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Wakeland #4
Sunset and Jericho
The fourth thrilling installment of the Wakeland detective series, exploring the depths of Vancouver’s criminal underworld.
The mayor’s brother is missing. A transit cop lies beaten and blinded, her service weapon stolen. A new series of graffiti tags are appearing, linked to an underground group calling themselves The Death of Kings. Class warfare has broken out on the streets of Vancouver, and PI Dave Wakeland finds himself on the front lines―but unsure which side he’s on.
Reeling from a bad breakup, and increasingly alienated from the city he calls home, Wakeland nevertheless agrees to look for the missing gun. The investigation takes him from flophouses to city hall, and from a clinic in the West Vancouver hills to a mega-mansion in the exclusive British Properties neighborhood―along the way, crossing every ethical line the PI has drawn for himself. Even then, Wakeland may not be able to pull it off…
The mayor’s brother is missing. A transit cop lies beaten and blinded, her service weapon stolen. A new series of graffiti tags are appearing, linked to an underground group calling themselves The Death of Kings. Class warfare has broken out on the streets of Vancouver, and PI Dave Wakeland finds himself on the front lines―but unsure which side he’s on.
Reeling from a bad breakup, and increasingly alienated from the city he calls home, Wakeland nevertheless agrees to look for the missing gun. The investigation takes him from flophouses to city hall, and from a clinic in the West Vancouver hills to a mega-mansion in the exclusive British Properties neighborhood―along the way, crossing every ethical line the PI has drawn for himself. Even then, Wakeland may not be able to pull it off…
320 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2023
13 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Sam Wiebe
22 books178 followersSam Wiebe is the author of CUT YOU DOWN, INVISIBLE DEAD, and LAST OF THE INDEPENDENTS. He lives in Vancouver.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
August 3, 2025
Looking for a new and exciting police procedural collection, I turned to the series by Sam Wiebe. Set on the gritty streets of Vancouver, Dave Wakeland works as a private investigator with his partner, Jeff Chen. Once forced out of the VPD, Wakeland’s PI work is tested when a few cases land on his desk or some significance. The mayor is seeking Westlake’s help with a missing person, while a transit cop is beaten and has her weapon stolen. All the while, a new and troubling gang is tagging the city and making their presence known. Westlake and his partner, Jeff Chen have their hands full in the latest installment of the series.
Vancouver has turned into a war zone of sorts and PI Dave Wakeland is in the middle of it all. The mayor’s brother has gone missing and Wakeland is asked to find him. A transit cop is brutally beaten while her service weapon is lifted from her bloodied body. Again, Wakeland is tasked with finding the culprit. If that were not enough, vandals have been spray painting a new gang tag across the city. They call themselves The Death of Kings, but remain an enigma to the authorities. Wakeland is left to wonder which side has the upper hand and where he fits in.
Wakeland tosses himself into the cases to distract himself from personal issues. He finds himself poking around City Hall, amongst the city’s flophpuses, through to massive real-estate developments, all in an effort to find the firearm. Working angles to learn more about the backstory of the gang tag, Wakeland finds loose connections to a number of cultural tales. What does it all mean?
Wakeland and his partner, Jeff Chen, discover that whatever this Death of Kings might be, it is dangerous above all else. There is no time to wait, as each passing moment ensures those responsible can hide a little more. A gripping story that shows once more how noir Vancouver can be to those who do not know it well. Sam Wiebe delivers a strong investigative thriller.
Sam Wiebe ensures reader get their dose of Canadiana within the pages of this book, though itis definitely focused on the criminal underbelly. Wiebe keeps the narrative on point, mixing action and blunt revelations to provide the reader with something they can enjoy. Characters flavour things well and show a less than pleasant side to Vancouver’s inhabitants. Plot points show surprises are plentiful and twists keep the reader forging ahead. I am eager to see how Sam Wiebe will continue this series after a binge of the collection to date.
