Guardians of the Night by Alan Russell

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Detective Michael Gideon doesn’t marginalize the witness; he doesn’t dismiss his testimony as crazy. He sees the sincerity in the man’s eyes—and that’s what I love about Gideon. For him, it’s not about someone’s outer trappings; it’s about what’s in his heart. Gideon and his canine sidekick, Sirius, are attuned to the true nature of people, and they are dogged (pun intended) in their search for the real-world solution to a seemingly otherworldly mystery.

Gideon’s warm disposition reminds me of his author, Alan Russell. Well over six feet tall and broad-shouldered, Alan cuts an imposing figure. I remember meeting him for the first time at a very crowded party and feeling quite small (I wasn’t; at the time I was obviously pregnant!).

But he’s affable, a natural storyteller—and the stories he tells are thrilling, funny, satisfyingly puzzling, and ultimately driven by the kind, thoughtful heart of a man who sent an ornament to commemorate my daughter’s first Christmas.

Guardians of the Night is a special book that, like all of Alan’s work, offers a fantastic “What if?” Then he delivers an ending that quenches my thirst for justice without supplying easy answers.