by J. J. Marric
Part of Gideon, book 14
First published 1971
Commander Georges Gideon confronts multiple crimes along the Thames when jewel thieves target an elegant riverboat. The Scotland Yard detective must navigate interconnected cases as a teenage girl vanishes from under her mother's watch, seized by a killer who shows no mercy. The violence escalates when a young man suffers brutal torture before drowning in the river's murky waters. Gideon applies his investigative skills to untangle the web of evidence, but the clues lead him into increasingly treacherous territory. The veteran commander discovers that his pursuit of the criminals has drawn him deeper into danger than he anticipated. The Thames itself becomes both backdrop and participant in the unfolding drama as Gideon races to solve the crimes before more lives are lost.
Genres: 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, cat-and-mouse
Setting: Scotland Yard, Thames
Period: 20th-century
192 pages · Paperback · Hodder
Content warnings: violence