DWD's Reviews

Great Characters, Giant Plot Holes Published in 2003 by Sound Library (BBC Audiobooks America) Read by Nick Sullivan Unabridged Duration: 11 hours, 47 minutes Stephen J. Cannell (1941-2010) was best known as a television writer, producer and the creator of such classic shows as the A-Team, The Rockford Files and The Greatest American Hero . But, late in his career Cannell also wrote a lot of novels, mostly action-based mysteries (not all that surprising considering his history in television). Runaway Heart is, in some ways, a typical Cannell story, but it does have some distinct differences. There are three main characters. The book starts with Herman Stockmire, an overweight, idealistic Los Angeles-based attorney with a bad heart (arrhythmia) who heads up a law firm called The Institute for Planetary Justice. Despite the big name, the Institute consists of Herman and his daughter Susan. Together, they go to court for all sorts of hopeless causes. They have sued mega-co...

A thrill ride - and a joy to read After having slogged my way through a couple of books lately Riding the Snake was a real pleasure. Now, don't get me wrong with the 5 star rating here - it's not a life-changing book. It's just a whole lot of fun. Stephen J. Cannell  (1941-2010) And it should be since it comes from famed television producer and writer Stephen J. Cannell . One can tell that he has plenty of experience (what kind of experience? How about working on Adam-12 and Columbo , creating the Rockford Files , Baretta , 21 Jump Street , The A-Team , The Greatest American Hero and at least a dozen more) with creating likable, interesting characters and putting them over their heads in difficult situations. In this case, a white ne'er-do-well playboy from Beverly Hills and a black female street-hardened cop from South Central team up (out of desperation) to take on the Chinese Triad criminal syndicate in Los Angeles and Hong Kong while t...