Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

I read this book unaware that it was part of a series, Bruno Johnson. Maybe because I felt that previous books needed to be read, I found myself not really enjoying this, as I found myself confused.

While I can see those who enjoy this, especially those who have read the previous books in the series, this sadly isn't just for me.

Although this is #11 in the Bruno Johnson series, its only the second I've tried and it's been a long time between them. I didn't really get very far in this one because I thought it was overblown. Suddenly, in a single day almost, there are murders everywhere in the quiet Costa Rica town where Bruno and Maria have settled with their herd of 14 children (the blurb says 12 but the total is 14), That's hard to swallow. The female characters are not believable. Maria's dialog is pitiful. This book isn't for me.

Sadly I didn't enjoy it at all, there was times I would start reading it only to put it down and Puck something else up.

I just found this too far fetched and confusing to be an enjoyable read.

This may be due to not reading any of the previous books in the series.

The characters lacked depth and were just not believable, without the story line being too far fetched.

This was just not for me.

Really good. I'm a sucker for a smartass dog, though, so Waldo made this a fun read for me. Good pacing and a couple of twists and great characters were also a plus. I also loved the relationship between Maria & Bruno and his kids. This was my first Bruno book but I'm looking forward to reading more.

I liked the pace, the language, the humour. Good plot, good characters. Not the kind of book I usually read, but I enjoyed this one.

The Diabolical is David Putnam’s 11th Bruno Johnson Novel. ECD, my fellow blogger and great friend of 52 years since we were beginning our post-college degrees, reviewed the 9th book, The Scorned about one year ago, and the eighth The Sinister about two years ago. All three books have been published by Oceanview Publishing, one of our very favorite publishing houses. At some time, were going to have to do a deeper dive to get all of Bruno’s background stories. In ECD’s review of The Scorned, he described that much of the first half was devoted to backstory and especially about feelings. He wrote, “More discussion about feelings than you might find in a romance novel.” I’ve never known ECD to admit that he spent any time reading romance novels.
This novel takes place in Costa Rica where Bruno Johnson and his wife, Marie, have moved with their 14 children to find a better location to raise the kids. Bruno had apparently lost two of his own kids to LA’s gang and drug culture. He acknowledged that the kids with him in Costa Rica are not all legally his, noting that he had rescued most of them from at risk home in South Central Los Angeles. Bruno has found a job at the Lido Cabana bar where he can keep his eye on anyone who might be approaching him for extradition back to LA for both kidnapping and murder charges. The Johnson’s have also arrived with friends. Bruno depends on generous tips from his customers in order to clothe and feed his kids, and he can’t turn down an offer from Otis Brasher to watch out for people that want to harm him (for reasons that Otis would not fully explain). Otis spent his time sitting at the bar and consuming a 13 to 20 grasshoppers per day, thus getting totally drunk. Otis was an abrasive character, but Bruno certainly liked the $1,000 per day that he was receiving for escorting Otis to and from the bar every day.

Things started to go south when there was a mass shooting at another bar which took out some of Bruno’s friends. It turns out some people, including Otis, think there are stolen diamonds in the area – the problem being, the diamonds were stolen from the mob. There were good cops and corrupt cops, more murders, more love with the elegant Marie. Especially there was the struggle that Bruno continued to have with himself from allowing the very dark side of himself to emerge. The author lightened up some of the moments with the dog, Waldo, who was wonderfully portrayed.

It's an excellent story, another winner for Oceanview Publish.

Thank you Net Galley and Oceanview for an ARC of this book. I have read some of the other books about Bruno and they are very violent and just not my cup of tea. This was an honest review to review this book.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it won't be the last

This book kept my attention and I could not put it down!
The twists kept me turning the page.

Such a realistic telling and I wanted more

This is my first book by David Putnam, but it will definitely not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed The Diabolical. Although it is part of a series, it was a great stand alone read. I did not feel lost or like I was missing anything because I had not read the previous books in the series. The fast pace of the book, with all its twists and turns, kept me guessing. I particularly loved the banter between Bruno and Marie. I was fascinated by the two sides of Bruno - loving and gentle with his family, but ruthless when he needed to be.

I was drawn to this book because of its setting in Costa Rica, but was at a disadvantage having not read any other books in the series. Although this crime story can stand on its own, the back story of Bruno's large adopted family and his need for a new identity and escape from the US law were not clear to me although they were an important part of the story. The pace of the action is fast, but I wanted to know more about Bruno's wife and family, whom he was trying to protect from danger that seemed to surround him.

Fast-paced Crime Thriller.

Bruno Johnson is a former LAPD officer who got in serious trouble (and spent time in jail as a result) but who is now happily married to Marie, and they live together with their 14 children.
Bruno lives by his own creed and relentlessly pursues justice for the ones he loves—even if it means breaking the law. Chief Hernandez, who is aware of Bruno’s skills, requests his assistance at the scene of Tamarindo’s first-ever murder – a brutal shootout at the nightclub El Gato Gorda.
Brunno Recognises two of the victims, and is quickly drawn into the investigation, offering his insights to help solve the case. I Recommend this book to anyone who loves to read fast-paced crime thrillers that have plenty of twists and turns that you will never see coming. A good mystery with great characters. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I hadn’t realized this was book 11 in a series but it wasn’t difficult at all to get into the book without having read the others. So my opinion is it’s definitely readable as a standalone. There were tons of twists and turns that had me guessing.

Life has been great for ex-cop Bruno Johnson where he lives in Costa Rica. Wanted in the USA, he has to lie low, while caring for his kids and wife.

But trouble seemed to follow him to his very own neighborhood. Six people, some friends of his, have been murdered at a party in cold blood, and when more bodies turn up his beautiful but micro-managing employer is not amused.

Meanwhile a local cop tries to blackmail him into loyalty, and a shady customer at the hotel where he works, also demands his protection. And the bodies continue to pile up as Bruno tries to work out who the real killer is.

Bruno Johnson is a highly engaging character, though it is to be wondered if he will ever be able to feel the same about his new home again.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this read.

This is a good addition to the ongoing saga of Bruno. He is a complex character, rescuer of endangered children, among other pursuits. Bruno's location in Costa Rica is a hide out for many evading the law. Many of the people he knows are not who they claim to be. Trouble seems to follow him around and in this novel Russian agents play a part. My favorite character, though, was Waldo, a helpful canine sidekick.

Putnam writes from his own experiences on the force and I really like his Author's Note at the end explaining that. There is lots of violence, blood and death in this novel. While it is part of a long running series, it reads pretty well on its own. The are enough bits of backstory included to understand Bruno's history and current actions.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

The Diabolical by David Putnam

This is a Bruno Johnson Crime book. Bruno, whose solution to every negative issue is blood and bone, has mellowed. He may still be a little crusty on the outside but he is a major marshmallow on the inside for his fourteen kids. His job as a bartender at the Punta Bandera Hotel and Beach Club in Costa Rico is impacted when some friends are slaughtered at a local nightclub.
A diamond heist, philandering, a hot psychotic manager, and Waldo the not-so-wonder dog add to the eclectic mix.
Putnam puts together an entertaining story with some unusual trappings for the hotel golf course.
I enjoyed the story and recommend it.

Not my cup of tea! I love a mystery but this felt unrealistic and I would have preferred a more indepth analysis of the mystery itself. It felt very repetitive plot-wise and I wasn't drawn in to the characters or their motivation.

Wedding Bells For Joy, A Death Knell For Paradise

These books featuring Bruno, Marie, and the rest of the Johnson family are addicting. I'm a law-abiding citizen, but I admit that if I were ever to meet a vigilante like Bruno, I’d help him to escape with any poor kid he’d rescued.

This particular story begins with a wonderful celebration, so satisfying and heartwarming if you already know the bride and groom from the last book. But, after the happy couple have slipped away for their honeymoon, Bruno’s good time is derailed in a catastrophically gruesome way. Luckily, Waldo the Rottweiler has been assigned to watch over the family in his owner's absence, because Bruno needs all the help he can get.

David Putnam writes with a confident voice and displays ample and authentic street experience. He knows all about the world of “blood and bone,” but also provides his readers with scenes of tropical paradise and loving family life. He's imbued Bruno and Marie with generous hearts, integrity, and courage. He makes you care deeply about his characters.

If you like your thrillers gritty and suspenseful, with characters as vivid as they are shady, and sudden chaotic developments that can be both funny and appalling, you'll love the Bruno Johnson series.

Thank you so much to author David Putnam, Oceanview Publishing, and NetGalley for a free advance reader's copy of The Diabolical. I'm under no obligation to make a favorable review, so I'm giving a rave review instead! I loved this book and can't wait for the next! I hope there's even more Waldo, and Eddie, too.

Bruno and his family are living in Costa Rica. Bruno is a fugitive running from the law in America. He has a job as a bartender at a hotel. But when his close friend is shot at a local club, Bruno realizes his own life, and that of his family, may be in severe danger.

I have reviewed another in this series, The Scorned. And I rated it three stars as well. I think this series is just not for me. I like Bruno. But, this story is just a bit choppy and complicated. It just doesn’t not seem to fit well together. Now, this is rated very high among other readers. So, that is why I say this series is just not for me. Y’all give it a shot and let me know what you think.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Book #11 in the Bruno Johnson series. Each book can be read as a stand alone and enjoyed. While Bruno's back story has developed with each book, there's enough build up in each book to keep up with this fast paced story.

A man with a history of standing up for what he believes, Bruno just wants the world to let him be. Living in Costa Rico with his wife and children, Bruno is blackmailed into working on the investigation of a club shooting that killed a friend of his. As he searches for the shooter, he'll find too many connections to his life, insuring extreme action to keep his family safe. As the tension builds, Bruno will make sure these bad guys understand the consequences of their actions. 5 easy stars.

3.5 Stars

The Diabolical is definitely a rip-roaring ride! Bruno and his wife, Marie, are living in Costa Rica, along with their 12 rescued children. They are also hiding out from US law enforcement.

Mr. Putman was a street cop and he says: "Bruno goes around the law to champion the rights of children and rid the world of the villains who continue to haunt my dreams." In The Diabolical he uses a harrowing event from his past to create one of the last scenes of the book.

Although The Diabolical isn't the style of writing I usually enjoy reading, I found the story to be compelling and the characters to be well-developed. (Of course, my favorite character was the dog, Waldo.) I felt as though I were actually there, petting Waldo, and waiting for Bruno to mix my drink!

Many thanks to both #OceanviewPublishing and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Diabolical.