Vigilante

Disgraced after being fired from the police force and then jailed for a short stint, vigilante, Nixon Nash reinvents himself and becomes a reality TV talk show host. His angle is getting to beat the cops to crime scenes and solving them first. At his most recent scene he gives the cops an ultimatum: join him and work as a team or prepare to be publicly humiliated. <br />Shane Scully doesn't think he is as out for the public interest as his foremost objective and is not happy about his methods. He does not plan on following Nash's demands, but Scully might have underestimated just how far this egotist is willing to go when anyone gets in the way of his determination to rule the ratings? <br />A whirlwind of highly intense, fast-past action, and dynamic characters, <i>Vigilante</i> is one heck of a ride, and the best of the series I have encountered to date. That's saying a lot since I think they are all very good.<br />Scott Brick is always amazing and makes listening a delight.

I am a winner for a first reads! I wanted to win this for 2 reasons:<br /><br />1. I love mysteries<br />2. I have read almost all of J.Kellerman, J.A. Jance, and Robert B. Parker as well as Nevada Barr, Dana Stabenow and Sue Grafton and I was looking for a new mystery series writer with characters that are flawed but likable! This was it!<br /><br />This was my first read of a Cannell and I was not disappointed. In fact, I read it in 2 days because I found it hard to put down. (even now it is late, but I won't sleep until I write this review).<br /><br />It has just the right amount of suspense all the way through and I really liked the way the 2 detectives worked together. Shane Scully is the first person narrator and Hitch is his partner who got rich by selling a story of a case he solved to a movie studio. Despite the difference in their financial situation, they respect each other.<br /><br />They work in Homicide Special Division in L.A. and catch a murder that involves a woman who has been filing charges against the police. But it gets stickier than that when a reality TV show host challenges them to find the murderer before he does. His goal is to prove how imcompetent the police are. So then when some evidence leads them to arrest one of their own on the suspicion of murder, they are entangled in a web I didn't know how they were going to work out of. <br /><br />The book is a fast, engaging, earthy, suspenseful and sometimes witty read that would keep any murder mystery fan guessing about the outcome til the very end. Highly recommend and I will be seeking out more of his books with these characters- I am so sorry this is his last book.<br /> <br /><br /><br />

LAPD detectives Shane Scully and his partner Hitch are called to a neighborhood with lots of gang activity where the dead body belongs to Lita Mendez. She hated the police, filing hundreds of complaints against them, and they felt the same way about her. Outside the house, even before the detectives get there, a TV crew led by Nix Nash is filming. Nix is an ex-law enforcement officer, then lawyer, then prison inmate and now reality TV show host who loves to attack police and show how foolish they look. The only clues the detectives start off with are a smell of garlic in the air and a coffee cup with fancy coffee dregs at the bottom.<br /><br />I enjoyed this book from 2011. I looked for it due to a recommendation that popped up on my Goodreads page. I like books that show all the steps the detectives take to solve a crime. Scully and Hitch think outside the box. I didn't realize this book was #11 in a series so that means 10 more books to read. The hot Texas heat has me inside under the air conditioning so lots of hours to catch up on reading.

