Review: GIDEON'S RIDE, J. J. Marric (John Creasey) -audio book

• Narrated by: Raymond Sawyer
• Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins 
• Series: Gideon of Scotland Yard, Book 9, first published 1963
• Format: Unabridged 
• Available as an audio book from Audible.com

Synopsis (Audible)

A gang is at work robbing any passenger they find travelling alone on the top deck of London's buses. One night they strike too hard and murder results, followed by another killing of the bus conductress who could have indentified them. This is just one of several cases laden with human interest and suspense which came Gideon's way in another busy week at Scotland Yard.


My Take

I've been working my way through these pioneering police procedurals and I've probably read enough for now. There is a sameness to them all as we are presented with the daily working of the London Police force, George Gideon's determination that only the best is acceptable, and the wide range of cases that he has to deal with.

They do make very acceptable short journey listening but they seem to follow a formula. There is little doubt that Gideon will eventually catch up with the crims although some suspense is created by whether he will do it in time to prevent another murder etc. As the blurb says, each book has several cases in it, and there is also some human interest in the form of Gideon's family life, and a picture of London life in the 1960s. In their day they would have made engrossing reading as they forged a pattern for police procedurals.

In GIDEON'S RIDE the cases are quite varied and Gideon is dissatisfied at the end because one murderer has got away for the time being.

My rating:4.3

I've also reviewed

4.4, GIDEON'S DAY
4.4, GIDEON'S WEEK
4.3, GIDEON'S NIGHT
4.4, GIDEON'S MONTH

Review: GIDEON'S DAY, J.J. Marric (aka John Creasey) - audio

• Narrated by Tim Bentinck 
• Unabridged
• Length: 6 hours 22 mins
• first published in 1955
• #1 of the Gideon series (aka GIDEON OF SCOTLAND YARD)
• Available from Audible.com

Synopsis

London is faced with the murder of a little girl and a policeman's murder. George Gideon, while trying to bring these killers to justice, has to deal with a criminal gang that is after one of it's own.

One of the most senior officers within Scotland Yard, George Gideon's crime-solving abilities are in the finest traditions of London's world-famous police headquarters. His analytical brain and sense of fairness is respected by colleagues and villains alike.

If you'd like to read some of the book click on the cover image to the right.

My take

GIDEON'S DAY, published under the pseudonym of J.J. Marric, really was the forerunner of those police procedurals which have become so popular in recent decades. It precedes by 10 years the works of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo in the Martin Beck series.
There were eventually 22 titles in the Gideon series 1955-1978 (2 of them posthumously).

Of course many of us remember the television series too.
On YouTube there is a segment of the colour film with Jack Hawkins playing George Gideon.
The television series starred John Gregson.

What strikes you as you listen is how busy Gideon's day actually was, so many things happened. George Gideon was a pretty fiery character who demanded high standards of himself and all who worked with him. His day begins with him dressing down a subordinate whom he has discovered is taking bribes from a London drug peddler. Within the hour the man has been killed in a driving hit-and-run.

I'm looking forward to following this up with GIDEON'S NIGHT and GIDEON'S WEEK.

My rating: 4.4