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Gideon and the Young Toughs and Other Stories
by
John Creasey, J.J. Marric
It is part of the Commander George Gideon series and is a police procedural in a Kindle edition that was published by Crippen & Landru Publishers on December 5, 2022 and has 124 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include The Unbegotten, The Toff Goes On, Introducing the Toff, The Peril Ahead, The Death Miser, Redhead, Carriers of Death, First Came a Murder, Death Round the Corner, Death by Night
An omnibus of thirteen very short stories in the Commander George Gideon police procedural series set in the 1960s and revolving around a compassionate police commander.
Do read the introduction; it’s quite interesting, as is “A Reflection on the Life of an Author” at the end. I gotta say, Creasey was prolific!!
The Stories
The recurring characters through this police procedural series are, obviously, Commander George “Gee-Gee” Gideon with Scotland Yard’s CID. Kate is his wife, and they have a fifteen-year-old son. Superintendent Lemaitre is his second-in-command, his chief aide. Malcolm and Pru are Lemaitre’s children.
“Gideon and the Park Vandal”
Someone is destroying flower beds in London parks, and it takes Commander Gideon to dig up the truth.
The Characters
Chief Inspector Ian McKinley was on the injury list. Charles Race is a jewel thief.
”Gideon and the Drunken Sailor”
This was a pip about a sailor who kept getting drunk, brawling, and getting arrested. Only, that dang judge kept letting him off!
The Characters
Samuel Daniel is a sailor with a plan. Llewellyn is a magistrate at Savile Street. Parden is the sergeant-in-charge below the dock. Jim Bush, a friend of Gideon’s, is a probation officer.
”Gideon and the Teen-Age Hooligans”
The first of several stories involving teenagers and Gideon’s compassion for their circumstances.
I do like that Gideon checks into circumstances before sentencing.
The Characters
Joe and Ada Moss had a confectionary store. Mrs Coxon is the single parent of Daniel Coxon.
”Gideon and the Shoplifting Ring”
Stores all over are reporting an increase in shoplifting, and Gideon susses out how it’s organized. It’s an interesting read as Gideon figures out the angles.
”Gideon and the Pickpockets”
It seems a number of Americans are getting their pockets picked in Soho. It’s quite the clever maneuver.
The Characters
Electra has a live band.
”Gideon and the Young Toughs”
Groups of young toughs are forming cordons to keep people from moving in Piccadilly Circus. When a cop comes to break it up, they attack.
The Characters
Police Constable Sturgeon is at the Central London Division. Sammy Dench is a fence.
”Gideon and the Pigeon”
A jewelry store is attacked and its manager might die.
It’s another tale where Gideon has compassion.
The Characters
Sixteen-year-old Jimmy Morris needed £10. Grace is the sister Jimmy lives with. Smedley’s is a jewelry store. The Castleton gang.
”Gideon and the Chestnut Vendor”
For years, Gideon has bought roast chestnuts off Old Ben Fairley in Leicester Square.
I did enjoy Creasey’s recounting of Ben’s fussiness over those chestnuts. The man’s had a hard life and keeps himself occupied throughout the year. It’s such a simple “mistake” and yet has such ramifications.
The Characters
Old Ben Fairley sells fresh roasted chestnuts in the winter. Superintendent Lloyd is in charge of curtailing the activities of teenage gangs in Soho. Dicey Gamble is the leader of a small gang of smash-and-grab raiders.
”Gideon and the Vintage Car Thefts”
Hmm, all about a man obsessed with classic cars, only stealing one at a time. It was a bit convoluted, but I eventually figured it out.
The Characters
Colonel Riordan collects vintage cars, a.k.a. crocks.
”Gideon and the Inside Job”
A series of thefts has the police worked up.
What a dumb idiot!
The Characters
Detective Constable David Owen makes an unfortunate discovery. Jonathan is his fourteen-year-old brother.
”Gideon and the Flu Epidemic”
There’s a 48-hour flu raging throughout London. Not deadly, just uncomfortable and a lot of the cops are down with it.
I still don’t see how the connection was made by the thieves as to who would be sick.
The Characters
Robson is with N.L. Division which covers a great deal of St Johns Wood.
”Gideon and the East End Gang”
It’s a terrified mother who begs Gideon to help keep her son from going bad.
It’s a common problem, wanting to impress the girl you want to marry. Part of the fun of reading contemporary stories (from the past) is the types of jobs people had and what is considered a steady job — like demonstrating cake mixes.
The Characters
Superintendent Tenby is with the N.E. Division; Chief Inspector Forbes is with Chelsea. Mrs Blake is a worried mother, whose husband died in a prison hospital. Lance Blake is her son who hangs with Bill Carson, Jack, Bert, Tom, and Bob. Betty Dale is Lance’s girlfriend. The High Spot Bowling Alley is a popular hangout.
”Gideon and the Innocent Shoplifter”
A young American who’d always wanted to visit England just needed a job . . . and had no idea of all the permits that could be required.
It’s a catch-22: Ya gotta have a job to get a permit, and to get a permit, ya gotta have a job. Instead of saying you’ll only work for a few weeks, lie. Poor guy. He did have a good idea. I do think that idiot store manager was jumping to conclusions!
It’ll only take a bit more trouble on Gideon’s part.
The Characters
Morris K Barnes is a fragile-looking boy from Chicago who boxes featherweight in high school. Hooper’s is a department store.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a grayed graphic of three young people on a train. The leftmost is a woman in a white hat with sunglasses and a yellow minidress and over-the-knee white boots. The middle person is a young tough with longish black hair wearing a gray plaid suit and tie sitting on a white motorbike while the rightmost character is wearing a round-topped brown fedora with a red band, sunglasses, and a brown-and-brownish-pink striped suit. All the text appears to be in white. At the top is a general bit of series info. Below that is the title, but above their heads. At the bottom is the author information with a note of who wrote the introduction.
The title is primarily about Gideon and the Young Toughs and Other Stories.