Kudos, Mr. Wiebe, for providing something highly entertaining that series fans can enjoy!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Vancouver has turned into a war zone of sorts and PI Dave Wakeland is in the middle of it all. The mayor’s brother has gone missing and Wakeland is asked to find him. A transit cop is brutally beaten while her service weapon is lifted from her bloodied body. Again, Wakeland is tasked with finding the culprit. If that were not enough, vandals have been spray painting a new gang tag across the city. They call themselves The Death of Kings, but remain an enigma to the authorities. Wakeland is left to wonder which side has the upper hand and where he fits in.
Wakeland tosses himself into the cases to distract himself from personal issues. He finds himself poking around City Hall, amongst the city’s flophpuses, through to massive real-estate developments, all in an effort to find the firearm. Working angles to learn more about the backstory of the gang tag, Wakeland finds loose connections to a number of cultural tales. What does it all mean?
Wakeland and his partner, Jeff Chen, discover that whatever this Death of Kings might be, it is dangerous above all else. There is no time to wait, as each passing moment ensures those responsible can hide a little more. A gripping story that shows once more how noir Vancouver can be to those who do not know it well. Sam Wiebe delivers a strong investigative thriller.
Sam Wiebe ensures reader get their dose of Canadiana within the pages of this book, though itis definitely focused on the criminal underbelly. Wiebe keeps the narrative on point, mixing action and blunt revelations to provide the reader with something they can enjoy. Characters flavour things well and show a less than pleasant side to Vancouver’s inhabitants. Plot points show surprises are plentiful and twists keep the reader forging ahead. I am eager to see how Sam Wiebe will continue this series after a binge of the collection to date.
Kudos, Mr. Wiebe, for providing something highly entertaining that series fans can enjoy!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
March 28, 2023
The best Dave Wakeland novel yet.
While he's still begrudgingly likeable and somehow easy to relate to, what makes Sunset & Jericho interesting is its topic (a self-righteous crusade in the name of class warfare) and the precision of the insight on human nature Wakeland and sometimes other characters give in dialogue. It's something that was incubating in prior novels that really took form in Sunset & Jericho and give Dave Wakeland an edge he didn't have before. Detective novels are fun, but they don't normally make you think. That's new and that's fun.
Same Wiebe is getting up there as one of the finest psychologists writing fiction today. Whenever he's done with the Wakeland novels I'd love to read something more challenging from him. He has my attention and it's clear that sky's the limit
While he's still begrudgingly likeable and somehow easy to relate to, what makes Sunset & Jericho interesting is its topic (a self-righteous crusade in the name of class warfare) and the precision of the insight on human nature Wakeland and sometimes other characters give in dialogue. It's something that was incubating in prior novels that really took form in Sunset & Jericho and give Dave Wakeland an edge he didn't have before. Detective novels are fun, but they don't normally make you think. That's new and that's fun.
Same Wiebe is getting up there as one of the finest psychologists writing fiction today. Whenever he's done with the Wakeland novels I'd love to read something more challenging from him. He has my attention and it's clear that sky's the limit
June 10, 2023
“Sunset and Jericho” is my first foray into the Wakeland (and Sam Wiese) world. I immediately decided to catch up on the other three volumes. In this story, PI Wakeland is as unsure about his client, the powerful mayor of Vancouver, as he is about the job she hired him to do: find who killed her brother. Wakeland is more on the side of the perpetrators. He has a hard time looking at the victims as victims. That pendulum rhythms the book and gives it dimension. This is noir, so Wakeland won’t find moral clarity whichever way he turns. There are no answers in the big city, only hurt. And that comes in spades. Sam Wiese writes a tight story with a lot of heart. This is a fascinating series.
December 24, 2023
As always, this author is so good at capturing the dichotomy of Vancouver. Lots of nuance in this plot, and I sure didn’t see that twist coming at the end. With Wakeland hitting the road, we will see where this series goes.
Want to read
March 13, 2023Off to a good start. Notes to self that the mayor's missing younger brother is "hard partying" and "dumb".
September 29, 2023
Might even be inching towards a 4.5 for this one! What a great book. Nothing black and white here, many shades of grey. Gritty Vancouver setting with some very current issues. And Dave Wakeland is a real person unlike some of the superhero private detectives in other series that can be beaten, be in a car crash, fall off a building, all in one day and bounce back immediately. My recommendation is to start at book one in this series.
August 7, 2024
A very surprising ending to this murder mystery set in the Vancouver area, with the issues facing the city front and center.
May 22, 2024
Someone is targeting wealthy Vancouverites. PI Dave Wakeland (this is the 4th in the series) takes on the search. Lots of action and no way to solve this one until the last pages!
May 5, 2023
Best Wakeland so far.
June 9, 2023
I started to write a review but the site abruptly closed. This happens often here. I started out liking this story but all the brand name dropping began to irritate me. How does this advance the story. Almost every ethnic group and sexual identity is included. I found this rather everything but the kitchen sink. Of course since this is a large city all these groups are definitely present but with the brand names the groups became just another great inclusion for what point. The detective is cynical and conflicted as he can sympathize with the Kill the King’s exasperation at the way things are. The ending redeemed the book for me as it is a rather unexpected twist. I would give it 3 ½ stars if that were possible. Perhaps modern detective stories are just not for me.
Read
March 30, 2024Same Wiebe continues to bring back the golden age of detective fiction, with his highly successful and quite popular Dave Wakeland series. This is book four, but even if you have not read the previous books, you feel comfortable that you already know Wakeland, based on the way that author Sam Wiebe colourfully has given him a life all his own.
Wakeland was former cop, but now branching out on his own as a private eye. He sets his sights on the most depraved felons and part of Vancouver, where the action takes place. Wiebe shows the highs and lows of Vancouver, as he done exceedingly well in past books, showing what people love and hate about the city.
In SUNSET AND JERICHO, Wakeland is going through his own issues as usual, and he often handles situations in his own unique way. But he does not have time for his pity party, as he is drawn into the case of the mayor of Vancouver, Valerie Fell, who hires Wakeland to look into the disappearance of her brother Jeremy, who has not been seen for the past few days. He is often the cause for concern, so Wakeland decides to look into the case.
In the midst of this, comes another bad situation, when a transit cop had been viciously attacked at work. She has not only been rendered blind, but her weapon has been stolen. As if more guns are needed on the mean streets. There is also a string of graffiti that has been defacing property all across the city. In Wakeland’s thinking, somehow this is all connected with the weapon going missing, the attack, and even the disappearance of Jeremy Fell.
When Wakeland gets a notion, it usually is valid. But soon abduction turns to murder, and Wakeland sees firsthand how things are getting out of hand, and those evil factions in the city are getting more powerful and deadlier. In typical Wakeland fashion, he delves deeply into the cases, finding links and those responsible. Several groups are at work, here with the haves and have nots, and those who do not care how many laws they break to get their point across. If you like dark noir-type fiction, then Sam Wiebe is the author who serves them up for our reading pleasures.
Wakeland was former cop, but now branching out on his own as a private eye. He sets his sights on the most depraved felons and part of Vancouver, where the action takes place. Wiebe shows the highs and lows of Vancouver, as he done exceedingly well in past books, showing what people love and hate about the city.
In SUNSET AND JERICHO, Wakeland is going through his own issues as usual, and he often handles situations in his own unique way. But he does not have time for his pity party, as he is drawn into the case of the mayor of Vancouver, Valerie Fell, who hires Wakeland to look into the disappearance of her brother Jeremy, who has not been seen for the past few days. He is often the cause for concern, so Wakeland decides to look into the case.
In the midst of this, comes another bad situation, when a transit cop had been viciously attacked at work. She has not only been rendered blind, but her weapon has been stolen. As if more guns are needed on the mean streets. There is also a string of graffiti that has been defacing property all across the city. In Wakeland’s thinking, somehow this is all connected with the weapon going missing, the attack, and even the disappearance of Jeremy Fell.
When Wakeland gets a notion, it usually is valid. But soon abduction turns to murder, and Wakeland sees firsthand how things are getting out of hand, and those evil factions in the city are getting more powerful and deadlier. In typical Wakeland fashion, he delves deeply into the cases, finding links and those responsible. Several groups are at work, here with the haves and have nots, and those who do not care how many laws they break to get their point across. If you like dark noir-type fiction, then Sam Wiebe is the author who serves them up for our reading pleasures.
October 11, 2023
Having been raised in Vancouver and lived in a number of places, some additional information regarding the socio-economic strife serving as the driving force behind local author's Sam Wiebe's latest P.I. novel "Sunset and Jericho."
This Port town was just known as a beautiful city with the mildest winter in Canada and changed following Expo 86 simply because some Hong Kong investor loved it and bought that vacant land, making anyone who owned and sold their house here a few years later double their money and even rich! Unfortunately, this even impacted young people who grew-up here few decades later and those who migrate with no family here, even more difficult to relocate.
Places are defined by circumstances, location, success, strife, and even tragedy. And for anyone offended or resentful about notions of "greed" it appears to me after travelling around, Vancouver seems fortunate enough to have just been haphazardly "blessed."
This Port town was just known as a beautiful city with the mildest winter in Canada and changed following Expo 86 simply because some Hong Kong investor loved it and bought that vacant land, making anyone who owned and sold their house here a few years later double their money and even rich! Unfortunately, this even impacted young people who grew-up here few decades later and those who migrate with no family here, even more difficult to relocate.
Places are defined by circumstances, location, success, strife, and even tragedy. And for anyone offended or resentful about notions of "greed" it appears to me after travelling around, Vancouver seems fortunate enough to have just been haphazardly "blessed."
May 18, 2023
I'm a retired City of Vancouver planner. Social Planner in the '80s, land use and social infrastructure up to '15.
Sam's characterization of the city and City is spot on. Once in awhile he "moves" a landmark, but it fits the plot. More to the point, as he so engagingly writes, the city has become a 'have vs have not' example of what growing inequality and a Wild West ethic gets you.
I also had many 'collaborations' with VPD over the years on various committees and work groups. Sam's take on cops, is pretty much right on.
All this said, you don't have to know or care about Vancouver to appreciate and enjoy his writing. Dave Wakeland (is WAKE-land a commentary too?) is a flawed likeable character. All of the characters are interesting because they avoid (for the most part) stereotypes. I look forward to Sam's evolution as a writer, whatever genre he chooses.
Sam's characterization of the city and City is spot on. Once in awhile he "moves" a landmark, but it fits the plot. More to the point, as he so engagingly writes, the city has become a 'have vs have not' example of what growing inequality and a Wild West ethic gets you.
I also had many 'collaborations' with VPD over the years on various committees and work groups. Sam's take on cops, is pretty much right on.
All this said, you don't have to know or care about Vancouver to appreciate and enjoy his writing. Dave Wakeland (is WAKE-land a commentary too?) is a flawed likeable character. All of the characters are interesting because they avoid (for the most part) stereotypes. I look forward to Sam's evolution as a writer, whatever genre he chooses.
September 20, 2023
I like reading books set in a locale that I am familiar with as I can then picture the scene more easily. This book is set in Vancouver, and is the 4th in a series featuring Private Detective David Wakeland. Wakeland is good at his job but takes too many risks which cause him to be severely injured. There is a lot of violence in the story, which usually puts me off, but in this case served its purpose. Politics and crime are both involved when the son of the Mayor of Vancouver is found dead in Stanley Park with his head in the sea. Wakelan's wife has moved to Montreal to take up a new job, but he stays behind and forms an attachment to a nurse who is married to one of his suspects. The ending surprised me.
September 26, 2023
Reading this brought me back to and reminded me of the gritty Vancouver realism Sam Wiebe imbued in his first Dave Wakeland novel, Invisible Dead. As someone who has lived in this city for 20+ years, Sunset and Jericho provides a strikingly accurate series of observations about the failings of this place, the city giving way to the uber wealthy at the exclusion of everyone else - leaving me at once heartbroken about choosing to remain and also steadfast in that decision because, well, this is home.
Well done, Sam Wiebe. Can't wait to see this all on TV someday. And if this is the last we get of Dave Wakeland, I wish him well. But just as Brent Butt exclaimed, I sure hope we see him again.
Well done, Sam Wiebe. Can't wait to see this all on TV someday. And if this is the last we get of Dave Wakeland, I wish him well. But just as Brent Butt exclaimed, I sure hope we see him again.
August 2, 2024
Sam Wiebe is Canada's Raymond Chandler of the 21st century. His PI Dave Wakeland roams through the beautiful city of Vancouver and shows many sides of it. This time, the mayor's brother got kidnapped and Wakeland and his partner Jeff Chen are asked to help. Dave gets on the trail of an activist gang that seems to take on the rich of the city. Soon, his life will be at risk, but since this is 1st person singular narrating, we have good hopes that he will survive, but not before delivering a surprising breaking news twist at the end.
November 7, 2025
I think this might be my least favourite so far (although they are all very good). The politics of this one (wealth disparity and specifically the lack of affordable housing in Vancouver) took precedence over the plot too often. Dave was portrayed here as pretty self-destructive and even masochistic as he takes on a violent protest group targeting rich clients he doesn't even like. The reveal at the end of the identity of one particular member of the group came a bit out of left field for me and made me sad.
February 7, 2024
Not as gripping as I expected. Maybe my disjointed reading of this novel was not in its favour. I have not read any earlier novels so did not have an investment in the characters. Good setting. Good parts. Maybe better to read One Two or Three first.
It did come with a great recommendation. But for me... 4 stars leaning towards 3. I did really want to like it more. Vancouver is a great place to start.
It did come with a great recommendation. But for me... 4 stars leaning towards 3. I did really want to like it more. Vancouver is a great place to start.
June 3, 2023
Another terrific installment in the series. Wiebe has a way of capturing a sense of place that is incredibly evocative and compelling, and his characters lurk in the pages as fully realized individuals.
June 14, 2023
Damn. The best Wakeland novel yet. Another great story, wonderful writing, and characters that are real. The story is so much more than a PI novel. I sure hope there will be more, but the ending was perfect.
December 9, 2023
A really solid 4th in the series, an improvement on the last one. You can really sense the resentment that Wiebe feels toward Vancouver's housing inequality, on every other page.
A bit too packed with things. But well handled.
A bit too packed with things. But well handled.
July 2, 2024
I sure hope there are more Dave Wakeland stories. This one was gritty and more political than usual but made for a great read. I did not see the twist at the end at all. It was a good thing I was sitting or I would have fallen down.
October 4, 2024
Main character is an interesting mix of ideals and flaws. Enjoyed the local Vancouver links. Plot was interesting though there is something about the ending that felt fixed. Am avoiding being specific so as not to give anything away. Overall entertaining.
October 11, 2024
3.5 rounded up. A thriller about the Vancouver housing crisis. How timely. Certainly a very relevant book with every possible Vancouver reference and landmark crammed in. All in all, a very readable thriller with many turns and one final twist. If I wasn't local it may not have resonated as much.
August 17, 2025
Another worthy instalment in the David Wakeland Vancouver detective series. Very gritty and occasionally funny. Best quote:
“What was the joke about buying waterfront property? The advantage was assholes on only three sides.” Sam Wiebe, Sunset and Jericho
I can relate.
“What was the joke about buying waterfront property? The advantage was assholes on only three sides.” Sam Wiebe, Sunset and Jericho
I can relate.
June 8, 2023
Twists and turns and wow so cool to read about my home town. Great ride. Awesome writer.
June 20, 2023
Loved this book. Wiebe just keeps getting better!
July 12, 2023
3.75 rounded up to 4 because of character development.
October 3, 2023
Fantastic PI novel. Best PI writer going, no doubt.
October 15, 2023
I've been a huge fan of the Wakeland series, but this one is a disappointing mess, filled with too much bitterness and not enough heart.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews