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Canary
It's dangerous enough when an ordinary college girl turns confidential informant. Even more dangerous when she's smarter than the killer, kingpins, and cops who think they control her. Honors student Sarie Holland is busted by the local police while doing a favor for her boyfriend. Unwilling to betray him but desperate to avoid destroying her future, Sarie has no choice but to become a "CI" -- a confidential informant. Philly narcotics cop Ben Wildey is hungry for a career-making bust. The detective thinks he's found the key in her boyfriend scores from a mid-level dealer with alleged ties to the major drug gangs. Sarie turns out to be the perfect a quick study with a shockingly keen understanding of the criminal mind. But Wildey, desperate for results, pushes too hard and inadvertently sends the nineteen-year-old into a death trap, leaving Sarie hunted by crooked cops and killers alike with nothing to save her -- except what she's learned during her harrowing weeks as an informant. Which is bad news for the police and the underworld. Because when it comes to payback, CI #1373 turns out to be a very quick study...
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2015
89 people are currently reading
1562 people want to read
About the author
Duane Swierczynski
524 books917 followersDuane Swierczynski is an American crime writer who has written a number of non-fiction books, novels and also writes for comic books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
August 13, 2023
Honours student Sarie Holland, is desperate to avoid a criminal record that could destroy her future, but she’s just been arrested on a drugs charge. She agrees to become a confidential informant for the Philadelphia Police Department, but that’s only the start of her troubles.
Even in a city awash with narcotics, offering up a drug dealer to save her own skin isn’t an easy task. It’s fraught with problems, who to betray and who to protect, add to the mix a corrupt police department, and dealers ready to kill to protect their turf, and staying alive is soon the toughest test Sarie has ever faced.
In this bleak novel, Philadelphia is anything but the city of brotherly love, it’s a drug blighted post-industrial mess. This is a grim story of drugs, bent cops and family strife, and is played out against the backdrop to the crumbling American dream.
The characters are already damaged by the troubles life has thrown at them, and they go on a downward spiral from there, the violence they encounter is all too realistic, and there are no neatly tied up endings.
What there is though, is an exploration of the limits human beings can be driven to, either by their desire for power, or their desperation to survive for a few more hours.
A well paced and constructed thriller with an action packed ending, that kept me hanging in there!
Even in a city awash with narcotics, offering up a drug dealer to save her own skin isn’t an easy task. It’s fraught with problems, who to betray and who to protect, add to the mix a corrupt police department, and dealers ready to kill to protect their turf, and staying alive is soon the toughest test Sarie has ever faced.
In this bleak novel, Philadelphia is anything but the city of brotherly love, it’s a drug blighted post-industrial mess. This is a grim story of drugs, bent cops and family strife, and is played out against the backdrop to the crumbling American dream.
The characters are already damaged by the troubles life has thrown at them, and they go on a downward spiral from there, the violence they encounter is all too realistic, and there are no neatly tied up endings.
What there is though, is an exploration of the limits human beings can be driven to, either by their desire for power, or their desperation to survive for a few more hours.
A well paced and constructed thriller with an action packed ending, that kept me hanging in there!
July 26, 2016
Usually the only thing I don’t like about a new Duane Swierczynski novel is that it’s a pain in the ass typing out his last name in a review. However, this time out Duane S. stepped into a rather large pothole of bad character motivation and snapped an ankle of the plot so that this book was limping badly the entire time I was reading it.
Sarie Holland is a straight arrow college student whose mother died recently so she feels a tremendous sense of responsibility to her father and younger brother. Her usual idea of a big night out is nursing a single beer when she does stop studying long enough to have a little fun. Sarie meets a cute boy she calls D. one night at a party, and it seems like harmless flirting when he asks for a ride to pick up a book from a friend.
However, D. is actually a campus drug dealer who was picking up a large batch of pills, and when a dedicated narcotics cop named Wildey steps in it’s Sarie who warns D. so that he can flee while leaving her in custody. Wildey leans on Sarie to give up D., but she plays dumb. In a ploy to pressure her into giving up the kid Wildey tells Sarie that she’ll have to work as a confidential informant and either give him another dealer or the guy she’s protecting. Rather than name D. Sarie frantically tries to come up with another guy to hand over as she tries to cram for finals and deal with her family. Her efforts kick off a chain of unintended consequences that put her in a dangerous position as a snitch while there’s a bloody purge of informants going on in the drug underworld.
Herein lies the problem. This entire book is based on the idea Sarie is only in this mess because she’s protecting a boy she just met, and he’s the kind of guy who tricks her into helping him with a drug pick-up and then leaves her literally holding the bag. Why wouldn’t anyone name that guy in a heartbeat for a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card?
Adding insult to injury, Wildey continues to offer her the out of dropping the whole informant thing if she’ll just tell him who the guy was. Yet Sarie stubbornly decides that she has to continue to protect D. no matter what trouble it causes her. When he shows up with puppy dog eyes and apologies, he also has a story about how much trouble he’s in for losing the drugs to the cops so Sarie, who we’ve been told repeatedly has followed the rules her entire life, steals money from her job so that D. can go buy more drugs to sell to pay off his debt.
Yeah, so Sarie is pretty much an idiot...
I know that even smart people do stupid things, and a young woman in college might be naive enough to decide that she’d rather potentially screw up her entire life rather than rat on that cute boy with the nice smile. But Sarie is so smart and responsible in almost every other aspect of her life that the idea that she just instantly decides that protecting D. is worth all the trouble and danger doesn’t track with her at all.
What’s even more confusing is that in the early stages of this book Duane S. writes this as if we know that Sarie is being stupid and that D. is using her so you’d think there’d come a point where she wises up. But by the end he indicates that there is something between the two of them after all, and that Sarie was actually being noble by not turning him over. So while he does his usual great job of coming up with a crime story with a bunch of characters working their own angles I could never muster any sympathy for Sarie even though she’s a nice girl in way over her head simply because it’s a problem of her own making that she could get out of at almost any time up until the very end of the book. That pretty much ruined the whole thing for me.
It’s also irritating because this idea could still have been used if Duane S. had simply wrote a reason for Sarie to have a relationship with D. that would warrant her refusal to name him to the cops. He could have been a long-time boyfriend or a childhood friend or a ne’er-do-well cousin she’d grown up with. Any history between the two could have been created that would have justified her feeling like she’d be betraying someone she knows and cares about, and then she'd have a valid reason for refusing to turn him over.
So let me close by offering this advice to any young person who ever does an innocent favor for someone they just met and finds themselves arrested with a bag full of that person’s drugs:
1) Ask for a lawyer.
2) Have that lawyer cut you a deal with the cops so that all your charges are dropped in exchange for ratting out the piece of shit who just screwed you over.
You’re welcome.
Sarie Holland is a straight arrow college student whose mother died recently so she feels a tremendous sense of responsibility to her father and younger brother. Her usual idea of a big night out is nursing a single beer when she does stop studying long enough to have a little fun. Sarie meets a cute boy she calls D. one night at a party, and it seems like harmless flirting when he asks for a ride to pick up a book from a friend.
However, D. is actually a campus drug dealer who was picking up a large batch of pills, and when a dedicated narcotics cop named Wildey steps in it’s Sarie who warns D. so that he can flee while leaving her in custody. Wildey leans on Sarie to give up D., but she plays dumb. In a ploy to pressure her into giving up the kid Wildey tells Sarie that she’ll have to work as a confidential informant and either give him another dealer or the guy she’s protecting. Rather than name D. Sarie frantically tries to come up with another guy to hand over as she tries to cram for finals and deal with her family. Her efforts kick off a chain of unintended consequences that put her in a dangerous position as a snitch while there’s a bloody purge of informants going on in the drug underworld.
Herein lies the problem. This entire book is based on the idea Sarie is only in this mess because she’s protecting a boy she just met, and he’s the kind of guy who tricks her into helping him with a drug pick-up and then leaves her literally holding the bag. Why wouldn’t anyone name that guy in a heartbeat for a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card?
