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Shane Scully #4
Vertical Coffin
The suburbs aren't in Shane Scully's jurisdiction but when he hears over the radio that his best friend is down, he isn't in the mood to obey orders. Scully can't know the hornet's nest he's about to walk into when he arrives at the upscale neighborhood but one thing is certain--he'll never be able to forget this night, no matter how hard he tries. From where he's standing it looks like the LAPD have crossed a line into madness that only a fool would attempt to investigate. But when his wife--and boss--Alexa, insists that he do so, Scully's quest for justice takes on a whole new dimension as his search leads him into terrain so terrifying he may not want to come out alive....
Audio Cassette
First published January 23, 2004
About the author
Stephen J. Cannell
62 books276 followersStephen 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
December 30, 2022
In Vertical Coffin (Shane Scully. #4), Alexa sends Shane into the fray hoping he can end the bloodshed between the war going on between the FBI and SWAT divisions.
This is an excellent addition to the series as it hooked me right out of the gate with its thrilling, suspense filled and imaginative plot.
As always, the phenomenal Scott Brick delivered a masterful narrative performance. He seamlessly brings the nonstop action, conflict and intensity to life for the listener without missing a beat. Amazing.
This is an excellent addition to the series as it hooked me right out of the gate with its thrilling, suspense filled and imaginative plot.
As always, the phenomenal Scott Brick delivered a masterful narrative performance. He seamlessly brings the nonstop action, conflict and intensity to life for the listener without missing a beat. Amazing.
November 24, 2025
4.5 stars.
"So you're taking a chance with me now. Is that what this is? Showing how open and nonjudgmental you can be?" She was sort of sneering as she said it.
"I don't care whether you're gay, Josephine. It's just a choice and it's yours to make. But if you want some unsolicited advice, don't let your sexuality define you. You're worth more than that. I have my own issues I'm working on. Nobody gets through life without getting ambushed occasionally. Stop thinking it's only you. Everybody's out there looking for their own answers."
I was just starting to leave, when she reached out and took my arm, stopping me. It was the first time that she had actually touched me.
She looked earnestly at me for a moment, then let go of my arm and cleared her throat. "Listen Shane, you say you used to be a loner, that you didn't let people in, but now your personal life is richer. Exactly how did you change that? No matter how hard I try, I'm afraid to trust anyone."
"It was pretty easy once I got the knack," I said, and she leaned forward as if I was about to give her the secret of life.
"When you don't like yourself, it's damn hard to have much of a relationship with anybody else. All you've gotta do is start finding things to like about yourself. Once you learn what they are, find somebody you care about and give those feelings away. What it boils down to is: In order to get, you've gotta give."
"That sounds like New Age bullshit," she replied skeptically.
"Some of the best answers are the easiest," I said. "But at the same time, the easiest answers can be the hardest to understand."
"You know, Shane," she said softly, "we can only do the best we can. If life was so easy to predict, nobody would ever get hurt. You can only view your culpability in any situation by the choices you made looking forward. If you view it looking back, it's called second guessing."
In my heart and head I was always racing toward something I could never quite define, my ambition and ego pushing me, my final destination, unsure. Along the way, there were many places to stop. Some of them were havens where people I loved were waiting-Alexa, Chooch, Emo, and Jo-places where lessons could be learned. Others were simply hideouts. There were also dangerous spots where demons waited. Where I stopped, and what happened to me when I did, was not only controlled by fate. I had a lot to do with those decisions. They defined my destiny. All I had to do was simply own it. I had spent two hours with the ghost of the future, and knew I didn't want to end up like Royal Mortenson. In the end, life was all about choices. Alexa was right. I had done the best I could, and it hadn't quite worked out the way I wanted. I had to find a way to accept that, but not second-guess it.
I had told Jo that in order to grow she needed to be vulnerable. Maybe that's all this was. Vulnerability. Maybe I didn't have that down quite as well as I thought. Maybe vulnerability was just going to take some more getting used to.
"So you're taking a chance with me now. Is that what this is? Showing how open and nonjudgmental you can be?" She was sort of sneering as she said it.
"I don't care whether you're gay, Josephine. It's just a choice and it's yours to make. But if you want some unsolicited advice, don't let your sexuality define you. You're worth more than that. I have my own issues I'm working on. Nobody gets through life without getting ambushed occasionally. Stop thinking it's only you. Everybody's out there looking for their own answers."
I was just starting to leave, when she reached out and took my arm, stopping me. It was the first time that she had actually touched me.
