Hollywood Tough

Shane Scully #3

by Stephen J. Cannell

Back on the LAPD and hailed as a hero after taking down a deadly gang of rogue cops in The Viking Funeral, Shane Scully finds himself unwittingly involved in a criminal scheme to take over the movie business. Soon, he will have to go deep undercover to take down a Hollywood conspiracy.

At a glamorous party with his new wife, Alexandra, Shane hears a world famous director make an ominous remark about the strange deaths of his ex-wives. This is more than police business, it’s personal: Alexandra’s closest friend is engaged to the producer.

When he looks closer, Scully discovers that the director’s mysterious past may hide deadly secrets. To uncover them, he must work alongside a former down-and-outer-turned-Hollywood impresario to infiltrate the movie business’s violent dark side, a world where deals are settled with handshakes but broken with the spilling of blood, and where the danger to Shane’s loved ones is all too real.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Audiobook

376 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2002

About the author

Stephen J. Cannell 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.

Cannell created or co-created several successful TV series from the 1970s to the 1990s. Creations included The Rockford Files, The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero, 21 Jump Street, and The Commish. He was an Emmy winner and was awarded The Eye - Lifetime Achievement Award by the Private Eye Writers of America.

Reviews

[Brendon Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third book in this Detective series and doesnt quite hit the highs the other ones had. The first two books I gave 5 stars. This plot was a little convoluted at times and took a while to get going.

It does have plenty of shootouts, a movie being produced by the LAPD, A list actors who are not who they seem, mobsters, crips and blood gangbangers and plenty of suspense. I really liked that Chooch Shanes son had a bigger role in this book.

Its enjoyable but nothing compared to the first two in the series.

[Leon Aldrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of: Vince Flynn, Lee Child, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, John Sanford or James Lee Burke, then you owe it to yourselves and your children's children, to read this series!

It don't get much better than this.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took awhile to get it's act together as you have Carol, Farrell and Darrel (I mean Amac...). And all their stories have to come together. They do! It is a 4 star book till the end. Jack it up another one :)

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this guy was a big-time TV writer, but apparently TV writing is very different from book writing. The story is okay but the writing is terrible. I suspect he got a book deal based solely on his Hollywood cache. He did make one of my favorite 80s shows, 21 Jump Street, so I don't want to trash the guy, but this was bad.
It seemed like it should be written in first person. Shane was in every scene. Nothing happened behind his back. Why wasn't he the narrator?
There were some parts that should have been cut because they were pointless or needlessly descriptive. The two dream scenes made no sense and added nothing. And I didn't need a description of the lock-picking process. Just say he picked the lock!
The descriptors were odd and overused. Multiple things were "little," most annoyingly, "the little grifter" over and over and over. Two guys were "wiry," one was additionally a wiry geek. Reading Day-Glo Dago over and over and over made me want to put a sharp stick in my eye.
Finally, the dialogue was horrendous! People do not speak the way he wrote. I have lived in Jersey almost my entire life and I have never once said "youse," nor have I ever heard anyone else actually say it.
The best part of this book was Franco. I'll keep watching 21 Jump Street, but I'll spare myself the aggravation of reading any more of Mr. Cannell's books.

[Melliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was both hokey and cheesy. Some of it was also entertaining, especially the way the separate crime stories ultimately came together, but...it was really hard to tell when he was being ironic and when he was being serious. And because some of it was obviously ironic or satirical, it didn't fit too well with the parts that were "straight." Maybe a 2.5.

[Daniel Farkas (Inactive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, the cycle of bad books has been broken! 🎉😃🥂🕺

While not as good as the first two entries, it was still pretty fun. Eccentric Hollywood producers, writers and actors, wise guys, mobsters, gang-wars. Action-packed, fast paced but also has a lot of heart. One of the things that I really appreciate in Cannell's writing is that his characters develop over time. They don't stay the same. They learn from their experiences and grow. Shane, Alexa and Chooch are amazing characters, to be honest, and the way the deal with problems that come their wat is nothing short of amazing. Chooch is defo coming into his own and shows a trength of character (not surprising though, as Cannell inserted into this series what he did insert to all of his works: main characters with strong moral fiber. Not perfect, very flawed, but always doing the right thing).

I also loved the nods Cannell made for his past shows he produced/created. The entire plot is pretty much taken from the Dead Dog Record story-arc from "Wiseguy" (with few changes, of course). There were mentions of "Hunter" (one of my all-time favorite shows) which was also awesome. And I could swear I felt the spirit of Donnie "Dogs" DiBarto from "Silk Stalkings" in Valentine- there were defo some similarities. Only the dog was missing, to be honest 😁. There were many scenes and one liners that referenced his past show, and this entry indeed felt like a love letter to Hollywood.

4 stars, leaning into 4.5. Fun, action-packed, fast paced, great humor and lots of heart and great characters. Really, what more can you ask for (and expect from the master himself?)



