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Jacob Striker #1
The Survivor
Columbine. Dunblane. Virginia Tech. Winnenden. But Saint Patrick's High? In his first hour back from a six-month leave of absence, Detective Jacob Striker's day quickly turns into a nightmare. He is barely on scene five minutes at his daughter's high school when he encounters an Active Shooter situation. Three men wearing hockey masks - Black, White, and Red - have stormed the school with firearms and are killing indiscriminately. Striker takes immediate action. Within minutes, two of the gunmen are dead and Striker is close to ending the violence. But the last gunman, Red Mask, does something unexpected. He runs up to his fallen comrade, racks the shotgun, and unloads five rounds into the man, obliterating his face and hands. Before Striker can react, Red Mask flees - and escapes. Against the clock, Striker investigates the killings for which there is no known motive and no known suspect. Soon his investigation takes him to darker places, and he realizes that everything at Saint Patrick's High is not as it appears. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his world becomes. Until Striker himself is in the line of fire. And the violence follows him home.
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
22 people are currently reading
468 people want to read
About the author
Sean Slater
15 books47 followersSean Slater is the pseudonym for Vancouver Police Officer Sean Sommerville. As a police officer, Sommerville works in Canada's poorest slum, the Downtown East Side - an area rife with poverty, mental illness, drug use, prostitution, and gang warfare. He has investigated everything from frauds and extortions to homicides. Sommerville has written numerous columns and editorials for the city newspaper. His work has been nominated for the Rupert Hughes Prose Award, and he was the grand-prize winner of the Sunday Serial Thriller contest, which was co-written by Daniel Kalla and published in the Vancouver Province. When not patrolling the 'Skids', Sommerville is working hard writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 12, 2015
OK a four star read that was really only a 3.5 but there is potential for this guy to become a recurring author in my book reading list.
In The Survivor we meet Jacob Striker on his first day back at work as a cop in Vancouver's homicide Major Crimes unit and are led straight into the middle of his struggles with his teenaged daughter who has decided to skip school at what turns out to be the best time as a gang of spree shooters turn up and start taking out the school kids. Unlucky for the shooters that Jacob and his partner are there to deal with his daughter's truancy.
Striker comes across as a rather angry character. He definitely doesn't suffer fools gladly as we see during his interactions with the deputy chief and there are times you want him to dial back on the issues and deal with the actual police work. It seems the mere appearance of the deputy chief inflames him and the fact that his partner is a bit of a simpering persona around the deputy chief it makes you wonder where the balance is.
The story itself is dealt with in good twists and turns and this is why I see potential that Slater's next books will be worth reading. I think that setting the characters out in the first book of a serial is probably extremely hard and we can forgive some of the lack of information as I would expect this to be expanded on in coming books.
However there were a few points I was anxious to have answered that weren't - why was he on stress leave? his wife had died two years previously yet he was coming back off 6 months stress leave? why the delay? The main protagonist - red mask - refers to a past that shaped him into what he was now but in little snippets but I felt personally this could have been expanded upon.
I get the idea that we have not yet seen the end of red mask though and perhaps some of the issues I have with this book are rectified as we go on.
I loved the fact that it was set in Vancouver. As a frequent visitor it was good to recognise some of the areas and the street names and be able to visualise the scene.
I look forward to reading more of Slater's books.
In The Survivor we meet Jacob Striker on his first day back at work as a cop in Vancouver's homicide Major Crimes unit and are led straight into the middle of his struggles with his teenaged daughter who has decided to skip school at what turns out to be the best time as a gang of spree shooters turn up and start taking out the school kids. Unlucky for the shooters that Jacob and his partner are there to deal with his daughter's truancy.
Striker comes across as a rather angry character. He definitely doesn't suffer fools gladly as we see during his interactions with the deputy chief and there are times you want him to dial back on the issues and deal with the actual police work. It seems the mere appearance of the deputy chief inflames him and the fact that his partner is a bit of a simpering persona around the deputy chief it makes you wonder where the balance is.
The story itself is dealt with in good twists and turns and this is why I see potential that Slater's next books will be worth reading. I think that setting the characters out in the first book of a serial is probably extremely hard and we can forgive some of the lack of information as I would expect this to be expanded on in coming books.
However there were a few points I was anxious to have answered that weren't - why was he on stress leave? his wife had died two years previously yet he was coming back off 6 months stress leave? why the delay? The main protagonist - red mask - refers to a past that shaped him into what he was now but in little snippets but I felt personally this could have been expanded upon.
I get the idea that we have not yet seen the end of red mask though and perhaps some of the issues I have with this book are rectified as we go on.
I loved the fact that it was set in Vancouver. As a frequent visitor it was good to recognise some of the areas and the street names and be able to visualise the scene.
I look forward to reading more of Slater's books.
December 26, 2023
Sean Slater storms onto the scene with this strong Canadian police procedural. It checks all the boxes and keeps the reader hooked from the opening pages until the very end. A school shooting might look like an open and shut case, but for Detective Jacob Striker, it is anything but that. Working alongside a partner and former girlfriend, Striker will have to dig deep and discover that there shooting had deeper implications. Slater offers up a great series debut with this book and I cannot wait for the next book.
Detective Jacob Slater had to wonder how bad things could get. In the first hour back from a six-month hiatus, he is called to his daughter’s school, where a school shooting is in progress. Detective Striker and his partner assess the scene before taking action, which includes getting into a fire fight with two of the three gunmen, clad in goalie masks. When Detective Striker sees one of the shooters obliterate their fellow gunman’s face before fleeing, there is a sense that something more is going on.
