Shane expects to go through a routine police Board of Review with the shooting declared justified in light of the deadly circumstances. To his surprise, powers within the department rule that he go before a full Internal Affairs review. (Internal Affairs officers are known as “tin collectors” for their practice of taking the badges of dismissed police officers.) His case will be prosecuted by Alexa Hamilton, the toughest IA prosecutor, who prosecuted him for a previous incident.

In his personal life, Shane has agreed to let the fifteen-year-old son of a police informant and prostitute live with him for a month. The boy, Charles Sandoval, nicknamed Chooch, is unruly and resists authority. He is dangerously close to being expelled from his private school. (There’s a droll scene where Shane convinces a school official to keep Chooch.) Shane feels sympathy for the boy’s sense of alienation, but his own problems are mounting and his career is in jeopardy.

Shane begins an investigation into Ray’s activities. He manages to convince Alexa that there is a suspicious cover-up and gets her reluctant assistance. They will find political corruption that extends to the top of Los Angeles politics.

Stephen J. Cannell is a well-known television writer and producer (The Rockford Files, etc.). The Tin Collectors has Hollywood movie proposal written all over it. It’s not hard to cast the players mentally. The story itself has one recommendation: one of Shane’s on-going difficulties is that access to buildings and streets is blocked by the filming of an Arnold Schwartzenegger movie. Some of the action scenes - particularly the climactic race-for-their-lives scene - seem designed for their visual impact. Furthermore, the ultimate reason why so many city government and police officials are engaging in criminal activity is a lot more high-profile than mere accounting discrepancies.

This plot-driven novel is strong on action but weaker on motivation. It begins with an intense scene and maintains the energy to the end. The political corruption, however, is so wise-spread and pervasive it seems a wonder that it’s remained a deep, dark secret until Shane starts looking for answers.

The best aspect of the book is Shane Scully’s character development. Most of the characters in the book are fairly one-dimensional, but Shane is multi-dimensional. His deprived background is only gradually revealed over the course of the book. His growing attachment to Chooch shows another side of him. He’s a tough cop with rough edges but basically ethical to the core. Other than establishing her devotion to duty, the author devotes far less attention to Alexa Hamilton’s character.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, plot-driven story and don’t mind some episodes that push credibility, this might be a good choice. A sequel, The Viking Funeral, also featuring Shane Scully, has recently been published in hardback.

--Lesley Dunlap