She got up, grabbed her beaded bag off the vinyl seat of the booth, hesitated, then snatched up the cocktail napkin, put it inside her purse, and snapped it shut. She gave Shane a timid smile, then hurried out the door.
How did the prettiest girl in Teaneck, New Jersey, end up selling her body to strangers on Adams Avenue? Some things, while on the one hand were easy to understand, at the same time defied all human logic.

Why were the losers affecting him so much lately? A few years ago he could have looked at Carol White, put the cuffs on her, and never looked back. But now it was almost as if he felt responsible for her plight, as if she existed in her current wretched state because Shane Scully had not done his job correctly, had somehow failed her personally. He knew that cops usually couldn't change the way things were, but since the Viking case, he had started to see the remnants of humanity inside all of these human flameouts.
He had looked past the surface of Carol White. Behind her red-rimmed eyes he could see the beautiful girl from Teaneck, New Jersey, still alive inside looking out at him, bewildered at how she'd ended up this way.
And that's what haunted him. That's what was ruining this beautiful windswept day.

"Why are you doing this to me?"
Shane moved around the desk, sat on the corner, and looked down at Nicky, who seemed terrified of him, or Valentine, or maybe just of life in general. "Nicky, you used me to find Carol. I found her, and I don't know how it happened, but she got to me. Some part of me, Nicky, has been sitting around lately wondering why I'm here, why I'm a cop, why I even bother anymore. But when I saw her hanging from that rafter, I promised myself somebody was gonna finally give a shit what happened to Carolyn White. If Dennis Valentine killed her, he's going down for it. And if I have to waste you to make that happen, that works, too."

"He gets more ass than a redneck at a reunion..."

Valentine switched subjects quickly, pointing disgustedly at Shane's plate. "Y'know how long some of that meat's gonna live in your intestines?" he said.
"Not long… I shit logs."
"Yeah, you laugh, but most Americans carry around ten pounds of undigested meat in their colons. You're killing yourself one bite at a time."
"I'd rather be dead than hungry," Shane said as he took another bite. "We can compare notes in hell."

"You haven't met Paul Lubick. When they were passing out assholes, this guy got one with fangs".

"Yeah, China. Tell him about the Hunter thing." Dennis grinned.
"Yes, well, the TV show Hunter, starring Fred Dryer, was on in China in the mid-eighties. First American TV show to ever play there. The producers didn't get much money for it, 'cause the TV business in China is small and government-owned. But that show had a huge cultural impact. After it ran, democracy gained a foothold. There is a good cause-and-effect case to be made that the rise of democratic thought in China paralleled the popularity of that show." Lee Postil was coming to life now. "The Chinese people saw Hunter driving around in Bel-Air, saw the big homes, and it made them want democracy. After Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government threw the show off the national network, and it never played there again."

"... This isn't about being a cop. It's about being a man. You always tell me that a man has to live with the consequences of his actions. Well, I can't live with the consequences of inaction. You told me on my birthday last year that from now on, you're going to treat me as an equal. But I guess that's just when nothing's at stake. Now that someone I really care about is in danger, you're telling me I'm a kid, that I don't really have a vote."

"Senor…" Delfina was looking only at Shane now, her eyes boring into him while choosing her words with care. "My cousin is rifa. You know this word? He is special-the very best. But he fights for things so big, he has made bad choices to win. He worries about the movimiento and our clica. He fights for his people, but his weapons are wrong. He uses drugs and guns. These things give him money, and money gives him power, but they also enslave the children he hopes one day to free. He knows this and it tortures him. He cannot sleep. He is up half the night pacing. He wants to be a force for good. He wants to change the laws, to affect the politics here in El Norte, but without the drugs he has no leverage. This dilemma is destroying him. He carries it all on his back. It is making him desperate, and one day soon it will cause his death."

Shane often thought that guilt was like poison, that each person had only a limited amount they could absorb. Once you hit your saturation point, guilt got its shot at you. It would knock you down and feed on you, weakening you until you could no longer stand the consequences of your actions. Guilt could drive you in dangerous directions, push you up against defining prerogatives and ugly realities. It seemed to him that cops were especially susceptible. They saw the worst of society and often got the worst. They wore thin armor constructed out of cynicism and disdain, but often got pushed into dark emotional corners where they ended the struggle by chewing on their own gun barrels. Carol had pushed Shane slightly closer to his own psychological and emotional edge. Pushed him there because, since Alexa and Chooch had come into his life, he had started to feel. He had started to care. But feelings were sloppy, untidy emotions that, in law enforcement, were a terrible liability.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like much of the television that Stephen J. Cannell has written and produced. It turns out that his fiction writing isn't too bad, either. I liked this. It's not ground-breaking or earth-shattering or by any means awe-inspiring. But it is pretty good, down-to-earth, fun, detective fiction and kept me turning pages.

