Perfect for fans of Robert Crais and John Sandford Bruno Johnson, a young and inexperienced LA County Deputy Sheriff, is trying to balance his life as the single father of a four-year-old daughter and his responsibilities as a cop in the Violent Crimes Unit. When he and his impetuous partner Ned Kiefer are put on loan to the FBI to help out with a “special problem,” Bruno finds himself in a real … himself in a real bind.
The FBI hands Bruno and Ned a case that the Bureau prefers not to touch—a group of teenage criminals that are being run by a nefarious criminal known as the Darkman. Bruno discovers the identity of the Darkman and is stunned to realize that he is the perpetrator from a lingering unsolved case—a triple homicide that continues to haunt Bruno.
The problem is how to stop the juvenile criminals without killing kids, and at the same time, avoid being killed by the kids—or by the Darkman—and keep his reckless partner Ned under control.
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David Putnam’s protagonist Bruno Johnson is an iconic LA cop, but he’s also the single parent of a young daughter. In The Reckless he balances his responsibility for Olivia with chasing very bad criminals in the Violent Crimes Unit with absolute loyalty to his friend Ned. The outcome is emotional and violent and unpredictable. For anyone who loves crime fiction, this is the author for you. The Reckless is part of a series, but this series can definitely be read out of order as a standalone.
I will begin by saying I have never read any books in this series by this author. That’s something I am definitely going to change in the very near future.
Although 6th in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. This book tells of his early years, when he was young and new to the Violent Crimes Unit in Los Angeles. Living with his father and having the total care of his very young daughter almost gives him more responsibility than he’s used to.
Bruno and his partner, Ned, are sent to work with the FBI. Originally, they are given the task of hunting down bank robbers … the ones the FBI hasn’t been able to locate, sometimes for years. When Bruno and Ned find a couple within a matter of days, the FBI seems unhappy to have been shown up by these two ‘cowboys’.
But what the FBI really wants them to do is an almost impossible job. And the leader of this particular group is someone from Bruno’s past …. a killer that was never caught.
There is so much to this story … Ned’s personal problems which are interfering with his job … a woman Bruno let slip through his fingers several years earlier …. a supervisor who Bruno suspects is not mentally stable enough to lead his men …. and some who are hiding secrets and cannot be trusted at any cost.
This is an extremely well written crime fiction. Action starts on the very first page and just never lets up. It’s a real page turner.
Because of the author’s background, I expected a lot of credibility with the story premise ..and the characters. He didn’t disappoint. Why he wrote this book is as interesting as reading the actual book. If you like crime fiction, you don’t want to miss this one … it may be the best you read all year.
Many thanks to the author / Oceanview Publishing / Edelweiss for the advanced digital copy of this most thrilling crime story. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
If you like Alex Cross created by James Patterson you will love Bruno Johnson created by David Putman. I had never read a Bruno Johnson novel until I won a copy of “The Reckless” from Goodreads. Once I started reading the story I could not put it down. I found myself invested in this character and his life. It is a gritty, realistic cop drama, that is a true page turner. I want to read all of the Bruno Johnson novels now. Bruno is the type of character that could be one of your friends. He has a sense of right and wrong that is lacking in this world. As Ned tells him, “You are Mr. Law and Order”, but will cross the line if absolutely necessary. If you like cop dramas on TV you need to read David Putman’s “The Reckless”. You will not be disappointed.