On the Grind

Accused of evidence tampering and having an affair with a movie starlet, Shane Scully is fired by the LA police department and estranged from his wife. The only police department that will hire him is the City of Haven Park, widely regarded as a hotbed of corruption.

I have read numerous of Stephen J. Cannell's novels including some featuring Shane Scully. The novel preceding this in the Scully series, Three Shirt Deal, is very good so I had every reason to expect a fast-paced, interesting read. Wrong! This is one of the most boring books I have read in a long time. The plot is completely predictable and plodding. Even the "exciting" conclusion is boring. I suppose I will give the next Scully novel a chance—Cannell has built up that show more much credit with me— but if it begins like this one I doubt I will stick with it past the first 50 pages. show less

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: 1/6/2009; St. Martin's Press, First Edition; ISBN 978-0312366285; 320 pages.
Audio: 1/6/2009; Brilliance Audio; Duration 7:12:00; Unabridged
Feature Film or tv: Not that I know of.

SERIES: Shane Scully book 8

Major characters (recurring):
Shane Scully--LAPD
Alexandra (Alexa) Scully—LAPD
Chooch—Shane’s son, Alexa’s step-son

SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
My husband and I enjoyed this 8th book in the Shane Scully series which begins with Shane having to seek new employment and move out of his house due to behavior unbecoming an officer, or a husband, or a father. What’s up with THAT? We found out and if you’ve been following this series up to this point, you should too.

AUTHOR:
Stephen Cannell (February 5, 1941 – show more September 30, 2010). According to Wikipedia, Stephen “was an American television producer, writer, novelist, and occasional actor, and the founder of Cannell Entertainment (formerly Stephen J. Cannell Productions) and the Cannell Studios.

After starting his career as a television screenwriter, Cannell created or co-created several dozen successful TV series from the 1970s to the 1990s, often with his creative partner Frank Lupo. Cannell's creations included The Rockford Files, The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero, 21 Jump Street, and The Commish. He also wrote novels, notably the Shane Scully mystery series.”
This book merits my reading the entire series. 😊

NARRATOR:
Scott Brick. (January/30/1966).
Sn excerpt from IMDB:
“Actor, screenwriter and audiobook narrator Scott Brick definitely gives new meaning to a hyphenate career with credits in film, television, stage and radio. Born on January 30, 1966 in Santa Barbara, California, Brick studied both acting and writing at UCLA, and joined the ranks of working professionals upon leaving school in 1989.”
Scott’s “and THEN, would you believe . . .” edgy tone is perfect for this series.

GENRE:
Mystery; Fiction; Thriller; Detective; Suspense; Crime; Police Procedure

LOCATIONS:
Los Angeles, Venice Beach, (Haven and Fleetwood—fictitious Los Angeles communities)

TIME FRAME:
Contemporary

SUBJECTS:
Corruption; Gangs; Los Angeles; Bad Cops;

DEDICATION:
"This book is dedicated to Reuben Cannon, my old friend and brother from another mother. He makes me laugh, insists I pray before meals, and always makes me look to my better self.
Love you, Reub."

SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From Chapter 1:
“Five minutes later I was in Lieutenant Matthews’s car with the two IOs. One was named Stan. I didn’t catch the other guy’s name. Not much talk as we headed to Parker Center, with Alexa following us in her silver BMW a few car lengths behind. I had fallen from respected member of society and guardian of the public trust to detestable scum in the eyes of the three men riding in that maroon Crown Vic with me. In their eyes, I was a turncoat. A cop gone bad.
I thought I knew what to expect, but the truth was I had little idea of what lay before me, little understanding of the mess I had so willingly stepped into.
But that’s life. I guess if you could see all the dead ends and blind turns, it wouldn’t be as interesting. At least that’s what I kept telling myself.
The windshield wipers on the detective plain-wrap slapped at the rain as we rushed along the 10 Freeway in the dead of night, the tires singing in the rain cuts. No red light, no siren. Just a maroon Ford with four stone-faced cops. All of us in the diamond lane, heading toward the end of my career at breakneck speed.”

RATING:
4 stars. Always entertaining.

STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
2-25-2022 to 3-5-2022 show less

Charged with a felony misconduct in a high-profile solicitation of murder case, Scully is faced with an impossible decision; either quietly resign from a detective for the LAPD or face criminal prosecution, Scully chooses to leave. Scully goes undercover within the Haven Park PD, just one square mile in size and populated almost entirely by Mexican immigrants, most of them illegal, the department is a hotbed of corruption.

I read this for the Just For Fun Challenge which encourages reading one book that has been on the TBR shelf for a long time and without doing a review. I still rated this book though and I loved it.

GOOD