Adding insult to injury, Wildey continues to offer her the out of dropping the whole informant thing if she’ll just tell him who the guy was. Yet Sarie stubbornly decides that she has to continue to protect D. no matter what trouble it causes her. When he shows up with puppy dog eyes and apologies, he also has a story about how much trouble he’s in for losing the drugs to the cops so Sarie, who we’ve been told repeatedly has followed the rules her entire life, steals money from her job so that D. can go buy more drugs to sell to pay off his debt.
Yeah, so Sarie is pretty much an idiot...
I know that even smart people do stupid things, and a young woman in college might be naive enough to decide that she’d rather potentially screw up her entire life rather than rat on that cute boy with the nice smile. But Sarie is so smart and responsible in almost every other aspect of her life that the idea that she just instantly decides that protecting D. is worth all the trouble and danger doesn’t track with her at all.
What’s even more confusing is that in the early stages of this book Duane S. writes this as if we know that Sarie is being stupid and that D. is using her so you’d think there’d come a point where she wises up. But by the end he indicates that there is something between the two of them after all, and that Sarie was actually being noble by not turning him over. So while he does his usual great job of coming up with a crime story with a bunch of characters working their own angles I could never muster any sympathy for Sarie even though she’s a nice girl in way over her head simply because it’s a problem of her own making that she could get out of at almost any time up until the very end of the book. That pretty much ruined the whole thing for me.
It’s also irritating because this idea could still have been used if Duane S. had simply wrote a reason for Sarie to have a relationship with D. that would warrant her refusal to name him to the cops. He could have been a long-time boyfriend or a childhood friend or a ne’er-do-well cousin she’d grown up with. Any history between the two could have been created that would have justified her feeling like she’d be betraying someone she knows and cares about, and then she'd have a valid reason for refusing to turn him over.
So let me close by offering this advice to any young person who ever does an innocent favor for someone they just met and finds themselves arrested with a bag full of that person’s drugs:
1) Ask for a lawyer.
2) Have that lawyer cut you a deal with the cops so that all your charges are dropped in exchange for ratting out the piece of shit who just screwed you over.
You’re welcome.
April 9, 2023
Highest Recommendation!
Down these mean streets a naive, teenage honor student must go...
I suppose I’ve enjoyed every Swierczynski novel I’ve ever read and I believe I’ve read ‘em all.
This one though –this one is his epic.
I was expecting something along the lines of the “Charlie Hardie” series but this is a whole ‘nother critter.
At first I thought “oh great… another one of those coming-of-age, plucky-teenage-girl-detective-saves-the-day novels".
Which –to be honest- is basically what it is.
Or at least might cause the casual reader to think it is.
Except that it’s not - exactly.
It’s a taut, suspense novel with a teenage protagonist who finds herself negotiating hellishly high waters swimming among rival drug gangs, crooked cops, and attempting to balance a home life that includes her widowed (possibly alcoholic) father and her troubled 12 year old brother.
Swierczynski has been around for quite a while banging out action-thrillers once or twice a year. They’re always fun reads that are guaranteed to entertain the reader but Canary is his masterpiece.
One day you’ll be sitting around waiting on a new Swierczynski novel to pop up while he’ll be sitting somewhere in the upper echelons of the Hollywood elite plotting the storylines for what will become the next Top 10 box office sensations.
I don’t do plots but trust me –this novel deserves devoted readers and is worthy of massive acclaim.
Buy it and read it. Please.
They sit in silence, watching the traffic go by. People headed downtown or up to the Northeast and beyond in Bucks County. People with no pressing worries other than what kind of food they want to order tonight or what movie to put on Netflix. People who speed by these neighborhoods without the slightest idea of what happens in them. Or even if they do, they don't give a shit, because they don't have to live in them.
Down these mean streets a naive, teenage honor student must go...
I suppose I’ve enjoyed every Swierczynski novel I’ve ever read and I believe I’ve read ‘em all.
This one though –this one is his epic.
I was expecting something along the lines of the “Charlie Hardie” series but this is a whole ‘nother critter.
At first I thought “oh great… another one of those coming-of-age, plucky-teenage-girl-detective-saves-the-day novels".
Which –to be honest- is basically what it is.
Or at least might cause the casual reader to think it is.
Except that it’s not - exactly.
It’s a taut, suspense novel with a teenage protagonist who finds herself negotiating hellishly high waters swimming among rival drug gangs, crooked cops, and attempting to balance a home life that includes her widowed (possibly alcoholic) father and her troubled 12 year old brother.
Swierczynski has been around for quite a while banging out action-thrillers once or twice a year. They’re always fun reads that are guaranteed to entertain the reader but Canary is his masterpiece.
One day you’ll be sitting around waiting on a new Swierczynski novel to pop up while he’ll be sitting somewhere in the upper echelons of the Hollywood elite plotting the storylines for what will become the next Top 10 box office sensations.
I don’t do plots but trust me –this novel deserves devoted readers and is worthy of massive acclaim.
Buy it and read it. Please.
Hence the need to break into [character edited]'s house.
It's the nicest one on the block, but that's not saying much. Like the one good tooth in a meth addict's smile. Most of them have been demolished, leaving muddy, weedy lots in their place. On the sides of those surviving houses, you can see the phantom images of their former neighbors. Pink paint where a bathroom used to be. Pale green where a kitchen once stood....
August 18, 2015
In a classic case of ‘wrong place, wrong time’, college student Sarie Holland is pulled over and busted by the cops while doing a favour for a drug-dealing friend, D. Looking at a possible five years minimum in prison for possession, she’s offered an alternative – become a C.I. (confidential informant) for narcotics officer Ben Wildey (pronounced will-dee).
Wildey wants Sarie to give up her pill-pushing pal but it isn’t that easy; Sarie harbors hopes for a more-than-friends relationship with D. Rather than give Wildey what he wants, Sarie opts to seek out and find other dealers in Philadelphia, something that frustrates both Sarie and Wildey when neither party is getting what they want.
Can Sarie keep her double life a secret from her family? Can she keep the cops off the trail of her would-be boyfriend? Can she stay alive in the face of the mean streets of Philadelphia?
Canary moves at a brisk pace and rather than following one character the whole way through, Swierczynski explores a multitude of techniques to get the story across. Through text messages, journal entries, phone conversation transcripts and straight up narration, Swierczynski presents a compelling story that had me gripped for hours.
In my interview with Duane in 2013, he noted he had been working on his most Philadelphia-centric novel yet in Canary. He wasn’t kidding. Canary tackles some heavy issues surrounding The Badlands, a section of Philly that could be used as a backdrop for a post-apocalyptic Hollywood blockbuster. Rows of abandoned brick houses and dilapidated warehouses are the result of a lack of industry for the working class, replaced with a debilitating drug culture that has ravaged the neighbourhoods residents.
Canary’s Detective Ben Wildey hopes to change that. Wildey’s grandfather was a cop who had worked through the great depression, some of the roughest times the city had ever seen. Ben is looking to carry on that family tradition by setting up shop in the heart of the enemy. With Wildey, Swierczynski presents a driven detective who will do just about anything to clean up the streets and in his meetings and conversations with several of his C.I.’s, it shows.
The other half of Canary’s two leads, Sarie Holland, is a smart and resourceful college freshman. It’s hard to figure out what is driving her behaviour more – the fear of being sent to prison or her desire to keep D. out of Wildey’s reach. There’s no question that at heart Sarie is an inherently good person, but her decision-making ability is certainly suspect. There were parts in Canary where I wanted to grab Sarie by the shoulders and shake her, asking her to listen to reason. But what the hell do I know? I suppose it goes to show that none of us really know what we’re capable of when facing nearly impossible decisions.
Canary is another strong addition to an already strong catalogue of work from Swierczynski. Crime fiction fans, you’re doing yourselves a serious disservice if you haven’t checked him out yet.
***
Mini documentary about the Philadelphia Badlands from 1998.
Trailer for the documentary documentary How to Make Money Selling Drugs that Duane listed in his acknowledgements as invaluable during the writing of Canary.
Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
Wildey wants Sarie to give up her pill-pushing pal but it isn’t that easy; Sarie harbors hopes for a more-than-friends relationship with D. Rather than give Wildey what he wants, Sarie opts to seek out and find other dealers in Philadelphia, something that frustrates both Sarie and Wildey when neither party is getting what they want.
Can Sarie keep her double life a secret from her family? Can she keep the cops off the trail of her would-be boyfriend? Can she stay alive in the face of the mean streets of Philadelphia?
Canary moves at a brisk pace and rather than following one character the whole way through, Swierczynski explores a multitude of techniques to get the story across. Through text messages, journal entries, phone conversation transcripts and straight up narration, Swierczynski presents a compelling story that had me gripped for hours.
In my interview with Duane in 2013, he noted he had been working on his most Philadelphia-centric novel yet in Canary. He wasn’t kidding. Canary tackles some heavy issues surrounding The Badlands, a section of Philly that could be used as a backdrop for a post-apocalyptic Hollywood blockbuster. Rows of abandoned brick houses and dilapidated warehouses are the result of a lack of industry for the working class, replaced with a debilitating drug culture that has ravaged the neighbourhoods residents.
Canary’s Detective Ben Wildey hopes to change that. Wildey’s grandfather was a cop who had worked through the great depression, some of the roughest times the city had ever seen. Ben is looking to carry on that family tradition by setting up shop in the heart of the enemy. With Wildey, Swierczynski presents a driven detective who will do just about anything to clean up the streets and in his meetings and conversations with several of his C.I.’s, it shows.
The other half of Canary’s two leads, Sarie Holland, is a smart and resourceful college freshman. It’s hard to figure out what is driving her behaviour more – the fear of being sent to prison or her desire to keep D. out of Wildey’s reach. There’s no question that at heart Sarie is an inherently good person, but her decision-making ability is certainly suspect. There were parts in Canary where I wanted to grab Sarie by the shoulders and shake her, asking her to listen to reason. But what the hell do I know? I suppose it goes to show that none of us really know what we’re capable of when facing nearly impossible decisions.
Canary is another strong addition to an already strong catalogue of work from Swierczynski. Crime fiction fans, you’re doing yourselves a serious disservice if you haven’t checked him out yet.
***
Mini documentary about the Philadelphia Badlands from 1998.
Trailer for the documentary documentary How to Make Money Selling Drugs that Duane listed in his acknowledgements as invaluable during the writing of Canary.
Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
January 12, 2016
*3.5 Stars*
I haven't read much Young Adult fiction, (or is it called New Adult fiction?), but I would definitely read more of those books if they were written by Duane Swierczynski, who seems to always try something new every time he writes a novel! Here, the author tackles a YA story and puts his own twisted spin on it. In the book we follow Sarie Holland, a young college freshman, who has the usual worries to deal with in college, like preparing for her honors finals, the attention of hormone-raging boys, and drinking too much at parties. That's already enough to deal with, but soon her life gets even more complicated when she's arrested after unknowingly taking part in a drug run, and to escape prosecution, she becomes CI #137: a snitch for an ambitious Narcotics officer.
At first, I had conflicted feelings while reading this. At times, I would shake my head at the silliness of the plot, then there would be a twist or a character moment that would suck me in, and because Swierczynski tackles the whole thing with real assurance, after a while I was just along for the ride! The story initially moves at a leisurely pace as the author puts all the pieces in place on the board, but then at a certain point, he just lets it rip, and the story rockets along, leading up to a page-turning final act! I found myself raising my eyebrows sometimes at Sarie's bizarre decisions, but I had to remind myself that Sarie is still a teenager during all of this, no matter how crazy the story got, and terrible decisions are a teenager's forté...
After recently being a bit disappointed by another book by the author, The Blonde , partly due to its lack of engaging characters, I was pleased to see somewhat relatable characters in this one (even the smaller parts), with one of the most fascinating characters being the city of Philadelphia itself (as in most of Swierczynski's work). I felt like I'd been on a great tour of the city after reading this! Sarie's character was especially well-drawn. We initially see her as this goody-two-shoes honors student that hardly even drinks, and then watch as she discovers that she has a real talent for navigating the drug underworld. She realizes that she's clever, resourceful, and can handle herself surprisingly well under pressure. Another thing I really enjoyed was, with all of the action and dark crime, at it's core the book is about a fractured family, and their struggle to connect with each other after losing the person that was their glue. That component really elevated the proceedings from being just a standard crime thriller to something with surprising heart.
I haven't read much Young Adult fiction, (or is it called New Adult fiction?), but I would definitely read more of those books if they were written by Duane Swierczynski, who seems to always try something new every time he writes a novel! Here, the author tackles a YA story and puts his own twisted spin on it. In the book we follow Sarie Holland, a young college freshman, who has the usual worries to deal with in college, like preparing for her honors finals, the attention of hormone-raging boys, and drinking too much at parties. That's already enough to deal with, but soon her life gets even more complicated when she's arrested after unknowingly taking part in a drug run, and to escape prosecution, she becomes CI #137: a snitch for an ambitious Narcotics officer.
At first, I had conflicted feelings while reading this. At times, I would shake my head at the silliness of the plot, then there would be a twist or a character moment that would suck me in, and because Swierczynski tackles the whole thing with real assurance, after a while I was just along for the ride! The story initially moves at a leisurely pace as the author puts all the pieces in place on the board, but then at a certain point, he just lets it rip, and the story rockets along, leading up to a page-turning final act! I found myself raising my eyebrows sometimes at Sarie's bizarre decisions, but I had to remind myself that Sarie is still a teenager during all of this, no matter how crazy the story got, and terrible decisions are a teenager's forté...
After recently being a bit disappointed by another book by the author, The Blonde , partly due to its lack of engaging characters, I was pleased to see somewhat relatable characters in this one (even the smaller parts), with one of the most fascinating characters being the city of Philadelphia itself (as in most of Swierczynski's work). I felt like I'd been on a great tour of the city after reading this! Sarie's character was especially well-drawn. We initially see her as this goody-two-shoes honors student that hardly even drinks, and then watch as she discovers that she has a real talent for navigating the drug underworld. She realizes that she's clever, resourceful, and can handle herself surprisingly well under pressure. Another thing I really enjoyed was, with all of the action and dark crime, at it's core the book is about a fractured family, and their struggle to connect with each other after losing the person that was their glue. That component really elevated the proceedings from being just a standard crime thriller to something with surprising heart.
August 24, 2017
This was a very enjoyable book. Duane Swierczynski does a great job of fleshing out the characters so you really get to know them. The story was action packed and a little nail biting. I do have to say one thing that made me mad was Sarie not turning in the guy. It wasn't her boyfriend and she really didn't know him. What 19-year-old honors student in college covers for a guy she doesn't really know risking being arrested. She is probably too smart for her own good. I found myself wanting to avoid doing work so I could continue reading the book.
If you tend to look at the end of a book before you are done. Don't because the last 2 paragraphs are a shocker. I don't think I would ever want to deal with the drug world. It would be too scary.
I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway and I'm glad I did. I would highly recommend.
If you tend to look at the end of a book before you are done. Don't because the last 2 paragraphs are a shocker. I don't think I would ever want to deal with the drug world. It would be too scary.
I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway and I'm glad I did. I would highly recommend.
December 12, 2014
I was fortunate enough to wake up at 5am and stand in line for an advanced copy of Canary. It was well worth it. We all know Duane Swierczynski is a fantastic writer. If you do not know that, where the hell have you been? But, this guy knows how to write exciting, nail-biting scenes, great dialogue, likable characters, and perfect endings.
Canary starts off with a 19 yr old, Honors student, named Sarie Holland, writing an entry into her journal. This journal is her communication with her deceased mother.
"Hi, Mom. Last night I got arrested. (Sort of.)" Boom, it just starts off with a hook that grabs you. Sarie is at a college party trying to fit in even if it means pretending to drink and take a hit off a bong. When approached by a handsome guy, looking for a ride to pick up a book from a friend's house, she thinks - what could go wrong. Well, the friend's house happens to be a drug dealer's house, that is being watched by an undercover narcotics cop, Wildey. Unfortunately, Sarie is caught in the car with the handsome guy's jacket, full of pills. Now, this 32 yr old cop wants to make Sarie his new CI. He is sure that she has the inside scoop on the major drug ring. The thing is, Sarie is smarter and tougher than Wildey thinks. She is great at taking matters into her own hands and getting herself thrust into the most dangerous situations. This book has plenty of twists and turns. You will find yourself not knowing who to trust.
