Guardians of the Night (Gideon and Sirius, #2) by Alan Russell

Guardians of the Night (Gideon and Sirius, #2) Reviews

• 
  Maureen DeLuca

  The 2nd in the Gideon and Sirius series. I had trouble with the story line, but I really enjoyed Gideon and of course (his dog) Sirius. Not the worst book I read- a bit of a disappointment- but I'm a sucker for a dog!
• 
  Marcia Witherspoon

  I guess you have to be a fan of his work
  
  It was not my type of read, maybe I was expecting something else when I selected this book. I got bored very early on and found it hard to continue so I skipped from chapter 13 to chapter 27 and still felt I hadn't missed anything exciting. No suspense or mystery to speak of in my opinion.
• 
  Leiah Cooper

  So near is falsehood to truth that a wise man would do well not to trust himself on the narrow edge. – Cicero
  
  You think you’re the only one who can quote an ancient philosopher? Plato said: ‘He was a wise man who invented beer.’
  “Does that mean you’re ready for another?”
  “Far be it from me to contradict Plato.” –Seth and Gideon - Guardians of the Night
  
  There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare. - Sun Tzu
  From secrecy and deception in high places, come home, America. From military spending so wasteful that it weakens our nation, come home, America. - George McGovern
  _________________________
  
  Military contractors. Self-serving, obsessive, narcissistic. And often? Well, let’s just say “above the law” often comes with governmental protection – no matter what the contractor does. And sometimes, what the contractors do is beyond horrifying.
  
  Guardians of the Night is an unusual novel – a cutting edge look at cutting edge military technology, to be sure. But it grows well beyond a simple military suspense thriller. That is an amazing story line in itself. But there is a strong literary bent as well. There are literary and movie references galore, music and history and things that go bump in the night. Add in a well-developed, believable character list, convoluted storytelling, and of course, Sirius, a police dog beloved by all who meet him – and you have a police/military thriller that is much more than the genre it nestles within.
  
  Gideon and Sirius are heroes. They ran into a burning building to capture a serial killer, and the public, of course, went wild. There is an undercurrent, a second storyline around the serial killer, Haines, which weaves through the story in a horrifying manner – much like watching the dead eyes of a Black Mamba… you wait for the strike – the strike which will steal your life.
  
  And then there is “The Reluctant Hero” – the man who saved a playground full of children, yet will not identify himself. After a run-in with the Chief, (well, and the Mayor too) (Sirius really shouldn’t write snarky emails, ya know? Well, it was funny . . .) Gideon and Sirius are on the hunt for a man who doesn’t wish to be found and dragged out in front of the public. No one can protect their privacy in today’s world of political one-upmanship.
  
  Can Gideon and Sirius stop a megalomaniac, find a “Reluctant Hero” without destroying his life, solve the murder of a homeless man with an incredible story to tell –and possibly solve the murder of a Angel?
  
  I received this book from Amazon “First To Read” Program. All thoughts are my own – and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great story with a modern, terrifying message.
  Publication date: January 1, 2015
• 
  Denise

  Enjoyable free Kindle book -- I believe this was the December Kindle First selection that I chose.
  
  The main characters are a quirky and very witty detective, Gideon, and his police dog partner, Sirius. They solve two interesting cases in this story, and they're not at all your usual cases. Gideon and Sirius are the "special" case team, which leaves them room for some interesting and perhaps atypical police work. I found the first 2/3 of the book really entertaining, well-developed, and well-written, but the way the ending came together was a bit unbelievable to me and, after such a great beginning, a little disappointing. Still, it was a quick and enjoyable read. I have not previously read The first book, burning Man, but this worked fine as a stand-alone book. My guess is that those who have read them both would enjoy this second one even more.
• 
  Kushnuma

  I received a free advanced copy of this book from Amazon.
  
  I quite enjoy crime novels and this book I did enjoy. I didn't realise that this book was book 2 in the series, but luckily I wasn't too confused with some of the events that occurred or were mentioned.
  
  I absolutely loved the Harry Potter mentions. And I understood most of what he said when it came to the Watergate Scandal and the other stuff.
  
  Overall, a good read.
• 
  Laz the Sailor

  While the first book was very intense, this one is more introspective. Combining lots of high-tech shenanigans, unlikable characters, an a hero or two, this story is enjoyable and suitably convoluted. The exploration of the characters is much more in-depth, and the side-stories are well developed.
  