As the third story in the Shane Scully series, it picks up after he's become recently married and also found a son he didn't know about. I had not read either of the first two books, but Cannell does a reasonable job of filling in this necessary background as the new story moves along. Both the wife and son become key players in the current tale.

Keep in mind that Cannell is a television writer, so the plots and schemes of Shane Scully and the characters around him are suitably ridiculous and far-fetched. Taking that as a given, the plot is inventive and keeps you guessing. The characters were colorful and well-drawn. The settings might be a bit fuzzy, if you weren't completely familiar with them from hours of network television set in Los Angeles. The prose was easy on the eyes and inner ear, except for a few times where paragraphs suddenly began with the word 'Suddenly' several times in a row.

The other main complaint is that the electronic edition of the book, at least the one downloaded to my Nook device, is full of typos. This seems odd to me, since I would think that a book published in 2003 would have full digital source on file and be fully edited by now. The most noticeable problem was the intermittent substitution of the word 'die' for 'the' (and not in the context of the German language).

[Space · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little better book than the last couple, I think. The premise was still far-reaching and large-scaled, but it seemed a little more realistic. A New Jersey mobster is trying to acquire influence in the movie business. It all ties in with several other storylines, of course. All of which Scully and his wife are investigating. Of course.

The only parts I had trouble believing - and to the point where it actually ejected me from the story for a bit - was where he let himself be talked into allowing his teenage son, Chooch, accompany him on a raid. Yeah, no. No amount of begging would make that happen in real life. And it seemed a bit too easy when all was said and done.

These books, like most movies have the same formula for gunshots that just doesn't sit well with me. If one of the good guys gets shot, it's usually in the shoulder or hip or thigh or something where it can't possibly render permanent danger. Shane is carrying a nine-mil or a MAC-10 or whatever. Single-shot pistols. His attackers are always carrying the shotguns or the automatic weapons, yet somehow, miraculously - and Cannell uses that word a lot when describing their ability to avoid being hit - they never get hit. Or rarely. And then, like I mentioned, it's always superfluous. Fair enough. Makes for a good read. Again, though, on this book, I have to say unless you're just a Cannell fan, or reading the entire Scully series, you can probably find a better read. I'll recommend this one with the series. I'd recommend the series, in fact. I quite like it. But any one of them on their own just aren't fabulous enough to stand out.

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly good. Tight storytelling, decent pace. I wanted to give it four stars, but I'm not sure it could have been improved (except for maybe the gratuitous ethnic slur). These types of stories are, by nature, kind of ephemeral, and I'm sure I'll eventually forget just about every detail but, for the moment, I really enjoyed it.

[Kaye Bleek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down, read 64% in one sitting. I liked the way they began investigating separate crimes, then everything merged into one case. Nice to see the introduction of Chooch’s girlfriend, new characters are a great way of diversifying the story.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this read, all the right stuff included. Well narrated and recommended.

[Vincent Lombardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was going to give it four stars but when a book can make me tear at end, it gets a five.

[Stephen Brayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot

Detective Shane Scully is back in the good graces of the department, hailed as a hero after bringing down a deadly gang of rogue cops in The Viking Funeral. At a glamorous Hollywood party with his new wife, Alexa, Shane overhears a famous producer make a suspicious remark about the strange deaths of his two ex-wives. Is he serious or merely joking around with his coterie of hangers-on? This becomes more than just police business, because the party is to celebrate the engagement of the producer to Alexa’s closest friend.

Against his wife’s wishes, Shane begins to look into this heavy-hitter’s past. At the same time, he becomes aware of a high-profile wiseguy’s attempt to control Hollywood’s unions. He initiates an elaborate and expensive sting operation, actually setting up a phony production company to produce a bogus movie at LAPD expense. The plan is to draw the starstruck wiseguy into revealing his real purpose for coming to L.A. But before long the overbudgeted movie is rocketing into production. Tough, streetwise Scully, who thought he’d seen just about everything, is astounded by the distorted egos and total insanity of the movie business, and while he struggles to keep his sting operation from spinning wildly out of control, he and Alexa find themselves and Shane’s teenaged son, Chooch, involved in something much bigger than they had ever imagined, something that puts all their lives on the line.

My Analysis

There is a lot going on in this story. Who is the movie producer? Who killed the drug addict? What’s with the heating up gang war? What’s the deal with the Jersey mobster in Hollywood?

Shane Scully gets involved in all of these questions.

I like this story. Very intricate with connections weaving in and out. Good side story with Chooch and Scully and their relationship.

Good action and good humor. Scully is the wisecracking detective, undercover again.

Lots of realism in the gang mindset, the mob mindset, and the movie mindset. I like the seriousness mixed with the humor. Nicky is a great weasel of a character, and I loved how talkative he was with Scully but clammed up when around the bigshots.