She looked earnestly at me for a moment, then let go of my arm and cleared her throat. "Listen Shane, you say you used to be a loner, that you didn't let people in, but now your personal life is richer. Exactly how did you change that? No matter how hard I try, I'm afraid to trust anyone."
"It was pretty easy once I got the knack," I said, and she leaned forward as if I was about to give her the secret of life.
"When you don't like yourself, it's damn hard to have much of a relationship with anybody else. All you've gotta do is start finding things to like about yourself. Once you learn what they are, find somebody you care about and give those feelings away. What it boils down to is: In order to get, you've gotta give."
"That sounds like New Age bullshit," she replied skeptically.
"Some of the best answers are the easiest," I said. "But at the same time, the easiest answers can be the hardest to understand."
"You know, Shane," she said softly, "we can only do the best we can. If life was so easy to predict, nobody would ever get hurt. You can only view your culpability in any situation by the choices you made looking forward. If you view it looking back, it's called second guessing."
In my heart and head I was always racing toward something I could never quite define, my ambition and ego pushing me, my final destination, unsure. Along the way, there were many places to stop. Some of them were havens where people I loved were waiting-Alexa, Chooch, Emo, and Jo-places where lessons could be learned. Others were simply hideouts. There were also dangerous spots where demons waited. Where I stopped, and what happened to me when I did, was not only controlled by fate. I had a lot to do with those decisions. They defined my destiny. All I had to do was simply own it. I had spent two hours with the ghost of the future, and knew I didn't want to end up like Royal Mortenson. In the end, life was all about choices. Alexa was right. I had done the best I could, and it hadn't quite worked out the way I wanted. I had to find a way to accept that, but not second-guess it.
I had told Jo that in order to grow she needed to be vulnerable. Maybe that's all this was. Vulnerability. Maybe I didn't have that down quite as well as I thought. Maybe vulnerability was just going to take some more getting used to.
January 10, 2020
Based on reviews, I decided to give Cannell a try. The writing is good, and the plot pulls you in. The primary characters are interesting. The narration is excellent. However, there comes a point where the reason for the villain's problems with gender identity is revealed, after which the story just goes downhill. The plot turns ludicrous and asks the reader to believe ever more incredible developments. Bizarre characters appear out of nowhere, topped off by an antihero, a former Vietnam army medic. Toward the end, I felt as if the book had turned into a comic strip, a kind of parody of the genre.
September 1, 2012
If you are a fan of Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, James Lee Burke, Michael Connelly and John Sanford (to name a few), then you owe it yourself to read this series.
Police stories don't get much better than this.
Police stories don't get much better than this.
January 7, 2021
This is my favorite Shane Scully book so far. I liked the development of the characters that is ongoing in each book. Shane has a "life" and many times we don't get to see that in other books of this genre.
December 2, 2021
This was just OK. I'd been recommended to read the Shane Scullyseries by Stephen J Cannell and this was the earliest one I found. I hope the others are better because based on this one only I'd not be reading more. The characters were good but the story never grabbed me and I found parts a little confusing. It did get much more exciting as it went along but I'm rounding my 3.5 down. I'll investigate before I read any more.
September 11, 2023
Good story, good writing, good pacing, couldn't put it down - again.
March 1, 2019
The title, Vertical Coffin is a term used by the police department to describe an entryway, the most vulnerable spot for gunfire. In LA, four murders occur precisely this way, the victims shot in a doorway.
One of Scully’s friends, Sheriff Deputy Emo Rojos, is executed in the doorway of a house where he is serving an arrest warrant. Very quickly an FBI Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms unit appears at the scene and is fired upon by the man with an AK-47 who has a surplus of ammunition. Of course, Scully and his friend Sonny Lopez, not sure that their friend is dead, dash to the doorway and retrieve the body just before the house explodes. Scully quickly finds out that the perpetrator, Vincent Smiley, was known to the FBI ATF. They were also knew that Smiley had an arsenal of weapons and explosives in the house. Why Rojos was sent to serve the warrant without warning that he was an incredibly dangerous man, is a question Scully asks but no one answers. Then a member of the FBI ATF is shot in his own doorway and an LA Sheriff is similarly assassinated.
High profile murders, the major gets involved, ordering the LA police department to investigate. Scully’s wife, the Chief, tasks Scully for the job. The politics between the LAPD and the FBI on this case threaten to destroy the investigation. Water off a duck’s back, Scully ignores the signals and continues to pursue the murders.
