layers. And just when you think you've reached the bottom — oh look, another file, another betrayal, another name that means more than you thought.

The prose won’t win awards for lyricism. But it’s clean, sharp, and functional. Surprisingly, I liked it all : guilt, legacy, identity, all tangled in a story that moves like a well-oiled machine.
Profile Image for Eve.
47 reviews
August 23, 2025
I enjoyed this novel about an inspiring author. The plot was unique and the main characters were extremely likeable and believable. Some of the plot was a definite twist for me as it veered from realistic but I enjoy a good thriller.

I also like the idea of creating a few unique characters such as the two major villains' in the novel. They definitely do not follow a script and are totally believable.

I like the idea of a ghost writer digging at the truth and discovering a hidden conspiracy. Like, I said be prepared for a wild ride, not always credible but it keeps you entertained. I was initially introduced to the book through my indicated interest in mysteries/thrillers on kindle. Although this books was written awhile ago, it is a good one to pick up.
3 reviews
June 22, 2023
Decent plot but littered with continuity issues and typos. For example:
cars screeching to a halt on the rain slick pavement
Our hero 'lying in between two of the 'joints' presumably the mean 'joists'
And then a remarkable Smith and Wesson with silencer that attached to the revolver that muffled the two quick pops...only later to learn that Agent Shanahoff was shot once in the head.
A Mossberg pump action shotgun which incredible later we are told 'now he waved again with his rifle! A rifled shotgun is an intriguing prospect.
Disappointing from the publisher's perspective due presumably to the use of spellcheck rather than proof readers'.
Profile Image for Sangeeta Sharma.
Author 1 book11 followers
May 25, 2018
I have no expressions left in admiration of this book. An unexpected thriller that gave me goosebumps most of the time. I was left speechless, jaw-dropped, sighed in relief when things went well and threw the book when I read murders who were living proofs. I had to skim-read pages too. It was a roller-coaster ride! Now, I have to suffer from a reading slump. I even had dreams where I was chasing the assassins. A fully addicted book.
Profile Image for K Ryan.
136 reviews4 followers
March 14, 2025
Puerile, predictable drivel. The first part when he's writing the book is tight. But then it starts to meander and waffles on, drawing out the ending by about 30 extra pages. I was ready for it to end about 100 pages before it did but persevered in case there was an unexpected twist. There was not. It felt like the author was hoping it will be made into a movie. As we've seen with the state of the world lately, anything is possible.
Profile Image for Joseph.
788 reviews4 followers
January 27, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It was on my shelf for a long time, and I finally decided to take a chance on it and read. It was a fast moving plot with twists and turns and a strong story. I really enjoyed it and felt that the characters fit in with the story and the plot. I strongly recommend.
Profile Image for Philip .
72 reviews21 followers
July 20, 2017
Gideon is a book that you hate to put down. I found myself drawn back to the book when I had spare time to read.
957 reviews12 followers
October 17, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, everything ties together in a great ending.
Profile Image for Mavis Hewitt.
424 reviews3 followers
January 4, 2018
Good start, middle was rather predictable, some confusing chapters that switched people & location in the middle, ending improved it, probably to a 3.5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews

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