  Although the ending came from no-where and was wrapped up much too easily, it was satisfying that neither our hero nor his dog were injured in the process.
• 
  Deb

  Alan Russel knows how to tell a story. This is the second in his detective series keeping Gideon and Sirius his trusted partner and canine. Not disappointing at all and even better than the last book. Looking forward the #3. I did not see the ending coming at all in any respect. Keep it up!
• 
  Dlmrose

  3+
• 
  Sandy

  3.5 stars
  
  A man & his dog This is the author's second book (following "Burning Man") featuring LAPD Detective Michael Gideon & his canine partner Sirius. It's been three years since they were both badly burned while apprehending "the Weatherman", a killer who continues to contact Gideon from prison.
  Three years of medical treatments, physio & command performances for the media as the LAPD's poster boy. Now they're just relieved to be back at work as the sole members of the Special Cases Unit. The investigations that come their way vary depending on whether Gideon is on or off his superior's hit list.
  Currently he's got two. The first concerns finding the mysterious man who heroically tackled a gunman threatening a school & promptly disappeared. Then there's the case of the murdered angel. Gideon is more than a little sceptical when a homeless man tells him he saw an angel struck down by bright lights in a back alley. But something about the guy compels Gideon to take him seriously & he starts to dig.
  The trail leads him to Drew Corde, a high tech weapons developer who invents lethal toys for the DOD. He's an arrogant git with a God complex & not someone you want to cross. Gideon is not easily intimidated & what follows is a scary game of cat & mouse. As Gideon gets closer to the answers he knows Sirius has his back but at the eleventh hour, help comes from an surprising source. 
  This is a fast paced, well written police procedural with a wide range of characters. Gideon's life revolves around girlfriend Lisbet, a smart & understanding graphic designer & Seth who is his best friend, next door neighbour & font of wisdom. And of course Sirius, who holds the distinction of being bilingual (Dog & German). There's an easy rapport among them that feels like real people who genuinely like each other.
  Peripheral characters include cops, shifty businessmen & a cast of colourful, eccentric residents of the bohemian Venice Beach scene. 
  But the heart of the book belongs to Gideon & his relationship with Sirius. He's a decent, intuitive guy who is good at his job but still haunted by the fire that changed his life. The scars on the outside are obvious. It's the ones on the inside that sneak up on him occasionally in the form of PTSD-induced nightmares. Luckily he has Sirius to pull him through. Gideon's dialogue is economical & infused with a dry wit. He's prone to being a bit of a smart ass, especially when dealing with superiors & I enjoyed the many musical & literary references. The author even has him make a joking comment about real life writer Robert Crais whose book "Suspect" features another human/canine pair of detectives. 
  I really enjoyed this. The plot is tight & the main character someone you like immediately & can't help rooting for. The bond between man & dog is touching, one all animal lovers will be able to relate to.
  By the end, Gideon has tied up most of the loose ends in both cases but realized he has some work to do in his personal life & I look forward to seeing where this leads him in the next book.
   
   
   
• 
  Heather

  3.5. I liked the twist at the end.
  
  I like the dog, but the author tries too hard to be clever.
  
  And I really didn't give a shit about the main character's relationship with his ladyfriend, and he spent a lot of time talking about that.
  
  And as a procedural...it pulls one of those tricks where everything is going along and then all of a sudden it breaks off and next thing you know he's explaining everything to the perp in a Sherlock Holmes kind of way. Not a good procedural. The best parts of "procedure" were skipped. And the choices the author made about what does and does not get resolved by the end...that annoyed me. (I won't say any more for spoilers.)
  
  Something odd--the guy appears to be mildly psychic, but this doesn't really help him much with solving the crimes. Not sure what the point is of that, but it amused me.
  
  I did like the dog. I am kind of curious enough to consider reading the first in the series (this is the second). Even though most of the story, as far as I can tell, was recapped in the book I just read.
• 
  Sharon Michael

  An excellent follow up to the first book of this series. The 'Special Cases" scenario works well for the characters situation and I found the main storyline intriguing, with the touch of 'possible paranormal" interesting as well.
  
  Again, a solid 4-star, with my only concerns the ongoing 'relationship' between the imprisoned arsonist/killer from the first book and the somewhat intrusive nature of the main character's flashbacks.
• 
  Valerie

  Solid Character and plot
  
  I liked the balance of good plot and development of the main character. The unexpected at several turns kept me reading.
• 
  Alicia

  I liked this book, especially the interplay between the detective and his dog, but there was a bit too much profanity in it for me to recommend it to anyone else.
• 
  Cathy Cole

  Having enjoyed the first book in this series, Burning Man, I looked forward to reading Guardians of the Night. I am one of those people who are very happy that there are more and more mysteries being written that feature working dogs.
  
  Once again, I was treated to smart-aleck Gideon's ability to turn a phrase, and some of his acronyms are going to come in handy (NBH = Nobody Home; D-SAT = Didn't See a Thing). Readers are also treated to information and opinions on poetry, authors, and movies. I do know that I learned a lot about something important to the storyline, but I'm not going to say what it is so you can figure it out for yourself.
  
  I like Russell's way with a fast pace and how he puts a mystery together. There's plenty of misdirection in Guardians of the Night, and you have to pay attention to almost every little thing because it will be part of the solution to both cases by book's end. I also like Russell's characterizations-- especially those of Wrong Pauley, Elle, and the Reluctant Hero.
  
  There's only one thing that bugs me about this book: Gideon is still not paying attention to Sirius's behavior! You'd think if Gideon wound up in hot water a time or two, he'd learn that Sirius knows what he's barking about and pay attention. Maybe by book three?
  
