Dying for Revenge (Gideon Trilogy, Book 3) (Hardcover)

by Eric Jerome Dickey (Author)
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The third entry of bestselling Dickey's Gideon trilogy (after Waking with Enemies) offers intrigue, deception, murder and sex in exotic locales with a noir sensibility and keen attention to setting. While on vacation in Antigua, assassin Gideon is under the mistaken belief that an old beef with a client, known as Detroit, is over and done with. That's when he discovers teams of hired assassins are after him, seeking to punish him for bad business and, worse, for threatening Detroit's children. On the run, Gideon flees to the U.K. while secreting the only family he knows, the kid, as far from their enemies as possible. As killers pursue Gideon through London, Nashville, Atlanta and countless Caribbean beaches, Dickey's detailed location descriptions give his over-the-top violence and sex a vivid, realistic grounding. Murder, double-dealing, seduction, love and some unforeseen twists fill out the action, which hits only a few potholes. Though it could have been shorter, this is another highly entertaining page-turner from the veteran author. (Nov.)
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From Booklist
The third in Dickey’s exciting Gideon trilogy (Sleeping with Strangers and Waking with Enemies, 2007) continues the homicidal adventures of Gideon, a professional hit man who got his name from the hollowed-out Bible a preacher was holding when he killed him. Gideon is an artist at his trade, never killing the same way twice. But all that seems to be over. Gideon has deluded himself into thinking that he has retired and found peace and that he can kick back in the Cayman Islands and enjoy the company of not one but two women. Then reality intrudes, and a stop in a public restroom turns into a bloodbath. As tired as he is of the killing game, it looks as though Gideon’s quest for a normal life hasn’t yet succeeded. With action scenes that take your breath away, characters to hate instead of cheer for, devilish details, and a speed-of-light plot, Dickey proves once again that he is a master of the genre. Librarians will want all three books in the trilogy. --Shelley Mosley

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (November 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525950869
• ISBN-13: 978-0525950868
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,154 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gideon... oh Gideon..., December 3, 2008

By	Jason Frost "RubiconReader" (California) - See all my reviews

Gideon is back! That simple sentence has enough power in it for fans to salivate in this, the last book in a phenomenal series. I will be honest and say that this book didn't start off with the liquid fast pace that his others one have. It actually caught me off guard because I was like "what in the world"? It was that noticeable and very unusual for EJD. That being said, I still hung with it because this man is pure talent and I knew he wouldn't let the story down. AND HE DIDN'T! I was pulling for Gideon (of course) but through the course of the story I also felt myself pulling for Matthew and the red-hair lady who loved shoes. I take that back, this crazy woman had an obsession for shoes!!

It was almost comical in how Eric described her and her obsessive infatuation. This woman could be in a gun fight for her life and she could tell you not only where her would be assassins bought their shoes, but what size they were, how much they paid, and what store on the exact street they bought them in!! But that's just a side dish let me get back to the main course... Gideon. Gideon. Freaking Gideon!! This assassin/lover/protector/walking paradox/murderer/one-man-dispenser-of-justice is the driving force to this entire trilogy. To say that this man is battling demons is like saying The Clinton's hate the Obama's... no kidding!

Once this story got going it really didn't slow down and THAT is what I expect from Mr. Dickey. I also LOVED the relationship between Gideon and Hawks. That was a part of the story that I didn't expect but it was a very, very strong glue to this book. In this book Gideon is the hunter and the hunted, usually at the same time. "Gideon" must be Latin for "nine lives" because this man gets out of more impossible situations than James-freaking-Bond. You really can't help but pull for Gideon even though his brutality is sometimes just downright...well... brutal. With violence emanating off him like cheap perfume it wouldn't be right if his friends and enemies were anything different. Once they start to hunt for each other the body count becomes high, the blood flows free, and the pain is given and taken like breaths.

The physical pain that Gideon goes through is only rivaled by the emotional and mental anguish he's feeling trying to protect what is "his". You read this series, this story in particular, and you wonder how one person can endure so much. So much pain. So much hunger. So much distrust. So much never having a home. So much destructive sexual freedom. So much what-ifs? So much... everything. Then you realize that Gideon is a murder-for-hire and maybe THAT is how he deals with it. But who knows? Maybe God? Maybe the devil, but even I think he's afraid to get on Gideon's bad side.

A really great finish to a really great series. I do think, however, that Eric is about .000008 seconds away from leaving the States and making his new home on the islands. The way he describes the islands is like describing an incredibly sexy and beautiful woman. If he does go I hope he's looking a chaperone... but I don't want Gideon as the pilot. :-)

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 Stars Gideon Wanted, Dead or DEAD?, November 18, 2008

By	Angelia Menchan "acvermen.blogspot.com" (Florida) - See all my reviews

Eric Jerome Dickey brings his character, Gideon, from Sleeping with Enemies and Waking with Strangers back to life. Gideon, a cold-blooded killer, with a somewhat sensitive heart, has been a hired killer all his life. Being raised by a prostitute, who molested him, and taught him the way of the streets has formed him. However, after committing an atrocious murder in book one, he is haunted by his life and his career choice. He is also chased by the desire and love for one woman. A woman he can never have. Gideon is a conflicted hunter, who is now the hunted.

Dying for Revenge is a slower-paced, less sexually saturated book than the other two. Gideon is on the run for his life. A character, who is now the Mayor of Detroit, has a contract out for his life. Though she failed to kill the killer, her life is geared towards Gideon's death. She literally wants his head on a platter. The chase for Gideon is an intriguing, though at times meandering story, filled with violence and flashbacks.

Mr. Dickey also provides a backdrop of other characters. There are the husband and wife assassins who are chasing Gideon, while trying to work out issues of their own. There is also, the sometimes killer, Hawks, who after a sexual fling with Gideon is unable to not love him, and is haunted by memories of him. And, of course, there is the ever elusive bloodline that Gideon constantly seeks.

I recommend Dying for Revenge to all who love Eric Jerome Dickey novels and those who enjoy intriguing novels with a backdrop of violence and sexuality.

Angelia Menchan
APOOO BookClub

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wet Your Hand and Wait for Me , December 14, 2008

By	OOSA Online Book Club "O.O.S.A. Gets It Read!" (World Wide Web, USA) - See all my reviews

The prolific Dickey's latest book again details the life of everyone's favorite assassin, Gideon. Book three finds Gideon once again the hunted instead of the hunter. Detroit has again reared her head and wants Gideon's head (literally) at all cost. She has obtained the services of a husband and wife assassin team for the job. Gideon is caught up in a cat and mouse chase, where failure means death. He enlists the help of fellow assassin Hawks. Only one team can prevail. Who will die for revenge?

Dickey's three book series is addictive! He delivers another fantastic thriller, weaving a tale of murder, sex and revenge. Dickey did a superb job in terms of both character and plot development. You really get involved with the characters as well as the setting. Full of excitement, action and great writing, DYING FOR REVENGE is a must read. The fast pace will have readers rapidly turning pages to see just how things will unfold. DYING FOR REVENGE is yet another hit from this masterful storyteller and is easily recommended.

Reviewed by: Toni