8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More Trouble for Shane, Less Sleep for the Reader, January 13, 2009
ON THE GRIND, the latest Shane Scully page-turner from Stephen J. Cannell, finds Shane's personal and professional life in shambles. The only way he can earn a living is to join a small-town police department in the L.A. Barrio which is rotten to the core with corruption which riddles the entire city government right up to and including the mayor. Never before has he been in such jeopardy, and the big question is, will he fight the corruption he encounters, or will he take part in it?
I always read these Shane Scully books too quickly, because it's so hard to put them down, and that makes the wait for the next book longer. Somehow, Cannell gets better each time up to bat, so my expectations rise and are always exceeded. Some of the material in ON THE GRIND was inspired by actual events covered in various Los Angeles newspapers, which makes it all the more amazing. Don't miss this one!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tight tale of danger and escalating violence, March 26, 2009
Shane Scully is in disgrace. Turned out of the LAPD because of an alleged affair with a suspect, rejected by his wife, and broke, Scully turns to the one police force in the L.A. area that doesn't ask questions. Working with some of the most corrupt cops in the country, Scully soon learns that, in Haven Park, money flows uphill--but a lot of it sticks. Starting with towing legally parked cars, but going up from there, the entire city has turned into a piggy bank for the mayor and his cronies--with the cops serving both as enforcers and as legal protection.
From the mayor's perspective, there's one fly in the ointment--a former boxer is mounting a clean-up campaign. If he wins, the Haven Park P.D. will be out of their jobs, the money line stops, and the mayor will probably end up in jail. The mayor sees Scully as the perfect man to solve his problems.
Scully's options are limited. The other cops on the force don't trust him, he's constantly searched for wires, and they always seem to know where he goes when he's off duty. Letting the opposition candidate be murdered isn't in the cards--but neither can Scully figure out a way to keep himself, or the candidate, safe no matter what he does. When the police go wrong, all of the options are bad.
Author Stephen J. Cannell delivers a tight thriller with escalating stakes, and plenty of action. Scully's world, filled with illegal immigrants, smuggled guns, friction between the Feds and local law enforcement, and opportunists, is intriguing and convincing. I would have liked to see a few more twists and plant/payoffs, but Cannell definitely delivers a story that's easy to get caught up in and hard to put down.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Real Page Flipper!!, May 2, 2009
When you are looking for a book that will not confuse or confound you, a Stephen J. Cannell novel is just what the doctor ordered. Fast paced, cleverly written and page flipping good, this latest of the Shane Scully novels continues to deliver action and excitement which is about all you can ask for a story of this sort.
The Haven Park PD is a haven of lawlessness on the edge of LA and the only place a disgraced LAPD officer can go to find employment. Shane Scully has been given a one way ticket out of the LAPD after a felony misconduct charge involving solicitation of murder. His wife is divorcing him. His son has disowned him. He is at the bottom of the barrell which adequately describes the HPPD.
As you might expect and soon find out, all is not as it seems as Scully is pulled into an underover role that is as dangerous as they come. These cops play for real.
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