Lost Dog (Gideon and Sirius #3) by Alan Russell


Lost Dog (Gideon and Sirius #3)
Title : Lost Dog (Gideon and Sirius #3)
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : -
Language : English
Format Type : Kindle Edition
Number of Pages : 320
Publication : First published June 14, 2016

Detective Michael Gideon is used to being handed L.A.’s oddest cases, but his newest one assigned itself. When Gideon’s K-9 partner, Sirius, rescues a lost dog from a pack of coyotes, the duo tries to return her home—only to discover her owner is missing.

Heather Moreland has clearly disappeared under suspicious circumstances, and the more Gideon digs into her past, the more he’s convinced of her abduction.

As Gideon strives to help the missing woman, he is also troubled by the suspicious death of Detective Langston Walker, the leader of a support group for families of murder victims. The last time they’d met, Walker told Gideon about a cold case he had reopened, making Gideon wonder if the detective’s demise is the accident everyone believes.

In this third book in Alan Russell’s gripping cop–K-9 series, Gideon and Sirius race to save a young woman—and stop another killer from striking again.


Lost Dog (Gideon and Sirius #3) Reviews


  • HBalikov

    I like police procedurals and I like dogs and stories about stray dogs. So, when others gave this book high reviews, I decided to pick up a copy and see what the excitement was all about.

    There is a lot to like in this example of the Gideon and Sirius series. Sirius (the star dog) is both bright and totally dedicated to his partner. Gideon, an officer with the Los Angeles Police, is bright, witty, damaged and “dogged.”

    Previous to this book, Gideon, a veteran K-9 cop, suffered the death of his wife and severe injuries (including massive burns) that required reconstructive surgery. He suffers from extreme dreams and PTSD. Sirius is a partner that helps Gideon get through the tough times. The book concerns a chance encounter where Sirius chases off some predators and defends an injured dog.

    In the process of determining the dog’s owner, Gideon intuits that it may be the dog’s female owner, as well as the dog, that is “lost.” The more he tries to find the owner, the more it appears that she was abducted. There are several obvious suspects but no easy way to determine who did it or where the woman might be. The tension is not only the search for her but our knowledge, through inter-cut chapters, that she is being held, abused, tortured and raped.

    Though the brutality of this book isn’t extremely graphic, it can/should be upsetting to anyone who reads it. During the course of the book, Gideon suffers additional injuries requiring hospitalization. Also, there is a significant additional plot line concerning those who have lost loved ones due to criminal acts and a support group at which Gideon is asked to speak.

    If you are not totally put off by plot that involves injury to animals as well as humans, you may enjoy, as much as I did, the wit, dialogue and well-describe Los Angeles scene where it all takes place. Russell succeeds both in writing an engaging thriller and in calling to our attention the real world treatment of humans and animals.
    _________________________________________________________
    Let me add as a postscript that Russell opens a window on men who direct their anger at women. There are not any "solutions" offered to this all-to-common situation. Nor is it easy to witness those thoughts and acts. However, I don't think the use of this is gratuitous and it might help to raise the general level of consciousness regarding this important issue.

  • Linda Strong

    Detective Michael Gideon and his K-9 partner, Sirius, find an injured dog and try to return her to her owner .. only to find that her owner has been missing for several days.

    With a little detecting, Gideon discovers that Heather Moreland has disappeared under suspicious circumstances and the more he looks, the more he’s convinced she was abducted.

    Gideon is also looking into the suspicious death of Detective Langston Walker. Walker has been holding a support group for families of murder victim. Walker had retired, leaving one case that had always bothered him. Recently he had petitioned to have that case re-opened. Unfortunately, he did not tell Gideon what case it was.

    This is the third book featuring Gideon and Sirius. I have to say, I have fallen in love with these characters. Gideon is quite evidently a dog lover and Sirius is the perfect K-9 partner. I love their relationship. The dog they find, Angie, plays a huge part of the story … and she is also, one-of-a-kind.

    There is so much humor that runs through this story. I really enjoyed all the references to music and movies from the 80s…. probably because most of those mentioned were my favorites, as well.
    Gideon also has a girlfriend, who has the patience of a saint. He is always getting caught up in his case, and running late for dinner.

    The mystery portion is not terribly suspenseful, although I didn’t know the ‘who’ until the very end. It’s on the lighter side, and while I also enjoy the deep, dark psychological books, I was quite pleased with this one. Sort of a palate cleanser, so to speak.

