Book Review: Cash Valley by Ryan K. Nelson

Cash Valley, by Ryan K. Nelson
2016, 185p, Mystery/Suspense
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author, which did not affect my review in any way



When FBI Agent Alex Travis receives an anonymous phone call on a September morning in 1954 with a tip concerning the now cold case of the Cache County Bank robbery, it has his undivided attention. The tip leads Travis to the top of the secluded Green canyon in Logan, Utah, where a young man named Jack Pepper proceeds to tell a story spanning the two years from the time of the robbery, when he and his girlfriend, Kate Austin, stumbled upon the crime of the century for the Cache valley. Travis must decide if he is dealing with the suspects or the victims of one of the largest bank robberies in U.S. history.

To get the answers, it will take one more trip up the canyon, to the entrance of the Spring Hollow mine, where the daylight ends and the cold dark begins.

This story takes place in 1954. FBI Agent Alex Travis has inherited a cold case of a bank robbery which happened in Cache County two years ago. After receiving an anonymous tip, he meets a man by the name of Jack Pepper. Jack has quite a story to tell, involving bank robbers and his girlfriend, Kate.

One word describes this story: Intense! From the moment Agent Travis met Jack, this story didn't let up. We learned Jack and Kate's story, both their history together and where they are now, from a very long conversation between Agent Travis and Jack. I'm not always a fan of that, but thought it worked well for this type of book. We also learn about the dangerous bank robbers. The leader, Eddie, is especially ruthless and has unfinished business with Jack. There are some tough scenes to read, especially when Eddie turns his interest to Kate in order to get Jack to cooperate.

This is a fast-paced, entertaining read which I enjoyed from beginning to end! The main characters are flawed but likable and easy to root for. The villains are ruthless and easy to root against. It's well-researched and includes some history of the area, which I thought was interesting. I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys an intense, action-packed mystery!

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Ryan K. Nelson was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area but now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife and two boys. This is his first novel.

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