I, honestly, believe this book can be read by any age group without feeling that you are missing out on the plot. I was impressed but not surprised. I have looked forward to this book and I can guarantee you will not be able to put it down. I highly recommend Canary, as well as all of Swierczynski's books.
Canary starts off with a 19 yr old, Honors student, named Sarie Holland, writing an entry into her journal. This journal is her communication with her deceased mother.
"Hi, Mom. Last night I got arrested. (Sort of.)" Boom, it just starts off with a hook that grabs you. Sarie is at a college party trying to fit in even if it means pretending to drink and take a hit off a bong. When approached by a handsome guy, looking for a ride to pick up a book from a friend's house, she thinks - what could go wrong. Well, the friend's house happens to be a drug dealer's house, that is being watched by an undercover narcotics cop, Wildey. Unfortunately, Sarie is caught in the car with the handsome guy's jacket, full of pills. Now, this 32 yr old cop wants to make Sarie his new CI. He is sure that she has the inside scoop on the major drug ring. The thing is, Sarie is smarter and tougher than Wildey thinks. She is great at taking matters into her own hands and getting herself thrust into the most dangerous situations. This book has plenty of twists and turns. You will find yourself not knowing who to trust.
I, honestly, believe this book can be read by any age group without feeling that you are missing out on the plot. I was impressed but not surprised. I have looked forward to this book and I can guarantee you will not be able to put it down. I highly recommend Canary, as well as all of Swierczynski's books.
April 17, 2015
Duane Swierczynski has succeeded in writing a totally preposterous book that I wanted to finish even as I shook my head in disbelief at its very preposterousness. He stays entirely true to the voice of seventeen-year-old college student-turned reluctant criminal informant Sarie Holland; she writes, in an ongoing letter to her mother (the only way that Sarie's voice is transmitted to the reader) gems like, "So my bestie is a ho" or "You want me to dime on someone I don't even know?" or "Thing is, I can't get dressed at home without Dad asking a million questions," all of which made me cringe, but her childish voice and her hair-pullingly frustrating actions stay true to who she is, for the most part. She does some incredibly stupid stuff in her quest to get out of narcotics officer Ben Wildey’s pocket - in particular, her vague attraction to and willingness to protect D., the basically random dude who got her into the CI mess in the first place - but most of her actions are believable in the context of her being a not-particularly-street smart teenager trying to act on a maturity that she doesn’t possess. Of course, since she’s a not-particularly-street smart etc., she discovers an inherent knack for uncovering all sorts of shady business in the Philly PD much more quickly than the actual cops. The danger faced by Wildey’s CIs was one reason that I stuck around, but it isn’t explained very well, nor is Sarie’s friend Tamara’s Amoroso dot com tangent that I think was supposed to tie everything together, and on top of Sarie’s increasingly ridiculous antics & the deus ex machina that attends her, there is a weird, drug-related sexual assault situation involving a shady doctor that was just so, so excruciating & unnecessary. But all of that aside, dammit, as much as I was rolling my eyes at myself while I read, I kept reading until the end.
March 20, 2015
CANARY is one of those books I struggled to put down. The characters are engaging, the narrative is fresh, and the plot is fast paced. Using multiple points of view makes Sarie's soiree into the drug underworld that much more entertaining. Not only does author Duane Swierczynski provide a mechanism for Sarie's own thoughts as she confronts her unfortunate situation head-on via a journal-like blow by blow confession of sorts, but we get an insight into a broken yet glued together family dynamic outside the criminal plot threads thanks to Sarie's father and younger brother (who happens to be gadget bug bidden and highly inquisitive). Then there's the cop and criminal underworld equation that heats up the plot to boiling point.
CANARY feels like a slight departure from the recent spate of books by Duane Swierczynski by way of incorporating more a mainstream crime feel as apposed to the clever grit of the Charlie Hardie Trilogy - and that's not a bad thing - I always look for diversity in reading and Swierczynki gives us that here.
As a reader of Swierczynki's BLACK HOOD Phili noir comic (issue #1 published this month by Dark Circle Comics) I found the place setting of CANARY all the more visual and dark. The streets menacing, the cops tainted, the criminals an omnipresent threat. I thought having the visual comparison in this other form fiction, it added another level of enjoyment to the book, though it's certainly not a prerequisite for reading CANARY.
CANARY is a wonderful read. The characters take a life of their own from the first page they appear and are led down a rabbit hole into the dangerous world of drugs in an all too easy fashion. This is a piece of fiction that reads real. Highly recommended.
Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
CANARY feels like a slight departure from the recent spate of books by Duane Swierczynski by way of incorporating more a mainstream crime feel as apposed to the clever grit of the Charlie Hardie Trilogy - and that's not a bad thing - I always look for diversity in reading and Swierczynki gives us that here.
As a reader of Swierczynki's BLACK HOOD Phili noir comic (issue #1 published this month by Dark Circle Comics) I found the place setting of CANARY all the more visual and dark. The streets menacing, the cops tainted, the criminals an omnipresent threat. I thought having the visual comparison in this other form fiction, it added another level of enjoyment to the book, though it's certainly not a prerequisite for reading CANARY.
CANARY is a wonderful read. The characters take a life of their own from the first page they appear and are led down a rabbit hole into the dangerous world of drugs in an all too easy fashion. This is a piece of fiction that reads real. Highly recommended.
Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
November 26, 2014
In CANARY Duane Swierczynski returns to more down to earth crimes. An ambitious, somewhat idealistic cop forces a college girl to become a Confidential Informant, or snitch if you'd prefer. Spurred on but what could be love for a hapless lowlife, Seraphina "Sarie" Holland juggles finals with dope gang infiltration. Imagine Nancy Drew in BREAKING BAD or Veronica Mars with fewer street smarts, and you have Sarie. Snitching though becomes as serious to Sarie as any graduate level seminar and she learns fast how to juke the system. I will not give away too much but I will say that I will read as many Sarie adventures as Mr. Swierczynski is willing to write.
November 26, 2014
I enjoyed the heck out of this. Swierczynski achieves a perfect balance here: the YA tone of Sarie's diary entries reminded me a lot of the feisty lady characters you see in Lauren Beukes's novels. And these passages are perfectly tempered by the flinty noir POV from Philly cop Ben Wildey. Equal parts sweet and salty bloody, family and fury, and with a wonderfully self-doubting-with-massive-reservoirs-of-untapped-strength female character at the center who kicks ass without fulfilling any weird male fantasies.
January 7, 2015
I love the writing of Duane Swierczynski and Canary fills that love. This is more of a crime drama than an over-the-top thrill ride that some of his other books have been. It's a study of a college student and her slide into the drug world, not by doing drugs but by trying to protect her loved ones and becoming a snitch. It took a while to get the story rolling but once it hit its stride it rolled along. I stayed up late to read the last 100 pages. Thank you, Mr. Swierczynski.
February 28, 2023
I do love the Goodreads website though of course it does have a few things that drives me nuts.
For example, one of the top reviews of this book is “two stars” and we shouldn’t let one review by one one person define a book. That’s the nature of the site of course, there’s plenty of other ways to know if a book is for you. (This book has a pretty solid overall score and obviously I have scored some books lower than I am sure their author wanted. Like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Amazon, you have to take everything with a grain of, if not entire boxes, of salt)
I am also shocked by the number of people who call this a Young Adult book. The protagonist is a young adult- a female college student- so maybe that’s all it takes (we tend to do this in our children’s literature which seems like a major mistake) but the book doesn’t particularly feel like a YA novel in any other ways
I saw this book on one of those “recommended by staff” shelves and have enjoyed Swierczynski’s books and comics, so was glad for the reminder.
From my experience, his books are super-action packed almost ludicrously so, and I say this in the best possible ways- think Tarantino not Michael Bay
This one does not fail. It’s gripping.
If anything, this book is flawed because his characterization in here is also very good. If you read reviews, the complaints are that the set up is ridiculous. I tend to agree, but having read his other books, and reading through the finish, you have to roll with the gonzo nature.
Which is interesting because the characters are so well drawn and memorable. It’s small complaint that the book goes into a pretty wild action ride that is part complex plotting and part mindless brutal noir. The realism and relatability is fine, but it feels at odds with the excess.
I would steer most readers to Fun and Games where Swierczynski goes all in on full tilt action, but Canary has a lot to recommend it. I just feel you might be better off going in knowing what it is. The afterword suggests that it’s all based on some real stories, still this feels hyper violent at times and the ending didn’t help sell it for me. There were so much that was compelling about it, that of course I will continue to read the author’s work.
For example, one of the top reviews of this book is “two stars” and we shouldn’t let one review by one one person define a book. That’s the nature of the site of course, there’s plenty of other ways to know if a book is for you. (This book has a pretty solid overall score and obviously I have scored some books lower than I am sure their author wanted. Like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Amazon, you have to take everything with a grain of, if not entire boxes, of salt)
I am also shocked by the number of people who call this a Young Adult book. The protagonist is a young adult- a female college student- so maybe that’s all it takes (we tend to do this in our children’s literature which seems like a major mistake) but the book doesn’t particularly feel like a YA novel in any other ways
I saw this book on one of those “recommended by staff” shelves and have enjoyed Swierczynski’s books and comics, so was glad for the reminder.
From my experience, his books are super-action packed almost ludicrously so, and I say this in the best possible ways- think Tarantino not Michael Bay
This one does not fail. It’s gripping.
If anything, this book is flawed because his characterization in here is also very good. If you read reviews, the complaints are that the set up is ridiculous. I tend to agree, but having read his other books, and reading through the finish, you have to roll with the gonzo nature.
Which is interesting because the characters are so well drawn and memorable. It’s small complaint that the book goes into a pretty wild action ride that is part complex plotting and part mindless brutal noir. The realism and relatability is fine, but it feels at odds with the excess.
I would steer most readers to Fun and Games where Swierczynski goes all in on full tilt action, but Canary has a lot to recommend it. I just feel you might be better off going in knowing what it is. The afterword suggests that it’s all based on some real stories, still this feels hyper violent at times and the ending didn’t help sell it for me. There were so much that was compelling about it, that of course I will continue to read the author’s work.
February 5, 2015
I am a huge fan of Duane Swierczynski (so much so that my phone actually auto-corrected something to his last name, which is pretty awesome) and even so I keep forgetting just how awesome and fun his books are.
This one replaces Severance Package as my new favorite. A huge part of that is due to Sarie. When the book begins, she's basically your average college student whose biggest worry is being able to ace all her exams. And then she makes a random decision to give a guy a ride...and THEN all hell breaks loose and all of a sudden her worries are much more stressful. (Like, say, will I go to prison? Will I even still be alive for my last exam? Will I get murdered and dumped in a river?)
I'm hoping for a sequel. Highly recommended.
This one replaces Severance Package as my new favorite. A huge part of that is due to Sarie. When the book begins, she's basically your average college student whose biggest worry is being able to ace all her exams. And then she makes a random decision to give a guy a ride...and THEN all hell breaks loose and all of a sudden her worries are much more stressful. (Like, say, will I go to prison? Will I even still be alive for my last exam? Will I get murdered and dumped in a river?)
I'm hoping for a sequel. Highly recommended.
February 21, 2015
Disclaimer: I make a cameo appearance in this novel, but I would have given this book 5 stars anyway.
Like one of his influences, David Goodis, Duane uses his city (our city) of Philadelphia as a great backdrop. As always it is fun to see places I am familiar with in fiction. It's even better when it's great fiction like this.
I have been a fan of Duane Swiercyznski's crime novels for years now. Duane's prose is clean, tight, and fun. It revs along and you breeze through it at fast clip. It can be described as dark yet light.
Unlike Severance Package, which I found a bit too gory, Canary one is pretty free of gore. It's fun for the whole family! Not really but ok for teens. The protagonist is an 18 year old female college student who finds herself dragged into the narcotics world.
This novel is very well researched and uses a lot of true crime as its inspiration. It balances this reality with the right amount of sensationalism to make great fiction.
PS To whoever I loaned my copy of Duane's first book, The Wheelman: could you please give it back to me? Thanks. The moral here is don't loan out one of Duane's novels. They are so good, you don't get them back.
Like one of his influences, David Goodis, Duane uses his city (our city) of Philadelphia as a great backdrop. As always it is fun to see places I am familiar with in fiction. It's even better when it's great fiction like this.
I have been a fan of Duane Swiercyznski's crime novels for years now. Duane's prose is clean, tight, and fun. It revs along and you breeze through it at fast clip. It can be described as dark yet light.
Unlike Severance Package, which I found a bit too gory, Canary one is pretty free of gore. It's fun for the whole family! Not really but ok for teens. The protagonist is an 18 year old female college student who finds herself dragged into the narcotics world.
This novel is very well researched and uses a lot of true crime as its inspiration. It balances this reality with the right amount of sensationalism to make great fiction.
PS To whoever I loaned my copy of Duane's first book, The Wheelman: could you please give it back to me? Thanks. The moral here is don't loan out one of Duane's novels. They are so good, you don't get them back.
February 18, 2015
[I won this book in a Twitter giveaway from Little, Brown. To be honest, I had no idea what this book was about, but something drew me to it. I was lucky to win.]
Holy sh*t.
I'm sorry, Goodreads, but it had to be said. That about sums up CANARY. It's gripping and dirty and awful and real. I devoured this book. CI #137 is a real girl, with real problems, and she still manages to delve into the dark world of drug kingpins and turn into an intelligent, badass kind of Nancy Drew. You can feel Swierczynski's writing influences at every turn--the thrillers, of course, but CANARY also moved like a comic book. It moved at a quick clip, but it was also unrelenting. In the best way.
This story had me, beginning to end. Highly recommended.
(Also: sequel pls kthx)
Holy sh*t.
I'm sorry, Goodreads, but it had to be said. That about sums up CANARY. It's gripping and dirty and awful and real. I devoured this book. CI #137 is a real girl, with real problems, and she still manages to delve into the dark world of drug kingpins and turn into an intelligent, badass kind of Nancy Drew. You can feel Swierczynski's writing influences at every turn--the thrillers, of course, but CANARY also moved like a comic book. It moved at a quick clip, but it was also unrelenting. In the best way.
This story had me, beginning to end. Highly recommended.
(Also: sequel pls kthx)
January 19, 2015
Very well conceived story line, excellent characters. Loved the book!
April 27, 2018
„Wtyczka” to przyjemna w lekturze, mocna w języku sensacja, miejscami wulgarna, uliczna, jak to w filadelfijskim półświatku bywa. Duane Swieczynski szybko i sprawnie prowadzi fabułę, niczego nie komplikuje, dając czytelnikowi czystą rozrywkę, nic dodać, nic ująć, jak odprężający seans w telewizji. Nie ma tu zbędnych wątków, nie ma roztkliwiania się nad główną bohaterką – jest pędząca na łeb na szyję akcja i dziewczyna, która przeżywa przygodę swojego życia, a my razem z nią.
To jedna z tych lektur, która największą radość przyniesie młodym, pełnoletnim czytelnikom, lubiącym sensacyjne, nieprzesłodzone opowieści z pazurem.
To jedna z tych lektur, która największą radość przyniesie młodym, pełnoletnim czytelnikom, lubiącym sensacyjne, nieprzesłodzone opowieści z pazurem.
February 20, 2015
This is so good! What starts as a typical YA sort of story with a smart girl making a dumb mistake about a guy twists, turns, and finally explodes into a great crime thriller. The story is told with multiple points of view, this heightens the suspense and allows for a really intricate plot to develop. And this plot is perfectly executed and paced. The characters are fresh and believable, particularly Sarie and Wildey. The relationship between the two of them is fascinating to watch as their power dynamic shifts. It's a coming-of-age story done by Quentin Tarantino. I couldn't get enough of this story and I think anyone who enjoys Elmore Leonard or Laura Lippman will love it too. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for me copy.
January 9, 2020
Girl, rule one, never talk to cops. Rule two, never trust a cop. This girl was killing me. She made the wrong move at every turn. The whole "wrong place at the wrong time" cliche has never been more true than in this story. They tried to make the character seem smart. However, she just kept getting deeper in trouble and barely surviving. She was dumb from the very beginning to try to protect some piece of shit guy she didn't even know. It kept my interest and I read it super fast which is nice. It wasn't half as good as "The Wheelman". Which in my opinion is Duane's masterpiece.
September 3, 2016
Relentlessly paced and exremely easy to read. However, I had a tough time getting past the fact that the main character is only 17 years old. I don't believe that it is realistic to believe a 17 year old from the suburbs would have that much freedom to move around a city the size of Philadelphia or able to achieve what this 17 year old does in this book. Any time this author has a book out is something to cheer and if you can get past the premise, then this book is a fun and wild ride.
March 4, 2015
Entertaining
Just so different you have to give the author credits or coming up with this wild,plot and making it work. Well written, plenty of unusual twists , and great characters-- what more can you want. And a sequel in the offing no less!
Just so different you have to give the author credits or coming up with this wild,plot and making it work. Well written, plenty of unusual twists , and great characters-- what more can you want. And a sequel in the offing no less!
November 5, 2017
I really like this author's novels and I liked the way this one started out. Unfortunately, I just can't understand Sarie's motivation for helping D. Like at all. I went with it for a little but but once she agreed to let herself be sexually assaulted in order to help him I was done.
September 6, 2025
Really good!!!
March 25, 2015
I’ve been a crime fiction fan for years, but for the longest time I didn’t appreciate stories about amateur sleuths or criminals. They often seem too quaint and tidy or to stretch disbelief like the person stumbling around in the world of murder and mayhem that is a good crime fiction tale should be arrested or killed right off the bat.
The past several years though some good television shows, comics, and novels have been working to change my opinion and now thanks to those forms of media there is one particular type of “amateur” crime fiction protagonist I have great love for and find fascinating, the type of person that suddenly discovers they’re really good at committing or stopping crime. I’m talking about the Walter Whites and Saul Goodmans of the world. I’m also talking about the Veronica Marses as well, and with his latest novel “Canary,” writer Duane Swierczynski gives us a tale that reads like a mash up of “Breaking Bad” and “Veronica Mars.” Plus the writer introduces us to a fascinating new character in the form of Serafina “Sarie” Holland.
When we first meet Sarie in “Canary” she’s an Honors Student at a small Philadelphia College. She’s likeable and conscientious, but she also makes some poor decisions involving a boy she just met. Those decisions lead to her being left holding the bag when a Philadelphia Police Detective, named Ben Wildey shows up to arrest the boy for the drugs he just bought. So Sarie is left with a choice: be prosecuted or become a confidential informant for the special narcotics unit that Wildey is part of.
This starts Sarie’s journey into Philadelphia’s drug underworld and it’s a fascinating one to watch. Like all amateurs duaneshe makes a few blunders, but soon the Honors Student discovers she has an apptitude for more than just academics. She’s also quite good at walking the edge between law breaker and law enforcer that is required of a “snitch” that wants to stay alive and stay out of jail.
Much of “Canary” is told to the readers first hand from Sarie’s perspective. As I said. she’s a very likeable protagonist with some fun and interesting insights and watching her deal with and overcome the strangeness and horrors of the Philadelphia drug underworld is at times funny, exciting, and terrifying. I mentioned “Veronica Mars” earlier and Sarie has the same mix of cunning, likeability, and interesting perspective that Veronica has.
Sarie isn’t the only interesting character in “Canary.” Over the course of the novel we meet a whole host of interesting players from both the underworld and suburban environments Sarie is straddling throughout the story. They include previously mentioned cop Ben Wildey, “D” the boy whose dealing leads to her arrest at the beginning of the story, and several shady criminals. My favorite underworld character is a veteran Philly mobster named Ringo that Swierczynski introduces in the latter half of the novel. He has some great scenes, especially with Sarie.
The Holland family is also a big part of the story. Sarie lives at home with her father Kevin and her younger brother Marty and they’re all dealing with the recent death of her mom in different ways. Kevin is probably dealing with it the worst. So there were a lot of moments in “Canary” where I didn’t like him, but by the end of the book Sarie’s father becomes a very sympathetic and likeable character. It’s the same for 12 year old Marty. He comes off as a sort of nuisance figure early on, but Swierczynski does a fantastic job establishing what motivates Marty.
On top of great characters and action “Canary” also features some other elements that Swierczynski is a master at. First and foremost of those of course is bringing the city of Philadelphia to life. All of the books that the writer sets in his home town crackle and make you feel like you’re right there walking the mean streets with the characters. They’re almost travelogues and documents of the weird, wonderful, and warped places of the City of Brotherly Love.
The other element that Swierczynski excels at is immersing a character in a shadowy world that they previously weren’t familiar with or had no idea existed. He did that fantastically with his Charle Hardie trilogy of novels and he does it again here. The more Sarie becomes immersed in the twisted world of Philly’s drug wars the more thrilling “Canary” became. The last half of the novel is harrowing and very, very cool.
So in “Canary” Swierczynski introduces to a thrilling new character whose journey into the world of crime is both fun and exciting to read about. I don’t want to say much about the end results of Sarie’s journey because I don’t want to spoil anything. I will say though that “Canary” is a deeply satisfying novel and the best book Swierczynski has written since “Hell & Gone,” my favorite of the Charlie Hardie trilogy. I eagerly await the writer’s next novel.
The past several years though some good television shows, comics, and novels have been working to change my opinion and now thanks to those forms of media there is one particular type of “amateur” crime fiction protagonist I have great love for and find fascinating, the type of person that suddenly discovers they’re really good at committing or stopping crime. I’m talking about the Walter Whites and Saul Goodmans of the world. I’m also talking about the Veronica Marses as well, and with his latest novel “Canary,” writer Duane Swierczynski gives us a tale that reads like a mash up of “Breaking Bad” and “Veronica Mars.” Plus the writer introduces us to a fascinating new character in the form of Serafina “Sarie” Holland.
When we first meet Sarie in “Canary” she’s an Honors Student at a small Philadelphia College. She’s likeable and conscientious, but she also makes some poor decisions involving a boy she just met. Those decisions lead to her being left holding the bag when a Philadelphia Police Detective, named Ben Wildey shows up to arrest the boy for the drugs he just bought. So Sarie is left with a choice: be prosecuted or become a confidential informant for the special narcotics unit that Wildey is part of.
This starts Sarie’s journey into Philadelphia’s drug underworld and it’s a fascinating one to watch. Like all amateurs duaneshe makes a few blunders, but soon the Honors Student discovers she has an apptitude for more than just academics. She’s also quite good at walking the edge between law breaker and law enforcer that is required of a “snitch” that wants to stay alive and stay out of jail.
Much of “Canary” is told to the readers first hand from Sarie’s perspective. As I said. she’s a very likeable protagonist with some fun and interesting insights and watching her deal with and overcome the strangeness and horrors of the Philadelphia drug underworld is at times funny, exciting, and terrifying. I mentioned “Veronica Mars” earlier and Sarie has the same mix of cunning, likeability, and interesting perspective that Veronica has.
Sarie isn’t the only interesting character in “Canary.” Over the course of the novel we meet a whole host of interesting players from both the underworld and suburban environments Sarie is straddling throughout the story. They include previously mentioned cop Ben Wildey, “D” the boy whose dealing leads to her arrest at the beginning of the story, and several shady criminals. My favorite underworld character is a veteran Philly mobster named Ringo that Swierczynski introduces in the latter half of the novel. He has some great scenes, especially with Sarie.
