Cherry Beach Express

Each of the characters in Cain's herky-jerky debut about the Toronto justice system is tarnished. When Det. Steve Nastos of the Sexual Assault Unit is arrested for the murder of Dr. Irons, the dentist who molested Nastos's daughter, chief prosecutor Jeff Scott and Det.-Sgt. Dave Koche conspire to make sure Nastos is convicted. Defense attorney Kevin Carscadden reluctantly takes the case only because he needs the money. Nastiest of all is James North, ex-cop, drug user, and thug hired by Koche to harass and intimidate Nastos's wife and Carscadden, among others. Nastos struggles to remain out of jail long enough to clear himself, while Koche and Scott work to get his bail revoked. By relying heavily on coincidences and one-dimensional characters, Cain—who's worked for the last 18 years in the Ontario emergency services as a paramedic, firefighter, and police officer—undercuts his unsparing portrayal of corruption. (May)