While you know who the baddies are, you don’t know the connections, and it takes the story to unravel all of them.

Great climax with an expected death.

This is another great one from Cannell.

My rank:

Brown Belt

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was so mediocre, bordering on bad. Why? Because the author created a plot so ridiculous and absurd that I had to fight just chucking my paperback copy in the trash. I don't like to throw books away, but once in awhile.

In this case, Sgt. Scully returns to duty, after discovering a mafioso attempting to infiltrate the unions of Hollywood production. He convinces the LAPD to finance a sting operation in order to obtain evidence and suddenly the LAPD is a major partner in a stinker of a film, with finances spiraling out of control on a film that is NEVER going to be made. Meanwhile a gang war (that may or may not be connected) threatens to tear L.A. apart. Into the mix comes Scully's son, Chooch, (half mexican), who is suddenly acting furtively and causing Shane concern that he is mantaining his former gang connections.

The action is absurdly ridiculous.

The only COOL idea in the whole book was the Mafioso who was eaten up with cancer, losing his vocal chords, etc. who had to use sign language in his meetings, making the recording of the meeting inadmissable in court. A great idea, tossed into a terribly plotted novel. Absurd and convoluted, not really worth anyone's time.

[Carol A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I know Stephen J. Cannell wrote books as well as created TV shows, I've tried to read as much of his novels as I could find ("Final victim" comes to mind right away for me). With a title like "Hollywood Tough", I figured I had a winner; in a way it reminded me of Stuart Woods's "Prince of Beverly Hills" or "Beverly Hills/Bel-Air Deads" books, but with more depth of character & emotional impact. Shane Scully is my kind of sensible renegade (complex character), and his wife Alexa is equally effective and enduring for me. I think Shane's bio son and Alexa's stepson Chooch is also a character the reader can relate to and care about. The plot has many things going, with gang culture, broken dreams, drug smuggling, Hollywood, scams, and the like involved, so I feel there's a lot for a reader to sink their eyes into here.

[Macjest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Carnell's better efforts. Shane Scully's wife has a best friend who is getting married. They go to the Hollywood party and that's where everything gets started. There are too many storylines going that are hard to keep straight. But the part I found really annoying was his use odd descriptions for the characters. He kept using the same phrases over and over. Finally, after spending a huge amount of plot time talking about producing a movie, there was just a quick wrap at the end. What I found even more confusing was how involved and knowledgeable Scully was in the movie business. Yet, in one of the later books where the movie business comes to play, not one reference is made to this book.

[Michael Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

More slam-bang action from Stephen J. Cannell, with Shane Scully and his wife and son -- but with a whole new bunch from the movie industry. Ooooops, I mean the film industry.
The crime, especially with all the gang members, is sad and scary, but the bit about Hollywood is often funny, when it isn't being true-to-life ridiculous.
So far, I have not been disappointed in any Cannell book, but this one adds a layer: At the end, thanking the people who help him turn out these great books, he mentions that he is dyslexic.
To me, this adds poignancy, but it also makes me even more admiring.
It also explains some of the unevenness of the writing in some of his books.
I strongly recommend "Hollywood Tough," and every other book from author Cannell.

[David Freas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been over 5 years since I read a Shane Scully book and I’d forgotten how good the series was.

This third entry in the series has Shane and Alexa squaring off against a mob effort to take over the film industry while Alexa also copes with a brewing gang war.

Cannell, creator of many hit TV series like The Rockford Files and The A Team, knew how to tell a story. And he showcases that talent here in a story full of twist, turns, and unique characters.

If you’re looking for a thrilling police procedural series, give this one a try. But start with The Tin Collectors the first book in the series.

[Nancy Chiok · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is entertaining and an easy read.

Typically, when it comes to action books like this, I seems to have Bruce Willis cast as Scully already.

The author was also jovial in some parts of the novel which makes me want to finish the whole series.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would make a great video. But then that was Cannell’s specialty. Really enjoyable story about a mob sting using a movie production to set the stage. Scully and his family all play a part in catching the bad guys here.

[Dad4525 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book

[Katie Sunsdahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first two

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detective Shane Scully, while investigating a crime , finds out what it takes to make a movie in Hollywood.

[Donn Lorber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic LA cop story, gangs,Hollywood, drugs and East coast gangsters, all tied together in a bizarre plan to control California. Complex and entertaining a good read

[Naima Holloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

The books in this series are just great!
I can't wait to delve into the next one!!

[John Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Hazel Bright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable and a bit cliche, but still adequate.

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 2003. Became a fan of the Shane Scully series for awhile.

[Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane Scully is one tough cop. Cannell writes a fast paced mystery with a bit of emotion and lots of tough. I wish I had found these books a long time ago.

[John Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining story, well written and well paced as usual.