I wasn't sure that I'd like the book when I picked it up. I was burned by The Blonde not too long ago and didn't want to make the same mistake twice. Twice, that's a type of mistake sequence you don't want to make.Wha? The language above is the sort of thing that fills the pages of this book, though, surprisingly, it's not as maddening as you might think.The writing was, on the whole, very good and propelled the story and it's host of genuinely creepy and malicious narcissists along an engaging, if convoluted plot nicely. It's the sort of reading experience where you find yourself looking to see how many pages the current chapter has left but, by the time you reach the chapter mark you want to see where the story is headed and continue reading.Indeed, the chapters are structured or came to be in a way very much like the book. Slow, brooding, somewhat inscrutable but with a definite build to a compelling end that satisfies only so much and never completely, forcing you to turn the page, invest in the next chunk and read on (I understand that the story is resolved in the next installment, Waking with Enemies).The worst part of the novel is certainly the descriptions of sex. The awkward turbidity clears only when Dickey interjects language so ludicrous you can't help but assume he was playing a joke on his editor--and given that I read an old advance copy, maybe he was.A prime example occurs when one of the characters is seducing another in a cab. The man gently strokes the woman's knee, then her thigh, then inside her thigh the whole time saying things that sound like a teenage boy's understanding of seductive banter. Finally the man reaches under her skirt and, "...felt my hand brush her panties. I could feel her global warming."I'm sorry, what? Can you describe some more sex, Dickey?The woman, now in the hotel room, kneels before the man and, before fellating him informs, "I'm so wet. I'm marinated."Terrible.I'm not sure whether Dickey was intentionally making the sex awkward to highlight the issues sociopaths with crippling emotional problems might encounter with romance. He does such a wonderful job describing their world and motivations and pursuing a genuinely thrilling plot I hate to think he didn't...but that nagging doubt lingers.I skipped all the sex scenes and, without them, the book is a great noir romp through the seedy side of civilization that exposes and makes tender, though ironically, the criminals that only mal-adjusted teenage boys honor: Contract killers.
I have been reading EJD books as long as I can remember. I did the audible approach this time and loved it. It has been 10 years since I have read an EJD book, and this one is different from his others. He has had books with love, sophistication, and hustlers abound. Even violence. But this book has darker characters. Gideon, the main character is dark, cold, killer. He is very similar to the anime character Golgi 13. He is a killer but not a perfect killer. His emotional problems leads him to mistakes. This book shows the darker side to him and others from all walks of life. It surprised me, because I am used to his other books. I also like how the book goes abroad instead of just bouncing between New York and California. He even has a character from Texas my stomping ground. Trying not to be a spoiler, but if you are used to EJD get ready for a much darker book, and the love scenes are not love scenes but almost something out of an x-rated movie. I thought it was unnecessary, but on second thought it goes along with the main character and his background.
What do You think about Sleeping With Strangers (2007)?
I don't quite know how to write a review where the book was so uninteresting that I had to use clothes pins to keep my eyes open. While this may be the first in the series I won't be reading the rest. I found the characters to be so unlikable that I really wanted to stop reading or yell at them to get a life. The main character Gideon, named himself that after seeing the word on a bible of a pastor he had just murdered, was the worst for me. The premise is about a man named Gideon who is hired to kill people because that person did something that the person who hired Gideon didn't like. Sorry, but that last sentence reflects the jangly prose in the book. Nothing for me to recommend this. Gave it two stars because I have read a few books that were worse and this book didn't quite sink to that level.
—Daniel Rudge
Where to start... I guess I will start with how the narrative of this book was somewhat confusing. I wasn't always sure if Bruno or Gideon was the narrator for a particular chapter. The author tries to hint at situations/people early on in the story but introduces so many similar characters and scenarios that I ended up getting confused ("wait, is he hinting at Arizona or Thelma? Is he hinting at Tampa or Amsterdam?"). The hired killer aspect of the story was the one thing I did like. It was interesting to see the point of view of a hired gun but the backstabbing and paranoia is already getting old. Oh, and the ending (or lack thereof) is a shameless plug to sell the next book. It reminds me of the Fifty Shades series as it probably could just be one big book but the author split it just to make more money. The only difference is that I'm not even that interested in seeing what happens. I have to say, I'm extremely disappointed. A coworker suggested this book/series a couple years ago and said it was sooo amazed and she couldn't put it down. Now that I've finally gotten around to reading it, I am sorely disappointed.
—Ellon
I really enjoy Eric Jerome Dickey books. However, I was used to reading his "love" stories until Gideon. Not only have I read the books but have listened to the audiobooks for each one as well. The Gideon series has turned out to be my favorite books by Mr. Dickey. Mystery, thrills, and sex scenes that are totally heated. As Gideon travels the globe the reader is taken on an exciting journey with each destination. I was even more so intrigued because many of the cities stateside and European countries I have visited so the story really comes to life for me because I know exactly where he's writing about. This is a series that even men would love if they are not a fan of Mr. Dickey.
—Falana
