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Nate Shepherd #8

Cruel Sentence

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Nate Shepherd’s next case sends him north to defend a teenager accused of arson and murder. If the kid started the fire, it’s murder, even if he didn’t mean to hurt anyone.

Nate Shepherd’s client didn’t intend to kill anyone. That doesn’t matter. He started the fire.

After an old friend recruits him, Nate Shepherd heads north to defend a teenager charged with igniting a blaze that killed a toddler and a firefighter. When he arrives, Nate finds a neglected case and a looming trial date for double murder.

As he scrambles to discover what happened, Nate is resisted by a stonewalling prosecutor and a grieving town, each bent on punishing his client. Worse, every fact Nate uncovers confirms that his client started the tragic Mission Road Fire.

As trial approaches, Nate finds nothing but hatred for his client and growing anger toward him. Facing naked hostility and escalating violence, Nate must go to trial in a town that’s become a tinderbox. And without a defense, Nate’s teenaged client faces life in prison for a crime he didn’t mean to commit.

470 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 23, 2024

964 people are currently reading
211 people want to read

About the author

Michael Stagg

10 books318 followers
Michael Stagg has been a trial lawyer for more than twenty-five years. He has tried cases to juries and he's won and he's lost and he's argued about it in the court of appeals after. He still practices law so he's writing the Nate Shepherd series under a pen name.

Michael and his wife live in the Midwest. Their sons are grown so time that used to be spent at football games and band concerts now goes to writing. He enjoys sports of all sorts, reading, and grilling, with the order depending on the day.

For more information about Michael and his books, sign up for his newsletter at michaelstagg.com/newsletter/ or go to michaelstagg.com.

Nate Shepherd Legal Thrillers - Reading Order

Lethal Defense
True Intent
Blind Conviction
False Oath

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5 stars
2,259 (70%)
4 stars
797 (24%)
3 stars
127 (3%)
2 stars
15 (<1%)
1 star
10 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Profile Image for Kristin.
1,030 reviews1 follower
July 20, 2025
I love a good legal thriller and this one is one of the best I’ve read in some time. It had a likable main character, Nate Shepherd and a seemingly no-win murder and arson case. How the case is won shows the skills, imagination and creativity of the author. The plot felt realistic and I enjoyed the occasional humor thrown in.

Nate, a “down-state” trial lawyer from Michigan is brought in to defend a sullen, rebellious, and frightened teenager in a difficult case. In a moment of frustrated anger, he shot a hole in his father’s drive-in movie screen in an effort to keep from having to move out-of-state for part of each year. The unforeseen consequences ended in the tragic death of a firefighter and a young boy.

Nate contends with suspicious townspeople and a smear campaign put on by the mother of one of the victims. Contentious and twisty, this story kept me riveted. I will definitely be looking into more books by this author.

I listened to this book on audio. While the narrator had a clear pleasing voice, he had an irritating habit of talking faster at times than others. I will look for more from this author in print form.
Profile Image for Lawrence FitzGerald.
494 reviews39 followers
December 28, 2024
I've read every one of the Nate Shepard series and loved them all. Everything but a theme, 4-stars.

Legal thrillers are different than bog standard thrillers. Bog standard shifts the point of view with each chapter and each chapter ends on a cliff hanger. Michael Stagg's legal thrillers keep the same POV while still retaining the cliff hangers. These come as new and different things happen, usually when a new piece of evidence is uncovered and seemingly everything is about to change! And the next chapter usually deals with this new information, so you get some instant gratification. Hard to put down. Stagg is a master at this.

I'll keep reading Stagg until one of us dies.
14 reviews1 follower
January 21, 2025
Excellent story. I am always fascinated by the twists and turns of the legal process. Reasonable doubt is the best defense! Stagg writes this well. All of the books in this series hinge on a tiny clue most people would miss. In this one, a kid explodes his dad's drive-in screen; a fire causes damage to a storage area, a motor home explodes, a fireman and baby die. According to the law, the kid committed murder because the fire he started ended in death. Guilty or not guilty? Original fire causes death or a second or third fire? What part does insurance pay-off play? Can there be a change of venue? On and on until the very end.
Profile Image for Simon Gosselin.
235 reviews
October 7, 2024
Michael Stagg is a great legal thriller writer. And this one is one of his best works.

It’s the new adventures of Nate Shepard and friends! And this time he is recruited by none other than Cyn from the first book. She is one of the most interesting characters in recent thriller history.