    I will definitely be reading Books 1 and 2. I highly recommend this one, especially for dog lovers.
    Many thanks to the author / Thomas Mercer / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

  • Carolyn

    This was a very readable cosy mystery. The author writes with a light, humorous style and clearly knows and loves dogs. Although it's the third in the series it's the first I’ve read but the author provides sufficient back story to explain that the main characters Gideon and his dog Sirius are recently back at work at the LAPD after only just surviving a major fire. One night they find a lost dog near their home and try to track down it’s missing owner. The plot was okay but not all that focused. Gideon seems to wander around acting on vague clues now and again. It’s also not clear what Gideon and Sirius do at the LAPD. I’m sure this is explained in earlier books but they don’t seem to be working on any other cases or interacting with anyone else at the station (in fact they barely go into the station) and seem to be free to follow up the lost dog/missing woman case on their own. However, it’s a quick fun read and if you like dogs you’ll probably enjoy this.

  • Maggie

    Being a huge dog lover I wanted to read this book. Detective Mike Gideon and his K9 partner Sirius have been through some rough times.whilst out walking they find a dog exhausted with her pads in shreds. She instantly bonds with Sirius, although she's not wild about his partner- or any other human come to that.

    What Mike doesn't know, but the reader does, is that Angie's owner had saved her by putting her out the bedroom window before she was attacked. All Angie wants is to find her owner & Mike decides to help.

    Along with this mystery, someone Mike met briefly dies in slightly dubious circumstances. Another trail to follow.

    I loved Alan Russell's writing style & his great characters. The story is fast paced & I was on the edge of my seat as I got towards the end.

    Although this is book three in a series, it works perfectly well as a stand alone story. Thanks to Netgalley for introducing me to this author.

  • Tim

    I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.

    LOST DOG by Alan Russell is the 3rd book in the Gideon and Sirius series, and the first book that I’ve read by this author.

    Michael Gideon is a detective with the LAPD, along with his K9 partner Sirius.

    Heather Moreland is a young woman with a troubled past who has recently adopted Angie, a bloodhound mix who also has had a troubled past and is a last chance dog from a rescue mission.
    One night Angie begins growling which surprises Heather as the dog has settled in recently and her agitated state is out of the ordinary. Hearing footsteps in the hallway, Heather drops Angie out of her bedroom window to protect her just as her bedroom door crashes open and she is abducted.

    Detective Langston Walker is the leader of the “187 Club” (California Penal Code 187 is the designated number for a homicide) that is a support group for people who have lost loved ones to tragic deaths, many of them classified as ‘cleared other’ which often is a homicide that doesn’t include a conviction.
    Langston asks Michael to be a guest speaker at a meeting for the group.

    Angie shows up wounded near the home of Gideon, and after being discovered by Sirius, Gideon’s detective instincts soon kick in which develops into a search for the missing Heather.

    Reviewing books can be somewhat difficult when it’s a mixed reaction to a read, and this is one of those times.

    Overall, I liked the storyline, and last part of the book was well done, but the first quarter of the book felt like an adult version of ‘Timmy and Lassie’ with both Heather and Michael constantly conversing with the dogs as if they are human, and don’t get me wrong – I love dogs, but this was over the top.
    Also, the over abundance of bad puns, bad jokes and incessant pop music references were annoying and interrupted the flow of the book (and this is coming from a musician who’s a big fan of Spenser and Elvis Cole’s smart ass replies), along with detailed information on stages of grief, rescue dogs, and other subjects felt like the author had definitely done his homework; but included all of it in the finished book.

    I’m sure many and maybe most wouldn’t have the problems that I had with this book, but that’s the impression I was left with after reading it.

    2-1/2 stars.

  • Lynette Caulkins

    This is a very engaging casual read. I do love relaxing mysteries, and while the crime is heinous, Russell's main character is lighthearted at the same time that he's hard working and dealing with his own trauma. This answers to my own refusal to let the garbage of Life get me down. I also love that he creates a victim with a strong will and a determination to survive a life full of terrible experiences, who does what she can to help herself.

    Alan Russell is a new author to me; this book was sent free of charge as part of a Goodreads-sponsored giveaway, but this is an honest review of my reactions. I found the book to be good enough that I've added the author to my list of go-to's when I'm looking for a "palette cleanser" between heavier reads. You know the kind I mean: A story that holds your attention, yet doesn't require intense concentration. This was the third in a series, yet I felt no handicap in not having read the previous two. Russell is a PG/PG13 writer: He includes details that clearly describe the crime, but he does not resort to pornographic forays, nor does he need to throw tons of annoying vulgarity into his prose. There is nothing misogynist in his work, and he writes with an easy acceptance of the multiculturalism of Los Angeles. He is welcome on my shelf.

  • Liz


    3.5 stars. This is the third in a series. I read and enjoyed the prior two and I would recommend reading them in order. Russell doesn't waste a lot of time re-hashing the back story.

    Russell gets the human/dog relationship - the comfort, the banter (let's face it, we all talk to our dogs) and the way a dog acts as a bridge to the outside world. And most importantly, the love. In this storyline, you get a double dose of that. This is definitely a book for dog lovers.

    This is not a deep mystery in any way. The story moves along at a fast clip. There's a fair amount of humor, similar to a DeMille John Corey novel or David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter series. And you can tell who the bad guy is at about the halfway mark. The fun is in watching how Gideon figures it out. Still, I enjoyed it.
    My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book.

  • Peter Marsh

    I enjoy Mr Russell's style, which is mainly what carried me through to the end of the book as I felt that the course of action and the indication of the identity of the perpetrator, which were both instrumental in tracking him down at the end of the book, seemed to be writ large much earlier and we are to believe that they were not picked up on by a detective well attuned to canine behaviour? All that being said, the style and characterisation still made for an enjoyable read overall.

  • Tulay

    Great book, very touching.

    I have been waiting for this book nearly six months, hope next book about Gideon and Sirius is being written. Adopted pets always gives us back more love and care. In this very touching story, Angie proves that. Author Alan Russell sometimes makes us laugh, his great knowledge of music and movies amazing. Angie twice adopted and turned back to shelter, Heather saw herself in Angie and took her home. Angie paid her back.

  • Tina Simmons

    Over-used plot line

    The main story is completely detailed within the first few chapters. The killer is easily identifiable, the motive clear, and the sickness grotesque. The secondary plot line is actually more interesting, but sadly took a backseat to the "big one".
    Not a fan of this one. It was pretty terrible.

  • Sara

    Best book so far in this series. I really enjoy reading the mysteries of Detective Gideon 👮 and Sirius 🐾 and look forward to reading the next installment.

  • Msjodi777

    Been lucky this year, have finished 3 books that were all really good.... I know that's not because I am so good at choosing good books, so it must mean I'm lucky.

    What's not to love about Gideon and Sirius /i? It has good cops, and a bad person lurking in the background, AND it has a dog! Such a wonderful cast of characters, that the plot line can only be interesting. <><

  • Dave Packard

    Liked the whole trilogy. They all have some dark elements, but this one may be the darkest, and some may not want to go there...

  • Sandy

    3.5 stars

    It all begins when Sirius rescues a damsel in distress.
    Late on night, Det. Mike Gideon follows his partner to find an injured bloodhound on the street in his neighbourhood. Finding her owner is priority #1 but proves to be a challenge.

    From the scary prologue, we know her name is Angie & she escaped seconds before her "mom" Heather Moreland was attacked & abducted from their home. Since then Angie has been roaming the streets trying to pick up Heather's scent.

    Thanks to a microchip, Gideon soon ends up at Heather's house. Something about the scene tweaks his spidey sense & so begins the search with both dogs in tow. He also starts looking into the sudden death of Langston Walker, a respected ex-cop. The coroner ruled it accidental but Gideon knows he was digging into an old case & has to wonder if Walker got a little too close to the truth. With his plate full, good thing long suffering girlfriend Lisbet is the patient sort.

    Chapters alternate between Gideon's investigations & Heather's horrific ordeal at the hands of a twisted madman. Her story is disturbing & the author does a good job of concealing the identity of her captor.
    Gideon's story line is a mix of his cases & people he meets along the way, providing a welcome relief from the graphic details of Heather's nightmare. He's a gentle man, given to overthinking his musical selections & really (really) bad puns. His PTSD has receded but he is still troubled by dreams of fire & reminded daily by the scars that crisscross his body.
    It's also left him with a sort of sixth sense where the dead speak to him in his sleep. Sometimes they provide leads to his cases but he's careful to keep this "woo-woo" gift to himself.

    Heather's plot line aside, this is a mostly non-violent & more literary read than your average police procedural. The reader's enjoyment may hinge on their acceptance of the MC getting clues from the dead & whether or not they're a fan of his tendency to inject a pun into every conversation. Still, Gideon is a compelling character & dog lovers will enjoy the relationship between the 2 cops. Solid addition to this series.
    If your tastes run to grittier thrillers, try Russell's stand alone novel "A Cold War".