  With the strength of Russell's characters and storylines, you know I'll be moving on to the third book in the series. Bring on Lost Dog!
  
• 
  S.M.Eves

  What a trilogy
  
  How I enjoyed this book. I loved the one liners, such cute words. Gideon was so good at it. Sirius was great in every way a clever dog can be. I have chosen this book to review as it tells part of the poem "Guardians of the Night", what a wonderful poem!. The thrills and spills are very good held me on the edge of my wheelchair seat and kept me spellbound. The nasty dodgy characters are what they are meant to be in all three books, the nastiest. The Weatherman is horrid, menacing and plays dirty. I dislike him. Gibson's lady friend is charming, I trust that they will marry, find true love and be happy ever after.
  These books should be read by dog lovers but more so by dog haters, it will change their attitude to dogs forever.
  I trust that Alan Russell will write many more books in this series. He is great at his job. Keep it going.
• 
  Tiffany B

  This is the 4th book I have read by Russell and I now consider his one of my favorite authors. His talent for character development rivals that of more popular writers like Grisham. Those that know me know I do not say that lightly.
  
  I do not often read series because I feel like the authors struggle to keep my attention after the first book. That is definitely not the case with this series. Russell grabbed by attention in book 1, and even as I finished book 2, he had never let go.
  
  We once again join Gideon and his loyal partner Sirius as they try to solve some of LA's most confusing crimes. The emotion practically jumps off the page and right into the reader. The characters seem like real people and not just a figment of the writer's imagination.
  
  I can not possibly recommend this series more.
• 
  Lisa Mcallister

  I loved this book! The protagonist is a detective with a sharp wit and sense of humor that he uses to compensate for his various anxieties brought on by PTSD. His sidekick is his canine partner, Sirius (ala the dog star). They are assigned the case of a homeless man who witnesses the murder of an angel on the streets of Los Angeles, and from there it gets kind of weird. Haha. Mike digs deeper and discovers a connection with a company that produces drone swarms with the potential for use in warfare. As he gets closer to the truth, Mike finds himself and those around him in peril. The writing is strong, and the storyline zips along. Turns out this is book #2 in a series. I hope the author continues to write for this character.
• 
  Elisa

  Just as funny and compelling as the first installment, I liked Guardians of the Night even better. I loved the mystery and its cast of villains and victims. The twists and turns were unexpected but made sense. Not all the plot points are neatly tied up but they are significant to the overall story. I love the bits of trivia about movies, pop culture, LA, philosophy and religion. The dialogues are funny, the characters likable and there is no preaching, posturing or political agenda. Mostly, there is Sirius. I suspect, the author is a great dog lover and it shows - we do all stare at dogs like a sumo wrestler at a sushi buffet.
• 
  Cookie

  wontlookwednesday on a Thursday…..
  #cookiereads Guardians of the Night by Alan Russell 🐕
  Detective Gideon and his bad ass K-9 partner Sirius are investigating an interesting case of sorts. A homeless man claims to see an angel on Venice Beach. Afterwards he is murdered. Can Gideon and Sirius solve the crime? 🐕
  Furiends this is a fast read and most importantly it has a dog as a main character. A dog!!! How awesome!! I love reading stories like these!! 🐕
  2.5 out of four paws #bookstagram #bookaddict #gideonandsiriusnovel #guardiansofthenight #corgioftheday #corgiofinstagram #corgilife #bluemerlecorgi
• 
  Traci Haley

  Actual rating: 3.5 stars. This mystery series is a strange one for me. While I don't feel like there's anything particularly compelling to the characters or the story - it really is just your average potboiler - there's something about it that makes it un-put-downable. I thought this sequel was better than the first, but it still lacks a little sparkle to make me rate it higher. However... I'm about three chapters into the next in the series and it's got more sparkle. Depending on how it ends, it may very well signify the author is getting his footing with this series.
• 
  Lynn Hall

  Oh, Dog.
  
  I am not a fan of crime fiction, but I was drawn to this series because of Sirius. I like dogs. Having read Burning Man, I have become an instant fan of Sirius and his side-kick.
  Alan Russell's research into high tech surveillance is very enlightening; his comedic banter and references to classic movies and songs is both witty and pure genius.
  I would recommend this series not to just fans of crime fiction, but also to those who have never sampled the genre. Oh...and dog lovers.
• 
  Brandon Jolley

  Take it or leave it
  
  I didn't realize when I picked this book that it would keep me attention and that it was part of other books with the sane characters. I read about halfway through, and months later started again. It still took me a long time to finish. I wanted more resolve with the angel and it never came which wAs disappointing. This is a take it or leave it for me. Good writing and editing, but no answers at the end.
• 
  Sherron L Pace

  Human interaction dog gone novel
  
  Love the tongue in cheek lines in this book. Nick Russell has the talent of writing a serious book with light funny lines. He takes a serious situation and gives it some light.
  Thanks for calling Corrections Officers correctly and not saying guards they receive the same training as Police officers minus the traffic control and ticketing, not the two day security guard class.
  Very well done by a very able author.