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Tom and Liz Austen #2
Vancouver Nightmare
A chance meeting with a drug dealer takes Tom Austen into the grim streets of Vancouver's Skid Road, where he poses as a runaway while searching for information to help the police smash a gang that is hooking young kids on drugs. However, when unmasked as a police agent, Tom is trapped in the underworld of Vancouver as the gang closes in.
97 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
11 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Eric Wilson
37 books59 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Eric Wilson is a Canadian children's author and now living in Victoria, British Columbia.
Eric Wilson is a Canadian children's author and now living in Victoria, British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 23, 2019
Title: Vancouver Nightmare
Author: Eric Wilson
Series: The Tom and Liz Austen Mysteries, #2
Format: hardcover
Length: 100 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis: A chance meeting with a drug dealer takes Tom Austen into the grim streets of Vancouver's Skid Road, where he poses as a runaway while searching for information to help the police smash a gang that is hooking young kids on drugs. However, when unmasked as a police agent, Tom is trapped in the underworld of Vancouver as the gang closes in.
Favourite character: ZZ
Least favourite character: Spider
Mini-review: This was a good mystery. I like the fact that the author shows that Tom is a novice at detective work and makes mistakes and sometimes accidentally stumbles on clues rather than figuring them out for himself. I’m also still waiting for Liz to make an appearance. (Also ZZ reminds me of Mission Vao from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and I can't tell if it's an honest comparison or because she calls Zaalbar Big Z.)
Author: Eric Wilson
Series: The Tom and Liz Austen Mysteries, #2
Format: hardcover
Length: 100 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis: A chance meeting with a drug dealer takes Tom Austen into the grim streets of Vancouver's Skid Road, where he poses as a runaway while searching for information to help the police smash a gang that is hooking young kids on drugs. However, when unmasked as a police agent, Tom is trapped in the underworld of Vancouver as the gang closes in.
Favourite character: ZZ
Least favourite character: Spider
Mini-review: This was a good mystery. I like the fact that the author shows that Tom is a novice at detective work and makes mistakes and sometimes accidentally stumbles on clues rather than figuring them out for himself. I’m also still waiting for Liz to make an appearance. (Also ZZ reminds me of Mission Vao from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and I can't tell if it's an honest comparison or because she calls Zaalbar Big Z.)
December 11, 2024
Es raro que no me guste un libro de esta editorial porque la recuerdo con cariño de cuando era chica pero se ve que ahora entiendo mejor las historias y las red flags 😂
No me copó que me pusieran como "aventura" meterse en el tráfico de drogas, espero ningún niño haya tenido motivaciones raras después de leerlo 🥲
Me pareció que un nene mimado aburrido de su vida se mete en ambientes marginales para jugar al detective y eso no me copó , además la trama es demasiado floja por momentos pero eso es entendible, después de todo no soy la audiencia para esta historia.
PD: Los abuelos están pintados.
No me copó que me pusieran como "aventura" meterse en el tráfico de drogas, espero ningún niño haya tenido motivaciones raras después de leerlo 🥲
Me pareció que un nene mimado aburrido de su vida se mete en ambientes marginales para jugar al detective y eso no me copó , además la trama es demasiado floja por momentos pero eso es entendible, después de todo no soy la audiencia para esta historia.
PD: Los abuelos están pintados.
September 11, 2017
Me he encontrado por casualidad con este libro que leí en mi infancia y que en mi memoria es el libro que sirvió de enlace para dar el paso de los libros juveniles a los libros adultos. Esto se debe a que por primera vez leía un libro en el que la trama se centraba en un asunto como es el trafico de drogas y todo lo que hay alrededor lo que rompía el tipo de libros que leía que eran de temática fantástica o de aventuras. No lo he vuelto a leer porque tengo claro que si lo hiciera mi recuerdo de aquella lectura se rompería y prefiero no romper ese hechizo por lo que mi puntuación es en base a ese recuerdo.
May 27, 2020
This book's definitely not realistic fiction; I can't wrap my head around how a kid (tween/teen) ends up being involved with drug dealers, tries to play detective, and still doesn't get into trouble for his actions. I was also surprised at how gritty this book was considering that its' target audience is middle grade/young adult. That being said, Vancouver, and more specifically the Downtown Eastside, is the perfect setting for such a grim story.
