Accused

Pacific Coast Justice #1

by Janice Cantore

Detective Carly Edwards hates working in juvenile—where the brass put her after an officer-involved shooting—and longs to be back on patrol. So when a troubled youth, Londy Atkins, is arrested for the murder of the mayor and Carly is summoned to the crime scene, she's eager for some action. Carly presses Londy for a confession but he swears his innocence, and despite her better judgment, Carly is inclined to believe him. Yet homicide is convinced of his guilt and is determined to convict him. Carly's ex-husband and fellow police officer, Nick, appears to be on her side. He's determined to show Carly that he's a changed man and win her back, but she isn't convinced he won't betray her again.As the investigation progresses, Carly suspects a cover-up and strikes out on her own, uncertain whom she can trust. But when danger mounts, she begins to wonder if she made the right choice.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Fiction, Christian, Contemporary, Thriller

415 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

A former Long Beach, California, police officer of twenty-two years, Janice Cantore worked a variety of assignments, including patrol, administration, juvenile investigations, and training. She’s always enjoyed writing and published two short articles on faith at work for Cop and Christ and Today’s Christian Woman before tackling novels. Janice writes suspense novels designed to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired. Her first series of novels is the Pacific Coast Justice series, featuring Carly Edwards in books Accused, Abducted and Avenged. Janice also authored the Brinna’s Heart series, which includes Critical Pursuit and Visible Threat. Another three book series is the Line of Duty series, featuring Crisis Shot, Lethal Target and Cold Aim. Additionally she has also penned five stand alone novels, Breach of Honor, Code of Courage, One Final Target, Every Deadly Suspicion and Edge of Truth.
www.janicecantore.com and connect with her on Facebook.

Reviews

[Nancy Steinle gummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accused by Janice Cantore is the first book of the Pacific Coast Justice Series. It is a hard hitting drama and retains a Christian outlook in matters of faith. It surrounds our heroine Carly, a divorcee, who is also a police officer. She left her husbank Nick Anderson after finding out he slept with another woman, a cocktail waitress, who tried to blackmail him. When he refused, she called and told Carly. Carly is sent to the juvenile division after an accidental shooting. She hares it. She would rather be on patrol. Meanwhile, the mayor has been missing for four days. They find her dead in the trunk of her car after kids stole the car for a joyride getting high on weed. The kids jump out of the car and run but they're easily caught. Londi is a juvenile. They ask Carly to get a confession out of him. He happens to know her and asks for her. Their mothers are best friends thru church and prayer meetings. Londi lived with her mother the previous summer learning about God. Expecting the worse, she believes in his innocence. The detectives and sergeants are livid with her for not getting a confession. They tell her she's off the case. She meets Londi's mom, Dora. She sees her again with her mother. Carly is cynical about God - if he was all good he wouldn't have left her father die from cancer. Can Carly wove this case and find God?

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The three books in Pacific Coast Justice series by Janice Cantore was part of my UsedBooksMonthly haul for January 2021. I was surprised to discover that midway through the first book that it is a faith centered novel (Christian) without being "preachy".

I really love Cantore's writing.... her experience on the police force really shows because there is so much more detail about what it is like to be a police office any given day. I feel that the dialogue and character development are good, and the pace is perfect. I admit I devoured this book in a short period of time. It isn't often I am actually reading a physical book....so that is also a treat!

Accused is an excellent stand alone novel, suspense that builds slowly with Carly as the central character. There are many characters involved in this novel, which makes it harder to pin down who is guilty of corruption and who is not. Kept my attention the whole time! I already know who I am going to pass this series on to once I have finished them all. :)

I highly recommend Janice Cantore - her writing really pulled me into the story and kept me engaged and invested in what was happening! Well done, Janice!

[Debra Brinkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cop story written by a cop is what grabbed my attention. And it is clear throughout the novel that the author is familiar with her subject. Not that I am remotely an expert on what being a cop is all about, but the police activity just has that air of authenticity to it.

