Canadian author Sam Wiebe is a master of gritty noir, and Ocean Drive hit the bestsellers list in British Columbia before it launched in Canada earlier this year. This will be no surprise to anyone who’s read the Dave Wakeland series. Ocean Drive is a standalone novel about what people are willing to do for money or power.
The action takes place in the seaside community of White Rock, British Columbia. It’s a border city located between Vancouver and Seattle, which makes it attractive to those wishing to make money, legally or illegally. White Rock has a reputation of being a quiet place. People sometimes describe it as suitable for the newly wed and the nearly dead. However, earlier this year exchanges of gun fire on a residential street left four men wounded and made the news. Clearly, White Rock faces the same issues as other cities.
There are some extremely wealthy people living there, but Cameron Shaw is less fortunate. He has just finished a seven-year stretch for manslaughter. Cam is not highly marketable to employers and has several strikes against him. An ex-con with limited formal training and education, he lacks the qualifications that most employers desire. Being street smart or helping his uncle do home renovations aren’t enough to get him a job.
Then Cam’s legal aid caseworker gives him a mysterious message. A woman has asked to meet him on his release day. Zoe Prentice is a lawyer with a surprising offer for Cam and a $1,000 cheque. She wants him to infiltrate the notorious League of Nations gang. Cam declines her offer as he has no desire to return to jail. Zoe doesn’t help matters by being evasive about who is paying her fees.
Zoe gives Cam a job lead at a warehouse that is willing to hire ex-cons, even though he rejected her offer. Instead, he starts his own unsuccessful job search. When his options run out, he turns back to the warehouse job Zoe brought him and eventually gets pulled into the gang life while working there. Wiebe creates a clear image of Cam’s struggles adjusting to life outside prison.
Meanwhile, experienced Staff Sergeant Meghan Quick is investigating a suspicious house fire. A body is discovered inside and Meghan suspects that the victim is Alexa, a grad student. Alexa used to babysit Meghan’s son when they were both younger. Could she be a victim of the growing violence between the syndicate Cam has joined and rival operations in this border town?
As you get deeper into the story, connections appear and buried secrets are there to be uncovered. Along the way, we’re drawn into the lives of the two main protagonists. Meghan’s home life is not great. Her marriage has ended, her son is in college, and she seems to spend a fair amount of time drinking alone. There is an authentic feel in her dedication to her job at the expense of her personal life. Cam is brilliant at conceiving and executing criminal activities. Wiebe will have you thinking about Cam’s wasted potential, and whether or not Meghan can get him out before it’s too late.
The book contains some scenes of extreme violence where torture is involved or punishment is being doled out. The brutality of these scenes is disturbing but you may gain insight into the characters by how they respond to the violence. Are they sickened by what they are doing or does it excite them? Are they scared? Do they regret their actions?
In Ocean Drive we get close to Cam and Meghan in the maelstrom, while at the same time witnessing the despicable things people do in a quest for money and power. A small warning – you may plan to read just a chapter or two before you go to sleep, but don’t be surprised if you suddenly look up and realise it’s 2:30am. Ocean Drive is the type of book that you can’t put down.
Also see Sam Wiebe’s last book Sunset and Jericho.
Harbour Publishing
Print
£14.44
CFL Rating: 5 Stars