  • Darcia Helle

    I loved the first two books in this series, but I was less enthralled with this one for reasons I will explain. First, the good stuff. Alan Russell is an excellent writer. Gideon is a witty guy, who is fun to spend time with, and Sirius is one of the best dog characters ever. The author weaves in a lot of interesting historical facts about LA, and Gideon's knowledge and choice of music adds to his intrigue as a character.

    The aspect I love most is Gideon's relationship with Sirius. This is handled exceptionally well. Throughout the story, we're shown the strength of their bond, the trust they have in one another, and how a police dog works.

    Now for the not so good stuff, in my opinion. The story largely lacks substance, to the point where the case itself feels distant to the interplay between the man and his dog. Much of the story is focused on Gideon and Sirius as a pair, not necessarily doing anything at all related to the major case they're supposed to be working.

    The major pitfall for me is a bit of a spoiler, but I'll do my best to keep this general and not tell you anything that isn't in the book's description. At the very start of the story, Sirius leads Gideon to a lost, injured dog. This dog happens to have a strong need to track. When they discover the dog's owner is missing, that tracking sense was my first thought. Yet it took Gideon most of the book to figure out what the dog was trying to tell him, even though Gideon knew the dog had an innate tracking ability. Given that Gideon works with a police dog that is trained in tracking, I just didn't buy into him being that obtuse with the other dog. Consequently, I spent most of the book wondering why he was being so dense.

    This is a fun, light read, providing you don't take the mystery too seriously.

    *I received an ebook copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*

  • Mel

    This was my first Alan Russel book and it won't be my last. I will definitely be going back to try the other books in this series for sure. Being that this is the third book in the series, I did feel a little behind, but this can easily be a standalone since we get enough info about anything important that has happened before.

    This book has two mysteries going on and even though I figured one out early on, I still really enjoyed following Gideon and Sirius as they unraveled things. The puns, the music lessons, the whole cast of characters... I loved it all. I also really liked getting small bits from Heather's pov. It helped get into what she was going through.

    Probably my favorite thing about this book was the love between Gideon and Sirius and Angie and Heather. Their love and devotion to each other is so beautiful. I also loved the compassion and caring people showed for others. Terrible things happen in this book, but I felt the message was overall positive. I don't want to say more for fear of giving something away.

    My only real complaint is that I was left with some questions. There was nothing major, nothing that took away from my overall enjoyment. Just a few things that would have made it even better.

    I would absolutely recommend this to anyone that likes mystery/thrillers.

  • Angie Boyter

    Obviously many people enjoyed this book, but I could not even finish the Prologue. Ordinarily I would not write a review after reading so little, but I feel compelled to warn other readers for whom this type of world is a turnoff. It was sad that Heather had adopted a dog that had been abused but a credit to her. My warning bells tinkled a bit when I immediately heard she was dyslexic. I wondered: Is this going to be another book where everyone has many problems and is pretty much dysfunctional? I can handle one issue but...then I found out she had watched her father beat her mother to death when she was 12 and was not later able to reunite with her brother because he died of a drug overdose. I pulled the plug a few pages later when we learned her soon-to-be-ex husband had thrown her kitten against a wall because the kitten had accidentally scratched him. I REALLY do not want to spend my time reading about this world. If you don't either, avoid this one.

  • Cathy Cole

    I continue to enjoy Alan Russell's Gideon & Sirius series, especially since this third book, Lost Dog, avoided something that had annoyed me in the previous two books. In Burning Man and Guardians of the Night, Sirius-- a normally extremely well-behaved dog-- threw a fit about something, and Gideon ignored him. Subsequently, Gideon experienced a great deal of pain for dismissing his partner's concerns. That doesn't happen this time, and that thrilled me to no end. Gideon may be a smart aleck, but he's a smart aleck who can learn.

    Although I knew the identity of the killer seconds after the character was introduced, there was still a lot to enjoy in this book. The missing woman, Heather Moreland, had a very small part that still packed a powerful punch. Russell had to be economical with his words, but he delineated Heather's character so well that I actively worried about her safety all the way through the book.

    I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Michael Gideon's sort of character. He's a smart aleck, and I love his use of puns and poetry, his references to movies and television, and so much more. If I don't actually laugh out loud, Gideon usually makes me smile as I read his quips.

    Russell usually adds to my knowledge as I read these books, and Lost Dog is no exception. I learned about two systems installed in Gideon's patrol car: a special air conditioning system, and something called a Hot-N-Pop. If the temperature inside the car gets too high and the human does not respond, one of the doors will automatically unlock and pop open so the dog can get out. There have been K-9 deaths here in Phoenix due to the animals being in locked patrol cars, so when I read about these systems, I immediately wondered about our police department installing them.