I believe this is Cantore's first novel, and that did come through at times with some of the pacing.

The introductory parts -- setting up the characters and setting -- dragged a lot, and I really was hard-pressed to find any characters I cared about. Once we got a bit further into the conflict, Carly's (the main character) whining decreased a bit. Or at least it was broken up by the action more. Plus, other characters were fleshed out more and I started to identify with some of them.

This is Christian fiction, so partway through the book, the Christian message does start to come out in a credible way. I thought parts of that were handled in a bit too "preachy" of a manner, but it wasn't so overdone that I considered quitting.

The best part of a crime drama, of course, is when I am able to figure some things out ahead of the characters, yet still have the author surprise me with other aspects. This was definitely the case in Accused.

This review sounds more negative than it ought. I really did enjoy the book once I got a ways into it, and I found quite a few characters who I could care about. I will look for her next book.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent suspense mystery set in southern California in the area I grew up. Focuses on gang problems that have to be dealt with by police with the main male and female character both police officers. Moves at a good pace and keep the reader involved and wondering what will happen next.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accused was a compelling story with a lot of twists and turns. I loved the subplot regarding Carly's failed marriage and the whole idea of who to trust. Carly had gone through some tough situations and had been burned a number of times, so trusting was hard for her. But sometimes given life and death situations, a person learns who their heart trusts. That was certainly the case with Carly. I can't imagine working for a police department and discovering some cops and detectives were corrupt, but not knowing which ones would shoot you in the back, well, this would stress anyone out.

I liked the faith journey that Carly was on, though, at times it seemed a bit stilted to me. At the same time, it was clear that Carly needed to believe in someone other than herself, and it was cool how God surrounded her with believers at every turn. I loved watched her stubborn, mocking tone slowly melt as she began to envy the love and peace others had because of their faith. I'm also a sucker for a story about forgiveness and sacrifice. I loved how Carly learned to forgive her ex, and how she discovered the true meaning of sacrifice when someone died so she could live. Great illustration there! I'm not a huge fan of suspense novels with police officers, but found this book very enjoyable. Despite its length, I read it fairly quickly. I would read this author again.

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I took a chance on this book, I just grabbed while I was walking out of the library. It's a great book, with a great message.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not a “page turner” for me. It was work to keep with it. But I am glad I did. Besides the good ending I appreciated the author interview included afterwards.
I understand this is the author’s first book .. I look forward to improvement in her second one which I am starting soon.
My main problem with the writing was too much emphasis on plot points and not enough filling out of characters. More description of setting would be nice too.
I liked that Carly is a swimmer. I liked Maddie and Andi and Joe.
My first book by this author.

[Lonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Janice Cantore was a cop for 20 years, so she knows what she talking about when she writes crime drama. Her her stories feel authentic and her style of writing is similar to Lynette Eason, a favorite author of mine :-)

[Jacque · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. Nothing spectacular and I knew how it was going to end less than half way through.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading Accused, I had never even heard of Janice, and had no idea that she's been writing books for a few years now. I thought I would be getting an early peek at a debut author (considering this book doesn't release for another month). Well...no debut here, but nonetheless, Janice is definitely an author I'll be reading more from in the future! She does what all authors should do, in my opinion...write what they know. Being a veteran police officer-turned-author, her knowledge and expertise in law enforcement shines through much of this story.

Accused is also a very appealing read for those who want a little romance with their suspense, and the mix here is just right--not too much so that it's corny, but not too little to make you think no one has a heart. :o) It is all-the-more believable since Carly and Nick are divorced, and Carly still carries a great amount of bitterness toward Nick because of their split.

But the icing on the cake here is the plot itself! It is so twisted that you won't come up for air until the very last page! The bad guys in this story are all over the place, too, and just when I think I've got one pegged, another one rears his ugly head. To me, that's what makes a good suspense novel. Give me a little something to figuratively chew on, while keeping me glued to the pages at the same time, and I'm a fan for life.

If there's anything to dislike here, it would be the spiritual elements. Now, since I read nothing but Christian fiction, you'd think I wouldn't have a problem with this, but this is the first book that I've read in awhile that is as preachy as this one is. Carly has some major issues with anything concerning God, and her disinterest initially is a little repetitive. It's not until after the funeral that the preachiness starts to become overwhelming. I understand that everyone in her circle wants to be a witness to her, but it's all just laid on a little too thick here. I think if maybe just one character, perhaps two, had not shared their personal testimony, it would've helped the overall flow of the story a great deal.

So, with a mixed bag of thoughts, Accused is still a great read, and gets a high recommendation from me if just for the suspense alone. Out of 5 stars, it easily gets 5, but the preachiness causes me to bring the overall rating to a 4. I am so glad there is a sneak peek into book 2, Abducted, included in the back because I'm anxious to see how Carly performs in her usual element of patrolling the streets, a job she was not allowed to do in Accused. Oh, and not to mention what happens between her and a certain someone...gotta get the juicy details on that. :o)

[Iola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Las Playas Police Detective Carly Edwards is 33, her divorce has just come through, and she is frustrated, having been moved from patrol into juvenile investigations after a shootout that killed a civillian. Carly has no time for things of God, nor respect for her 'Jesus freak' mother who spends her time trying to save people. She also has no time for men, after her husband of eight years cheated on her.

Carly is surprised to be called into assist in a homicide investigation, at the request of the juvenile gang member who is caught driving the Lexus belonging to the town mayor, who has been missing for four days. Unfortunately for the teen, the body of the mayor is in the trunk of the car. The murder investigation is soon closed despite evidence that the teens in custody are innocent of the murder. Further events make Carly wonder if the case is being shut down deliberately to hide something. Is there corruption in the force? If so, who is behind it?

I enjoy romantic suspense novels, and The Accused ticked all the boxes for me. An intelligent, feisty heroine who was on a spiritual and emotional journey, a hero that was both strong and humble, a page-turning story and a bit of romance thrown in too. I do admit that it took me a while to get into the book, but after about six chapters I was totally hooked. However, not everyone will like it, as The Accused is most definitely a Christian novel. It contains an unashamed gospel message, although I did not consider it 'preachy' as the prayer and Christian discussion were a natural part of a story of one woman coming to terms with her personal background and the possibility of a loving God.

Author Janice Cantore spent twenty years in the police force, so the novel has a ring of authenticity, even down to the veterans making fun of rookie cops spouting unintelligible ‘cop-speak’. The Accused is the first in the new Pacific Coast Justice series, with the second book, Abducted, due out in mid-2012.

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

[Holly Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Janice Cantore book I've ever read. Borrowed from a friend, this book follows Carly Edwards a Las Playas Police Officer. Following a shooting by her trigger happy partner Carly is moved into Juvie where she does NOT want to be and the shocking murder of Mayor Theresa Burke finds Carly talking to a young teen charged with her murder...Carly believes him and his partner in the crime guilty...But Londy's Mother who is friends with Carly's Mother and are in the same Church group asks her to find out who is trying to set up her son for this horrible crime.... With corruption and dirty players along the way Carly dives deep into what is going on in her home town....When her ex husband Nick is shot in the line of duty and hospitalized Carly knows those responsible won't stop until someone stops them....Struggling with the "God Thing" that her Mother has been preaching for years Carly can't let her anger go...Can she find her way to God and through the morass that her life has suddenly become or will she become the next victim in whatever is going on in her town?? While I found it a bit slow in spots it is a good read and worth the time. On to book 2 Abducted

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the crime story, and wanted to find out if I was correct on who was who (and I was), but I felt that the religious portion was just a little too strong. I understand that it helps the story, especially in the end, but it still felt to strong in the middle and end of the story.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I wonder if I can find the other books in the series :)

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m really surprised by how many stars this book gets on average.

