Tin Collectors [Paperback]

Stephen J Cannell (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: BRILLIANCE AUDIO ^ (1980)
• ASIN: B000N641B0
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Cop Story, fast and fun to read., January 23, 2001

By 

Schtinky "Schtinky" (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Tin Collectors (Hardcover)

I have to admit that I love Stephen J. Cannell. The characters in this book all come alive, you meet them, some you like and some you don't. But they all develop and grow, some in a good way and some in a bad way. There are enough twists to keep you reading straight through. The "near misses" that Shane seems to encounter constantly kept me on the edge of my seat. This isn't the first cop story that exposes corruption in high places, but I think that the resolution that Mr. Cannell gives his story has a more realistic ring to it than most. And you can't help but like Shane and Alexa's approach to "information gathering". A fast, fun, engrossing book to read, one of Mr. Cannell's best!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not The Ordinary Cop Story, January 12, 2001

By 

John W. Bates "jaydubyah" (Americus, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tin Collectors (Hardcover)

The Tin Collectors is Cannell's sixth novel. At first blush it seems to be just another basic, good, cop story; but it develops into something more, going beyond the action and plot into relationships. LAPD detective Shane Scully receives a call in the middle of the night from Barbara, his one-time girl friend who is married to his ex-partner, super cop Ray Molar. Ray has gone berserk and she needs help. Shane dashes the five miles to their house and finds Ray about to kill Barbara. When Shane intervenes, Ray tries to shoot him. Shane returns fire in self defense and kills Ray. This is a difficult situation, but Shane knows he is in the right and expects that all will work out. Ha! For reasons Shane cannot figure out, the top administration of the police department quickly elevates the situation to a major affair and turn it over to Internal Affairs. The Internal Affairs Division is informally known as "The Tin Collectors" because of their high rate of convicting cops and collecting their "tin" (badges). Shane's case is assigned to an IAD prosecutor brought back from another assignment. An earlier investigation of Shane in which he was exonerated was one of her few defeats. Several young cops for whom Ray was something of an idol are assigned minor roles in the investigation and make things difficult for Shane. Why are these cops even involved-their normal assignments are far from IAD business? In the end justice prevails, although it takes some skillful writing to resolve the situation without artificial solutions. Along with the standard cop story, Shane is involved with a fifteen year-old problem child. The boy's single mother has asked Shane to let her son, Chooch, stay with him for a month or so in order to have a good male role model. The relationship between the mother, the boy, and Shane is slow to develop, but adds significantly to the overall impact of the book. I thought the book was very slow in the beginning, and almost put it down. I am glad I didn't. It was not until I was nearly through that I realized that Cannell is best known for his screen writing (The Rockford Files, Hunter...). The early pages probably work better on screen than on paper. In retrospect, they visualize very well and do set the stage effectively.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CANNELL SCORES ANOTHER HIT!, December 23, 2000

By 

Nick G - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tin Collectors (Hardcover)

LAPD Detective Shane Scully receives a phone call in the middle of the night from his ex-partner's wife, she is begging for help as her husband is beating her. Scully races to help her, only to be thrust in the middle of an argument that results in death.

The death of his ex-partner will put Scully at the hands of Internal Affairs, as they investigate what appears to be a renegade cop killing. Desperate to save his carreer, Scully begins to uncover a conspiracy that reaches the top of the force.

With nowhere else to turn, he begins looking into the dead officer's past, only to find more mystery of the man he thought he knew.

While trying clear his name and battling Internal Affairs prosecuter, Alexa Hamilton, he must also protect the teenage boy left in his custody by Sandy Sandoval, the LAPD's leading informant.

"The Tin Collectors" is a non-stop ride of action and mystery, with a dynamite plot, and lightning fast pacing.

Stephen J. Cannell is one of the leading writers of escapist fiction, and his new tale should rocket up the bestseller list's.

Readers looking for a novel they can't put down should try this one.

Nick Gonnella