One of Scully’s friends, Sheriff Deputy Emo Rojos, is executed in the doorway of a house where he is serving an arrest warrant. Very quickly an FBI Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms unit appears at the scene and is fired upon by the man with an AK-47 who has a surplus of ammunition. Of course, Scully and his friend Sonny Lopez, not sure that their friend is dead, dash to the doorway and retrieve the body just before the house explodes. Scully quickly finds out that the perpetrator, Vincent Smiley, was known to the FBI ATF. They were also knew that Smiley had an arsenal of weapons and explosives in the house. Why Rojos was sent to serve the warrant without warning that he was an incredibly dangerous man, is a question Scully asks but no one answers. Then a member of the FBI ATF is shot in his own doorway and an LA Sheriff is similarly assassinated.
High profile murders, the major gets involved, ordering the LA police department to investigate. Scully’s wife, the Chief, tasks Scully for the job. The politics between the LAPD and the FBI on this case threaten to destroy the investigation. Water off a duck’s back, Scully ignores the signals and continues to pursue the murders.
September 9, 2011
I read this one in two sittings. And so far it's my favorite Cannell book. This one really hit home - really worked. I couldn't put it down, and read it in probably about eight total hours.
This one was a break from the normal in another way as well. Cannell wrote this one in first-person, from Scully's POV. It was at first intimidating and a little off-putting, but I quickly got used to it and enjoyed it quite a bit. I look forward to seeing if he takes the same approach. He does a good job of catching new readers up in every book, so even without the series, you can pick up any one of the books and not be lost. I said before, I'd recommend the Shane Scully novels. But not some of them individually. This one I would.
This one was a break from the normal in another way as well. Cannell wrote this one in first-person, from Scully's POV. It was at first intimidating and a little off-putting, but I quickly got used to it and enjoyed it quite a bit. I look forward to seeing if he takes the same approach. He does a good job of catching new readers up in every book, so even without the series, you can pick up any one of the books and not be lost. I said before, I'd recommend the Shane Scully novels. But not some of them individually. This one I would.
May 24, 2011
I like Stephen J. Cannell's television series (especially <1>The Rockford Files, so when I saw this book on the bargain table I decided to pick it up.
The cover advertises it as "A Shane Scully novel," so it seems as if there is a series starring the protagonist. He is a detective with the LAPD and is married to his division chief. During the course of the story, he interacts with members of other organizations, such as the sheriff's department and the ATF. He has to deal with interdepartmental friction while working with them to solve the murders of members of both those agencies.
The book is a solid police procedural with a healthy dose of mystery. The last seventh of the book takes an odd turn, becoming more of an action-adventure story. I have mixed feelings about the climax, but it doesn't really detract from the book. I'm not likely to reread it, but I did enjoy it.
The cover advertises it as "A Shane Scully novel," so it seems as if there is a series starring the protagonist. He is a detective with the LAPD and is married to his division chief. During the course of the story, he interacts with members of other organizations, such as the sheriff's department and the ATF. He has to deal with interdepartmental friction while working with them to solve the murders of members of both those agencies.
The book is a solid police procedural with a healthy dose of mystery. The last seventh of the book takes an odd turn, becoming more of an action-adventure story. I have mixed feelings about the climax, but it doesn't really detract from the book. I'm not likely to reread it, but I did enjoy it.
August 24, 2016
Another Shane Scully story.
After taking down some bikers with his son, Scully gets into some real trouble.
There's a big shootout, and Scully gets involved. The house where it occurs burns down, but the shooter is found in the bathtub.
He's assigned to investigate further, and finds all sorts of bad things.
Entertaining, but shallow, as with most of Cannell's work I've read, it's like a novelization of a TV movie.
After taking down some bikers with his son, Scully gets into some real trouble.
There's a big shootout, and Scully gets involved. The house where it occurs burns down, but the shooter is found in the bathtub.
He's assigned to investigate further, and finds all sorts of bad things.
Entertaining, but shallow, as with most of Cannell's work I've read, it's like a novelization of a TV movie.
April 24, 2020
Another great Shane Scilly book
I love Scilly as a character he is strong and smart,it also has weaknesses like us all. Wish Stephen Cannell had made him a TV character, I would have loved this program and know others would as well.
I love Scilly as a character he is strong and smart,it also has weaknesses like us all. Wish Stephen Cannell had made him a TV character, I would have loved this program and know others would as well.
September 28, 2017
Great addition to the Shane Scully series!
June 6, 2019
Probably the best mystery of the Scully series so far, and the character work is excellent as well.
September 7, 2020
This is a review of the paperback version of this novel, which I totally loved. LAPD detective Shane Scully is caught in the middle of a turf war that turns deadly when a friend is killed while delivering an arrest warrant. Tensions escalate as sniper fire takes out both a Sheriff's Deputy and a member of an ATF SWAT team, and Scully is appointed to quickly get to the truth by his superior - and wife - Alexa.
The only thing I found a little disconcerting was the prologue, which is done in the third person while the rest of the book is told from Scully's point of view. This is just a minor nitpick, because the story is engaging and, although I had some suspicions about what was going to happen plot-wise, I was totally entertained through the book.
Kudos to the late author, and I plan to pick up more of his books in the future. Recommended for mystery lovers and fans of the author's iconic television shows.
The only thing I found a little disconcerting was the prologue, which is done in the third person while the rest of the book is told from Scully's point of view. This is just a minor nitpick, because the story is engaging and, although I had some suspicions about what was going to happen plot-wise, I was totally entertained through the book.
Kudos to the late author, and I plan to pick up more of his books in the future. Recommended for mystery lovers and fans of the author's iconic television shows.
December 15, 2016
Vertical Coffin, by Stephen Cannell, is the 4th book in the Shane Scully series. He is a detective with the LAPD (but never runs into Bosch or Dr. Delaware) Cannell has been writing a long time, but l never picked up his books until l saw him in Castle's poker game with Patterson and Connelly. Glad I did.
Emo Rojas, an LA Sheriff's Deputy is gunned down while serving a seemingly routine warrant for the ATF. There's a big shootout and the gunman is found dead. The LASD blames the ATF for not telling them the warrant might be dangerous. Then an ATF agent is killed. Then a deputy is shot. Is a war breaking out between two agencies? Scully is asked to investigate to keep it from escalating. This is the best Scully novel I've read so far. Lots of action and an unexpected twist. If you like gritty detectives you'll like Shane Scully.
Emo Rojas, an LA Sheriff's Deputy is gunned down while serving a seemingly routine warrant for the ATF. There's a big shootout and the gunman is found dead. The LASD blames the ATF for not telling them the warrant might be dangerous. Then an ATF agent is killed. Then a deputy is shot. Is a war breaking out between two agencies? Scully is asked to investigate to keep it from escalating. This is the best Scully novel I've read so far. Lots of action and an unexpected twist. If you like gritty detectives you'll like Shane Scully.
June 8, 2026
Unfortunately, this book was a definitive step down for Cannell, and ended up reading like a script from the “A-Team”, or some other 90s TV action show. The characters were all far-less likable and vivid. There is a lot of crying, insecurity, and fear among the protagonists, and there are entirely too many characters- and they are still being introduced 300 pages into the story. I will take a break from the series for a while and continue as I already purchased the next 3 books in the series. NOTE: There is only an “abridged” version of the book available on Audible and all other large audiobook platforms which is only 1/2 the actual length of the book.
July 15, 2022
Good thriller with excellent characters. There are a few minor flaws like why the killer efficiently killed the first victim with a head shot but only fired at the chest of the second. No cop in a intense homicide investigation is turning their phone off. As someone who works in law enforcement (Senior Deputy DA) and an author (Bring Me to Life) I enjoyed the plot line and character development. Shane Scully is a really believable character. In some ways he is your typical smart mouthed hero cop but in others he is much more flawed and complex and that was well developed here.
November 18, 2023
I wasn’t too sure about this book when I first started it, but I am so glad I kept reading it! I got this book at an arts fair as a “blind date with a book” and while it isn’t something I would pick for myself, I really enjoyed it. Cannell is a perfect writer for this cop series and does such a great job at telling this intense story! I loved how this mystery panned out and how I was constantly wanting to know how it ends.
August 27, 2017
Plot was okay but I finally got tired of the dialog. Finished it by skimming.
August 26, 2018
not quite as good as some of the others I have read of his.
May 17, 2021
Another great book in the installment.
The end was a tad disappointing but otherwise...
The end was a tad disappointing but otherwise...
June 28, 2021
Series improved a bit. Character development of Chooch in this one worked well.
February 16, 2022
Fun novella about a series of deaths instigated by a very unstable person. Mostly a police procedural story.
August 24, 2023
There are writing and editing errors, but, wow, the story and characters make this an excellent novel, one of Stephen J. Cannell's best. I strongly recommend this book.
August 24, 2025
Enjoy his books, good, fast reads with great plot lines
October 19, 2026
This book was great up until the end. The story took a weird turn and was wrapped up instantly.
October 21, 2026
Pretty good, quick read.
October 3, 2010
*Plot/Storyline: A nightmarish series of events sweeps LAPD's Sergeant Shane Scully and his wife (and boss), Alexa, into the vortex of an enormous, jurisdictional firestorm.
First, Emo Rojas a sheriff's deputy and friend of Shane's, is gunned down while serving a routine search warrant. His fellow deputies blame the incident on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, whom they angrily accuse of having failed to warn them that the suspect had a huge arsenal of illegal weapons in his house.
Soon thereafter, a member of the ATF Situation Response Team is shot to death, followed by the sniper murder of the Sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau. At the request of the Mayor, LAPD, as an uninvolved and unbiased agency, assigns Shane Scully to investigate.
He is given an impossible deadline to find a solution before these two elite and deadly SWAT Teams kill each other off amid a hurricane of horrible publicity. Shane pursues his investigation in a direction that neither his chief nor his wife agrees with, and succeeds in putting himself, his loved ones, and his career in terrible jeopardy before he finally discovers the shocking and deadly truth.
**Review** The title of the latest entry in Cannell's Shane Scully LAPD series is police jargon for any doorway, which is where cops are most vulnerable when clearing a house. I'm a Shane Scully fan, love him, or hate him. He's tactics might not win friends, or influence anyone, including Alexa, but in the end he gets the job done, sometimes at his own peril. This book is what makes readers love Scully so much. From the opening scene this book keeps you on your toes. Scully is teamed with IAD investigator Jo Brickhouse, who is not what you think she is, and the chase for the killer surprised even me.
First, Emo Rojas a sheriff's deputy and friend of Shane's, is gunned down while serving a routine search warrant. His fellow deputies blame the incident on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, whom they angrily accuse of having failed to warn them that the suspect had a huge arsenal of illegal weapons in his house.
Soon thereafter, a member of the ATF Situation Response Team is shot to death, followed by the sniper murder of the Sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau. At the request of the Mayor, LAPD, as an uninvolved and unbiased agency, assigns Shane Scully to investigate.
He is given an impossible deadline to find a solution before these two elite and deadly SWAT Teams kill each other off amid a hurricane of horrible publicity. Shane pursues his investigation in a direction that neither his chief nor his wife agrees with, and succeeds in putting himself, his loved ones, and his career in terrible jeopardy before he finally discovers the shocking and deadly truth.
**Review** The title of the latest entry in Cannell's Shane Scully LAPD series is police jargon for any doorway, which is where cops are most vulnerable when clearing a house. I'm a Shane Scully fan, love him, or hate him. He's tactics might not win friends, or influence anyone, including Alexa, but in the end he gets the job done, sometimes at his own peril. This book is what makes readers love Scully so much. From the opening scene this book keeps you on your toes. Scully is teamed with IAD investigator Jo Brickhouse, who is not what you think she is, and the chase for the killer surprised even me.
December 15, 2016
This is a hard-hitting book that looks at jurisdictional issues and what can happen when law enforcement officials war with one another. Shane Scully is asked to investigate a series of killings that have law enforcement officials from the federal to the county side blaming one another for a series of deaths that include a sheriff deputy and a federal official. Before Scully can determine the source of the killings, his partner is murdered and another Los Angeles cop loses a leg.
I enjoy these books because of the internal conflicts and decisions Scully has to make--decisions that impact his life. If you overlook a drug deal on your way to something else, how does that chip away at your internal compass? It's also fun to watch the evolution of Scully's son and the bond that exists between them.
There's plenty of slam and slice dialogue here, and if you read this, you'll encounter significant amounts of profanity. But the plot will keep you practically conjoined to the book. This is a sobering look at one scenario where law enforcement agencies turn on one another and the pressure-cooker deadlines that can exist in investigating such incidents.
I enjoy these books because of the internal conflicts and decisions Scully has to make--decisions that impact his life. If you overlook a drug deal on your way to something else, how does that chip away at your internal compass? It's also fun to watch the evolution of Scully's son and the bond that exists between them.
There's plenty of slam and slice dialogue here, and if you read this, you'll encounter significant amounts of profanity. But the plot will keep you practically conjoined to the book. This is a sobering look at one scenario where law enforcement agencies turn on one another and the pressure-cooker deadlines that can exist in investigating such incidents.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews