"Cut You Down"

Cut You Down, the latest novel in Sam Wiebe's series featuring Vancouver PI Dave Wakeland, is garnering rave reviews, including a starred review from Publishers Weekly. He's also the author of Invisible Dead and Last of the Independents, and the editor of the forthcoming Vancouver Noir. Wiebe lives in Vancouver.

He applied the Page 69 Test to Cut You Down and reported the following:

On page 69, Vancouver PI Dave Wakeland and his partner Jeff Chen approach the house of a pair of suburban gangsters, very dangerous men...who live with their parents.

"You bring your gun?"

The question surprised me. Jeff knew I'd bought a pistol last year during another case. He hadn't approved. Our security guards had firearms, and we were both licensed, but guns had never sat easy with Jefferon Chen.

I shook my head and pulled the Maglite out of the passenger's side footwell.

"You gonna swat bullets away with that?"

"We're just asking friendly questions," I told him and myself. "No need for things to escalate."

We stepped onto the ratty welcome mat and I rang the buzzer. Discordant chimes went off inside the house.

Jeff nudged my shoulder and pointed towards his feet. Beneath our shoes the letters on the mat spelled F C RIGH FF. I shifted my right foot and uncovered a K.

"Fuck right off," Jeff said.

The door was opened by an old woman carrying an axe.

Cut You Down involves a search for a college student who disappeared in the midst of a scandal involving millions of dollars. The search takes Wakeland across the Pacific Northwest, encountering people and situations that range from the absurd to the violent. This scene shows both. I'd say Page 69 offers a glimpse at what lies ahead for Wakeland, and represents both his doggedness as a detective, and the case's surprising nature.

Visit Sam Wiebe's website.

My Book, The Movie: Invisible Dead.

The Page 69 Test: Invisible Dead.

Writers Read: Sam Wiebe.

--Marshal Zeringue