As the manhunt for the escaped shooter progresses across Vancouver, Detective Striker must also come to terms with the fact that his daughter, Courtney, is rebelling and could have been in the middle of the bloodbath, had she not skipped school that day. As pieces of the shooter’s past slowly fall into place, it soon becomes apparent that there is more to this than a school shooting.
Rushing to get answers and solve the case once and for all, Detective Striker learns of a long-ago connection with the shooter and a killing spree that took the world by storm. There is little time to waste and everyone will have to act swiftly if more killings are not to fill Vancouver’s streets, with a formidable person and the centre of it all. Sean Slater does well and captures the reader’s attention throughout.
A great crime thriller needs strong writing and a great storylines to keep it afloat. Sean Slater does that with ease, developing a strong debut novel in this series, set on the streets of Vancouver. Slater pulls on his experiences as a cop to craft this piece that pulls on experiences and stunning developments in the investigation. Using short and poignant chapters, Slater keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. I could not get enough of this piece and hope the others are as exciting.
The characters emerge with ease, providing the reader with something great on which they can follow along. The plot twists are equally as effective and keep the reader guessing until it all comes together by the end, leaving threads dangling for the next book. I am eager to see where Jacob Striker will go and how his single-parent situation will resolve itself, out whether an errant teenage daughter will be the bane of his life outside of work. Off to get the next book to see how things progress.
Kudos, Mr. Slater, for a great series debut!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Detective Jacob Slater had to wonder how bad things could get. In the first hour back from a six-month hiatus, he is called to his daughter’s school, where a school shooting is in progress. Detective Striker and his partner assess the scene before taking action, which includes getting into a fire fight with two of the three gunmen, clad in goalie masks. When Detective Striker sees one of the shooters obliterate their fellow gunman’s face before fleeing, there is a sense that something more is going on.
As the manhunt for the escaped shooter progresses across Vancouver, Detective Striker must also come to terms with the fact that his daughter, Courtney, is rebelling and could have been in the middle of the bloodbath, had she not skipped school that day. As pieces of the shooter’s past slowly fall into place, it soon becomes apparent that there is more to this than a school shooting.
Rushing to get answers and solve the case once and for all, Detective Striker learns of a long-ago connection with the shooter and a killing spree that took the world by storm. There is little time to waste and everyone will have to act swiftly if more killings are not to fill Vancouver’s streets, with a formidable person and the centre of it all. Sean Slater does well and captures the reader’s attention throughout.
A great crime thriller needs strong writing and a great storylines to keep it afloat. Sean Slater does that with ease, developing a strong debut novel in this series, set on the streets of Vancouver. Slater pulls on his experiences as a cop to craft this piece that pulls on experiences and stunning developments in the investigation. Using short and poignant chapters, Slater keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. I could not get enough of this piece and hope the others are as exciting.
The characters emerge with ease, providing the reader with something great on which they can follow along. The plot twists are equally as effective and keep the reader guessing until it all comes together by the end, leaving threads dangling for the next book. I am eager to see where Jacob Striker will go and how his single-parent situation will resolve itself, out whether an errant teenage daughter will be the bane of his life outside of work. Off to get the next book to see how things progress.
Kudos, Mr. Slater, for a great series debut!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
November 20, 2022
This was a pretty average crime/detective book.
I found this book started off strong. The premise was interesting and I was definitely hooked at the beginning.
However, as the book went on I found it got more and come complicated. I struggled to keep up and follow what was happening, as so many different crime scenes and characters were introduced.
I also felt this book was much longer than it needed to be. It could have been 350 pages, not over 500.
The writing was fine, nothing special but the characters were quite annoying after a while.
This is probably quite a forgettable crime book. A series/author I don't really have any plans to return to in the future Unfortunately.
Overall, an interesting concept but I don't think it was executed as well as it could have been.
I found this book started off strong. The premise was interesting and I was definitely hooked at the beginning.
However, as the book went on I found it got more and come complicated. I struggled to keep up and follow what was happening, as so many different crime scenes and characters were introduced.
I also felt this book was much longer than it needed to be. It could have been 350 pages, not over 500.
The writing was fine, nothing special but the characters were quite annoying after a while.
This is probably quite a forgettable crime book. A series/author I don't really have any plans to return to in the future Unfortunately.
Overall, an interesting concept but I don't think it was executed as well as it could have been.
June 30, 2020
Pretty good book!
I do like crime or crime /thrillers although this one was a little bit too procedural for me at times and a little long however overall, a great book with well done characters. Certainly enough to make me want to pick up the next in the series.
I do like crime or crime /thrillers although this one was a little bit too procedural for me at times and a little long however overall, a great book with well done characters. Certainly enough to make me want to pick up the next in the series.
August 7, 2011
"When you're in a field full of horses, don't go looking for zebras. All you'll find is more horses."
From the blurb: In his first hour back from a six-month leave of absence, Detective Jacob Striker’s day quickly turns into a nightmare. He is barely on the scene at his daughter’s high school when he encounters an Active Shooter situation. Three men wearing hockey masks – Black, White and Red – have stormed the school with firearms and are killing indiscriminately. Striker takes immediate action. Within minutes, two of the gunmen are dead and Striker is close to ending the violence. But before Striker can react, Red Mask flees – and escapes. Against the clock, Striker investigates the killings for which there is no known motive and no suspect. Soon his investigation takes him to darker places, and he realizes that everything at Saint Patrick’s High is not as it appears. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his world becomes – until Striker himself is in the line of fire.
