Book Review: The Viking Funeral

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

The Viking Funeral     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Stephen J. Cannell
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Thriller
Series: Shane Scully
Publisher: St Martin's Press

First published: January 2002

Price: $24.95 (American dollars)

ISBN: 0312269609

Classification: Adult fiction (police thriller)

Number of pages: 400

Rating 3.5

Two years after the suicide of Jody Dean, his best friend, Shane Scully sees him driving a car. Scully is a detective with the LAPD and decides not to let it go and dismiss it as a figment of his imagination. What he finds out throws into a huge and highly dangerous criminal conspiracy.

This was the first book that I read by Cannell, so I didn't know quite what to expect. What I found, however, was an interesting and well-crafted thriller that kept my attention all the way through. Cannell has done a great deal of research, as he takes his characters from the USA all across Latin America, throwing in Spanish phrases from time to time to add to the authenticity.

The plot is fast and although Cannell does include the odd cliche from time to time, it makes a good read. The idea of rogue cops is nothing particularly new, but Cannell has put in a lot of extra information and given them powerful and innovative motives. Certainly worth a read.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Luke Croll - Conference interpreter and translator
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