Product Description

A powerful hit man, Gideon is the master of the game in a jet-setting world dominated by money, women, and violence. Living off the grid, making love on the run, he makes his living as a contract killer by enacting the revenge of the brokenhearted…for a price.

One woman taught him to kill, another motivates him to succeed in the business of revenge. If he can amass a million dollars, the woman he desires has promised to run away with him. For her sake, Gideon takes a high-profile job that earns him dangerous enemies, and hops a plane to London hoping to escape the aftermath. On the plane he meets two mysterious women - have they been sent to bring him down? Have his past transgressions caught up with him at last? Or will one of these strangers help him choose a life of love over a life of violence?

In this underworld of grifters and killers, brokenhearted squares and streetwalkers, loyal fans will spot some familiar faces from Dickey’s previous books. A thrilling ride through extremes of love and danger, Sleeping with Strangers thrives on the darker passions of revenge and desire.

Don't miss the sequel: Waking with Enemies

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #406042 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-10
• Released on: 2007-04-10
• Formats: Audiobook, CD, Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 8
• Binding: Audio CD

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. After a brutal hit in Tampa on high-profile rapper Big Bad Wolf, contract killer Gideon, the star of this fast-paced thriller from bestseller Dickey, jets to London for his next assignment. On the plane, paranoia brewing just beneath his poker face keeps him wary of two mysterious passengers who could be either harmless squares or hired guns out to avenge Big Bad Wolf's murder. This constant uncertainty over who's in the game and who isn't keeps Gideon—and readers—on edge as Gideon navigates London's underworld and pursues a personal vendetta. Dickey occasionally shifts away from Gideon's point of view to that of another hit man who has just received his next contract: Gideon. The plot is taut, fast and bold—total blockbuster entertainment, replete with an abundance of sex, violence and James Bond touches. A tense cliffhanger caps a wild ride. The next installment is due in August, which for many readers won't be soon enough. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gideon took his name from the hollowed-out Bible the preacher was holding when Gideon killed him. Assassin Gideon's goal is to make a million dollars so he can retire, and until then no contract is too distasteful. Bruno is also a hit man, one beset with domestic worries, and he is on a surefire collision course heading straight to Gideon. Suspenseful right up to the cliff-hanger ending, gritty, graphic, and often gory, best-selling Dickey's latest high-tension tale is a serendipitous mix of lust, longing, and murder. Quirky details and observations pepper the pages and pop up in conversations--"Miss Universe was from Lobatse, Botswana"; "Takes two days to drive across Texas." And the pacing is amazing; action scenes are often broken down into rapid-fire one-sentence paragraphs, and the essence of each character is captured in a few brief sentences. Not only will Dickey's many readers be thrilled to see a new novel, this one is also sure to create new fans. Watch for the rest of the story in Waking with Enemies, due out August 2007. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
No one does it like Eric Jerome Dickey! -- Black Expressions

[The] king of African-American fiction -- Entertainment Weekly

Customer Reviews

Staying Alive
APOOO Rating: 4.5 stars
Sleeping with Strangers (SWS) by Eric Jerome Dickey is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller filled with intrigue, mayhem, and suspense. They call him Gideon. A name he claimed after his first professional hit. A childhood tragedy taught him the meaning of self-defense, the streets taught him survival. Gideon is a hit-man, who is good at his profession and highly sought after by others. Whether his skills are needed for a cheating spouse, jealous business partner, or a dissed rapper he is one of the best for the job. But, a hit gone wrong might be his last job and cost him his life. As suddenly, the hunter becomes the hunted and everyone around him becomes a suspect including the two strangers he meets on a trans-Atlantic flight and is interested in bedding. Will these women be friend or foe...or turn out to be just like Thelma? Who is Thelma you ask? You must read the book to find out! Five words regarding SWS: DON'T SLEEP ON THIS ONE.

SWS is a book you will want to read in one sitting! Dickey had me with the prologue, but the ruthless characters, tight plotting, vivid imagery, smooth pacing, electrifying tension and conflict kept me reading until the very end. Once I began reading, I quickly became captivated by the storyline and could not turn the pages fast enough. Dickey's metaphors and similes, as well as foreshadowing, kept my eyes glued to the pages as I anxiously waited to see what would happen next. Dickey does not disappoint with SWS.