First note: not for the faint-hearted. A lot of people die in very nasty ways.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way...
Striker is a solid character and well set up for future books; another Striker novel is set to appear in 2012. His romance with his partner seemed daft, ill-conceived and unnecessary – it was as if romance had been deemed a necessary ingredient, and Felicia was the easiest way to shoe-horn it in (also – anyone else think of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert when they see the name Felicia?). Courtney is a proper piece of work – a rebellious teenager who is still devastated by her mother’s death and not really speaking to her father, although still cooking for him and clearly devoted to him; a paradox entirely suited to a 15-year-old. I wasn’t much of a fan of Felicia or the other policemen – “Noodles” and “Meatloaf” became characterised more by their large size and rude vocab than by their capabilities. Deputy Chief Laroche, however, was a great anti-hero – annoying, prissy, too concerned with the media image to actually do any policing. I hope he comes back in further instalments.
Slater is a bit overenthusiastic with plot – in the end, not only is there an international crime cartel, but there are 5 parties to an old crime, crime scenes all over town (it took until page 300 for me to realise that we were in Canada!) and generally a few too many strands involved. I would have liked to see it trimmed down to 400 pages rather than 512.
The characters have potential but I don’t think I’ll be returning for the second instalment. Reilly Steel appeals to me much more.
From the blurb: In his first hour back from a six-month leave of absence, Detective Jacob Striker’s day quickly turns into a nightmare. He is barely on the scene at his daughter’s high school when he encounters an Active Shooter situation. Three men wearing hockey masks – Black, White and Red – have stormed the school with firearms and are killing indiscriminately. Striker takes immediate action. Within minutes, two of the gunmen are dead and Striker is close to ending the violence. But before Striker can react, Red Mask flees – and escapes. Against the clock, Striker investigates the killings for which there is no known motive and no suspect. Soon his investigation takes him to darker places, and he realizes that everything at Saint Patrick’s High is not as it appears. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his world becomes – until Striker himself is in the line of fire.
First note: not for the faint-hearted. A lot of people die in very nasty ways.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way...
Striker is a solid character and well set up for future books; another Striker novel is set to appear in 2012. His romance with his partner seemed daft, ill-conceived and unnecessary – it was as if romance had been deemed a necessary ingredient, and Felicia was the easiest way to shoe-horn it in (also – anyone else think of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert when they see the name Felicia?). Courtney is a proper piece of work – a rebellious teenager who is still devastated by her mother’s death and not really speaking to her father, although still cooking for him and clearly devoted to him; a paradox entirely suited to a 15-year-old. I wasn’t much of a fan of Felicia or the other policemen – “Noodles” and “Meatloaf” became characterised more by their large size and rude vocab than by their capabilities. Deputy Chief Laroche, however, was a great anti-hero – annoying, prissy, too concerned with the media image to actually do any policing. I hope he comes back in further instalments.
Slater is a bit overenthusiastic with plot – in the end, not only is there an international crime cartel, but there are 5 parties to an old crime, crime scenes all over town (it took until page 300 for me to realise that we were in Canada!) and generally a few too many strands involved. I would have liked to see it trimmed down to 400 pages rather than 512.
The characters have potential but I don’t think I’ll be returning for the second instalment. Reilly Steel appeals to me much more.
May 16, 2011
This is Sean Slater's debut novel and I must say I really liked it. You get pulled in right from the start and it doesn't let you go until you close the book.
I thought the story was great. We all know that school shootng take place from the news but Slater made the plot really great. So no sully high school kid who goes on a rampage here.
No he made this story about. The background of Red Mask is well thought out and believable.
The characters are well developed. Striker is a tough man and cop, with the usual trouble for authority figures, although I must say I would hate Laroche to (he is an ass) and is trying to combine work and raising his 15 year old daughter Coutney. Courtney is a typical teenager, does everything she is told not to do and picks a fight about everything, but she is a smart girl. The relationship between father and daughter isn't that bad but a dad who is working a case 24/7 and a teenage girl combined, kind of screams trouble just like in real life.
The book is told from different points of view and that made it easier to get to know the different characters. The chapters from Red Mask's point of view gave you more insight on his motives and it made him look human eventhough everthing he does makes him a monster.
There are some very grisly and violent scenes in this book but I must say they weren't all that graphic which I thought was a shame but also makes sure that a lot of other people will be able to like this book.
This book was sent to me by the publisher Simon and Schuster for review as part of the mysterie suspence challenge 2011 hosted by Book Chick City
I thought the story was great. We all know that school shootng take place from the news but Slater made the plot really great. So no sully high school kid who goes on a rampage here.
No he made this story about. The background of Red Mask is well thought out and believable.
The characters are well developed. Striker is a tough man and cop, with the usual trouble for authority figures, although I must say I would hate Laroche to (he is an ass) and is trying to combine work and raising his 15 year old daughter Coutney. Courtney is a typical teenager, does everything she is told not to do and picks a fight about everything, but she is a smart girl. The relationship between father and daughter isn't that bad but a dad who is working a case 24/7 and a teenage girl combined, kind of screams trouble just like in real life.
The book is told from different points of view and that made it easier to get to know the different characters. The chapters from Red Mask's point of view gave you more insight on his motives and it made him look human eventhough everthing he does makes him a monster.
There are some very grisly and violent scenes in this book but I must say they weren't all that graphic which I thought was a shame but also makes sure that a lot of other people will be able to like this book.
This book was sent to me by the publisher Simon and Schuster for review as part of the mysterie suspence challenge 2011 hosted by Book Chick City
September 6, 2012
This book was not what I expected. It started out fast and furious .... and I thought it was going to be somewhat predictable in the progression of the plot. It wasn't.
The pace doesn't slow for the entirety of the story and it's a no-holds-barred, in-your-face violence and action that keeps you compelled to keep reading. Even when you don't know if you want to.
Great read! And awesome Canadian content (Vancouver based). Covers a universal problem - Gang activity and the related violence that surrounds it. Not pretty and gives great perspective on how huge of an issue and how deep reaching it can be.
The pace doesn't slow for the entirety of the story and it's a no-holds-barred, in-your-face violence and action that keeps you compelled to keep reading. Even when you don't know if you want to.
Great read! And awesome Canadian content (Vancouver based). Covers a universal problem - Gang activity and the related violence that surrounds it. Not pretty and gives great perspective on how huge of an issue and how deep reaching it can be.
October 29, 2014
A disappointment. Poor dialogue. Almost magical crime solving:looking for a vehicle involved in a crime in a large metro area and finding glass bits on road from when the Detective shot out windows. Well, there's glass bits around a lot of intersections in my city. Then seeing garbage cans knocked over? and figuring the perp went that way? Also the two detectives just up and go after a perp without calling it in and leave a huge crime scene to fend for itself. Had to stop reading on page 101 as it's too flawed.
August 30, 2011
Very much a thrill ride and in so doing lots of details are 'skimmed' over ...nevertheless a ride that sucks you in and great for a bit of escapism
February 19, 2014
Very entertaining read. This book was fast-paced and difficult to put down. A high school massacre, but all is not as it seems. The sequel is calling to me...
October 6, 2019
Extremely sexist. Poorly written.
June 19, 2016
First book I've read set in Vancouver, loved it. I've ordered the next couple of Striker novels
December 16, 2019
What an amazing book, I couldn't put it down once I started it. The whole plot line was amazing and it was great to see all of the different clues and how they all managed to fit together in the end. I also commend Slater on being able to branch out from the main mystery of the story and to explore a lot of different places and ideas in the short amount of time that the novel takes place in.
The novel is overall well paced but I believe that Slater does let
The end of the novel was good because
While this book has its flaws you cant give Slater too much flak for it as it is his debut novel.
Overall, I rate this novel 4.5/5 stars. Highly recommended read if you get the chance.
The novel is overall well paced but I believe that Slater does let
The end of the novel was good because
While this book has its flaws you cant give Slater too much flak for it as it is his debut novel.
Overall, I rate this novel 4.5/5 stars. Highly recommended read if you get the chance.
April 30, 2021
ya siz beni deli mi etmek istiyorsunuz bu neydi şimdi?????
hani her şey aşırı tatmin edici gidiyordu adam süper dedektif falan fiştan şovlarındaydı yazar hep ve kitabın FİNAL KISMINDA oturup kendi kendine demiş ki HMMM GERÇEKÇİ OLMASI İÇİN KÖTÜ BİR ŞEY KOYAYIM ve okumaktan utandığım üzücülükte bir final yazmış. HMMM MISSION SON DKDE BAŞARISIZ OLDU VE ÇOCUĞUM SAKAT KALDI AMA BNCE HER ŞEY İİYDİ YA YAPIYOR ADAM AAA BU NE
bütün kitap boyunca ağzımıza yüzümüze soktukları raine twistini boşveriyorum zaten ama courtney kadar salak mal gerizekalı bir karakter görmedim hani bir insan kapısına devriye arabası çekiliyorsa canının tehlikede olduğunu nasıl anlayamaz
laroche salağına hiçbir şey demiyorum SİLAHLI SALDIRGANIN ELİNDE ADAMIN KIZI VAR HALA ŞOV KESİYORSUN HANİ YAZAR BEY AMCA KÖTÜ KARAKTER YAZMAYI ALLAH İÇİN ÖĞREN
bütün mafya vb gerçek kötü adamlar iyi yazılmışken slightly kötü olması gereken herkes rezzzalet yazılmıştı
üzüldüm
ama düşündüğüm kadar kötü değilmiş kitap 62384632 yıldır raflarımda çürütmeseydim keşke
neys rantimi sonuna kadar okuduysanız tşemkür ederm
hani her şey aşırı tatmin edici gidiyordu adam süper dedektif falan fiştan şovlarındaydı yazar hep ve kitabın FİNAL KISMINDA oturup kendi kendine demiş ki HMMM GERÇEKÇİ OLMASI İÇİN KÖTÜ BİR ŞEY KOYAYIM ve okumaktan utandığım üzücülükte bir final yazmış. HMMM MISSION SON DKDE BAŞARISIZ OLDU VE ÇOCUĞUM SAKAT KALDI AMA BNCE HER ŞEY İİYDİ YA YAPIYOR ADAM AAA BU NE
bütün kitap boyunca ağzımıza yüzümüze soktukları raine twistini boşveriyorum zaten ama courtney kadar salak mal gerizekalı bir karakter görmedim hani bir insan kapısına devriye arabası çekiliyorsa canının tehlikede olduğunu nasıl anlayamaz
laroche salağına hiçbir şey demiyorum SİLAHLI SALDIRGANIN ELİNDE ADAMIN KIZI VAR HALA ŞOV KESİYORSUN HANİ YAZAR BEY AMCA KÖTÜ KARAKTER YAZMAYI ALLAH İÇİN ÖĞREN
bütün mafya vb gerçek kötü adamlar iyi yazılmışken slightly kötü olması gereken herkes rezzzalet yazılmıştı
üzüldüm
ama düşündüğüm kadar kötü değilmiş kitap 62384632 yıldır raflarımda çürütmeseydim keşke
neys rantimi sonuna kadar okuduysanız tşemkür ederm
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2023
This book began really well. A school shooting and a killer who escaped the scene. Some good characters like detective Jacob Striker, his partner Felicia and 15-year-old daughter Courtney. Then the plot got really messed up. Striker was following up several leads and finding more crime scenes not to mention juggling most of the investigation by himself and running amok every which way all the time. The book was so fast paced and twisty that I felt like I was left behind in the dark. I had no idea what was going on. The ending is really surprising and far fetched. The author is a police officer himself, so I guess he's met all kinds of criminals and knows what he's writing about. I think I'll give the second book a chance.
