11 SEPTEMBER 1959, Page 27

Gideon's Staff. By J. J. Marric. (Hodder and Stoughton, 12s.

6d.) 'J. J. Marric' is John Creasey, like almost everybody else. This is one of his series of documentary novels about Scotland. Yard, with Commander Gideon, a sort of poor man's Maigret.- as the central figure, a credible profes- sional policeman, if hardly a fully explored character. A number of sub-plots keep the reader reasonably agog, but the chief claim to distinction is the plausible detail about how Scotland Yard works, what it smells like, and what it's like to be a harassed and overworked member of its staff.