Nate then heads north to defend a teenager charged with igniting a blaze that killed a toddler and a firefighter. When he arrives, Nate finds a neglected case and a looming trial date for double murder.

This was a great book and a great read.

5*
11 reviews
March 26, 2025
This series rarely misses. Great Audible book.
Profile Image for Hold My Chapter ✨ Em.
152 reviews2 followers
November 30, 2024
My love for this series never disappoints. I love Nate Shepherd and love how this book reads.
It's such a delight and I hope this series continues.
Another solid 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Lydia Evans.
1 review
October 9, 2025
I always love a Michael Stagg book. They’re easy to read and mostly have a happy ending, or at least one I am satisfied with.
Stagg has effectively set up the spin off series, which I am looking forward to reading.
Profile Image for Cheryl A.
67 reviews
October 1, 2024
Definitely worthy of a movie, either theater or made for tv.

I totally love Michael Staggs and the Nate Shepherd series but of the 7 previous books, this is my absolute favorite. This made me realize all the research he had to do write this book. I know he’s an attorney, but attorneys aren’t all knowing of all things. At first when I saw 464 pages, it was how long will it take me to read this.? It was hard to put down and as I was nearing the end, I was disappointed. Part of me also wishes Nate had made a different choice in the end, but at least Michael left it open for possibilities. You have to read this, it is riveting, and my bet is you can’t guess the who dunnit in the end. Before he reveals it. Absolutely love ❤️ it
23 reviews
December 14, 2024
This is one of those legal thrillers that seems more like a mystery with some legal elements thrown in, which you find a lot in the legal thriller genre, but I don't mind. I do prefer legal stories that argue about issues, but if the story is good, I don't care.

I've always liked the Nate Shepherd series, and this book is on par with all of the others. I like the way that Michael stag drops the story in pieces as Nate discovers more and more about the situation, but the story itself also develops.

Some have complained about all of the scenes involving Nate's life outside of work, but this flesh is out his character and adds more to the story. He isn't just the good defense attorney saving people from wrongful convictions. He's also a guy with a family. He lost his wife a long time ago in a really tragic way. He's just now starting to date again. He loves to visit his parents.

Michael stag is either from a small town or has lived in one, because he knows how it is. Everyone knows everyone, so all of Nate's associates within the court system know his family, so there's a lot of idle chit chat and questions about the family, fishing, discussions of the weather, high school sports, etc. This adds a lot of realism for me. These stories are always very wholesome. I like all kinds, but I really do enjoy that element here. I don't like stories that are wholesome on purpose. I don't get into a lot of the Hallmark stories, because they can seem very cheesy, but in the Nate Shepherd series, it just comes easily. The story just flows, and it's naturally wholesome, because small town people are just like that for the most part. Of course there are exceptions. Nate's world though is wholesome. He is surrounded by people who predominantly do the right things even if they aren't perfect. They live generally good lives. They don't normally start drama with each other get involved in extreme criminal activity, get hooked on substances, etc. They do genuinely nice things for one another. all of the people inmates circle seem to truly care for one another and him, so it's very warm and refreshing. We live in a world where at least on the surface, you don't see a lot of that. I'm sure it's still there, but you have to look a little deeper to find it.
Profile Image for John Castillo.
14 reviews1 follower
March 10, 2025
Cruel Sentence rights the ship for the Nate Shepherd series, refocusing on the legal precision and moral nuance that originally defined these books. This installment delivers a tightly plotted case that plays to the series’ strengths.

Nate defends a teenager accused of unintentional arson leading to two deaths—a toddler and a firefighter. Unlike past defendants, this client’s youth and accidental culpability create genuine sympathy without excusing his actions. The story avoids black-and-white morality, instead dissecting the gap between intent and consequence, and asking readers to weigh both as a “13th juror.”

The hostile small-town setting elevates the tension. Nate inherits a neglected case with a looming trial, forcing him to rely on courtroom strategy over prolonged investigation. This structure mirrors the series’ early books, emphasizing Nate’s ingenuity under pressure while sidestepping the expository bloat of recent entries.

The trial scenes are sharp and purposeful, with Nate battling an unhelpful prosecutor and a town’s collective rage. While minor contrivances (like shoehorned family moments) briefly distract, they’re outweighed by the story’s focus. The deaths here aren’t plot devices—they anchor the town’s grief, making its hostility tragically believable.