Let me start with the positive though. I appreciate finally reading a suspense book written by a retired police officer. It makes the text more accurate in some ways, at least with the terminology and work of the police force.

However, even then this book is pretty unbelievable as to the overall plot. It is the old cliche of “dirty cops” and drug money. The number of deaths that pile-up is also pretty impressive and completely unrealistic.

The religious aspect of the book overpowers the novel. There are pages and pages of evangelism Q&A. These conversations or inward thoughts aren’t executed well and bog down the story.

The final thing that makes this really hard to read are the random flips into first-person. This might work if these sections were italicized and set apart from the rest of the paragraph, but, as it is, it’s a rookie grammatical error that occurs frequently and should have been fixed by an editor.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a series. I have read books by this author before and really enjoy her books. They're fast paced, full of action, and pack a great Spiritual punch too.

Carly is divorced and she's still not over her ex. In fact, she still loves him, but that's part of the story in a way too.

She's a great swimmer and her dog is adorable. Her roommate seems to have a bit of a problem with men or maybe with commitment but she seems nice and always has her friends back.

Carly doesn't buy into the religion of her mom anymore since it's let her down. Now she trusts herself and her abilities and that's it.

As the action gets going you won't be able to put the book down! Can Carly find justice? Will the real killer be found? Can Carly get Londy off on a crime he didn't commit when others are determined to make him pay?

Great read. Highly recommend this book, the whole series, and anything by Janice Cantore.

[Jerry Walch]

All that I knew about Janice Cantore when I bought and downloaded Accused was that she was a retired police officer from Long Beach. California. Many of the review that I had read about her compared her to Joseph Wambaugh, one of my favorite authors, so I had to check her out for myself.

 Like Wambaugh, Janice writes a fast-paced action-packed story that will keep you turning the pages. Accused has everything that a reader of police thrillers could hope for murder, corrupt politicians, dirty cops and over zealous newspaper reporters. Accused is an exciting police thriller, but Janice seems to have another goal in mind with this book as well, to convince her readers that there really is a God and that everyone needs to give him or herself to Him. The bottom line is that I found this Bible Thumping second story line intrusive and distracting. In all fairness to potential readers, this book should be tagged as Christian Fiction.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accused is a book I've had on my TBR for years and it was just recently that I saw the book on my shelf and decided to pick it up.

It was a much better read that I had anticipated and I loved the suspense that was throughout the story. I didn't know who was a "bad guy" or who to trust.

The characters were great and I loved that the romance was a second-chance story. I liked how Christianity was a major part of the story and it felt genuine.

All in all, Accused was a good read and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

[Amanda Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall Amanda rating: A
I love when out of boredom I look around the library and find a good little book to read. Now I get to finish the series, and I actually want to. In this book, we find Detective Carly angry at the world, angry at everything, and angry at God. She is so against her mom's Jesus. "Why would God allow all the bad stuff in the world?" And she sees all the bad and then some. A great story of redemption, finding peace, and letting go of all the hurt from her divorce, losing her patrol, and the death of her father. All the different characters were so well written that I had a hard time figuring out which ones were really corrupt. Yes, some were obvious, but others made you think. This book was a great read. I am anxious to see if she continues on her journey of faith, hope, peace, and forgiveness.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love a good cop story where some of the cops are doing illegal activities - and usually it is the ones with longer time served who jeopardize their retirement. This book was great. Carly was definitely shifted around to try to silence her. But when her mom's house gets torched and Nick is shot, she goes on the rampage to solve who is the dirty cop. Too bad Jeff was a causality in the story. And to leave a wife and kids behind. Loved the Christian part added to the story. Carly definitely had problems believing in God but she had lots of people to help her understand that he is always there to help, even if things don't turn out as you hope. He helps you through the hard times. Love this author.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the fictional beach town of Las Playas, CA Detective Carly Edwards tries to investigate the murder of the mayor. A teen friend of her mother has been falsely accused but Carly has been ordered off the case. With the help of her partner and her ex-husband and his friend, an undercover cop, Carly eventually unravels the mystery. This Christian romance/mystery is, at 376 pages, a bit long on the romance part. Although hopefully inspiring to some readers, the multiple conversions during the course of the investigation seem a tad bit forced. Includes an “Interview with Janice Cantore” and “Discussion Questions” as well as several pages of the author’s next book, “Abducted”.

