Vigilante: A Shane Scully Novel    by Stephen J. Cannell Order:  USA  Can St. Martin's, 2011 (2011) Hardcover, CD, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson LAPD detective Shane Scully (whose wife Alexa is Chief of Detectives) and his wealthy partner Sumner Hitchens (who 'hit the jackpot when he sold a big movie case of his to the movies') are back in Vigilante. It's a police procedural with an unusual premise, involving a reality TV show, Vigilante TV, that 'billed itself as a police watchdog.' The show is hosted by Nixon Nash, who served time for embezzlement and is now on a crusade against law enforcement. As this story opens, Shane and Hitch are called to the scene of a murder and warned, 'You ain't gonna like it.' The victim turns out to be Lita Mendez, 'one of the city's most aggressive police critics and gang activists.' Cops had lost pay and pensions because of her. A key suspect turns out to be Captain Stephanie Madrid, 'the Dark Queen of Internal Affairs'. She's married to tough ex-cop Lester Madrid, who 'looked nasty enough to eat your children' and who threatens Shane. As the duo investigate, Nash manipulates events, and Hitch accurately predicts 'He's gonna make us look like douche bags on national TV.' But as Nash builds his case on the air, Shane and Hitch dig into the TV host's past. They discover that he was the direct cause of a miscarriage of justice that freed a serial killer in the Florida Everglades. That, gourmet cook Hitch's acute sense of smell, and a cold case that was never properly investigated, lead them to a shocking solution to their current case - and several others. In Vigilante, Stephen J. Cannell delivers a thoroughly satisfying police procedural with a violent crescendo of an ending and last minute surprises. I highly recommend it to mystery fans, but sure hope that his premise - reality TV crimesolving - never actually happens! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews