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Jacob Striker #4
The Unforgiven
t is late at night when Detective Jacob Striker receives a call to investigate a disturbance at a bus depot in downtown Vancouver. On arrival, he discovers a bus in flames and the fire department battling to control the blaze. When they finally put the fire out, Striker makes a terrifying discovery. Inside is the body of a woman he once worked with, a police officer from the force. It looks as though she has been lured in and ambushed.
Striker vows to avenge the death of his friend and colleague by bringing her murderer to justice, and to start, he'll have to take over the file she was investigating that brought her to this part of the city. But the more Striker tries to look into the case, the more he finds doors closed in his face - both among the police and outside. It soon becomes apparent that Jazz's investigations were upsetting some influential people, and Striker is putting himself in grave danger as he battles through the layers of intrigue and lies surrounding the case. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com.au/...
Striker vows to avenge the death of his friend and colleague by bringing her murderer to justice, and to start, he'll have to take over the file she was investigating that brought her to this part of the city. But the more Striker tries to look into the case, the more he finds doors closed in his face - both among the police and outside. It soon becomes apparent that Jazz's investigations were upsetting some influential people, and Striker is putting himself in grave danger as he battles through the layers of intrigue and lies surrounding the case. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com.au/...
- GenresMystery
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2014
3 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Sean Slater
15 books47 followersSean Slater is the pseudonym for Vancouver Police Officer Sean Sommerville. As a police officer, Sommerville works in Canada's poorest slum, the Downtown East Side - an area rife with poverty, mental illness, drug use, prostitution, and gang warfare. He has investigated everything from frauds and extortions to homicides. Sommerville has written numerous columns and editorials for the city newspaper. His work has been nominated for the Rupert Hughes Prose Award, and he was the grand-prize winner of the Sunday Serial Thriller contest, which was co-written by Daniel Kalla and published in the Vancouver Province. When not patrolling the 'Skids', Sommerville is working hard writing.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 2, 2024
Sean Slater has penned another explosive Canadian police procedural in this fourth novel of the Jacob Striker series. Slater presents a strong story that encapsulates a great crime thriller with police investigation supports. Gripping and quite telling, the story pushes the limits and keeps the reader coming back for more. While Sean Slater has no other books in this collection to date, I hope that changes soon, as this series is something else.
After Vancouver Homicide Detective Jacob Striker is called out to investigate at the local bus station, he is amazed at what he encounters. There is a bus engulfed in flames and the fire department are struggling to contain the blaze. Once all is settled Detective Striker makes an eerie discovery, when a body is pulled from the wreckage. It is a woman with whom he used to work, and all signs point to her being lured to this spot, then attacked.
Striker cannot let this go and convinces his partner, Felicia Santos, to join him as they search for her killer. This will mean taking her active files and culling through them to find something that will let him know why she was called to this part of the city. What seems like a fairly straightforward investigation gets exponentially more difficult when no one will talk with them about what was being investigated.
As Striker and Santos push harder, they discover that the killer is exacting some form of ritualistic attack, placing bodies and using fire to finish the spell. What’s more troubling is that the victims are all tired in with something that will implicate the city the province, and even the Church. As Striker tries to handle his emotions, he discovers that this is not just a murder investigation, but a form of retribution for past wrongs. Slater keeps getting better with his writing and this is proof of that!
Police procedurals require a certain element that I cannot point to when trying to put things into words. A crime story needs great movement and strong protagonists to keep things clipping along, without making it too personal or clunky. Slater does well with this novel—as he has with the other three—in keeping the story front and centre while making sure that Jacob Striker remains in the reader’s mind throughout. Short chapters push things in a forward direction and the reader is left with little to do but keep turning pages to whet their appetite for answers. Slater has mastered the art and kept that Canadian flavouring that is just what I like.
