*Synopsis*
Preston & Child meets Kim Harrison in this edge-of-your-seat debut thriller—a superb blend of mystery, urban fantasy, horror, romance, and the supernatural.
When Lauren’s father dies, she makes a shocking discovery. The man she knew as John Reardon was once a completely different person, with a different name. Now, she’s determined to find out who he really was, even though her only clues are an old photograph, some letters, and the name of a town—Gideon.
But someone—or something—doesn’t want her to discover the truth. A strange man is stalking her, appearing everywhere she turns, and those who try to help her end up dead. Neither a shadowy enemy nor her own fear are going to prevent her from solving the mystery of her father—and unlocking the secrets of her own life.
Making her way to Gideon, Lauren finds herself more confused than ever. Nothing in this small Midwestern town is what it seems, including time itself. Residents start going missing, and Lauren is threatened by almost every townsperson she encounters. Two hundred years ago, a witch was burned at the stake, but in Gideon, the past feels all too chillingly present .
*My Thoughts*
Centered around a small fictional town in Illinois called Gideon, Alex Gordon's debut novel is steeped in mystery, witch craft, demons, and darkness. Gideon traverses nearly 200 years and features a group of witches from Eliza Blaylock to Lauren Reardon that call themselves Children of Endor and are guided by the Lady.
As one of the main characters of Gideon, Lauren's world is changed after her father suddenly dies, and some stunning secrets leak out. After a mysterious man causes havoc on someone Lauren comes in contact with, she travels 2,000 miles to Gideon to get to the bottom of who her father really was, why he kept his past a secret from her all this time, and why this mystery man is so interested in her.
Gideon isn't necessarily a welcoming place for Lauren. The people don't care for strangers who enter the down, and there are centuries worth of secrets, plots, and counter plots that have divided the town and may be linked to Lauren's ancestors. Gideon is a place that is truly stuck in the past and the past never truly fades away. There are dangers around every turn, and if you walk too far into the woods, you might find yourself staying there forever. Gideon's residents are supposed to be guardians that stand against the demons that roam the wilderness, but there are those who are more inclined to follow the darkness rather than the light.
Lauren's arrival brings up a whole lot of bad memories going back nearly 200 years. Gideon is a town that once was part of the so called Sudden Freeze of 1836 that left many of the town's residents dead almost immediately. Later, the Great Fire of 1871 ravaged not only Gideon, but large cities like Chicago. Lauren's descendants have been taking the brunt of the blame since 1836, and it will take a miracle for Lauren to get to the bottom of the darkness dwelling in Gideon, and save the town from itself.
Gideon starts out in a very dark place with lots of death, and ends on the same note. Lauren is a character who is thrown into a serious situation, and only has a few allies to help her uncover how to stop the darkness from completely taking over Gideon and elsewhere. Next to Lauren, my favorite character is Connie Petersbury who experiences her own form of hell on earth, and Victoria Waycross the Mistress of Gideon who stands against the darkness and isn't one without faults.
Apparently there is a follow-up to Gideon called Jericho, but there's no information on whether or not the same characters or setting will be featured. One might presume that with the ending of Gideon, Lauren has a whole new world to discover, as well as learning about her own abilities. Then again, Jericho might be an entirely new story with new characters. One never assumes anything these days for fear of being labeled a crack pot.
As of 12/19/2014, this is the first review to be posted for Gideon (as least on Goodreads). Please note that I have done my best not to spoil the actual events, or players, or reasons for Lauren's arrival in Gideon, nor how the story ends. I have a tendency of being a bit forthcoming with my review, and I truly hope that someone finds this review useful when it comes to picking Gideon to add to your ever growing TBR pile. I definitely recommend Gideon to anyone who loves dark urban fantasy stories.
Author - Alex Gordon
Title - Gideon
Published by Harper Voyager
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Format: E-Book, 432 pages
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