SWS proves that Dickey is a force to be reckoned with as he continues to move into noir storylines and away from strictly relationship and sister friend novels. However, he strategically interjects romps between the sheets throughout the storyline and includes enough bedroom action to keep even loyal fans entertained. When it comes to writing, Dickey is in a league of his own...and right there with the talented tenth. He is a writer whose worst book is still better than the best book from many other authors. As he continues to step out-of-the-box and write noir storylines, I hope to be along for the ride. I must admit that I did not like the cliffhanger ending, even thought I knew this book was a two-part deal, because I wanted to know what happened next...NOW! That said, I anxiously await the sequel, Walking with Enemies, due out this summer (August 2007).

Reviewed by Yasmin
APOOO BookClub

Didn't think I'd like it, but then I couldn't put it down!
I've been a fan of EJD for some time and I've read all of his novels. I agree with some reviewers that his style has changed a bit, but I really appreciate seeing the diversity in his talent.

I don't usually like suspense novels and I'm not a fan of graphic violence, but because this was an EJD novel, I picked it up without hesitation. I apprciated the change of location (so many of his books took place in LA in the past). I loved the book and I can't wait for the sequel. I think this novel may attract some new fans. I'm encouraging my husband to read this one.

The cliffhanger at the end was great. I completely expected NOT to have a resolution, that's why this is clearly a two-part novel.

I don't think that the sex scenes were trashy or out of context. EJD is known for his graphic writing, but he always keeps it in context. It did not take away from the plot and I feel it helped me learn more about the characters.

When I'm looking for a well-written novel with an intelligent plot, I can always count on EJD. Unfortunately, many other black writers have reduced themselves to weak story lines and stereotypical characters. I appreciate that EJD shows diversity in his writing style and diversity in his characters.

Great Characters, No Story. Must Have Been A Draft.
This is my first book by EJD. The only one whose subject matter interested me in the least. So I had no expectations going in except it should be a good story with great characters. SLEEPING WITH STRANGERS succeeded in the latter but failed at the former. EJD has created a cast of interesting characters whose stories the reader wants follow, but there is no story. Essentially, this book reads like one vignette after another with little effort in going anywhere specific or fast. The characters come across as merely drifting from one event to another. And the author overuses coincidence to keep the story going.

Just what is this novel supposed to be? A character study? Well, then what character are we studying, Gideon or Bruno? If one, then why include the other at all? A relationship novel? Who are the participants? Gideon and? Arizona isn't around long enough. Mrs. Jones is just passing through. Lola is inconsequential. Thelma, we hardly meet her. Bruno and Tebby? Both are overall pretty inconsequential as well. Is it a thriller/action story? Then where's the story? None of the characters seem to be trying to *do* anything specific, achieve anything. The descriptive blurb says it's about one hit man pursuing another. If there are 40 (of the 320+) pages depicting this, I would be surprised. It's not even clear why Gideon is the flight in the first place. Is he on the run? Just "laying low"? Why England of all places?

Given that SWS's "sequel" is soon to be published, what we have here (hopefully) is a long-winded introduction to the story. This is not how a series is written. EJD's editor should have pointed that out. The amount of character background here is enough to fill at least 5 properly written series books. Unfortunately, there's not much else. This was a draft that somehow got published. (And the typos prove it.) Once the sequel is published, then we'll (hopefully) have a complete novel--at the cost of 2 and with twice as many pages,

I've given SWS 3 stars and not less because the characters are indeed interesting, if not completely believable (Mrs. Jones is so distraught over the end of her relationship that she jumps on a transatlantic flight with no luggage. What time she doesn't spend crying, she's reading explicit erotica? Revenge/desperate sex I can believe, but the erotica? No way. That's definitely a man's fantasy. Plus, she could stop to pick up her passport, but not pack a bag?) Anyway, what action scenes there are were very much edge-of-your-seat scenes. Too bad there were so few. The author instead chose to expend his effort on sex, pop culture references (so many that you wonder if these folks have any original thoughts), racial commentary (US vs. Europe), his knowledge of European (especially London) Geography, and foreign languages. All impressive, but they do not make a story all on their own.

Is it worth reading? Yes. Parts were very enjoyable. But wait until after the sequel is published and then borrow the two from the local library.