    Read a Gideon & Sirius mystery and you will learn things. You will laugh. And you will find yourself on the edge of your seat wondering if man and dog are going to save the day. Bring on book four!

  • Lora

    This was a solid third mystery novel in a solid series. There is enough information on the characters and their past that you don't have to have read the earlier books to understand and enjoy this one (in my opinion).

    This novel has two parallel mysteries, some red herrings and engaging information about the California setting (the author knows and loves California). It has both warm humor, chilling action and a pinch of nostalgia (like a fun scene quoting the Magic 8 ball).

    The main character is a detective who loves dogs, bad puns and good music. His doodling and PTSD dreams help him solve cases. Intuition doesn't solve the cases neatly and easily, and it is just one of his tools but it is a unique tool that I like particularly well.

    I recommend mystery lovers to give this affordable series a try!

  • Elisa

    I'm still loving this series. Gideon was abandoned as a baby, has been burned twice, lost his wife and has suffered traumatic experiences but he's not the self-destructive, alcoholic b@stard that such detectives tend to be. Quite the oposite, even if he has nightmares and is pursued by ghosts, he always has a sense of humor (even if his puns are sometimes terrible!). As hard as the subject matter is at times, the book is still mostly lighthearted. I figured out whodunit pretty early on and caught on to some clues faster than Gideon but I still enjoyed the plot immensely. Good call on leaving the Weatherman out of the story this time. There's no need for him. My favorite part is that Sirius gets a friend: Angie, the third-change dog of a missing woman. Two dogs for the price of one!

  • Patricia

    For lovers of mysteries, dogs, and good cops, this is a must read!

    I was hooked on Gideon and Sirius when I started the first book of the series. Alan Russell paints a picture with words far more eloquently than one would expect in a murder mystery. Being a dog lover and reading far too many police procedural and murder mysteries, I found myself laughing out loud and tearing up at various moments while reading Lost Dog. Alan also has mastered the story arc...while many good writers seem to end their stories abruptly, Alan carries through the arc and finishes with a satisfying moment. Anyone who has known a German Shepherd will love Sirius and see how clearly Alan defines the intelligence, devotion and humor in those dogs.

    To Alan: more Gideon and Sirius, please!

  • Carolyn Dennis

    New author on my favorites lust

    I wasn't expecting to find this book as great as it was! The detective hero and canine assistant grabbed my attention and kept it through the entire book. I enjoyed his off-the-walk comments that made me laugh out loud as well as his musical selections that were like walks down memory lane. I found the closure of the two main cases he worked were surprising and his way of solving them made for a satisfying read. I'll be reading more of Alan Russell books!

  • M

    WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

    This book has mostly 4-5 star reviews, but I must be a contrarian. The spoilers will help explain why.

    “Lost Dog” consists two straight-forward plot lines with intertwining element(s). The primary found-dog story is a it’s-been-done-better psychosexual kidnap/torture plot line. For this type of story, there are a LOT of bad jokes and worse puns. More, there are so many lengthy musical references that I began skipping entire paragraphs. I prefer the subtle references in the Harry Bosch books.

    IMO the secondary plot—a cold case about hunting a “ghost” killer—was more compelling. I liked the MC’s friendship & camaraderie with a retired cop, not to mention the interaction between the MC and his service dog.

    “Lost Dog” is told in first-person, from the protagonist’s POV and that of the kidnap victim. In accordance with many kidnap/torture plots, the victim tries hard to resist, almost gets the bad guy, but ultimately needs help from an outside force.
    The found-dog story progresses slowly until normal dog-behavior (of the kidnap victim’s dog) finally snaps on a light bulb in the MC’s head. Of course when this happens, the hero-MC has been injured and must leave the hospital to effect rescue. MC & found-dog* (are the outside forces that) find and rescue the dog-owner, who is near death.

    *plus MC’s dog and a heroic Uber driver.

  • Tiffany B

    The saga continues with Gideon and Sirius. As they go about solving some of the most bizarre cases, the duo also attempts to find balance in a life filled with danger, trauma, and a sociopath who is obsessed.

    The side characters really jumped off the page in this one. Gideon's past is unconventional and he doesn't have the traditional family support. But his pseudo family does not take their roles lightly. While guarded and self sufficient, Gideon has let a few trusted people into his inner circle. The atypical family adds so much to the story.