Last of the Independents - (Vancouver Noir) by Sam Wiebe (Paperback)

About the Book

A crooked detective is playing the justice system to protect a kidnapper, and the only viable lead takes private investigator Michael Drayton to a car-thieving junkie.

Book Synopsis

A crooked detective is playing the justice system to protect a kidnapper, and the only viable lead takes private investigator Michael Drayton to a car-thieving junkie.

Review Quotes

. . . a literary achievement. (starred review)

Drayton's sardonic voice in counterpoint to his assistants and supporting players, along with an ending that delivers a knockout punch, make Last of the Independents a debut well worth spending time with.

Opening paragraphs don't get much more bang-on enticing than the one with which Vancouver writer Sam Wiebe kicks off Last of the Independents. It would be nice to quote the paragraph to prove the point, but in a general-interest newspaper, that can't be done - which is a clue to the opener's perfect rambunctiousness.

Smart, sharp writing that kicks into gear on the first page. Wiebe is a 21st century Raymond Chandler, and his Vancouver is like Chandler's LA - its darkest corners are supporting characters. PI Mike Drayton is cynical, funny, and warm-hearted, with a strict moral code and a terrifying temper. What a debut! (E.R. Brown)

The unanimous winner of an Arthur Ellis Award in 2012, Wiebe's debut novel is something quite special. It promises more from a young writer who looks sure to turn Vancouver into one of the great cities of noir.

About the Author

Sam Wiebe's Last of the Independents won the 2012 Unhanged Arthur Award for Best Unpublished First Novel. His crime fiction has been published internationally. Recent projects include audio adaptations of Hamlet and Frankenstein, an independent film script, and a follow-up novel. He lives in Vancouver.