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September 3, 2020Un mini-thriller infantil con mensaje moralizante. Hay que alertar del peligro de las drogas (que, obviamente, se quedan en un concepto abstracto) y de las consecuencias de andar con malas compañías (como le ocurre al personaje de ZZ). En lo que no se corta es en mostrarte unos bajos fondos bien sórdidos, pues tenemos prostitutas, yonquis, ladrones e incluso un proxeneta de niños. Todo ello suficientemente disimulado para que el niño no lo pille (mientras que el adulto sí), pero está allí.
A la que tengamos un churumbel de la edad adecuada, puede funcionar como un divertimento agradable. El problema viene cuando existen alternativas como Percy Jackson o Harry Potter para satisfacer las ansias de un pequeño lector, pues tienen mucha más chicha que las veleidades policiales del apocado Tom Austen.
Para más detalles, la reseña completa aquí ;)
https://meitnerio.blogspot.com/2019/1...
A la que tengamos un churumbel de la edad adecuada, puede funcionar como un divertimento agradable. El problema viene cuando existen alternativas como Percy Jackson o Harry Potter para satisfacer las ansias de un pequeño lector, pues tienen mucha más chicha que las veleidades policiales del apocado Tom Austen.
Para más detalles, la reseña completa aquí ;)
https://meitnerio.blogspot.com/2019/1...
July 7, 2022
I'm having a hard time figuring out Tom's age and this book didn't say. Sometimes in his awkwardness and mistakes, he seems very young, but the trouble he gets himself into is big time and makes it seem like he would need to be a bit older than my initial assumptions of age.
I read this book in one sitting, just like the one before it. It's a quick read with a solid mystery and some gritty, but straightforward plotlines.
I read this book in one sitting, just like the one before it. It's a quick read with a solid mystery and some gritty, but straightforward plotlines.
May 2, 2012
Oooo! Too scary!
February 6, 2024
3/5
Finished this book in a day, perfectly adequate children’s book, good mystery even. Read this because I’m a big fan of anti-drug propaganda and things of the sort, though I don’t think this did a good job in any of the common ways your supposed to warn kids about drugs;
❌ Scare them Straight- though some effort was put in to make the drug users look worn out and tattered, I just don’t think they did ENOUGH scaring to get their point across. We don’t even get to see anybody OVERDOSE! And it’s not like nobody dies in this book either, like multiple people die so idk why they didn’t go more in depth with how scary drugs like heroin and opioids can really be.
❌ Educate the Kids- I was really hoping for a more educational stance in this book when it came to drugs, but other then the one offhanded mention of opium, they never even mention any other drugs again. There was no actual education on why hard drugs are harmful to be found. They never actually explained what drugs do to your mind and body, just saying the users look somewhat scary didn’t get as much of there point across as one would think. Though the book is very obvious about drugs they think actually teaching the kids about drugs is gonna make it worse? This is a common problem with old propaganda story’s, saying “it’s bad and it will hurt you” isn’t getting the whole point across as to why ‘drugs are bad Mkay?’
❌ Drugs are NOT cool! I AM!!- they don’t even try and make the main character look or act cool, I mean which is fine if that’s not the approach they where taking when it comes to this story which I definitely think it wasn’t, Tom is really just scared the whole story and constantly embarrasses himself no matter who he’s talking to. Also, off topic but, Spider is a drug dealer.. who doesn’t do drugs?? Like it’s specifically stated in the book he doesn’t do drugs but- look at any drug dealer- and tell me those fuckers aren’t on drugs.
Though I did enjoy this story for its simple storytelling and easy to digest narrative, there are obviously some problems with the actual way they go about there anti-drug message. Favourite part of the story was definitely Spider and ZZ both actually very enjoyable charecters, and genuinely a good read for how short it was.
Finished this book in a day, perfectly adequate children’s book, good mystery even. Read this because I’m a big fan of anti-drug propaganda and things of the sort, though I don’t think this did a good job in any of the common ways your supposed to warn kids about drugs;
❌ Scare them Straight- though some effort was put in to make the drug users look worn out and tattered, I just don’t think they did ENOUGH scaring to get their point across. We don’t even get to see anybody OVERDOSE! And it’s not like nobody dies in this book either, like multiple people die so idk why they didn’t go more in depth with how scary drugs like heroin and opioids can really be.
❌ Educate the Kids- I was really hoping for a more educational stance in this book when it came to drugs, but other then the one offhanded mention of opium, they never even mention any other drugs again. There was no actual education on why hard drugs are harmful to be found. They never actually explained what drugs do to your mind and body, just saying the users look somewhat scary didn’t get as much of there point across as one would think. Though the book is very obvious about drugs they think actually teaching the kids about drugs is gonna make it worse? This is a common problem with old propaganda story’s, saying “it’s bad and it will hurt you” isn’t getting the whole point across as to why ‘drugs are bad Mkay?’
❌ Drugs are NOT cool! I AM!!- they don’t even try and make the main character look or act cool, I mean which is fine if that’s not the approach they where taking when it comes to this story which I definitely think it wasn’t, Tom is really just scared the whole story and constantly embarrasses himself no matter who he’s talking to. Also, off topic but, Spider is a drug dealer.. who doesn’t do drugs?? Like it’s specifically stated in the book he doesn’t do drugs but- look at any drug dealer- and tell me those fuckers aren’t on drugs.
Though I did enjoy this story for its simple storytelling and easy to digest narrative, there are obviously some problems with the actual way they go about there anti-drug message. Favourite part of the story was definitely Spider and ZZ both actually very enjoyable charecters, and genuinely a good read for how short it was.
April 3, 2024
Pesadilla en Vancouver, ( Vancouver nightmare ) 1978
Tom & Liz Austen Mysteries 2
Eric Wilson
@smespana
Traducción de Pedro Barbadillo
Durante sus vacaciones escolares en Vancouver, Tom y su amigo Dietmar, tienen la oportunidad de conocer a varios inspectores de policía y visitar la comisaría.
Se enteran de varios detalles sobre el trafico de drogas en el puerto y conocen a varios jóvenes que sobreviven en la periferia de la ciudad, mezclados en negocios turbios.
Tom cree que puede echar una mano a la policía y se pone a investigar.
Revisitando lecturas juveniles en el #trimestrenaranja del @clubclasicosjuveniles
#asesinatoenelcanadianexpress #murderonthecanadian #pesadillaenvancouver #vancouvernightmare #ericwilson #serienaranja #leoclásicos #leeresvivir #leermola #bookstagramespaña
August 24, 2019
Of course a book about Vancouver in the 70's has drugs, runaway teens and homelessness.
Not a lot has changed.
The places remain the same. I've been to the lighthouse, GasTown, East Pender's blocks of homelessness, Vancouver's tent cities and even Radium Hot Springs.
As gritty as the city itself.
Not a lot has changed.
The places remain the same. I've been to the lighthouse, GasTown, East Pender's blocks of homelessness, Vancouver's tent cities and even Radium Hot Springs.
As gritty as the city itself.
October 1, 2020
It was fun to read books 1 & 2 back-to-back.
Eric has a fun way of writing that, even if cheesy, includes a lot of character. Book #1 was definitely better than #2, but I enjoyed it.
Will keep an eye out for #3 so I can continue reading these 👍!
Eric has a fun way of writing that, even if cheesy, includes a lot of character. Book #1 was definitely better than #2, but I enjoyed it.
Will keep an eye out for #3 so I can continue reading these 👍!
February 6, 2023
Leí “asesinato en el canadian express” hace unos años en el colegio y quede con ganas de más, existían las continuaciones pero no estaban en mi país. Hace unas semanas lo vi lo leí y lo amé incluso más que el primero. Pd: Tom como q tiene ganas de morirse, hace cosas tan estúpidamente arriesgadas
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 6, 2020a little bit complicated
September 6, 2021
Quiero leerlo otra vez, muy buen libro de misterio
February 9, 2022
Nice series for kids that teaches them about different locations around Canada
May 12, 2022
Creo que para ser un libro para escolares, tiene buenos plot twists. Mi abuelo me dijo que los libros para niños tienen buenas tramas y tiene razón jjajajajaja
December 31, 2022
Recuerdos de infancia...
August 16, 2024
Un libro bastante entretenido para preadolescentes, muy recomendable
July 2, 2025
la verdad, a mi no me gustó porque no soy de los cuentos policiales. pero puedo decir que tiene un buen plot twist, y para la gente con otros gustos a los míos es un buen libro
September 23, 2025
Excelente libro infantil de suspenso tejido como una historia de Tin Tin, siendo Tom el personaje que busca una superación de sus aspiraciones como detective, riesgo y temas profundos
May 4, 2020
His entire series is great for Canadian students aged 10 - 13 or so.
April 21, 2013
Eric Wilson’s 1978 mystery, “Vancouver Nightmare”, spins alarmingly grim subject matter that makes my reaction tough to gauge. Impoverished districts, drug-peddling, and consequences of tangling with criminals are unquestionably relevant issues. Education about such a dangerous and all too present path is important but opinions differ on when to deliver it. Eric’s fans are about age ten. With them in mind, I was uncomfortable about it being unsuitable for them. The story is handled as benignly as possible and I commend the author for writing delicately. No drug use or violence is portrayed, except a boy is battered and a girl shoved.
Tom’s Grandparents, with whom he summers in Vancouver, introduce him to policemen. They mention a drug ring and later, he encounters a drug-peddling teen. He pretends to be a recruited runaway, believing the peddler will identify his boss. Since I imagine Tom to be 12, I find it far-fetched that infatuation with detection leaves any child willing to risk what he did. He entered the seedy area his Grandparents warned him against and spent a dirty, frightened night with a pusher who evaded security.
I rooted for the female teenager with whom Tom felt safe. She fed him and cared for pigeons, at the dingy apartment she could afford. Renting in the same building, the pusher took advantage of her horribly. He advertised her apartment as a messenger service for violent bosses and addicted customers, who traipsed through at any hour. Although dour, I consider this portion the most valuable lesson for children. Never having a single involvement with drugs, I too learned aspects like that which had never dawned on me. It is a very clear way to teach “beware the crowd you associate with”. I find myself deciding that I approve of this novel after all.
Tom’s Grandparents, with whom he summers in Vancouver, introduce him to policemen. They mention a drug ring and later, he encounters a drug-peddling teen. He pretends to be a recruited runaway, believing the peddler will identify his boss. Since I imagine Tom to be 12, I find it far-fetched that infatuation with detection leaves any child willing to risk what he did. He entered the seedy area his Grandparents warned him against and spent a dirty, frightened night with a pusher who evaded security.
I rooted for the female teenager with whom Tom felt safe. She fed him and cared for pigeons, at the dingy apartment she could afford. Renting in the same building, the pusher took advantage of her horribly. He advertised her apartment as a messenger service for violent bosses and addicted customers, who traipsed through at any hour. Although dour, I consider this portion the most valuable lesson for children. Never having a single involvement with drugs, I too learned aspects like that which had never dawned on me. It is a very clear way to teach “beware the crowd you associate with”. I find myself deciding that I approve of this novel after all.
October 23, 2025
Es una historia interesante. Fue el primer libro que lei de Eric Wilson, y me invitó a seguirlo leyendo.
Es una historia que combina el misterio y accion. Creo que plantea de muy buena manera el peligro de la droga y el narcotrafico para lectores juveniles.
No me pareció una maravilla pero si una buena lectura para adolescentes.
Es una historia que combina el misterio y accion. Creo que plantea de muy buena manera el peligro de la droga y el narcotrafico para lectores juveniles.
No me pareció una maravilla pero si una buena lectura para adolescentes.
October 23, 2012
Lo leí cuando era chica, y creo que es un buen libro para esa edad, para adolescentes.
April 15, 2014
Crecí y Eric Wilson perdió su magia... que triste.
May 23, 2014
El final de la saga de Tom. =D. Genial. Me quedo con Asesinato en el Canadian Express y Pesadilla en Vancúver
July 23, 2017
Un muy buen libro para introducir a niños y jóvenes en la novela de misterio. Me gustó mucho la forma de escribir del autor, muy amena y divertida.
June 26, 2009
Una entretenida novela de detectives para adolescentes.
January 1, 2018
Es el segundo libro que me leo de este escritor y la verdad no me esperaba menos de este libro, la historía esta muy bien pensada al igual que los personajes, simplemente es un libro de esos que cuando lo empiezas no puedes parar de leer 📖.
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June 13, 2018El libro de mi infancia. Enganchado estaba a las aventuras de este muchacho detective.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews