Mission - Spiel auf Zeit - Ein Gideon-Crew-Thriller (Gekürzte Fassung)

Geschrieben von Douglas Preston

Erzählt von Simon Jäger

Gideon Crew hat ein Aneurysma im Gehirn, das ihn jederzeit töten kann. Doch gerade das macht ihn zum idealen Agenten für eine Geheimorganisation, die immer dann zu ermitteln beginnt, wenn ein Fall für die US-Behörden zu brenzlig wird. Sein erster Auftrag führt Crew auf die Fährte eines chinesischen Wissenschaftlers. Ist der Mann ein Überläufer oder arbeitet er im Auftrag einer gefährlichen Macht? Schon bald merkt der Agent, dass noch jemand hinter dem Wissenschaftler und seinem Geheimnis her ist - jemand, der bereit ist, über Leichen zu gehen...

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: Argon Verlag
• Erscheinungsdatum: 23. Aug. 2012
• ISBN: 9783839811047

Rezensionen für Mission - Spiel auf Zeit - Ein Gideon-Crew-Thriller (Gekürzte Fassung)

[imabookworm_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I look forward to the new Pendergast novel by Preston and Child every year and in 2011, they will have two new books to offer: Cold Vengeance, the next Pendergast, out in August; and Gideon's Sword, book one in a new series about a man named Gideon Crew.Gideon is a genius and a retired art thief. He's also a con artist and a pretender and can become anyone in the wink of an eye. He has a legitimate job that he keeps for fun (and rent money) at the Los Alamos National Lab testing parts that are used in nuclear devices. He is not especially close to anybody.Revenge takes up most of Gideon's time at the beginning of Gideon's Sword. His mother made him promise on her deathbed that he would make the man who murdered his father pay for it and also know who it was that hurt him. Afterward, Gideon is approached by a man with a request: come to NYC and listen to a proposal. A private company that does contract work for the government wants Gideon to retrieve some ultra-sensitive information from a Chinese national who is flying to the US against his country's wishes. Needless to say, the job becomes very complicated very quickly. Gideon enlists the help of an old acquaintance and a prostitute to complete his assignment.Gideon's Sword reads like you're watching an action movie. There are car chases, international locales, government conspiracies, secret agents, and assassins. Exciting and, at times, unbelievable, this book is a lot of fun. The right have already been bought by Paramount and Michael Bay so look for a movie in a few years.Gideon's Sword will be released on February 22, 2011

[alsatia_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Gideon's Sword is not bad, but it's not my favorite book by Preston & Child. Still Life with Crows still owns the top spot. Gideon just isn't Pendergast. Perhaps the character will grow on me over time, but I just couldn't help wishing that Gideon would bump into D'Agosta on a street corner or get pinched by a certain FBI agent. The story itself was okay, but I kept thinking "Oooh, wonder if they're going to merge this into the Pendergast series, like Anne Rice did when she started writing about the Talamasca in both the witches and vampire series?" The fact that I had time to think about this should explain my lower than usual rating. Three stars.[Edit: Another reviewer here on LT pointed out that we've seen Eli Glinn before. Of course we have. Duh! The fact remains that this one just wasn't up to their usually high standard.]

[bensdad00 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

A swift moving, action packed start to a new series.

[bell96 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Fast read - character development was not as good as their other books. Hopefully this will improve as the series develops.

[mpolino_3 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I'm a big fan of Preston and Child's but Gideon's Sword fell flat for me. Gideon seemed poorly developed, he's an art/jewel thief whose gone straight and now works at Los Alamos? During the story Gideon is invincible and then he's not, he's surprised, but he planned the whole thing. Too many elements just didn't work. It was OK, hence the three stars and I'd probably give them another chance with a second book. I love Eli Glynn's character and was thrilled to see him back. I'd rather see a series about him.Perhaps my expectations were too high after their other books.

[lbswiener · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Gideon's Sword is an excellent thriller. The characters themselves are believable but the situations and plot twists are fun and good. The story keeps its feel from beginning to end. Gideon is a likable character who gets himself mysteriously into some difficult situations. The book received four stars in this review. It is highly recommended.

[bettesbooks · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

First in the new Preston/Child series Gideon Crew, a man not afraid to take action against those who destroy others or hurt America. A man who can think on his feet and feels passionately about others. He was sent to locate a scientist bringing in a new weapon "that would change the world" from China. Suspense, mystery and a sprinkling of romance blended with action and adventure. The story just pulled me in. I will be reading more of this series in the future.

[bxwretlind · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Gideon's Sword was a large departure from other Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child books, but it was a good read, nonetheless. I found it to be fast-paced, a little over-the-top in places, and a typical example of a thriller with a "world changing" plotline. While I don't think Gideon is cut from the same cloth as so many other espionage types, he is still similar in many respects. He is no Aloysius Pendergast, however. Quite the opposite, in many respects.