Final Thoughts: Cruel Sentence earns a 5/5 for course-correcting the series. It’s not flawless, but its lean pacing, ethical complexity, and courtroom grit remind us why Nate Shepherd’s battles once felt indispensable. A standout return to form.
224 reviews
December 7, 2024
Michael Stagg gives us the 8th installment of the Nate Shepherd series and it does not disappoint. Small-town lawyer Nate once again get recruited by Cynn to work for her mega-wealthy law firm to defend a client who has already confessed to setting a fire at his father's drive in. The fire spread to a nearby storage facility and a mobile home, causing the death of a baby and the firefighter who attempted to rescue him.

Emotions in the town are running high and hot. Nate is an out-of-town lawyer brought in especially to try the case and the locals don't appreciate it. At stake is the conviction of a minor, who by his own admission started a fire. A conviction seems like a given. Slowly and methodically Nate and his team delve into the case to be sure a thorough investigation was done. Along the way, Stagg brings us along on a case that is riveting and explores how a fire investigation and a criminal investigation are not always connected. I couldn't stop listening.

Let me end by saying what I always do at the end of a review of a book in this series. I don't even LIKE defense attorneys. I spent my career on the opposite side of the aisle. But somehow, Stagg draws me in with credible courtroom testimony and makes me willing to look at the other side of the coin. Well written, and exceptionally well narrated by the fabulous George Newbern who brings Nate to life in a spectacular way. Definitely worth a read, and I look forward to the next one.
212 reviews
January 18, 2025
Best of a Very Good Series!

Every book in this series is a winner.

Attorney Nate Shepherd tells every story in this group in the first person, which is not common among legal thrillers. I discovered that I really like this style of writing, especially in a series, because he doesn't have to repeat much of the backstory as so many series do. The main character is telling the tale to the reader personally, allowing him to make occasional humorous comments to lighten the mood. After the first two books, I felt I knew Nate Shepherd personally.

Nate saved his most difficult case for the last. The other members of his law firm are very important to every story, including his partner, an associate, his investigator and bail bondsman, and his tried and true expert witnesses, and a very capable paralegal, most of whom appear in each book.

I highly recommend this series to lovers of legal thrillers and courtroom drama
Profile Image for Billy Bell.
473 reviews2 followers
December 16, 2024
I've been tough on these Nate Shepherd books lately. Simply put, they've been mostly formulaic and Nate's friends and family get on my nerves. In this one, he is forced to move shop up North, effectively getting away from his annoying family and friends. There is still some "gym bullying" that happens, but it's minimal compared to usual.

The story here is fairly simple and it gets dissected the way any good crime should. It gets borderline repetitive in court, but that's the point.

Stagg mentions at the end of this book that he's putting Nate Shepherd on the shelf for a bit, while he focuses on a new character that we're introduced to in this one. Looking forward to a change of pace, as I really enjoy Stagg's writing, but I'm getting a bit tired of Nate Shepherd.
445 reviews4 followers
June 20, 2025
captivating, engaging and entertaining, highly recommend

This book is so lit 🔥.Ok, I’ve reached the end of a phenomenal series. Author, please don’t discontinue Nate Shepherd series. I truly enjoyed all 8 books, never a dull experience. I’m praying you working on some more Nate Shepherd books right now. This series was very intense, informative, exciting and adrenaline pumping. Nate turned up in this series. He was so debonair. I’m so glad he worked so hard for Brock. I wonder how the LaCombes family find out about Dagmar apple orchard. I also wonder is Andre as innocent as he seems or he’s like his sister Marie Faye. Thank you author for writing and sharing your stories with your readers. Please write more.
12 reviews
August 31, 2025
loved this series

I am so happy that there are more Nate Shepard books coming, I fell in love with the characters and the humour.. I wish I had more to read about them now, but look forward to more coming. Wonderful author, best series I have ever read and I read a lot…maybe too much but it helps me forget very sad moments/days after the loss of my daughter. Thank you, I do love all the emotions these books give me, I’m incredibly happy that I started reading these books, I clicked on just the right one to read next, now I’m hooked on the author and will start the Mason series next.
396 reviews3 followers
September 25, 2024
Confirmation Bias Goes To Court

A community decides who’s guilty before the crime scene has cooled down. Nate Shepherd and crew ( recognizable from past books plus new characters) enter as outsiders (same State, different town) to discover facts and argue legalities. Some parts of reality make life too sad to contemplate, let alone litigate.
I look forward to book 9, after publication of the new series.
733 reviews4 followers
February 10, 2025
I can't believe that I'm going to have to wait seven more months until the next Michael Stagg book will be released in September 2025!!

Cruel Sentence, which I couldn't stop reading, is the best of this series so far in my opinion!

The next book, The Concrete Alibi, will introduce a different hero, who has already been seen in a marginal role so far, though, so I hope we will still see Nate Shepherd in some capacity!
535 reviews3 followers
October 4, 2024
Another triumph

Nate Shepherd is what every lawyer wants to be, and every defendant needs. We, the readers, need more Michael Stagg, no matter what he writes about. He is a masterful storyteller and gives us great courtroom and legal drama with characters who feel like friends. Great read.
237 reviews2 followers
October 27, 2024
Really interesting, just great writing

These legal thrillers are so interesting. Along with the regular cast of characters, it makes for good reading . I really like how Nate always finds those little nuggets of truth that change the outcome of the situation. The details and info pulled in that come from real life truths are always good to know.
Profile Image for Jkane.
719 reviews2 followers
November 13, 2024
Another great Nate Shepherd novel. The underlying crime/mystery was good in that it seemed clear, but wound up being murky as you might expect. The trial work was spot-on, and the fact that Nate got his old backers and diamond paralegal, Cyn, from the first book, made things all the more interesting. We left Nate's county for a new place, which also made things more fresh.
292 reviews1 follower
November 24, 2024
Brilliant!! Forgot how good these books were. The courtroom part is excellent. The author gives you a little information but then you experience the rest at the same time as the jury get it. Sat up until 2am to finish the last 30%, had to see how it ended. Michael has now written a spin off with Mason, so might give that a whirl whilst waiting for the next Nate book.
8 reviews
November 26, 2024
One of the better stories in this series, possibly the best. Nate and co head up north to defend a teen being tried as an adult for murder. This opens the door for a plethora of new characters within the legal system and around town. We see the return of Cyn, a personal favorite. Wouldn’t mind a spin-off about her travels.
Profile Image for France.
60 reviews
November 26, 2024
I think I've said this before, but I loooove Nate Shepherd, I would have liked to read a little more about his family, but still a very good story! No low points, I love Michael Stagg's wit. The narration that comes directly from the character makes a better read, there is less 'he said, she said'... it's like listening to a friend telling a story.

When is the next book coming out? :)
Profile Image for Ashley.
203 reviews
November 28, 2024
I love this series and this may be my favorite yet. I love that his cases are unusual and twisty. The characters are so well developed and likeable. It was interesting to have a different small town setting for this one. I also love George Newborn’s narration. It is such a great fit for the book and characters.
Profile Image for Susan.
936 reviews
December 15, 2024
Another great read

Love the Nate Shepherd series. As always, excellent progression with clear reasoning for the twists and turns. Hoping there will be many more.
Mixed reviews on the audiobook companion. Pretty consistently good for main characters, but some inconsistent gender swapping even for key supporting roles [ie his fire expert as an example in current book].
26 reviews
December 17, 2024
GREAT READ

Intense. Well paced. Exciting. Plot twists. Superb prose and a must keep reading thriller vibe. Stagg is REALLY GOOD. I enjoyed this book and if you like exciting well written books that lead you straight into a twisting roller coaster ride experience you’ll love Cruel Sentence
Profile Image for Emma.
75 reviews4 followers
January 6, 2025
Solid legal thriller. I enjoy following Nate Shepherd and his travels over Michigan to provide fantastic legal representation to defendants. There are always fun twists and turns in Michael Stagg's books that keep you hooked. The team is well written and I enjoy the dialog between Nate and Emily. It was a good quick read and I would recommend it to someone looking for a legal thriller series.
14 reviews
February 1, 2025
Another Amazing Stagg Thriller

A must read. Fully developed characters set in a new location doing great work to keep their client from going to prison for life. Certainly a page-turner. The courtroom drama is terrific too - almost as if you were sitting there yourself. Pick up the book today!!
9 reviews
October 8, 2024
Michael Staff does it again

Cruel Sentence holds your interest with a very compelling story and plot. I read Stagg's books in just a couple sittings. I just can't put them down. Looking forward to his next one.
3 reviews1 follower
October 13, 2024
too much repetition

I guess the plot before it was revealed and that was interesting and had to finish the rest of the book and one sitting. But had too much repetition and boring stuff.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews

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