Vigilante is the 11th novel in the Shane Scully series by Stephen J. Cannell, acclaimed and prolific TV and novel writer, who is recently deceased. I was notified by Goodreads that I had won an advance copy of this novel. But when I saw that it was #11 in the series, I quickly downloaded #1, The Tin Collectors (2001) to my Kindle so I could have a little insight into the main character. However, after finishing Vigilante, I don't feel that I missed anything at all by not having read most of the books in the series. Like most main characters in police procedurals these days, Shane Scully is a flawed character with a very big heart, which usually gets him into trouble. The series takes place in L.A., Cannell's hometown. Shane Scully's partner is Sumner Hitchens, who became a millionaire by selling murder cases to the movies, one of which was a smash hit. (A bit like Cannell himself, although to my knowledge, Cannell was never in law enforcement.) <br /><br />Scully and Hitchens are posted to Homicide Special, an elite investigations unit and Scully gets a cell call about a murder that is too sensitive to talk about on the cell phone. He and Hitch go right to the scene, where they find Nixon Nash, a supposed police watchdog, from Vigilante-TV already set up with cameras rolling. (What's up with that?) Nash is a former Florida Marine Patrol officer who is forced to resign over an error in procedure on a very important case. He then becomes a lawyer and gets caught embezzling his own law firm. Nash spends 18 months in prison, writes a book while there, is released and he goes to Miami where he starts a local show called Vigilante TV, which is quickly syndicated. His M.O. is to ferret out police corruption and throw a big spotlight on police incompetence. <br /><br />Lying dead inside the house is another big thorn in LAPD's side, Lita Mendez, a community activist whose self-appointed job it is to start civil actions and Internal Affairs complaints against the LAPD for supposed violations of gang members and other community persons rights. She had just moved into this house. LAPD is less than thrilled by her actions, Internal Affairs captain Stephanie Madrid has filed restraining orders against Mendez. Mendezes husband, Lester, an ex-cop who retired from a SIS unit which was shut down due to extreme violence becomes part of the mix. The prior tenant of the house has an argument with the victim over a ceiling fan left in the house. There's a mysterious garlic smell in the house, an unknown coffee cup outside in the bushes, an unsolved cold case whose vic might have been dating one of the persons of interest, a party on the H.M.S. Bounty, and a similar slash and burn scenario in Atlanta where Nash last set up his cameras. And Nash is feeding Scully and Hitch information about the case that may or may not be a set up. The brass want this cleared in a hurry. <br /><br />It was a terriffic ride right down to a big "wow" on my part near the end. Even if I hadn't read book #1 prior to starting the advance copy, I wouldn't have needed any background. The novel stands by itself, although knowing some background obviously makes the characters even more interesting and developed. <br /><br />I am definitely going to read the others in this series. <br />flag <br />

I enjoyed the fast pace, the working friendships, the portrait of a marriage that thrives despite the police careers of both partners—or maybe even because of the shared stresses and the way they understand each other. The in-depth details of police work were fascinating, and the story engaged with the issue of conflicted police-community relations without taking sides or preaching. It’s part of the realistic setting. I loved the way Hitchens and Scully cracked the case through attention to subtle clues. Hitchens is more likeable and interesting than Scully, but that’s partly an effect of point of view. The narrator, Scully, is more observant of others than he is self-revealing, so he is harder to get to know even though he’s telling the story. The first person POV blunts a certain amount of the tension, because obviously the narrator survives, but there’s enough tension to go around that this seldom weakens the suspense. <br /><br />I suspect the author consciously chose to build a scene around a certain old-fashioned form of peril that was used in a number of late nineteenth century plays and satirized in several popular silent comedies. It doesn’t seem possible that he wrote this particular scene without awareness of its historical antecedents, and I bet he had fun plotting it. I would have fun saying what it is, but that would be a spoiler. (No, the protagonist does not hang from a cliff.)<br />