[Neaton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew from early on that it was going to be too flowery when the main character says of her ex husband, "There just isn't enough left of my heart to trust with anyone else." I kept reading hoping the plot would win over the romance and heavy Christian overtones. It didn't. Plot was very predictable and way too much God stuff as mentioned by other reviewers. A third of the way in I jumped to 95% it ended as I expected it to. No surprises, the bad guys were obvious from the start.
The author can write but her books are written for the "everyone becomes a believer" Christian reader.

[The Humble Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book rather quickly.
I have never read a Christian police procedural/suspense before.. I did find interesting that the Author was in Law Enforcement for 22 years which makes the book more believable and not so fake. That was a nice touch.
I found the book pretty decent. It's definitely something new for me. Out of my comfort zone.
It's super easy to read. Super easy to understand. Nothing too complicated. Not too religious just a hint here and there. Nothing too over the top.
It was a good book. I might consider reading more from Janice Cantore.

[Denise Boldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accused is the first romantic law enforcement story in the Pacific Coast Justice series. Detective Carly Edwards makes a great leading character for a non-stop action story with a lot of mystery. Cantore’s history as a police officer of 22 years has given her an inside understanding that has transferred to her writing an exciting and complex plotline. At the same time she has embraced character development with family and romantic relationships and their relationships with God. What a great series!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy 5-stars! This book was fantastic— I confess it was a little difficult to get into but once I connected with the characters and saw how solid the FMC was, I was hooked. I’m excited to see there is a second book for the FMC. She’s a cop and the stories are good with a Christian twist. In this first book, the FMC had to determine if having a personal relationship with God was for her or not.

Clean. Maaaay be triggering if you’re uncomfortable with police scenes and violence (ex: fighting/beating someone up)

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As this story unfolds, the reader will be asking the same questions Carly Edwards faces: Who is telling the truth? Who is lying? Who are the good guys? Who are the villains? Who can Carly trust, and who will betray her?

An excellent thriller with its basis in the author's own police experience.

Misspelled or misused words: 1. I / me; 2. try and / try to; 3. Levi' s / Levis.

Missing from text: the, was.

[Suzette Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty darn good police thriller.

I really enjoyed this book. Following Carley and the situations shefinds herself tangled in is certainly a page Turner. It gets very intense. Needless to say I was up until 2 finishing the book because I couldn't put it down.

My only question is why in the world would a knowledgeable police officer carry a weapon in a backpack out of reach? Don't bother carrying unless you are able to get to the weapon quickly and easily.

[Brenda Klaassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christian Officers perspective on life.

This was a new author for me, but the book sat on my "to-be-read" list for quite awhile. I did enjoy the flow of the story, but I had to do less rereading when I could read for a couple of hours. I did like how the author introduced God to Carly. I was thankful that not many of the main characters were majorly hurt.

[Beth Burmeister · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about Janice Cantore through a Facebook group. Gave her a try. She did not disappoint. Janice served as a police officer for twenty-two years. Her experience led credibility to her story line. I was especially impressed with how she seamlessly wove faith into the story. I look forward to reading more books by Janice Cantore.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have ever read from this author. The way it started out was boring and dull, but then it changed and became very interesting. It kept me glued to the end of the book. There is a good Christian testimony of salvation and even in the sovereignty of God. I especially like how a seal was used to save the main character's life.