7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the Cannell I loved..:-((, December 28, 2011
I was so shocked when I heard that Stephen J Cannell had died. I felt like I had lost a member of my own family. I happened to be trolling the new release section on Amazon, and saw this book, Vigilante, was being released in December. I was thrilled! I immediately put in my advance order, and couldn't wait to read the final book in the Shane Scully series. In fact, when it arrived, I hesitated on reading it right away, as I wanted it to last a long time.
So, when I finally started reading Vigilante, I was a bit confused. It wasn't that long ago that I had read The Prostitute's Ball. Did I remember the characters ever behaving this way? Was this really the Shane Scully and his beautiful wife, Alexa, head of the homicide detective division, that I had grown to love and admire? What happened to them making love at least 2-3 times per book, and their meaningful collaborations? Where is their beloved son Chooch, who was barely a footnote in this entire book?
When did Shane start feeling like everyone had more than him? Why didn't he pet his cat more?! Since when was Shane concerned about his career when he was always like a stinger missile locked on a target?
I felt the plot for Vigilante could have been exciting, and a great finale of a great series, by an extraordinary writer. Instead, I felt a bit ripped off; like someone else either wrote this book, or finished this from an outline or draft. This has happened with several authors; Dick Francis, who handed over his empire to his son, Felix, and the Ludlum series, the Robert B Parker series, etc. and all of these books had an additional author name on them, the exception being the Parker series.
I lost count of the number of times Shane said "I think we're being set up". Well, I feel like I was set up. I feel that if someone else assisted in writing this book, the fans should know this, and then, consider it when deciding to purchase the book.
One of the things I always admired about Cannell's books were the exciting twists and turns, and the obscure references that a police "insider" would know. This book was predictable, mildly exciting, and for me, a sad let down. I feel just awful giving this book a 3. The only other book he wrote that I didn't like was a stand alone book called At First Sight.
If Vigilante was truly written 100% by Mr. Cannell before he passed away, I would love to know this. It is quite possible that if he did write this, he probably wasn't feeling that well, and I would then look at this book in an entirely different light.
If you have never read one of Stephen Cannell's books, I would highly recommend going back to the beginning and reading the Scully series in order...it's great to read how the characters evolved over the years, and most of the stories were fantastic. His other stand alone novels were great too.
Mr. Cannell, Rest in Peace...and thank you for all the wonderful adventures you gave me through your television shows and your novels. You were one of the all time greats, and will be sorely missed.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great, December 12, 2011
I had not read from this author before and I was just thrilled to find a new, good writer. I like police novels and especially the books like Connolly's books. This was also similar: good detective work, action, and surprises in plot.
Shane Scully is a fictional Detective III in the LAPD. Alexa and Scully live with Chooch Scully, who is Shane Scully's son.Shane Scully seems to be a tough cop who can bend the rules in order to get things done. Detective Scully and his partner Hitchens have a tough case ahead and they fear the worst: that there's a killer in blue, walking among the police ranks. Because the dead person is a woman who was not a popular person among the LAPD police. She was an activist and had made many complaints against the police forces. No wonder, no one was happy to be assigned to investigate her death.
I had not read the previous novels but this novel stands by itself, although knowing some background obviously makes the characters even more interesting if I had read the previous novels (and I probably will do so now). If you are looking for a great action novel then this is the right book for you!!!!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fast paced police procedural...it never slows down!, December 29, 2011
Detective Shane Scully is out to protect his fellow officers against a successful "Vigilante" reality show host. The host is a disgraced ex-cop named Nash Nix. Nix recently brought down the Atlanta PD over a botched murder case. Now he is out to get the LAPD when a cop hating gang member is murdered and a member of the LAPD may be guilty of the crime. Scully along with his screenplay selling partner, Hitchens, will make Nix's efforts very difficult.
I am a huge fan of the Scully novels and this final installment is another supremely well written police procedural by the late great Stephen J. Cannell. The story is fast paced. It never lets up and will keep you guessing while on the edge of your seat until the final arrest is made.
Scully's quick wit, dry humor, and police slang still exist. Characters continue to get straight to the point and express themselves sometimes in not so lovely ways (ex. "If I have to rip out a few yards of someone's colon to prove it, I will."). Scully still proves he is not all cop. He expresses his love for his beautiful wife, the Head of Detectives, Captain Alexa Scully and their college aged son, Chooch. Once again, Cannell brings more images of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas that had me taking time to Google new locations, such as, The Bradbury Bldg, Evergreen Cemetery and the Angeles National Forest.
Shane Scully's life and many adventures were explored through the previous 11 books and since this (the 12th) seems to be the last; this is my vision of the future:
Shane and Alexa honorably retire from the LAPD. Their son Chooch graduates from USC and becomes what Shane wanted by "running a large multi-national corporation or something". Shane and Alexa spend their evenings sitting in their backyard lounge chairs, drinking cold beers and holding hands while taking in the beauty of the those famous Venice Canals.
RIP in Mr. Cannell. Oh, how I will miss your words!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