It was nice to see EES again. If you've read any non-Pendergast novels by Preston & Child, you might remember the firm.

[andy_dimartino · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Another great series from these 2. Loved it!!!

[henrimoreaux · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I picked this up looking forward to a fun action romp and can't say I was disappointed at all, whilst there isn't a great deal of depth to the story, the main character is quite well developed as far as an action thriller goes. The story itself begins with some background to his character in terms of events surrounding his father and what turned out to be a cover up, which upon the death of his mother Gideon seeks out revenge for, and executes it quite well. This brings him to the attention of another organisation which wishes to utilise his skill set to retrieve an item that has been smuggled out of China by a fleeing engineer. Overall, it's a fast paced thriller and whilst it does have the usual limitations of the genre with certain obstacles being easily tackled with newly found assistance or information. Or contacts waiting in the wings with the required skills it is still an entertaining story - let's face it, depth and realism aren't what one usual looks for in this style of book so I didn't find these limitations detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

[jamski-1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I will admit that the first fifty pages or so of "Gideon's Sword" I was not all impressed with this first book in what will apparently be a new P & C series, but then it sort of grabbed me. I was pleased to see the return of Eli Glinn and his EES group from "The Ice Limit"…it would put the Cussler fan in mind (sort of) of the bunch featured in the Oregon Files stories, only more businesslike, perhaps. Crew is sort of obnoxious and superficial, at least initially, and it takes a while for him to grow on you. Certainly he has good reason for being thus. Unfortunately, the most interesting character doesn't last long…I won't go further for fear of inadvertently providing a spoiler. All in all it's a fine thriller but not so distinctive as the Pendergast books. I might not be so inclined to run out and grab the next installment the instant it's released like I will with Pendergast, but if I happened upon it I will probably read it. Preston and Child are still the most reliably entertaining authors out there for my money.

[chellebearss · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

As a young boy Gideon Crew witness his father gunned down and he grew up not knowing the truth behind the incident. After visiting his mother in her final moments of life she confides in Gideon the truth and makes him promise to avenge his father's death. After 10 years of planning Gideon's day has come, but someone else knows about what Gideon has done and puts Gideon in a position to take a job that he doesn't dare refuse.This is the first book in the Gideon Crew series and I will be looking forward to reading the second!

[bcrowl399 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Excellent book. I want to read the series. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. It skirts the edges of possibilities sometimes, but it's great.

[lschwarzman_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This was the first Gideon Crew book I have read. I love Preston & Child and have read many of their books. I enjoyed this book, but Aloysius is still my favorite character.

[highlander6022 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I so enjoy books by Preston and Child, and this one was no different. Being the beginning of another series of books with a new main character, I am curious where they take the series, given a specific characteristic of Gideon (no spoiler here). This book was a very quick-reading story – I think I finished it in only a few days. The action is fast and fairly satisfying overall. A great beginning to another series.

[dlmorrese · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Gideon Crew’s life was changed when his father was killed. When he finds out why, he devotes his life to clearing his father’s name and avenging his death. This brings him to the attention of a certain U.S. Government contractor who has another mission for him.
To avoid spoilers, suffice it to say that this is a spy versus spy type adventure with larger than life characters so be ready to suspend disbelief for the sake of the story. Some aspects are predictable but there are plenty of surprises as well. What I like most about this book was the hopeful undertone. There are plenty of shady characters but it treats them as exceptions rather than as typical examples of humanity and there are plenty of truly likeable minor characters, some of whom actually survive to the end of the story. There is also the promise of a technological breakthrough that will change the world for the better.
The combination of likeable characters, an interesting plot, exciting adventure, and a hopeful mood make this a very enjoyable book. I recommend it.

[deankut · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I'm hooked-a new fan. While within this book isn't the best writing I have ever seen, the voice is clearly there and it is very engaging.

Unfortunately, there are no true what I like to call ah-has in the book, but it is engaging enough to keep you reading until the end.

I look forward to reading the next installment and also some of the other series by Preston and Child.

[drled_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Synopsis: Gideon was a young boy when his father was gunned down in front of him. He grew into a man with the ability to get in and out of places undetected, largely because of his ability to plan and to change those plans quickly. On her death bed, his mother revealed that his father was sacrificed to protect government bigwigs who didn’t want the world to know that their bungling had killed several secret agents. Gideon takes out the man who killed his father but is discovered by a group of men who are agents outside the government. They reveal that Gideon has a terminal illness and recruit him to work for them until his death. In this first adventure, Gideon has to recover something that is being smuggled into the states by a Chinese scientist. What isn’t clear is if these folks for whom he is working are telling the truth about his illness.Review: Well-developed characters and plot. Fun to read, but you’re left not knowing just who to trust.

[empressreece · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I'm a huge Preston & Child fan. Have read all of their books and I like this break out series too and Gideon's character...

[nickhowes · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

A new series from the always dependable co-authors of the Agent Pendergast series. This new series involves Gideon Crew, who resolves a conspiracy which ended with the death of his father, labeled a traitor. Having achieved his goal, Crew is now able to pursue a normal life...until he learns he has less than a year to live and is offered a job by a government contractor to intercept a Chinese scientist carrying a secret. Eminently readable, lots of plot twists, a fast, exciting tale. Highly recommended.

[jrthebutler · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Gideon avenges his father's murder and hunts for secret technology.

[christineellei · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

At twelve years of age Gideon Crew saw his father shot as a traitor. His mother’s deathbed revelation that his father was framed renews Gideon’s lust for revenge. Super-smart, super-fit and super-angry he concocts an elaborate plot to avenge his father. Unbeknownst to Gideon, someone else is watching and feels they may have use for Gideon’s unique skill set.

I am a huge fan of the Aloysius Pendergast series. I was not expecting a Perndergast book, and Gideon Crew is as opposite from Aloysius as two characters can get, I did enjoy this book. It is jam packed full of action, intrigue, likeable characters, loveable characters and some deliciously shady ones too. … exactly what a reader wants in the mystery thriller genre.

Not wanting the necessity of a spoiler alert, let me just say that a few unanswered questions at the end of this book indicate that there will be, at the very least, a second installment.

[clifford.terry · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

He is no Aloysius Pendergast, but then who is. Still there are a few positive things about this new character.

[spiritedtruthseeke-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I simply love anything by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, whether written solo or co-authored...

Gideon is a refreshing new character in their seemingly endless imagination... it seemed to me that perhaps they were trying to create a similar "Mr. P" (A.X.L. Pendergast, Special FBI Agent) character who was kind of the same (invincible) but with almost totally opposite physical & personality characteristics...i.e. Mr P is almost like an albino with light hair & light complexion whereas Gideon has black hair & is well tanned... however, Mr. P is definitely highly intelligent & a gentleman in all senses of the word whereas Gideon to me is a little rough around the edges & a lot of the time is almost a total "BS"er

i felt that the first part of Gideon was a little rushed & in less than 25% of the book he had already solved & avenged his father's death... then by the same token, i felt that the ending was a bit rushed as well... when it was over it was just over & FAST...

it is still a well written novel & a satisfying one, but when i compare it to my idol's (Mr. P) series, i don't think it's even in competition with those novels... even Eli Glinn seemed different to me in this book that he did in "The Ice Limit" & The Book of the Dead... not as charismatic...

overall, it's still a good book & i will read any sequels simply because they'll be written by Doug & Linc... i hope that Gideon will continue to grow on me...

[wassilissa · Bewertung: 1 von 5 Sternen]

Was für ein (amerikanischer) Schwachsinn!!Den Anfang fand ich noch recht gut: Gideon muss als Junge mitansehen, wie sein Vater von der Polizei erschossen wird. Als er erwachsen ist, rächt er seinen Vater - der natürlich unschuldig war. Das macht er durchaus gewitzt und soweit fand ich das Buch nicht schlecht.Nun aber wird eine amerikanische Firma auf ihn aufmerksam, die Aufträge für die Regierung ausführt und für die er einen chinesischen Wissenschaftler aufspüren und von ihm Pläne für eine Wunderwaffe bekommen soll. Da der Wissenschaftler eh überlaufen wollte, kommt mir das Setting irgendwie hanebüchen vor, nicht zuletzt weil Crew seinen Auftraggebern sofort alles abnimmt und sich ins Gewimmel stürzt. Aber klar: Crew hat ein Aneurysma im Gehirn (das eröffnen ihm auch erst diese Auftraggeber) und nur noch ein Jahr zu leben. Anstatt wutentbrannt zu gehen, selbst einen Arzt aufzusuchen und das Ende seines Lebens mit schönen Dingen zu verbringen und zu genießen, nimmt er jetzt den Auftrag an, denn was gibt es besseres, als seine letzten Monate damit zu verbringen seinem Land zu dienen - ohne eigentlich zu wissen, ob er wirklich seinem Land dient. Das erzählen ihm ja nur diese seltsamen Typen, die ihn mit seiner Krankenakte manipulieren.Aber Gideon ist ein echter Superheld. Früher war er nämlich auch noch Meisterdieb und nebenbei hat er auch promoviert, jedenfalls bringt er alle Fähigkeiten mit, die es für diesen Auftrag braucht. Ihn ekelt es nicht vor Leichenteilen (auch nicht, wenn diese in Massen daherkommen) . Er erkennt anhand eines Textes, den ein Straßensänger in New York singt, dass dieser Text nur in Europa und Asien veröffentlicht wurde und dass der Sänger somit der verkleidete Gegner sein muss. Der Gegner ist natürlich China. Kalter Krieg geht ja als Thema nicht mehr, aber China eignet sich auch ganz gut. Was kann er noch: Die Frauen liegen ihm zu Füßen. Natürlich hat er auch den passenden Nerd-Freund mit allen klischeehaften Marotten (ungepflegt, vermüllt, Metal-Fan, vor 12 nicht wach), der die Computerdinge für ihn erledigt. Überhaupt die klischeehaften Figuren: Gideon selbst, der Tausendsassa schaut natürlich gut aus (sehr gut sogar), ist halt so der Typ einsamer Wolf. Die CIA-Agentin ist wunderschön und natürlich etwas weniger schlau als unser Held. Mal hat sie langes, mal kurzes Haar, aber sie kann ja mal beim Frisör gewesen sein. Die bösen Chinesen sind gefühllos und stahlhart, die guten Chinesen hingegen lösen auf auf mystische Art absolute Ehrlichkeit aus und sind irgendwie total tief. Die Prostituierte hat ein gutes Herz, schön ist sie natürlich auch. Usw. Manche Handlungsverläufe sind so derartig abseitig, dass es wehtut. Wahrscheinlich ist es eher ein Männerbuch: Es hat viel Action und somit spannende Szenen- wobei sich die Spannung in Grenzen hält, denn eines ist klar: Gideon kommt durch.Im Hörbuch gibt es dann auch noch eine seltsame Verkürzung: Sonst wird jeder Handgriff Gideons und jede noch so sinnfreie Aussage erzählt, als er aber dann in Hongkong ist, wird das auf drei Sätze zusammengefasst. (Er wird angegriffen, Mindy taucht auf und schießt ihn frei). Ich denke aber, dass das der Hörbuchkürzung geschuldet ist.Das Buch ist mit Sicherheit mein Tiefpunkt 2014- mein armer Mann: Ich hatte das Buch auf meiner Wishlist (irgendwer hat es mir empfohlen) und er wollte mir damit eine Freude machen.

[kmmt48 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Not as deep or intriguing as the Pendergast series but still an enjoyable read. Somewhat hard to follow with some complex descriptions of computer lingo but still a good story. The main character does a bit of stumbling through the mission presented to him but them he is a novice at intrigue. A simple read but enjoyable enough for a change of pace. Nothing deep here.

[robert.zimmermann · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

This was a book I literally didn't put down unless I was sleeping or eating (I even walked around the house reading it.) The ending, well I won't ruin it for those who didn't read it. The ending makes it hard to not want the sequel to be in my hands right now. I've never felt that much of a wanting toward having the next book immediately before.

[dementomstie · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I liked this book, but I thought it was a little oddly paced at times.It is in a way a book about revenge and spies, but it is also about what a man will do when he learns that he will soon die.I thought some of it could have done with a bit more suspense, but then it came to the end and it was crazy suspenseful so it evened out.

[wyvernfriend · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

The story opens with Gideon Crew seeing his father being gunned down in a conspiracy that he learns of later at his mother's death bed, reforming himself from an art thief and avenging his father. Normally this would be a whole book on it's own but this is only the first 53 pages of my edition. Then he settles into his life, a little restlessly, is offered a challenging mission while also being told that he is suffering from a terminal brain tumour (which he doesn't get double checked at all!) and this leads him into an investigation that challenges his wits against a Chinese assassin.It's not the worst thing I've read but I felt no connection to any of the characters and didn't really care if Gideon survived.

[jeffv_19 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

As a child, Gideon Crew watched his father be gunned down like a common criminal. When his dying mother encourages him to see out the truth and avenge his father, young Gideon aspires to become a government agent of Bourne or Bond proportions. In the process of avenging his father, he becomes contracted by the government to do some dirty work. With his father's betrayer's dead and Gideon told by his employers that he has a rare brain disease that will suddenly end his life within a year. a sullen Gideon agrees to do the job for $100,000. A Chinese scientist is key, but the scientist is assassinated in a messy auto accident. The killer, a highly trained hunter, Nodding Crane, now starts to hunt Gideon, knowing he will lead him to the secret the scientist so carefully concealed.Starting with the auto accident, the book flows pretty well in a standard action/suspense way. The whole back story for Gideon, including hunting those responsible for his father's death, is slow, confusing, and completely unnecessary. It is easy to see why many give up on the book early on. There's some pay-off for those who stick with it...it does get better and interesting in spots. However, the evil Nodding Crane is a much more interesting character than Gideon, who, faced with imminent mortality, lacks a lust for life that we get in the characters of Bond or Bourne.The book ends with setting up with Gideon surprisingly offered another commission. Presumably, this is the subject of the next book, which was released earlier this year. I'll probably pick it up in audiobook form when I see it on sale; Preston/Child books are good ear candy for long runs or bike rides.