Jack Bertolino is no stranger to the FBI, nor is he in their employ, except when it suits them. When an Luke, an agent undercover, goes missing, his sister calls on Jack to find her brother. Jack calls in a favor from the Mafia Don, with assurances that he won't report back to the FBI on any of the mob business, only what happened to Luke. Needless to say there are a few shady characters who aren't thrilled with all the questions Jack and his two sidekicks. With questionable friends and enemies on both sides, Jack has his work cut out for him. Getting involved with Vincent Cardona's daughter only complicates the matter further. As the pieces fall into place, it becomes clear that what Luke stumbled onto is bigger than the mob.

The pace is steady and Jack is a strong character as are Mateo. Jack has a strong sense of right, wrong and responsibility, but he can blur the lines when needed for the greater good. He has connections that are there for him. There's plenty of tension that keeps the plot and subplots moving. This is the fourth in the Jack Bertolino series. Although there is history from previous books (his initial contact with Vince, his rescue of Angelina, his connection to the Coast Guard), the story behind Luke's murder can be read as a stand alone. Readers who like more real-life crime, the mob, and conspiracies unrelated to the mob, will enjoy reading THE FOURTH GUNMAN.

Action packed from start to finish. So good.
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The Fourth Gunman is an awesome new installment in the series about Jack, ex-cop and PI. Still a badass even though it’s been several years since we were together personally. He’s still able to have me at the edge of my seat with his crazy cases and the ability to have friends in high, and a few low places, that can help him out in a pinch.

I love Jack. His smart wit, street sense, sex appeal, and dry humor is everything I love. Not to mention the fact that even at his advanced age he can still mix it up with the best of them. Kidding… about the age thing, anyway!

This plot is inventive and imaginative but yet so damn believable. It’s actually scary to think about, but that is what a great storyteller does. And make no mistake, John Lansing is a great storyteller.

If you love action packed stories that include crime, police procedural action, mob stories, doublecrossing, terrorist threat, and a ton of mystery’s in the dark, The Fourth Gunman is a great read that you will hate to put down. John Lansing is making a fabulous literary statement with this awesome book. Grab it!

In The Fourth Gunman, the fourth book in the Jack Bertolino Series, the reader is transported back into the seedy underworld of crime as they follow private investigator Jack Bertolino on his latest investigative adventure.

Author John Lansing weaves a fast-paced crime thriller set in Los Angeles and written in the third person narrative, that follows the dangerous quest of retired NYPD narcotics detective now private investigator Jack Bertolino as he takes on the investigation of a missing person case requested by the FBI. FBI Agent Liz Hunter requests Jack to find her brother Luke Hunter, a fellow FBI Agent who had infiltrated Mob Boss Vincent Cardona's group for the past eighteen months under the name of Luke Donato. Luke had been trying to set Cardona up for money laundering from his illegal gambling operation on the luxury yacht, Bella Fortuna, but he suddenly disappeared. And to make matters worse, Cardona's group is looking for a satchel of money that also disappeared at the same time. Jack has worked for Cardona in the past, and this investigation will once again lead him into the seedy Mafia underworld, where he will find himself caught up in a dangerous and deadly game of cat and mouse.

The Fourth Gunman is a riveting and realistic story that is full of intrigue, action, drama, suspense, murder, and dark humor. Jack's latest investigative adventure easily draws the reader in and keeps them captivated and turning the pages. As the reader follows Jack and his associates Mateo and Cruz into the shady Mafia underworld, the multitude of plot twists and turns will keep them guessing what will happen next. Jack takes the reader on a wild ride when his dangerous adventure takes him into the upscale areas and seedy neighborhoods of various California locales. It is a shady and dark world of Mafia illegal operations, money laundering, and murder ... all in the pursuit of solving the case of the missing FBI agent.

With a multidimensional cast of characters who leap off the pages; gritty dialogue and vivid interactions; richly detailed description of various California locales; and a no-holds-barred storyline that keeps the reader sitting on the edge of their seats and holding their breath as the chilling trail of dangerous Mafia illegal operations and murders leads up to an explosive climax.

The Fourth Gunman is one hell of a thrilling story that you won't be able to put down, and it will leave you wanting to follow Jack on more of his investigative adventures!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-fourth-gunman-by-john-lansing-vbt.html

As a new reader to this series was I curious to see how reading this book without having read the previous three books. I'm glad to say that I found both the plot interesting and the characters well-developed.

Retired inspector Jack Bertolino as approved by FBI to find Luke Hunter, a missing agent, who has gone missing during an undercover mission. One of the FBI agents that wants him to find the missing man is Luke's sister. The problem is that not only is Luke missing, but so is half a million dollar that belongs to the mob. So, has the skipped town with the money, or has someone gotten rid of him because of the money?

There is not a big mystery to what happened to Luke, the story starts off with explaining that and then it's up to Jack to figure it out. I liked the start of the book, it has that kind of intense start that I love in books when you get thrown into the story right from the very start. I usually like more mysterious kind of books, when the identity of the villain(s) are unknown, but I did enjoy knowing from the start who not to trust as Jack had to figure it out for himself. And, just because you know certain fact doesn't it mean that you know all of it.

Jack Bertolino is the kind of characters that I liked right from the start and he's definitely the kind of character that makes me curious to read the other books to get to know him better. His "relationship" with Angelica, for instance, is turbulent and unwise since she is the daughter of a Mafia Don. However, that fact also makes the book more interesting to read.

I will definitely be on the lookout for the other books in the series!

3.5 stars

Sometimes it isn’t what you know, but who you know and Jack Bertolino seems to have a handle on who to know when he needs help on a case involving an undercover agent who has gone missing.
Jake was working on a mafia owned gambling ship, there one minute, gone the next. No trace, but plenty of suspicions. Had he double-crossed the big guy and run off with a large chunk of cash? Had he been discovered and eliminated?

Follow Jack through the twists and turns of investigating, attraction to a young mafia princess, dinners with a mob boss and a list of favors called in and favors returned. Where is Jake? Could his sister, an FBI agent, be wrong about him? Was he playing both sides of the fence or was someone out to frame a man who wasn’t there to defend himself?

High rollers, beautiful people seeking a private place to gamble and more, Jack is up to his ears in gritty intrigue, dark humor, lies and deceit. One thing for certain, this retired investigator isn’t afraid to use any methods at his disposable to get the answers he seeks in THE FOURTH GUNMAN by John Lansing.

For fans of suspense and mystery, heroes who know how to dig up the dirt and uncover those pesky skeletons in the closet, THE FOURTH GUNMAN is a great read to sink into. A little gritty, with a hero who colors outside the lines!

I received an ARC edition from Gallery Books!

Series: Jack Bertolino - Book 4
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Number of Pages: 375 (estimated)
ISBN: 1501189530 (ISBN13: 9781501189531)
Available from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & Goodreads
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