Sam WiebeResenhas

The plot twists are a stretch, but the characters, as always, are nuanced and sympathetic. Recommended for all libraries.

Very solid, very hardboiled, modern detective story told in classic first-person. The author does a fine job of laying out a couple of compelling mysteries and showing the dogged determination and sometimes inventiveness of a young private eye in solving them. The detective does come across as a little too experienced and world-weary for his stated age and background. But I just visualized him as older. This is one of several rough edges exhibited by this first novel, but none detracted from the story. Very enjoyable, if you like your stories dark and gritty and your detectives morally ambiguous.

Really liked this.

Lots of really good short stories that take place in Vancouver. Sadly, I'm not really familiar with all of the authors, but I definitely enjoyed everything. I need to look up other works by the authors featured.

I read this for a book club but it was way too dark for me.

Alison had learned her lesson, time away in jail can do that. When she got out, she wanted to go straight. Her plans were to work with her brother Dean in his restaurant. But he wasn’t there to met her when she got out. In fact, the restaurant was closed and her brother tied up, literally.

It was the work of her old nemesis, Lisa Wan, the woman she suspected of setting her up to get caught the first time around. Lisa had one last job for her. How could she refuse with the life and livelihood of her brother at stake?

The action and the question of whether Alison would keep to her promise of “never going back” kept me turning the pages of this novella.

just been released from prison after serving a year after being caught. She was not caught because of any error on her own account, but because her fence planted evidence against her. Now that she is free, her former fence has taken her brother hostage in order to compel her to steal again.

Never Going Back is a book designed to appeal to young readers. It is a fast and easy read. The story has a clever resolution. It is good its purpose, but too juvenile for this reader.

I received a copy of Never Going Back from the publisher through NetGalley

Never Going Back at Orca Book Publishers
Sam Wiebe author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2020/12/13/never-going-back-by-sam-w...

A fun little caper story about a burglar fresh out of jail coerced into pulling off one more job for her former fence. It’s light and the characters aren’t super developed, but as a novella, I wouldn’t expect it would be. I hope the author writes more!½

Never judge a book by it's cover. When I received this book in the mail and scanned it quickly, I thought it would be a waste of time.

Wrong! This novella was quite entertaining, and left me wanting more. It was really fun to read, and I regret simply that it was not longer, I wanted more backstory, and much more character development.½

This book is part of the Rapid Reads series from Orca Book Publishers. Rapid Reads are short books for adults, and seem marketed towards people who are not strong readers. The subject matter leans towards adults.

In Never Going Back, Ali has just got out of prison for robbery. Immediately her old crime boss blackmails her to do one last job. The story is interesting and you can see Ali’s struggles with going back to a life of crime. Ali is a likable character and I was rooting for her.

I received a free copy from LibraryThing and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Never Going Back is a textbook example of you don’t need 400 pages to tell a good story. Sam Wiebe, in a short 121 pages, captures his main character, Alison Kidd, a bit of an antihero and has us rooting for her to stay on the straight and narrow path she has committed herself now that she is out of prison. But the pawnshop owner and fence who set Alison up, Lisa Wan, has other ideas and kidnaps Alison’s brother, Dean, to force Alison into committing one more job. Lisa had bought an old box of photos to sell in her pawnshop, sold them at a huge markup, then discovered that they were rare photos and worth millions. Alison had to steal them back, embarrass to owner, and then Dean’s debt to Lisa would be forgiven. Not as easy as it sounds and could Lisa be trusted this time.

Alison commits to the theft, is double crossed by Lisa, the police pursue Alison who narrowly escapes, and it turns out she smartly sets up Lisa to take the fall. A wickedly fun and quick read. More a novella than a novel but the distinction is meaningless. Just enjoy the short ride. I did.

Never Going Back is part of the Rapid Reads series which is a collection of short novels designed for people who are not usual readers and who want something light and fun to read for a short period of time. Most of the titles I have
seen have been of the mystery or crime genre. When I first started this novel,by an author I had never heard of before, I didn't think I would like it very much. But then I started to read the book as if it was a Young Adult novel and I had more enjoyable time with it. This really isn't the type of fiction I would normally choose to read but the mystery in the beginning was interesting and the suspense as to how the
protagonist will solve the crime was also a lot of fun. I would recommend this book to a teen who would probably find it not very difficult to read and who would find it a fun, exciting read.

I received this book from Early Readers and it sounded like it would be interesting. I received it in the afternoon and realized it was a short story. Less than 2 hours later (with many interruptions), it was finished. The story was ok but it read like it was geared to young children. The ending was pretty obvious very early on in the story.

This review is written as a Library Thing Early Reviewer.

Half jokingly, I may have spent almost as much time trying to decide if "Never Going Back" was a novella or a novelette - seems to be right on the line delineating one type from the other.

Novellas are not usually my thing, but I did enjoy the book, which can be read easily in a bit over an hour. The writing was spare, not greatly detailed, but the simple plot moved right along and the dialogue comes across as genuine. The characters were sufficiently fleshed out, minimally perhaps, but still enough for the reader to be engaged and interested. The protagonist's solution to her dilemma had a nice little hook in it, ingenuous without being over the top.

I enjoyed the story and would read more of Sam Wiebe's work.

Supers all around for this book! Super characters, super story, super fast to read. It's wee, only 121 pages and the story moves fast. I quickly engaged with the main character, Alison, and the side characters of her brother, the cop in their lives, the con artist...hugs for some or wanting to run one over with a vehicle the person was so vile...
Watching Ali rationalize her life and just wanting to be a better person was fascinating. It's what we all do but don't always admit to it. Her small rationalizations could feel a bit appalling to a law-abiding citizen, but fathomable when put in perspective.
I've not read this author before and I am glad I received this from Library Thing to review. I will be reading more Sam Wiebe books.
I can definitely recommend this book and author.

Allison Kidd, a very good thief, vows to never end up in prison again. The problem is that her brother never showed up at the prison gate to take her home. Home is above Kidd's, a restaurant run by her brother. Ali asks an old friend, who is also a city cop, to be on the lookout for her brother. Ali soon finds that her brother has been kidnapped. To free him, she must pull one last dangerous job.

This was a very fast read, as it was a novella rather than a full length book. This proved to be a disappointment, as the writing was so spare. While reading I could envision how much more enjoyable it would have been if fleshed out. This has the makings of a great book, but 121 pages just wasn't satisfying enough.½

Nice novella. Ali was framed and it cost her a year of her life. When she gets home, she plans to work in her brother's restaurant and stay out of trouble. But trouble comes looking for her and it takes all her skills to defeat her old enemy. Nice people, interesting situation, would be interested in reading more about Ali.

Received this book today and it was such a fun read. I found myself really hoping that Ali would not go back to her old ways. The suspense built up and I couldn't wait to find out if she would be caught. My only wish is that it was a little longer so you can really get the feel for the characters. Other than that it is worth the read. I received this from LibraryThing Early Reviewers for an honest review.

A really enjoyable collection of noir stories, set in the greater Vancouver BC area. As with all books in the Akashic "Noir" series, the stories are varied enough to be interesting and similar enough to create a common feeling of dark underbelly.

I finished the last chunk of this book in downtown Los Angeles. It suits a full stomach and a cold beer, elbows on the bar. Sam writes with a gritty aplomb that draws you in, and like a good tour-guide should, shows you locals-only spots. It was cool and unusual (to me) to experience reading a book where I'm intimately familiar with the city and settings.

The narrative is strong and it's hard to put down. It does what the best crime fiction should: keeps you guessing, about who committed the crime and how long can Wakeland stay alive. A bold Vancouver novel that should be read far beyond this fair city.

You can never go wrong with the Noir series. Each story was unique but felt as if they belonged to the same book. Even when it pushed the traditional noir field by adding a little other worldly elements it still worked. I won't pick out one story over any other- though the last story is a good read and...ah just read it.

I have read a number of the Noir series, and Vancouver Noir may well be my favorite. Vancouver's dark and rainy environment lends perfectly to a noir landscape. Author Dennis Lehane describes noir as "working class tragedy", and that is Vanouver Noir in a nutshell. You can almost feel the salt water spray from the wild and raging Pacific. In your mind's eye, you can see the ominous coastal mountain range. From Whole Foods shopping, Coach diaper bag toting up-scale moms to strung out street walkers, it's all here in gloriously depressing noir-ish delight.

Sam Wiebe and his fellow contributors give us a stellar entry into the Akashic Noir series. You don't normally think of noir when you think of Vancouver, but you will after reading this book. I dare say it's one of my favorite volumes in the series with Linda L. Richards' "Terminal City" being one of my favorite stories in the series. It's worth the cover price for that story alone and all the others are icing. Highly recommended.

I like to travel, vicariously, and there is no better way to travel than a deep dive into a city through one of the Akashic Noir series. This time, I went to a city I have been to in reality, staying for a few days before taking my mother on an Alaskan cruise. I don’t think that is why I loved Vancouver Noir so much, though. I think it was the variety of very truly noir stories that kept me reading until 3 AM.

Vancouver Noir is organized into three sections: Blood Money, Rags and Bones, and Night Visions. It’s nearly impossible to choose a favorite from these murderous little stories, though perhaps “Eight Game-Changing Tips on Public Speaking” which cracked me up, but the first “Terminal City” and the last “The Perfect Playgroup” were emotionally affecting. In Rags & Bones, the stories are sad and desperate like the people who people them, people on the downside of life and struggling to maybe just for a bit do more than subsist. Night Visions was my favorite section and that’s weird as I usually avoid paranormal stories unless I am reading an outright fantasy like something about kids going to learn how to practice magic at some academy.

“The Demon of Steveston” and “Survivor’s Pension” are stories that will have me seeking out more by their authors in spite of the supernatural elements. In fact, reading “The Demon of Steveston” had me thinking SERIES! TV syndication! I would watch that show. I really don’t like paranormal stories but I want to know more about Ricky, lots more.

This is an excellent collection with sections that make sense and hang together. I could recognize the themes even though the editor, Sam Wiebe, did not explain them. I like the sense of justice and humanity that runs through the collection as well. There’s a beating heart at the center of this book that sees people as they are and holds them with compassion, even when they are sometimes on the wrong side of the law. You get the feeling that many of these authors would not turn their head toward the road when they pass a panhandler on the sidewalk.

As always, I am an enthusiastic supporter of Akashic Books marvelous series of books that can make us world travelers – albeit to the noir side of town. More than once, when traveling, I have ignored tourist warnings and had a great day in the noir side of town. I don’t travel any longer, but I can count on Akashic to keep me on the road. Also, let me suggest Akashic Noir books as great presents in time for Christmas. If you have a friend in Vancouver, Vancouver Noir is the perfect book, one written by locals but who will see their home through a different lens. If someone is planning a trip to Vancouver, same thing. Prepare them, maybe scare them.

I received an e-galley for review from the publisher through Edelweiss.

Vancouver Noir at Akashic Noir
Akashic Noir series
Sam Wiebe author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2018/12/04/9781617756597/

This is my favorite of all of the NOIR anthologies from Akashic I've read so far. Pretty much 98% of the book was fantastic.
Only one or two of the stories were skimmable and that's pretty good to me.
First story by Linda L. Richards seized on right off the bat. Supremely outstanding. Actually the introduction was the grabber. It invited the reader to go beyond what is shown in the television and movies that are filmed in what looks to be an idyllic setting. Grime and grit, homelessness, poverty, hanging by the skin of the teeth, crime. The book will set the story straight.
Sheena Kamal's story was fab, in particular the setup of each section, How to Give a Speech....perfection.
Robin Spano's story is sneakily intriguing.
Nathan Ripley's story reminded me of my favorite Parker Posey movie, Party Girl.
Kristi Charish's is a superbly edgy police procedural.
Don English has two voices to tell his tale, as does R. M. Greenway's story. Fantastic the both.
I highly enjoyed S. G. Wong's spooky story.
I can definitely recommend this particularly outstanding anthology.