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Community comment are the opinions of contributing users. These comment do not represent the opinions of Surrey Libraries.
Aug 24, 2016
Great depictions of Vancouver in 1983, the author knows his landmarks, with some minor editing gaffes (Hasting instead of Hastings). I wonder if he did some research on or had actually saved ephemera from this time (the pamphlets about the Free Man with the address in New Westminster seems so specific.) My only complaint is the story is great up to half way through but loses its way in the next half. Like, why did the woman on the run suddenly turn up in such an unexpected place, then just disappear out of the story? Why does the main male character, so likeable in the beginning, turn into such a womanizing turd in the second half? Why did the hit man's boss not send more retaliation against the hitman for his defection? Why did the story just stop? It was frustrating to get so invested in the story only to have it fall off a cliff. I almost think this book could have been another hundred pages, but the author was ordered to shear it off to make the book more marketable, and the shearing came off the second half of the book. Pity, because it really could have been a spectacular caper set in a Vancouver that was a kind of Eden before the snake of the real estate boom. Not that it was all innocence, but not so jaded and cold as it is today.