Book Review: Cherry Beach Express by R. D. Cain

Book Description

When Steve Nastos is wrongfully accused of murdering his dentist—a man whom he believes committed an unspeakable crime against his daughter—he decides to take the law into his own hands.

Freed on bail, he attempts to track down the actual killer in a town where laws are seen more as guidelines and law enforcement agents adhere to their own moral relativism. Handicapped by a recovering alcoholic lawyer, a rogue cop, and a two-faced judge, Nastos has the cards stacked against him. 

As his estranged yet beloved wife inadvertently becomes involved in the case, the stakes become higher, and Nastos is forced to protect her.

What a week!  In the midst of craziness, I had one perfect escape - R.D. Cain's Cherry Beach Express.I expected to read a great mystery, but I got the added bonus of a great legal thriller, too.

Steve Nastos - a detective in the sexual assault unit - is on trial for murder.  At first I wondered if he did it - then I hoped he did do it.  I wanted Nastos to be guilty, but be found innocent. 

"Is everyone just one bad circumstance away from killing anyone else?" 

Cherry Beach Express makes a strong case for justifiable homicide.

In the end, I was happy with the outcome.  I'm not convinced that everything in Cherry Beach Express could really be pulled off, but like Marcia Clark, R.D. Cain gets instant credibility.  He has "worked for the last 18 years in emergency services as a paramedic, firefighter, and police officer".  His expertise comes through in his writing.

Cherry Beach Express should appeal to a wide audience.  There's mystery, suspense, court room drama, crime, shoot outs, car chases... It was a great read.

Review copy provided by publisher

New Releases This Week

Earlier this week I read a great novella by Jude Hardin (writing as Carson Wilder) called Unborn.  You can read my review of Unborn here.  Jude Hardin released a new novel this week called Pocket-47.

Book Description

Fifteen-year-old Brittney Ryan has taken to the streets. Leitha, her older sister and legal guardian, hires private investigator Nicholas Colt to find her and bring her home. Piece of cake, Colt thinks. With Brittney's forbidden boyfriend's address in hand, he plans to make a surprise visit and put this one in the scrapbook.But something more sinister is behind Brittney's disappearance, and Colt soon finds himself in an ever-widening maze of deceit, betrayal, and murder. When Colt learns what the mysterious phrase "Pocket-47" means, he is haunted even more by the plane crash that killed his family and rock band twenty years ago-a crash he now realizes might not have been an accident.Determined to save Brittney, Colt struggles to untangle the threads of his own tortured past. Unfortunately, one of the most heinous and violent criminals in modern history has other ideas.

Expect a review in the near future!

Another book released this week was Cherry Beach Express - the debut novel from R.D. Cain who has "worked for the last 18 years in emergency services as a paramedic, firefighter, and police officer".

Book Description

When Steve Nastos is wrongfully accused of murdering his dentist—a man whom he believes committed an unspeakable crime against his daughter—he decides to take the law into his own hands. Freed on bail, he attempts to track down the actual killer in a town where laws are seen more as guidelines and law enforcement agents adhere to their own moral relativism. Handicapped by a recovering alcoholic lawyer, a rogue cop, and a two-faced judge, Nastos has the cards stacked against him. As his estranged yet beloved wife inadvertently becomes involved in the case, the stakes become higher, and Nastos is forced to protect her.

I'm looking forward to reading both of these!