Sean Slater uses characters development effectively and keeps it at the forefront of this book. There are many who need to be presented in a certain way for the reader to feel their pain. Slater does that in ways that really brings the point home for the reader. He advances the characters’ stories and yet fits it all into the larger narrative. Jacob Striker remains front and centre in the piece, with his own development and advancement, though not as prominent as in past novels. Striker has got police work running through his veins and I am eager to see if there will be more for him, as the reader is able to attach to his personality relatively easily. Lot twists develop well in this book and the reader cannot always predict what awaits them. By keeping a quick story and multiple perspectives, there is much to be desired in this fast-paced thriller that does not let up for a moment.
Kudos, Mr. Slater, for dazzling once more.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
After Vancouver Homicide Detective Jacob Striker is called out to investigate at the local bus station, he is amazed at what he encounters. There is a bus engulfed in flames and the fire department are struggling to contain the blaze. Once all is settled Detective Striker makes an eerie discovery, when a body is pulled from the wreckage. It is a woman with whom he used to work, and all signs point to her being lured to this spot, then attacked.
Striker cannot let this go and convinces his partner, Felicia Santos, to join him as they search for her killer. This will mean taking her active files and culling through them to find something that will let him know why she was called to this part of the city. What seems like a fairly straightforward investigation gets exponentially more difficult when no one will talk with them about what was being investigated.
As Striker and Santos push harder, they discover that the killer is exacting some form of ritualistic attack, placing bodies and using fire to finish the spell. What’s more troubling is that the victims are all tired in with something that will implicate the city the province, and even the Church. As Striker tries to handle his emotions, he discovers that this is not just a murder investigation, but a form of retribution for past wrongs. Slater keeps getting better with his writing and this is proof of that!
Police procedurals require a certain element that I cannot point to when trying to put things into words. A crime story needs great movement and strong protagonists to keep things clipping along, without making it too personal or clunky. Slater does well with this novel—as he has with the other three—in keeping the story front and centre while making sure that Jacob Striker remains in the reader’s mind throughout. Short chapters push things in a forward direction and the reader is left with little to do but keep turning pages to whet their appetite for answers. Slater has mastered the art and kept that Canadian flavouring that is just what I like.
Sean Slater uses characters development effectively and keeps it at the forefront of this book. There are many who need to be presented in a certain way for the reader to feel their pain. Slater does that in ways that really brings the point home for the reader. He advances the characters’ stories and yet fits it all into the larger narrative. Jacob Striker remains front and centre in the piece, with his own development and advancement, though not as prominent as in past novels. Striker has got police work running through his veins and I am eager to see if there will be more for him, as the reader is able to attach to his personality relatively easily. Lot twists develop well in this book and the reader cannot always predict what awaits them. By keeping a quick story and multiple perspectives, there is much to be desired in this fast-paced thriller that does not let up for a moment.
Kudos, Mr. Slater, for dazzling once more.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
October 12, 2014
My View:
An authentic police procedural written by a Canadian cop – how good is that?
Sean Slater is the pseudonym for Vancouver Police Officer Sean Sommerville. Sean Sommerville has a ring side view of life and crime in his region and his firsthand knowledge of the area and the systems he works within shines bright and clear in his novels. The settings are authentic, his protagonist is the type of person you would want on your side in any situation – tough, capable, persistent and loyal (and it doesn’t hurt that he is not too bad looking either). This narrative is complex, the chapters short and sharp – no words are wasted, and there are many references to contemporary social issues that as world-wide readers we are all aware of. I’ll say no more – there are no spoilers here.
In essence a brilliant, authentic police procedural with a villain that at times you can even feel a little empathy for…for his situation and the events in his life that have bought him to this ugly place where vengeance rules. A great read.
An authentic police procedural written by a Canadian cop – how good is that?
Sean Slater is the pseudonym for Vancouver Police Officer Sean Sommerville. Sean Sommerville has a ring side view of life and crime in his region and his firsthand knowledge of the area and the systems he works within shines bright and clear in his novels. The settings are authentic, his protagonist is the type of person you would want on your side in any situation – tough, capable, persistent and loyal (and it doesn’t hurt that he is not too bad looking either). This narrative is complex, the chapters short and sharp – no words are wasted, and there are many references to contemporary social issues that as world-wide readers we are all aware of. I’ll say no more – there are no spoilers here.
In essence a brilliant, authentic police procedural with a villain that at times you can even feel a little empathy for…for his situation and the events in his life that have bought him to this ugly place where vengeance rules. A great read.
February 17, 2019
Plot holes ++++/procedural errors/questionable character motivation/predictable & boring
May 30, 2021
Good and twisty
February 12, 2022
Not the kind of mystery that I normally read. Very dark but I had to finish it.
Wanted to see the ending
Wanted to see the ending
April 16, 2024
A fast paced action packed novel. Everything you need when you are looking to turn your brain off for a few hours.
December 13, 2024
It was an enjoyable read, filled with suspense.
December 20, 2025
enjoyed every book in this series, sad he hasn't written any more books.
every book has been a page turner
every book has been a page turner
September 29, 2016
I notice a trend for authors to make their "villains" weirder and their crimes more brutal and then to describe them in tortuous detail. I am not a fan. I stopped reading after a particularly gratuitous scene of sexual abuse. I doubt I will read anything else by this author.
January 17, 2016
I have been harbouring this novel on my shelf for quite a few months, but the sheer size of it had really dampened any enthusiasm that I had on finding it. 533 pages of police procedural?? No one could ever sustain the tension, pacing and my ever-waning enthusiasm for that long!
Except, it seems, Sean Slater.
The pacing was wonderfully crafted; although the over-arching plot was only gradually revealed, short term obstacles or events were placed to divert our attention. A constant bubbling in the pot before an explosion. The change of narrative voice meant that even when the police had no leads and seemed inactive, we jumped on board with "The Monster" or "Violet" and we were transported straight into an active universe within the novel, which would progress Striker's investigation and boom we were back into an explosion.
Details or characters that often seemed insignificant were suddenly the base of bigger twists and turns, and my detective brain was kept interested constantly. One of my pet hates is when authors won't trust the reader to understand the nuances and clues that they leave. Slater is not guilty of this at all.
I enjoy reading about Striker, whether through his case or his personal life. I enjoy the fact that he is just a regular guy, a real detective. He gets knocked out by the bad guy and gets beaten up on quite a regular basis. There are so many police novels where the lead detective seems to be inhuman. He can see signs and patterns and clues that no other can, even when they seem entirely improbable, and he can take hit after hit and never buckle. That is boring. I love that Striker gets frustrated and snaps at witnesses, I love that he has to go home to sleep because his body gives up. It makes it feel more realistic, and I champion him more.
Another positive is that though familiarity comes from it being a series, there is little to no recapping of previous novels. You could read this as a standalone. Other series, say the Roy Grace novels by Peter James, is a long series now, but each installation picks up where the last left off, and half the book is harking on about incidents past rather than pushing us forward with the story or character development.
I would say that the testament to this novel was that I read all 533 pages in two days. I would certainly recommend.
Except, it seems, Sean Slater.
The pacing was wonderfully crafted; although the over-arching plot was only gradually revealed, short term obstacles or events were placed to divert our attention. A constant bubbling in the pot before an explosion. The change of narrative voice meant that even when the police had no leads and seemed inactive, we jumped on board with "The Monster" or "Violet" and we were transported straight into an active universe within the novel, which would progress Striker's investigation and boom we were back into an explosion.
Details or characters that often seemed insignificant were suddenly the base of bigger twists and turns, and my detective brain was kept interested constantly. One of my pet hates is when authors won't trust the reader to understand the nuances and clues that they leave. Slater is not guilty of this at all.
I enjoy reading about Striker, whether through his case or his personal life. I enjoy the fact that he is just a regular guy, a real detective. He gets knocked out by the bad guy and gets beaten up on quite a regular basis. There are so many police novels where the lead detective seems to be inhuman. He can see signs and patterns and clues that no other can, even when they seem entirely improbable, and he can take hit after hit and never buckle. That is boring. I love that Striker gets frustrated and snaps at witnesses, I love that he has to go home to sleep because his body gives up. It makes it feel more realistic, and I champion him more.
Another positive is that though familiarity comes from it being a series, there is little to no recapping of previous novels. You could read this as a standalone. Other series, say the Roy Grace novels by Peter James, is a long series now, but each installation picks up where the last left off, and half the book is harking on about incidents past rather than pushing us forward with the story or character development.
I would say that the testament to this novel was that I read all 533 pages in two days. I would certainly recommend.
January 6, 2017
Oh my, so behind with my reviews.
This is my least favourite of this series so far. Jacob Striker and his sidekick Felicia really have their work cut out for them this time. They get an early call out to a fire and find there is a fatality and that its one of their own - a murder investigator named Jazz Heer. More deaths follow in quick succession, all the victims dying of horrific burns. Elements of the crime scenes lead the detectives to wonder if these killings are the work of a satanist. The detectives go through all of Jazz's case notes and a few familiar names keep cropping up and the detectives are off on completely the wrong foot.
This case is nearly the death of Striker. At a few of the crime scenes he notices a giant figure lurking. But on the couple of occasions he gets close enough to tackle the guy he gets the shit beaten out of him. Meanwhile there's another weirdo running around with murder in his heart. WTF? It took some time for all the threads to come together.
And that's why the book fell down for me. Sometimes you can have too many people keeping too many secrets to be plausible. And the Violet character just seemed not quite credible. Ah well, it was OK but somewhat lacking.
This is my least favourite of this series so far. Jacob Striker and his sidekick Felicia really have their work cut out for them this time. They get an early call out to a fire and find there is a fatality and that its one of their own - a murder investigator named Jazz Heer. More deaths follow in quick succession, all the victims dying of horrific burns. Elements of the crime scenes lead the detectives to wonder if these killings are the work of a satanist. The detectives go through all of Jazz's case notes and a few familiar names keep cropping up and the detectives are off on completely the wrong foot.
This case is nearly the death of Striker. At a few of the crime scenes he notices a giant figure lurking. But on the couple of occasions he gets close enough to tackle the guy he gets the shit beaten out of him. Meanwhile there's another weirdo running around with murder in his heart. WTF? It took some time for all the threads to come together.
And that's why the book fell down for me. Sometimes you can have too many people keeping too many secrets to be plausible. And the Violet character just seemed not quite credible. Ah well, it was OK but somewhat lacking.
December 26, 2015
Fourth in the series, but the first I’ve read. It's a police procedural, written by an actual cop (Vancouver Police). The novel is suspenseful, hard to put down, well-written, but telling a very sordid tale.
April 5, 2016
It gets better towards the end. Draggy introduction with an ending that left me wondering about faith and one's sense of belonging.
April 26, 2017
I'm surprised I had yet to encounter this Vancouver policeman and author.
Sean Slater's Jacob Striker and his partner (in every sense of the word) Felicia Santos are on the file of a serial killer. They encounter horror upon horror as they race to unravel the many elements of the case. There are connections to the church, the police force and other government employees.
And race, they do. There is little that diverges from the compelling plot. While the policing feels authentic, there is still an underlying understanding of what forces might be motivating the killer.
A definite thrill ride.
Sean Slater's Jacob Striker and his partner (in every sense of the word) Felicia Santos are on the file of a serial killer. They encounter horror upon horror as they race to unravel the many elements of the case. There are connections to the church, the police force and other government employees.
And race, they do. There is little that diverges from the compelling plot. While the policing feels authentic, there is still an underlying understanding of what forces might be motivating the killer.
A definite thrill ride.
April 28, 2017
Another goodie!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews