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The late American scribbler Stephen J. Cannell was born and bred in California. Cannell was born in February 1941 and died of melanoma in his late sixties. He studied journalism at the University of Oregon. Cannell was a polymath: he was an actor, director, penman, television producer, and founder. Even during his schooling days, wherein he aspired to be a man of letters, he was still writing TV scripts.
Order of Shane Scully Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Tin Collectors | 2001 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Viking Funeral | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Hollywood Tough | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Vertical Coffin | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Cold Hit | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | White Sister | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Three Shirt Deal | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | On The Grind | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | The Pallbearers | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | The Prostitutes' Ball | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Vigilante | 2011 | Description / Buy |
Order of Stephen J Cannell Standalone Novels
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Plan | 1995 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Final Victim | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | King Con | 1997 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Riding The Snake | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Devil's Workshop | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Runaway Heart | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | At First Sight | 2008 | Description / Buy |
In the 1990s, after having scripted for blockbusters for many years, a transformation in the broadcasting industry prompted Stephen J. Cannell to start writing books. And thus he debuted in 1996; his debut novel is titled The Plan, a standalone novel. However, in literary circles, Cannell is most notably renowned for authoring the Shane Scully series. The first book in the Shane Scully series was initially published in 2000, titled The Tin Collectors, and this series is shelved under the mystery, political thriller, suspense, and crime genres.
The first book in the series, The Tin Collectors, revolves around the affairs of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Incidentally, the noun “tin” in the title means police badges which are made of this metal. Collectively, the title refers to an oversight team within the LAPD whose agents have a penchant for stripping police officers, who have made gave mistakes, of their police badges which are made of tin. The featured protagonist is Sergeant Shane Scully, a decorated police officer, who is a police detective in the LAPD.
The launching pad of the storyline is a late-night distress call which sergeant Scully receives from Barbara Molar, his ex-girlfriend but presently a spouse of a former police partner called Ray Molar. Scully responds quickly to Ray and Barbara’s domestic quarrel which has segued into domestic violence. Unfortunately for Scully, he unintentionally kills Ray while defending himself. At his workplace, he is at loggerheads with the workmates because Ray, his victim, was an admired figure. As the literal “tin” collectors target Scully’s badge and, worse still, the endangered life of an informant’s child he is mandated to guard, Scully races against time to salvage his career and protect the child’s life.
Stephen J. Cannel Awards
Stephen J. Cannell has won and been for coveted awards such as Primetime Emmy Award, Edgar Awards, and Writers Guild of America awards. For instance, he was an Edgar Award nominee in 1981, 1980, and 1974. Cannell has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award six times and he won once, in 1978, in the category of Outstanding Drama Series, for his 1974 series The Rockford Files.
In 2005, Cannell clinched the Life Career Award, proffered by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. In 1989, the Casting Society of America proffered the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1986, he was inducted into the Walk of Fame; in 1981 and 2006, he clinched the Laurel Awards; in 2004, he clinched the Saturn Award, Marlow Award (2005) and, in 1994, the Lifetime Achievement Award proffered by The Private Eye Writers of America.
Stephen J. Cannell Books Into Movies/TV
It is worth noting that Stephen J. Cannell has written screenplays for an estimated 350 episodes. However, there is no any film adaptation of his books.
Best Stephen J. Cannell Books
The Tin Collectors, The Viking Funeral, and The Prostitute’s Ball are the three best books authored by Stephen J. Cannell.
The Tin Collectors: Refer to previous description for The Tin Collectors.
The Viking Funeral: This book was originally published in 2000, is the second book in the Shane Scully series. Police detective Scully’s buddy, Jody dean, seemingly killed himself three years previously; when Scully and his heartthrob chance upon him in California, they vow to get to the bottom of the case.
The Prostitute’s Ball: Published in 2010, The Prostitute’s Ball is the tenth book in the said series. Here, police detective Scully together with his partner start sleuthing a Hollywood case wherein a filmmaker plus two beautiful women are killed in a party. Among the exhibits is an odd spent bullet which holds the key to an old criminal case.
Other Books You May Like
Readers who liked Stephen J. Cannell’s books also enjoyed these related series. The first one is the “Lena Gamble” series penned by Robert Ellis; hereby, protagonist Lena Gamble, who is a homicide detective in the LAPD, is sleuthing a quick succession of gory deaths.
The second one is the “Charlie Hood” series penned by T. Jefferson Parker. This features a Los Angeles-based undersheriff called Charlie Hood. The third is the “Diablo Blanco Club” series authored by Qwillia Rain; it is set in a fictitious town called San Diablo and it is all about bondage, dominance, sadism, and masochism.
When Does The Next Stephen J Cannell book come out?
Stephen J Cannell doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Vigilante and was released on December, 6th 2011. It is the newest book in the Shane Scully Series.