Vigilante is the 11th novel in the Shane Scully series by Stephen J. Cannell, acclaimed and prolific TV and novel writer, who is recently deceased. I was notified by Goodreads that I had won an advance copy of this novel. But when I saw that it was #11 in the series, I quickly downloaded #1, The Tin Collectors (2001) to my Kindle so I could have a little insight into the main character. However, after finishing Vigilante, I don't feel that I missed anything at all by not having read most of the books in the series. Like most main characters in police procedurals these days, Shane Scully is a flawed character with a very big heart, which usually gets him into trouble. The series takes place in L.A., Cannell's hometown. Shane Scully's partner is Sumner Hitchens, who became a millionaire by selling murder cases to the movies, one of which was a smash hit. (A bit like Cannell himself, although to my knowledge, Cannell was never in law enforcement.) <br /><br />Scully and Hitchens are posted to Homicide Special, an elite investigations unit and Scully gets a cell call about a murder that is too sensitive to talk about on the cell phone. He and Hitch go right to the scene, where they find Nixon Nash, a supposed police watchdog, from Vigilante-TV already set up with cameras rolling. (What's up with that?) Nash is a former Florida Marine Patrol officer who is forced to resign over an error in procedure on a very important case. He then becomes a lawyer and gets caught embezzling his own law firm. Nash spends 18 months in prison, writes a book while there, is released and he goes to Miami where he starts a local show called Vigilante TV, which is quickly syndicated. His M.O. is to ferret out police corruption and throw a big spotlight on police incompetence. <br /><br />Lying dead inside the house is another big thorn in LAPD's side, Lita Mendez, a community activist whose self-appointed job it is to start civil actions and Internal Affairs complaints against the LAPD for supposed violations of gang members and other community persons rights. She had just moved into this house. LAPD is enraged by her actions, Internal Affairs captain Stephanie Madrid has filed restraining orders against Mendez. Mendezes husband, Lester, an ex-cop who retired from a SIS unit which was shut down due to extreme violence becomes part of the mix. The prior tenant of the house has an argument with the victim over a ceiling fan left in the house. There's a mysterious garlic smell in the house, an unknown coffee cup outside in the bushes, an unsolved cold case whose vic might have been dating one of the persons of interest, a party on the H.M.S. Bounty, and a similar slash and burn scenario in Atlanta where Nash last set up his cameras. And Nash is feeding Scully and Hitch information about the case that may or may not be a set up. The brass want this cleared in a hurry. <br /><br />It was a terriffic ride right down to a big "wow" on my part near the end. Even if I hadn't read book #1 prior to starting the advance copy, I wouldn't have needed any background. The novel stands by itself, although knowing some background obviously makes the characters even more interesting and developed. <br /><br />I am definitely going to read the others in this series.

*Rating* 4.0<br />*Genre* Murder, Mystery, Thriller, Last book of series, Shane Scully<br /><br />*Review*<br /><br />Vigilante (Shane Scully #11) is the final novel in the Shane Scully series after writer, and TV producer Stephen J. Cannell passed away in September 2010. Unless another writer gets the families permission to continue this story, this is good-bye.<br /><br />Quote of the book - "Sometimes this job really kicks ass," Hitch after he and Scully solve a cold case murder that everyone thought was dead and buried by incompetent police officers with one foot out the door towards retirement.<br /><br />The story is a mystery right from the very start. LAPD’s Homicide Special Squad Detectives Scully and Hitch are forced to ask tough questions after coming across a dead boy of a rather annoying, but famous trouble maker in a neighborhood known for gangs and drugs.<br /><br />The questions begin immediately: Who killed Lolita "Lita" Mendez LAPD's most vocal critic and pain in the ass? Was it a police officer, or a gang banger for whom she tried to protect by filing numerous frivolous complaints? Why was she killed in the first place? Was it because she knew too many secrets about the LAPD, or was it because she was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and was set up for the fall to make someone else look brilliant by solving her murder?<br /><br />If you followed America's Most Wanted, this would be like the host of that show turning up in your town and bringing his circus with him. He would first aim complaints directly at the police department and make claims that he can solve the major crime of the day before the cops. <br /> <br />In this case, Nixon Nash is a host of Vigilante TV who has made numerous enemies out of various police forces, including the Atlanta PD, by stepping on their shoes, and making them look stupid. Nix has a bunch of former police officers, lawyers, district attorneys, and even a judge at his beck and call.<br /><br />For Scully, this case will try the very fiber of his being and put his career in jeopardy as Nix knows that the only way to get what he wants is to ruin the careers of officers like Scully.<br />Thankfully, this story plays out exactly like we expect from a Cannell novel. The bad guy is revealed after making some idiotic commentary, and good police work by both Scully and Hitch lead to the eventual downfall of the killer as well as solving a cold case and settling the minds of the victims’ family.<br /><br />When I thought The Prostitutes' Ball (Shane Scully #10) was the last book of this series, I said I shall miss this series. I’ll miss it because of Scully, Alexa, Hitch, Chooch, and their adventurers and relationships. It's been a nice ride which unfortunately had to end. <br />