The Holland family is also a big part of the story. Sarie lives at home with her father Kevin and her younger brother Marty and they’re all dealing with the recent death of her mom in different ways. Kevin is probably dealing with it the worst. So there were a lot of moments in “Canary” where I didn’t like him, but by the end of the book Sarie’s father becomes a very sympathetic and likeable character. It’s the same for 12 year old Marty. He comes off as a sort of nuisance figure early on, but Swierczynski does a fantastic job establishing what motivates Marty.
On top of great characters and action “Canary” also features some other elements that Swierczynski is a master at. First and foremost of those of course is bringing the city of Philadelphia to life. All of the books that the writer sets in his home town crackle and make you feel like you’re right there walking the mean streets with the characters. They’re almost travelogues and documents of the weird, wonderful, and warped places of the City of Brotherly Love.
The other element that Swierczynski excels at is immersing a character in a shadowy world that they previously weren’t familiar with or had no idea existed. He did that fantastically with his Charle Hardie trilogy of novels and he does it again here. The more Sarie becomes immersed in the twisted world of Philly’s drug wars the more thrilling “Canary” became. The last half of the novel is harrowing and very, very cool.
So in “Canary” Swierczynski introduces to a thrilling new character whose journey into the world of crime is both fun and exciting to read about. I don’t want to say much about the end results of Sarie’s journey because I don’t want to spoil anything. I will say though that “Canary” is a deeply satisfying novel and the best book Swierczynski has written since “Hell & Gone,” my favorite of the Charlie Hardie trilogy. I eagerly await the writer’s next novel.
February 23, 2015
https://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com/2015...
Just finished reading Canary by Duane Swierczynski. This book whilst a step away from my love of SFF was fast paced and intriguing.
Set in Philadelphia the story revolves around a Hons Student (Sarie) who is unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and draw police attention. Attention that sees her becoming a confidential informant to Ben Wildey – a narcotics cop.
To cut a long story short, Sarie, not wanting to hand over to the police the young man she was accompanying on the night of her bust, is going to go to all sorts of lengths to get the police off her case by doing a bit of undercover detective work and handing them somebody else. Of course, in spite of Sarie’s smarts she isn’t a criminal and has no real idea of the danger she’s walking into.
There’s all sorts of family business going on here too. Sarie’s mother died of cancer about 12 months earlier and her small family unit, (father and brother Marty) are struggling to continue. Her father is in denial and uses alcohol to escape and Marty is usually fobbed off as too young to understand what’s really going on.
Sarie is a very likable character. She’s undoubtedly naive but she’s quick to learn and good at research. Of course being good at research doesn’t mean you’re suddenly an expert in the world of drugs. Wildey – well you could be forgiven for being disappointed that he’s pushing Sarie so much but at the end of the day she’s a little minow that he’s using to catch something bigger and, again, he’s not a bad guy. He earns something of a pittance, he lives in a rough neighbourhood and desperately wants to make things better.
Now at the same time as Wildey is pushing Sarie to come clean about who she was with the night she was arrested much bigger things are taking place in the drug world. It seems that CIs are being disposed of one by one! This makes it all the more frantic for Sarie to get off this particular hook but whilst she manages, primarily by chance, to come up with a couple of potential leads they’re not going to help her.
The story definitely checks out the dark and seedy elements of the underworld spot lighting drugs and the downward spiral that many find themselves on, murder, torture and dirty cops. It’s not, however, a totally menacing read and doesn’t come across so bleak that you struggle to read. The pace is fast and the author does an excellent job of making you care for the characters. The finale itself is very tense and whilst there are a few raised eyebrow moments that are just a bit too convenient I found the ending very satisfying overall.
In terms of criticism – not sure how convinced I was about Sarie’s feelings for ‘D’ that she would feel the need to protect him to such an extent that not only would she potentially, at best, ruin her own future and, at worst, face a life threatening situation but that being said there was a sort of sweetness to that element given how very innocent she was. And, how would this young innocent girl manage to pull the wool over the big baddies eyes – well, let’s just say things don’t always go according to her best laid plans. I won’t spoil it though.
On the whole a fast paced and intriguing world – exactly how realistic it actually is in terms of the real world – well, I have absolutely no idea to be honest, but I enjoyed reading it nonetheless.
I received a copy of this through the publishers courtesy of Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Just finished reading Canary by Duane Swierczynski. This book whilst a step away from my love of SFF was fast paced and intriguing.
Set in Philadelphia the story revolves around a Hons Student (Sarie) who is unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and draw police attention. Attention that sees her becoming a confidential informant to Ben Wildey – a narcotics cop.
To cut a long story short, Sarie, not wanting to hand over to the police the young man she was accompanying on the night of her bust, is going to go to all sorts of lengths to get the police off her case by doing a bit of undercover detective work and handing them somebody else. Of course, in spite of Sarie’s smarts she isn’t a criminal and has no real idea of the danger she’s walking into.
There’s all sorts of family business going on here too. Sarie’s mother died of cancer about 12 months earlier and her small family unit, (father and brother Marty) are struggling to continue. Her father is in denial and uses alcohol to escape and Marty is usually fobbed off as too young to understand what’s really going on.
Sarie is a very likable character. She’s undoubtedly naive but she’s quick to learn and good at research. Of course being good at research doesn’t mean you’re suddenly an expert in the world of drugs. Wildey – well you could be forgiven for being disappointed that he’s pushing Sarie so much but at the end of the day she’s a little minow that he’s using to catch something bigger and, again, he’s not a bad guy. He earns something of a pittance, he lives in a rough neighbourhood and desperately wants to make things better.
Now at the same time as Wildey is pushing Sarie to come clean about who she was with the night she was arrested much bigger things are taking place in the drug world. It seems that CIs are being disposed of one by one! This makes it all the more frantic for Sarie to get off this particular hook but whilst she manages, primarily by chance, to come up with a couple of potential leads they’re not going to help her.
The story definitely checks out the dark and seedy elements of the underworld spot lighting drugs and the downward spiral that many find themselves on, murder, torture and dirty cops. It’s not, however, a totally menacing read and doesn’t come across so bleak that you struggle to read. The pace is fast and the author does an excellent job of making you care for the characters. The finale itself is very tense and whilst there are a few raised eyebrow moments that are just a bit too convenient I found the ending very satisfying overall.
In terms of criticism – not sure how convinced I was about Sarie’s feelings for ‘D’ that she would feel the need to protect him to such an extent that not only would she potentially, at best, ruin her own future and, at worst, face a life threatening situation but that being said there was a sort of sweetness to that element given how very innocent she was. And, how would this young innocent girl manage to pull the wool over the big baddies eyes – well, let’s just say things don’t always go according to her best laid plans. I won’t spoil it though.
On the whole a fast paced and intriguing world – exactly how realistic it actually is in terms of the real world – well, I have absolutely no idea to be honest, but I enjoyed reading it nonetheless.
I received a copy of this through the publishers courtesy of Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
January 8, 2015
I thoroughly analyzed the hell out of CANARY because I was interested in seeing how the alleged female YA book was handling female characters. I have over 3,500 words picking it apart on my site (http://www.amberunmasked.com/review-c...) but the highlights are here:
* Sarie Holland has more purpose than the female sidekicks of the Charlie Hardie series, but there are so many pitfalls with her in CANARY. I think it’s noble that Swierczynski tried to make a young female protagonist after such a “manly” DIE HARD-esque trilogy, but not only did the character disappoint, so did every female character, of which there aren’t many, and some of the female-related subject matter that could have been easily researched. And I mean in disappoint big ugly ways.
* SHE GETS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A LOT and it's purely gratuitous without adding to the story.
* The only romance in this book is one that’s depressing where she abandons all of who she is in order to win the affections of this college senior/criminal who disregards her safety constantly. The guy is a first rate dick. The goal seems to have been to make Sarie a hero, but she comes through weak.
* Police corruption was another laudable element of CANARY. You only need to watch the news for a day to see how that’s been going in major cities and even small towns. The police officers that readers get to know have individual personalities and styles. Rem is nothing like Wildey; Kaz is a ball buster but secretly has no power because of Rem. There’s an air of suspicion about the Police Commissioner too even though he’s barely given a page. Obviously someone on the inside must be a dirty cop. Readers don’t know who for a long time and that makes the tension within the department palpable.
* Philly’s rich history is pulled into the story throughout. Those dirty cops were based on real events like the organized crime at the docks. I loved seeing mentions of real places where I’ve traveled like the Grey Lodge and Port Richmond Bookstore. Characters get defensive about their sports teams and one insists on using the old names of streets and neighborhoods before gentrification updated them. The city is either an ingrained part of these characters or not, as with Sarie who wants to be in California. Swierczynski uses his city so well in his stories that I wonder how he’d survive if he ever moved away. Details about Philly help bring this to life.
* Sarie Holland has more purpose than the female sidekicks of the Charlie Hardie series, but there are so many pitfalls with her in CANARY. I think it’s noble that Swierczynski tried to make a young female protagonist after such a “manly” DIE HARD-esque trilogy, but not only did the character disappoint, so did every female character, of which there aren’t many, and some of the female-related subject matter that could have been easily researched. And I mean in disappoint big ugly ways.
* SHE GETS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A LOT and it's purely gratuitous without adding to the story.
* The only romance in this book is one that’s depressing where she abandons all of who she is in order to win the affections of this college senior/criminal who disregards her safety constantly. The guy is a first rate dick. The goal seems to have been to make Sarie a hero, but she comes through weak.
* Police corruption was another laudable element of CANARY. You only need to watch the news for a day to see how that’s been going in major cities and even small towns. The police officers that readers get to know have individual personalities and styles. Rem is nothing like Wildey; Kaz is a ball buster but secretly has no power because of Rem. There’s an air of suspicion about the Police Commissioner too even though he’s barely given a page. Obviously someone on the inside must be a dirty cop. Readers don’t know who for a long time and that makes the tension within the department palpable.
* Philly’s rich history is pulled into the story throughout. Those dirty cops were based on real events like the organized crime at the docks. I loved seeing mentions of real places where I’ve traveled like the Grey Lodge and Port Richmond Bookstore. Characters get defensive about their sports teams and one insists on using the old names of streets and neighborhoods before gentrification updated them. The city is either an ingrained part of these characters or not, as with Sarie who wants to be in California. Swierczynski uses his city so well in his stories that I wonder how he’d survive if he ever moved away. Details about Philly help bring this to life.
March 23, 2015
Canary
By Duane Swierczynski
Released 2/24/15
Downloaded free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4 bones
Great book. I really enjoyed diving in the wild life of Sarie each night for the past week. This book was the perfect example that one little decision could change your life forever.
That’s exactly what happened to honors student Sarie Holland. We don’t get much background jumping right into the story, but one evening at a seemingly generic college party a boy asks her for a ride. Knowing she probably shouldn’t based on an early morning commitment, she does anyway. She then proceeds to get busted for drugs (which she doesn’t do) and becomes a CI (confidential informant) for the local police.
At first, I felt bad for Sarie. I wanted to plead her case to the cops, no prior offences – just at the wrong spot with the wrong person at the wrong time. But then we moved into Sarie’s actions. She decides to protect her new friend that caused this trouble. Why? Still not sure, she could have easily thrown him under the bus and been on her way. But what fun would that be for a story!? She moves into trying to find an alternative to ratting out her new friend and dove right into the deep underground drug world of Philadelphia.
Her cop buddy, Ben Wildey, is her “handler”. Wildey’s been working the drug scene for a while and wants to find a big fish (or I think he refers to it as a mustard bottle in this book) to make a name for himself. He originally has his eyes/mind set on one, but Sarie seems to be the key to so much more in her attempt to protect her friend.
This book has so much else going on as well. Sarie’s home life came up a lot, including an extra nosy little brother. Her school life and newfound relationship with the drug dude was another sidebar. Then Wildey’s work colleagues and all their police drama. And on top of all of that (which I’m sure I’m missing some still) a lot of CI’s are being murdered, so is there a rat too?
I’ll say it again – great book. Kept me guessing what Sarie would do next. She’s smart, unpredictable, and a great main character. All of this led up to an action packed ending that had me hanging on til the very end. Love the title too – perfect for this book. Check it out!
Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the ARC to review!
By Duane Swierczynski
Released 2/24/15
Downloaded free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4 bones
Great book. I really enjoyed diving in the wild life of Sarie each night for the past week. This book was the perfect example that one little decision could change your life forever.
That’s exactly what happened to honors student Sarie Holland. We don’t get much background jumping right into the story, but one evening at a seemingly generic college party a boy asks her for a ride. Knowing she probably shouldn’t based on an early morning commitment, she does anyway. She then proceeds to get busted for drugs (which she doesn’t do) and becomes a CI (confidential informant) for the local police.
At first, I felt bad for Sarie. I wanted to plead her case to the cops, no prior offences – just at the wrong spot with the wrong person at the wrong time. But then we moved into Sarie’s actions. She decides to protect her new friend that caused this trouble. Why? Still not sure, she could have easily thrown him under the bus and been on her way. But what fun would that be for a story!? She moves into trying to find an alternative to ratting out her new friend and dove right into the deep underground drug world of Philadelphia.
Her cop buddy, Ben Wildey, is her “handler”. Wildey’s been working the drug scene for a while and wants to find a big fish (or I think he refers to it as a mustard bottle in this book) to make a name for himself. He originally has his eyes/mind set on one, but Sarie seems to be the key to so much more in her attempt to protect her friend.
This book has so much else going on as well. Sarie’s home life came up a lot, including an extra nosy little brother. Her school life and newfound relationship with the drug dude was another sidebar. Then Wildey’s work colleagues and all their police drama. And on top of all of that (which I’m sure I’m missing some still) a lot of CI’s are being murdered, so is there a rat too?
I’ll say it again – great book. Kept me guessing what Sarie would do next. She’s smart, unpredictable, and a great main character. All of this led up to an action packed ending that had me hanging on til the very end. Love the title too – perfect for this book. Check it out!
Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the ARC to review!
April 26, 2023
Because of enthusiastic recommendation by a fellow GRer* I made a sincere effort to like Duane Swierczynski’s YA novel Canary. Or at least finish it. But it wasn’t possible. The implausible plot was treated seriously, not as intentional farce/slapstick. I’d’ve stuck with it anyway, just in case it somehow came together, except for the coarse language. I’m aware that practically anything written - even for kids - in the last decade or two will contain words, phrases, sentences that used to be confined to walls in public bathrooms. But the gimmick in Canary is that much of it is presented in the form of letters from the protagonist to her (recently-deceased) mother, and I was repeatedly distracted by a college freshman’s writing to her mother(!) using words that I personally didn’t even know the meaning of a century or two ago when I was a college freshman. Obviously I’m at fault here for not keeping up with the times, but it bothered me enough that I gave up halfway through the book. I certainly would not recommend the book to anyone, but at least it’s well-enough written to get 2⭐️.
*like Sarie, I’m keeping mum about the real evildoer’s identity
*like Sarie, I’m keeping mum about the real evildoer’s identity
December 12, 2018
I am disappointed...really, Duane Swierczynski's books are always a little off, a little crazy, various plots mixed with healthy dark humor, a noirish tinge and converging lines which is great and very engaging but this book....the plot was so.... unnecessary.
Just 'do the right thing', and none of this could have happened. And the lead character Sarie is known for doing the right thing. And this one time she does the wrong thing, and delusion-ally justify herself as dong the right one and sticking with that line, like an idiot teenager all through the book.
I dunno, it was a stretch, a very long one at that, which just kind of ruined the whole reading thing, even the last power packed 50 pages couldn't shake of all the improbable plot lines. I was aware all the time , that all of this is sooo unnecessary.
Just 'do the right thing', and none of this could have happened. And the lead character Sarie is known for doing the right thing. And this one time she does the wrong thing, and delusion-ally justify herself as dong the right one and sticking with that line, like an idiot teenager all through the book.
I dunno, it was a stretch, a very long one at that, which just kind of ruined the whole reading thing, even the last power packed 50 pages couldn't shake of all the improbable plot lines. I was aware all the time , that all of this is sooo unnecessary.
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