Review by Booklist Review
The second Gideon Crew novel is definitely smoother than Gideon's Sword (2011). The character's substantial backstory was laid out in detail in the first book but is only briefly summarized here, allowing the authors to jump right into the story, in which Gideon, the former art thief and nuclear researcher turned secret agent, must try to defuse an explosive terrorist plot before time runs out. Gideon, an engaging fellow from the get-go, lives up to his initial promise, demonstrating an intelligence and resourcefulness that should endear him to adventure fans. He's no Special Agent Pendergast, hero of Preston and Child's better-known series he lacks the subtlety and the air of mystery but he's a solid action hero. The first novel was a sort of shakedown cruise as the authors tried out a new character. If this follow-up is any indication, it should be smooth sailing from here on.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Fans of Preston and Child's bestselling Aloysius Pendergast novels (Relic, etc.) may want to take a pass on the unremarkable second Gideon Crew thriller (after 2011's Gideon's Sword), whose lead could be cut-and-pasted into any number of books by less gifted genre writers. A rare medical disorder has left Crew, a private contractor for the shadowy Effective Engineering Solutions, with just 11 months to live, but he can't resist an opportunity to defuse a hostage situation in Queens. The hostage-taker, Reed Chalker, had worked with Crew at Los Alamos, and the FBI hopes Crew can calm Chalker, who believes the government is beaming rays into his head. The resolution of the standoff leads to fears that Chalker provided a weapons-grade nuclear core to Islamic terrorists. The unexciting action sequences that follow, including a duel with chain saws, fall well short of the authors' usual high standard. Agent: Eric Simonoff at William Morris Endeavor. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
In the duo's second apocalyptic thriller (after Gideon's Sword), Gideon Crew scrambles to find Reed Chandler, a Los Alamos colleague who recently converted to Islamic extremism and was poisoned with massive amounts of gamma rays from a stolen nuclear bomb. The FBI soon learns that the jihadists plan to detonate the nuke in Washington, DC, in ten days and that an unknown collaborator framed Crew as the mastermind behind the scheme. Crew leads a bizarre chase from New York to the Southwest to find the actual perpetrator, while the FBI searches for Crew as well as the missing device. VERDICT The scattered plot twists, the exaggerated story line, and the misdirected chase scenes resemble a zany cops-and-robbers farce. As with their earlier title, the authors' high standards have fallen short in this series.-Jerry P. Miller, Cambridge, MA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