July 22, 2018
Sean Slater is the pseudonym for Vancouver Police Officer Sean Sommerville which puts a good deal of life and credibility in his lead character, Detective Jacob Striker, as he returns to duty after a 6-month leave following a personal tragedy only to be called onto the scene of a high school shooting where three masked gunmen are, seemingly, on a killing spree. It is also Striker's daughter's school.
Two of the gunmen are killed, but one escapes--and as Striker and his team hunt for the gunman, nothing is at all what it seems.
A great first novel for a hopefully budding novelist. Look forward to checking out another one from this author.
Two of the gunmen are killed, but one escapes--and as Striker and his team hunt for the gunman, nothing is at all what it seems.
A great first novel for a hopefully budding novelist. Look forward to checking out another one from this author.
September 7, 2019
A detective who is cliched in every possible way (think Harry Bosch after a lobotomy) lurches from one bloody scene to the next trying to find a motive when all he really needs to do is find a killer who's leaving plenty of clues behind.
Does the author want me to have sympathy for a killer who has walked into a school and shot loads of kids?
It's bollocks but quite entertaining and a book I did want to pick up so I could find out what happened next. Unfortunately the "twists" are telegraphed and so predictable.
The story is set in Vancouver and this at least was different, even if the descriptions of the city and it's weather make me not want to ever visit the place.
Does the author want me to have sympathy for a killer who has walked into a school and shot loads of kids?
It's bollocks but quite entertaining and a book I did want to pick up so I could find out what happened next. Unfortunately the "twists" are telegraphed and so predictable.
The story is set in Vancouver and this at least was different, even if the descriptions of the city and it's weather make me not want to ever visit the place.
June 2, 2024
Jacob Striker is a Vancouver cop on his first day back to work when the worst happens - a school shooting. As the aftermath unfolds, far from a lone gunman, this turns out to be a meticulously planned operation with a dark secret at it's heart. This leads Jacob, his daughter and his detective partner Felecia into the seedy underworld of Chinese gangsters.
I enjoyed this immensely. Fast paced, keeps the reader guessing and Striker and his assortment of colleagues, his on again off again relationship with his partner offer a rich background to the main story.
I enjoyed this immensely. Fast paced, keeps the reader guessing and Striker and his assortment of colleagues, his on again off again relationship with his partner offer a rich background to the main story.
June 7, 2023
Just finished this amazing thriller. Never been a fan of police thrillers but this was hard to put down! Entertaining and gritty… i’m now a fan!!
The author is Canadian talent and draws you in with his style of writing. I live in Vancouver BC and it felt familiar at times, like watching a movie. Well done and solid characters. Granted, a bit longer than your usual novel… still highly recommended and already looking forward to the other books in this series.
The author is Canadian talent and draws you in with his style of writing. I live in Vancouver BC and it felt familiar at times, like watching a movie. Well done and solid characters. Granted, a bit longer than your usual novel… still highly recommended and already looking forward to the other books in this series.
May 20, 2017
Started out as an interesting plot but faded quickly. This is definitely not a 'We need to talk about Kevin' and the school shooting hook soon faded in significance. I didn't find the story or the characters very interesting and was quite happy to get to the end.
August 27, 2018
I enjoyed the idea of reading a crime/detective novel where the characters, including the main character is flawed, imperfect and subject to his own emotional desires. A great read, and Sean Slater's Jacob Striker series have just gained another fan.
July 19, 2018
This book was boring, quickly went off topic, unnecessarily lengthy and I enjoyed nothing about it. Skim read the last 200 pages.
October 1, 2021
Драйв обеспечен - всё-таки это полицейский детектив. Но вот взять в качестве интриги сразу и Триаду и красных кхмеров - кажется, немного перебор.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2022
Very good read, a real page turner
March 15, 2012
What begins as a typical run of the mill school shooting quickly escalates into much more. As a reader, I normally do not like a bunch of plot twists and sub-plots that sometimes cloud the main story. Fortunately, this worked for me in this story. As a society, we have seen more news about violence that it is easy to become desensitized to the horror of it. Had this book been about just a school shooting and the subsequent investigation, I probably would have given up on it. In this story, the school shooting is more an initiator of a bigger story.
This book is full of complex and interesting characters, each bringing a unique position to the story. Jacob Striker is a character carrying a lot of baggage already. When we first meet him, we see a police detective who is returning to duty after an extended leave of absence dealing with an incompetent supervisor, a man who is trying to cope with the death of his wife and a father who is struggling to connect with a teenage daughter who is angry and blames him for the death of her mother. He already has a full plate before the story even begins. When I thought he could take no more and would crack under the pressure, he continued to surprise me with his diligent and persistent investigation tactics.
The villain of this story, Red Mask, isn’t your typical bad guy, either. At first, I thought he was just a psychotic angry man who takes out his twisted feelings on innocent children. The author does a fabulous job of giving us a first person look into the mind of Red Mask, to see what he sees and relive what he’s lived through in his life to make him the cold-blooded killer he has become. Not to excuse or justify his actions, but to give the reader a better sense of the path he has walked that has led him to the shooting. Red Mask is a formidable adversary, almost robotic in his thinking. I found myself comparing him to The Terminator as I was reading and the scene from The Terminator when Kyle tells Sarah Connor that he will never stop until she is dead.
The author does an amazing job of peeling back the layers of the story, drawing me in with the suspense and high adrenaline-charged scenes without bogging me down in the technical and police procedural details. Surprisingly, this is the author’s debut novel. With writing like this, I can only hope we will be seeing more of Detective Jacob Striker.
This book is full of complex and interesting characters, each bringing a unique position to the story. Jacob Striker is a character carrying a lot of baggage already. When we first meet him, we see a police detective who is returning to duty after an extended leave of absence dealing with an incompetent supervisor, a man who is trying to cope with the death of his wife and a father who is struggling to connect with a teenage daughter who is angry and blames him for the death of her mother. He already has a full plate before the story even begins. When I thought he could take no more and would crack under the pressure, he continued to surprise me with his diligent and persistent investigation tactics.
The villain of this story, Red Mask, isn’t your typical bad guy, either. At first, I thought he was just a psychotic angry man who takes out his twisted feelings on innocent children. The author does a fabulous job of giving us a first person look into the mind of Red Mask, to see what he sees and relive what he’s lived through in his life to make him the cold-blooded killer he has become. Not to excuse or justify his actions, but to give the reader a better sense of the path he has walked that has led him to the shooting. Red Mask is a formidable adversary, almost robotic in his thinking. I found myself comparing him to The Terminator as I was reading and the scene from The Terminator when Kyle tells Sarah Connor that he will never stop until she is dead.
The author does an amazing job of peeling back the layers of the story, drawing me in with the suspense and high adrenaline-charged scenes without bogging me down in the technical and police procedural details. Surprisingly, this is the author’s debut novel. With writing like this, I can only hope we will be seeing more of Detective Jacob Striker.
February 20, 2011
The Survivor by Sean Slater
Reviewed by Moirae the fates book reviews
Columbine. Dunblane. Virginia Tech. Winnenden. But Saint Patrick's High?
In his first hour back from a six-month leave of absence, Detective Jacob Striker's day quickly turns into a nightmare. He is barely on scene five minutes at his daughter's high school when he encounters an Active Shooter situation. Three men wearing hockey masks - Black, White, and Red - have stormed the school with firearms and are killing indiscriminately.
Striker takes immediate action. Within minutes, two of the gunmen are dead and Striker is close to ending the violence.
But the last gunman, Red Mask, does something unexpected. He runs up to his fallen comrade, racks the shotgun, and unloads five rounds into the man, obliterating his face and hands. Before Striker can react, Red Mask flees - and escapes.
Against the clock, Striker investigates the killings for which there is no known motive and no known suspect. Soon his investigation takes him to darker places, and he realizes that everything at Saint Patrick's High is not as it appears. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his world becomes. Until Striker himself is in the line of fire.
And the violence follows him home. (Synopsis provided by goodreads)
This is one of those books that had me hooked in the first chapter. I have never read a book by this author before and I would read another. I liked this book. Slater has a knack for grabbing the reader’s attention and making them want to keep turning the pages!
I personally stayed up until I finished this book.
I found the characters to be strong, strong willed, strong opinioned ect. I do enjoy reading mysteries, especially ones where you can’t do anything until you have all the answers the who the why ect.
The character development was very strong in this book as was the dialog, this was a book in which I found Detective Striker to be a very believable and a very likeable character. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense books and mysteries.
Overall rating
**** 4 out of 5 stars
Cover art:
The cover art kinda freaks me out.
Obtained:
I was sent an ARC by the publisher for review as part of the Mystery Suspense challenge hosted by Book Chick City. Thank you!
***THIS BOOK WILL BE OUT MARCH 2011***
Reviewed by Moirae the fates book reviews
Columbine. Dunblane. Virginia Tech. Winnenden. But Saint Patrick's High?
In his first hour back from a six-month leave of absence, Detective Jacob Striker's day quickly turns into a nightmare. He is barely on scene five minutes at his daughter's high school when he encounters an Active Shooter situation. Three men wearing hockey masks - Black, White, and Red - have stormed the school with firearms and are killing indiscriminately.
Striker takes immediate action. Within minutes, two of the gunmen are dead and Striker is close to ending the violence.
But the last gunman, Red Mask, does something unexpected. He runs up to his fallen comrade, racks the shotgun, and unloads five rounds into the man, obliterating his face and hands. Before Striker can react, Red Mask flees - and escapes.
Against the clock, Striker investigates the killings for which there is no known motive and no known suspect. Soon his investigation takes him to darker places, and he realizes that everything at Saint Patrick's High is not as it appears. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his world becomes. Until Striker himself is in the line of fire.
And the violence follows him home. (Synopsis provided by goodreads)
This is one of those books that had me hooked in the first chapter. I have never read a book by this author before and I would read another. I liked this book. Slater has a knack for grabbing the reader’s attention and making them want to keep turning the pages!
I personally stayed up until I finished this book.