I was fortunate to receive an early review copy of Stephen Cannell’s Vigilante, a Shane Scully novel. This was my first time reading Cannell and even though it’s the 11th Shane Scully novel, I had no problem jumping into the story.<br /><br />Shane Scully and his partner, Sumner Hitchens, get handed a hot case. The murder of Lita Mendez, a gang activist with a long history of filing complaints and making enemies in the police department. To make it hotter, Nixon Nash, host of the show, Vigilante, shows up and plans to make the case the centerpiece of his show. A show which has embarrassed police and ended careers in other cities in previous seasons. <br /><br />This was a fast-paced, well-written and entertaining crime mystery. The characters were nicely developed and engaging. There were enough suspects to keep you uncertain who the killer was, without feeling misled with flimsy red herrings. It was also refreshing to have a protagonist who was fairly well-adjusted, without a drinking or drug problem, a skeleton in his closet, or some other emotional or moral problem to overcome. Just a good investigator in trying circumstances.<br /><br />Nix Nash was a villiain you love to hate. A smarmy tv host with a checkered past and vast resources. His actions and the motives behind them keep you guessing until the end. <br /><br />This book is in some ways an old fashioned gumshoe detective novel, but with a modern twist in the form of a tv investigation racing with the detective to solve the crime. Cannell skillfully blends the two different worlds into an entertaining novel. An interesting detective along with a complicated cast of villains and suspects makes for a very good read. I look forward to checking out other Cannell/Scully books. Recommended for any fan of crime fiction and mystery novels.

Stephen J. Cannell, the novel and TV writer who died a year ago, leaves his readers panting for breath with “Vigilante,’’ a signature final thriller in his Shane Scully series. One expects Scully to any minute emerge from a downtown Los Angeles alleyway and run smack into Joseph Wambaugh’s Hollywood Nate or Ed McBain’s Steve Carella.<br /><br />The novel opens with Scully, a detective in an elite investigations unit, watching a rug-wrapped bum urinate against the side of a landmark downtown building that is home to LAPD’s Internal Affairs. Scully’s “first cop dilemma of the day’’ is whether to arrest the guy and stink up the inside of his Acura. He’s rescued by an urgent call to a homicide scene so sensitive the dispatcher won’t give the victim’s name over cell transmission. The address is on a block ruled by Evergreen, one of city’s notorious Hispanic gangs.<br /><br />When Scully gets there, the scene is already staked out by “Vigilante TV.’’ Its on-air celebrity, Nixon Nash, is a former cop and disbarred attorney whose favored tactic is putting arresting officers on trial.<br />Scully soon realizes why Nash and his cameras are there. The victim, Lita Mendez, has been a vocal police critic and gang activist, personally responsible for hundreds of complaints that led to the demotion of numerous officers. Nash has hot tips he’s eager to pass along, but Scully is wary of being set up by a man more invested in taking down the police than tracking down killers.<br /><br />With its meticulously crafted plot fueled by adrenaline and crackling dialogue, this novel could be used to teach a TV scriptwriting class. The shoes keep on dropping right up to the final page.<br /><br />Review published in The Boston Globe 12/25/2011

Vigilante by Stephen J. Cannell<br />First, I wish to convey that I felt a great honor to have been chosen to read and review, Stephen J. Cannell’s final book; and it did not disappoint.<br />I have read only one other Cannell book, At First Sight: A Novel of Obsession. It was witty and delightful.<br />The same cannot be said for Vigilante. Cannell has mixed a TV reality show, which competes with police departments to solve murders that have become embarrassments within their communities, with a dead activist, a possible corrupt IA office, and Shane Scully his protagonist.<br />Scully is not entirely a by- the- book cop. He is thorough, intuitive (no paranormal talents here), and dedicated. However, he is also stubborn, occasionally self-deprecating, and has a bad habit of not calling for back up. <br />The TV reality show is headed by an ex-law enforcement officer (the Florida Marine patrol), an ex-lawyer turned ex-convict (five in the pen for embezzlement), and narcissistic Nix Nash. It seems the only intent of the show is to suggest that every police department is full of corruption and negligent loafers.<br />Scully thinks Nash has something more nefarious up his sleeve and he doesn’t intend to let this goldbricker get the better of him.<br />Vigilante is tightly woven with very little spurious descriptions or adjunct window dressing. While there is some coarse language, it is not used so excessively that it distracts from the story. It is primarily used in appropriate situations rather than salaciously. In addition, this is an easy smooth read. <br />I knew I would miss Mr. Cannell’s imagination and his TV shows, but I now know that I will miss reading new Scully novels, as well.<br /><br />