I found the characters to be strong, strong willed, strong opinioned ect. I do enjoy reading mysteries, especially ones where you can’t do anything until you have all the answers the who the why ect.
The character development was very strong in this book as was the dialog, this was a book in which I found Detective Striker to be a very believable and a very likeable character. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense books and mysteries.
Overall rating
**** 4 out of 5 stars
Cover art:
The cover art kinda freaks me out.
Obtained:
I was sent an ARC by the publisher for review as part of the Mystery Suspense challenge hosted by Book Chick City. Thank you!
***THIS BOOK WILL BE OUT MARCH 2011***
March 6, 2011
In an interview on the Simon & Schuster website Sean Slater reveals that Lee Child and James Patterson are some of his favourite authors, and after reading The Survivor, this does not surprise me. The book is a gritty, fast-paced thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat from the first page.
This is a book I probably would not have picked up had I not received an ARC of it, but I am glad I got the chance to read it. The setting (Vancouver) was completely new to me, as was the subject matter (Asian underground gangs). According to the cover, Slater is a "real-life Vancouver cop" and it is obvious that he knows his way around both the city and its police force.
Detective Jacob Striker is a nice guy who has been through some tough times. He is trying to come to terms with the death of his wife and being a good father to his 15-year-old daughter Courtney. She, on the other hand, is behaving like any other teenager; skipping school, trying to catch the eye of her crush, and being angry with her father. Their father-daughter relationship rang true, and I also liked Striker's relationship with his partner Felicia, who is a smart and feisty cop. Striker is good at his job and follows his hunches, even if it lands him in trouble with his superiors. We also get a bit of insight into the main antagonist's mind, with some chapters written from his point of view. This worked very well and made him more human to me. I almost felt sorry for him, rather against my will.
At times there were a lot of different plot points and clues to keep track of, but Slater does a good job of connecting all the dots in the end. The book does contain some violence and a couple of torture scenes, but they are not overly graphic. The ending took me by surprise, and felt a little more realistic than in many other books of the same genre.
Best: The authenticity. I'm not a cop nor have I ever been to Vancouver so obviously I don't know what either is really like, but it felt real while reading.
Worst: The rather silly nicknames, like Noodles, Shipwreck and Meathead. And the name Pinkerton Morningstar. I could not take that man seriously.
Bottom line: The Survivor is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.
This is a book I probably would not have picked up had I not received an ARC of it, but I am glad I got the chance to read it. The setting (Vancouver) was completely new to me, as was the subject matter (Asian underground gangs). According to the cover, Slater is a "real-life Vancouver cop" and it is obvious that he knows his way around both the city and its police force.
Detective Jacob Striker is a nice guy who has been through some tough times. He is trying to come to terms with the death of his wife and being a good father to his 15-year-old daughter Courtney. She, on the other hand, is behaving like any other teenager; skipping school, trying to catch the eye of her crush, and being angry with her father. Their father-daughter relationship rang true, and I also liked Striker's relationship with his partner Felicia, who is a smart and feisty cop. Striker is good at his job and follows his hunches, even if it lands him in trouble with his superiors. We also get a bit of insight into the main antagonist's mind, with some chapters written from his point of view. This worked very well and made him more human to me. I almost felt sorry for him, rather against my will.
At times there were a lot of different plot points and clues to keep track of, but Slater does a good job of connecting all the dots in the end. The book does contain some violence and a couple of torture scenes, but they are not overly graphic. The ending took me by surprise, and felt a little more realistic than in many other books of the same genre.
Best: The authenticity. I'm not a cop nor have I ever been to Vancouver so obviously I don't know what either is really like, but it felt real while reading.
Worst: The rather silly nicknames, like Noodles, Shipwreck and Meathead. And the name Pinkerton Morningstar. I could not take that man seriously.
Bottom line: The Survivor is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.
April 13, 2011
I am a huge fan of police drama and action. This book had me hooked from the first chapter. We have all heard and know about Columbine and other school shootings. Here we follow Detective Stiker (and his partner, though I didn't relate very much with her) as they search for the third gunman they weren't able to put down at the school. His character had everything we might expect from the stereotypical cop. The attitude, the scorn for the higher-ups and the passion to get the job done. His partner on the other hand was a fail for me. Not only was she whiny but she read a bit jealous as well.
The story itself reads quickly and is quite intriguing. The chapters alternate between the cops and the last of the school shooters which does a great job in making us want to enter the book to warn the other of what was going on. While it sounds odd to feel for a school shooter, the author has done a great job to humanize him and give him a backstory so we get a sense as to why he did it in the first place.
This was the first book I have read by this author, but I can tell I like his style and will be looking out for anything else he writes. Things that bothered me about this book had nothing to do with writing or plot, but rather character-based. While Detective Felicia was well fleshed out and written, I didn't like her or her way. There was a section in the beginning of the book where she takes exception to being told what to do by Striker who not only has been on the job longer but is point on the investigation. Ever since that exchange I had it out for that character. Kids are laid out dead on school property, but she complains about having to go do a follow up? I didn't like her character much after that.
Overall this was a great quick read. and anyone who loves police shows and books will appreciate this.
The story itself reads quickly and is quite intriguing. The chapters alternate between the cops and the last of the school shooters which does a great job in making us want to enter the book to warn the other of what was going on. While it sounds odd to feel for a school shooter, the author has done a great job to humanize him and give him a backstory so we get a sense as to why he did it in the first place.
This was the first book I have read by this author, but I can tell I like his style and will be looking out for anything else he writes. Things that bothered me about this book had nothing to do with writing or plot, but rather character-based. While Detective Felicia was well fleshed out and written, I didn't like her or her way. There was a section in the beginning of the book where she takes exception to being told what to do by Striker who not only has been on the job longer but is point on the investigation. Ever since that exchange I had it out for that character. Kids are laid out dead on school property, but she complains about having to go do a follow up? I didn't like her character much after that.
Overall this was a great quick read. and anyone who loves police shows and books will appreciate this.
May 12, 2015
First of, I would like to say this was the very first book I’ve read from Mr Sean Slater. The book was very reader friendly, no complicated words and scenarios attached which made the book very easy to read, hence, a book-turner. I even read the quarter half of the book the whole day without eating any. That’s how good the book was.
The first chapters would really get you hooked with the story, will leave you wanting more until you’ll realize you need to send your ass off to work. Heh.
With the characters, I’ll never really liked the whole “psychic powers” and “just following my guts” personality of Jacob Striker, our story’s hero. I find my self a many times saying “hey, that just won’t happen in real life!” while reading the book. But hey, it’s just a fiction.
I wasn’t really fond of any other characters. I wasn’t able to juice some strong personality in them. Maybe I did, but just didn’t last long. But then, my favorite character was the Diet Pepsi 92 year old woman. I really loved the whole chapter on it! It made my day.
With the scenes, the scenes were fine. It’s like I’m just reading a police report on how they solved a crime of some sort. As I’ve said, the writing were very easy to understand and I thank Mr Slater for that. But there were just awkward scenes in between. Very awkward scene, or maybe it was just me. But also, there still were great scenes when Detective Striker makes fun of Laroche. Hehe Striker is a shit.
As for the plot, to be honest, wasn’t really that crazy and great at all. I’m still finding the plot twist until now, I can’t be able to find any. The reason on how it all started was kind of “corny” for me, and I can say a gang like that was kind of a cry baby. But still…all in all I enjoyed reading the whole book!
The first chapters would really get you hooked with the story, will leave you wanting more until you’ll realize you need to send your ass off to work. Heh.
With the characters, I’ll never really liked the whole “psychic powers” and “just following my guts” personality of Jacob Striker, our story’s hero. I find my self a many times saying “hey, that just won’t happen in real life!” while reading the book. But hey, it’s just a fiction.
I wasn’t really fond of any other characters. I wasn’t able to juice some strong personality in them. Maybe I did, but just didn’t last long. But then, my favorite character was the Diet Pepsi 92 year old woman. I really loved the whole chapter on it! It made my day.
With the scenes, the scenes were fine. It’s like I’m just reading a police report on how they solved a crime of some sort. As I’ve said, the writing were very easy to understand and I thank Mr Slater for that. But there were just awkward scenes in between. Very awkward scene, or maybe it was just me. But also, there still were great scenes when Detective Striker makes fun of Laroche. Hehe Striker is a shit.
As for the plot, to be honest, wasn’t really that crazy and great at all. I’m still finding the plot twist until now, I can’t be able to find any. The reason on how it all started was kind of “corny” for me, and I can say a gang like that was kind of a cry baby. But still…all in all I enjoyed reading the whole book!
May 9, 2012
****SPOILER ALERT****
I enjoyed this book, loved the style of writing and would definitely read more from this author, however there were a few parts of the plot that were weak and I just hope these were the mistakes of a new writer.
My biggest problem with the whole plot was the inability of a whole police force to find Riku, or at least know that she went by her nickname; whilst Striker wasn't focused on the search for the girl, there would undoubtedly have been someone tasked to do just that. That person would have spoken to the girls school friends and quickly have learned that she hangs around with Courtney (Striker's daughter) and that she went by the name, Raine. Upon learning this, the officer tasked with locating Riku (Raine) would have asked Striker if they could speak with his daughter.
I also felt that, whilst Striker was presented and a very capable police officer/detective, he seemed to become less able whilst face to face with the killer; of course, the novel would have been much shorter had he detained, or killed, Red Mask earlier, however it got somewhat tedious that the killer always managed to get away. Maybe I'm just being finicky, but when he was closing in on Red Mask at the end, just as Red Mask clubs Felicia, I find it hard to believe such an experience police officer would shout and give away the element of surprise - this was a man who knew to turn off the siren and lights so as not to warn their quarry they were getting close.
Despite these things I did enjoy the book, and would recommend it to others.
I enjoyed this book, loved the style of writing and would definitely read more from this author, however there were a few parts of the plot that were weak and I just hope these were the mistakes of a new writer.
My biggest problem with the whole plot was the inability of a whole police force to find Riku, or at least know that she went by her nickname; whilst Striker wasn't focused on the search for the girl, there would undoubtedly have been someone tasked to do just that. That person would have spoken to the girls school friends and quickly have learned that she hangs around with Courtney (Striker's daughter) and that she went by the name, Raine. Upon learning this, the officer tasked with locating Riku (Raine) would have asked Striker if they could speak with his daughter.
I also felt that, whilst Striker was presented and a very capable police officer/detective, he seemed to become less able whilst face to face with the killer; of course, the novel would have been much shorter had he detained, or killed, Red Mask earlier, however it got somewhat tedious that the killer always managed to get away. Maybe I'm just being finicky, but when he was closing in on Red Mask at the end, just as Red Mask clubs Felicia, I find it hard to believe such an experience police officer would shout and give away the element of surprise - this was a man who knew to turn off the siren and lights so as not to warn their quarry they were getting close.
Despite these things I did enjoy the book, and would recommend it to others.
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