Author Kevin Wade is a writer and producer of the tv show Blue Bloods, and wrote this novel during the 4-month actors strike in 2023.

Jeep Mullane and Johnny Chambliss were BFFs and a formidable lacrosse duo on a Long Island travel team, but were from different socioeconomic backgrounds. As they got older, they went their separate ways, with Jeep following his father into the NYPD until an unfortunate event caused him to move back to the North Shore, becoming a local village police chief. Meanwhile, Johnny got married to another wealthy scion, and continued to drift in life, in line with his moniker ... Johnny Careless. A series of high end car thefts are threatening Jeep's job security when Johnny is found dead on a local beach under questionable circumstances, including scratches on his back, following a private school reunion. Questionable decisions in Johnny's past make solving the death complicated. Being from Long Island probably made this more interesting for me than it might be for others.

Quick paced and an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the writing style and the character development. I thought it was a good read.

Kevin Wade's debut novel is a steller police procedural, fast paced and exciting. Police Chief Jeep Mullane is investigating the murder of his long time friend, Johnny Careless is from the wealthy part of town. He was rich, entitled and reckless. Chief Mullane's investigation is complex and compelling as he moves through Johnny's past and present to find the killer. The story is action-packed and intense. The characters especially Jeep, are authentic. I enjoyed this fast and engaging read and look forward to the next Kevin Wade novel. Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of Johnny Careless.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Johnny Careless.
Set in the rich area of Long Island this is a novel with ‘how the other half lives’ as a story line.
A young man is found dead and it looks quite suspicious. The victim is known as Johnny Careless. He lived his life in the edge. Good looking and rich he was a friend to some and a foe to others.
His friend Jeep is the local police chief who is part of the investigation.
Theres a lot going on in this book with many different characters and plot lines.
I would call this a police detective book with some some background noise”.
3 stars

A debut author that I will be watching!

This was a fascinating book with a story that drew me in and left me holding my breath. I love a good Return Home story, and Johnny Careless really hit that mark along with all the drama and mystery that i was expecting. But, I must note that this was more of a police procedural novel than I had been expecting. This author and his experiences clearly inform this powerful book and if you enjoy this type of story than you will surely find a powerful author here. If you enjoy flashbacks that provide well written fuel for the thriller you are reader and uncover the hidden clues that a great mystery needs, than again Wade's style and voice is one that will hold you throughout this well paced read.

Police chief Jeep Mullane is called to a crime scene where he finds his childhood friend, Johnny, dead. Jeep believes there is more to the story than an accidental death and continues to try and find out what happened. The story moves from current times to the past, and you realize there is more to Johnny than a shallow, self-centered, rich guy. While trying to figure out the mystery of Johnny’s death, Jeep also contends with a car theft ring causing havoc in the area.

The story has elements of the differences between the haves and have-nots. While Jeep and Johnny were lifelong friends, there is still the class divide. Jeep must navigate the intricacies of the community and those who would prefer that Johnny’s death be forgotten, including Johnny’s father.
Overall, an interesting read that provides a solid story and satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Kevin Wade for the eARC.

Johnny Careless reads like a classic crime novel. Police Chief Jeep Mullane heads the police department in the town he grew up in, where he was a middle class kid in an upper class area. When his childhood friend, Johnny Chambliss turns up dead, Jeep can't help investigating, even though some would prefer the be closed as an accidental death.

Jeep is an interesting protagonist, and as the story progresses readers come to realize there is more to Johnny than people think. The pacing and writing are spot on with enough details to keep it interesting.

I highly recommend this book.

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

I couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t like how the (obviously male) author wrote about the female characters. This one should be marketed more towards men.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade!

Police Chief Jeep Mullane is a very likable guy. He is smart, sticks to the point at hand, and knows how to utilize law enforcement personnel to get the job done. Sadly, his best friend, Johnny, has been found dead, his death ruled an accident by the ME. Jeep isn't satisfied and wants to know more about Johnny's last day. The story is told entirely from Jeep's point of view, taking place in both the present and the past, allowing us to learn more about not only who Jeep is, but also about Johnny as well. This is said to be a fast-moving classic crime novel, but the middle of the book stalled a bit for me. At times I got confused with Jeep's multiple investigations. Since he is the police chief his case load was realistic so I kept with the story and eventually all the pieces started coming together and then I couldn't read fast enough. This is a short book and a fairly easy read. I'm giving this book 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.

JOHNNY CARELESS by Kevin Wade
Publication: January 28, 2025 by Celadon Books
Page Count: 240



Highly cohesive and impactful debut police procedural novel from veteran playwright, and screenwriter Kevin Wade. Featured is the main protagonist police chief “Jeep” Mullane ( born: Gerald Paul ), who has given up his detective shield from NYPD after burning out from multiple heart breaking cases. He has returned to the same area of Long Island’s North Shore where he grew up and will face memories and secrets from the past. He can never forget the responsibilities of being the son of a decorated NYPD cop. The mystery begins immediately as the faceless body of a corpse is washed a shore on the beach of Bayville , New York. Early on the scene, Jeep arrives and recognizes a tattoo on the ankle of the corpse. He quickly realizes that the corpse belongs to his high school friend, John Chambliss . His lacrosse buddy was the scion of a powerful, and wealthy family. The privileged friend from his past was actually known as “Johnny Careless” due to his reckless and feckless antics that marked his youth. Initially the authorities assumed this was an accidental death, which Jeep actually did not agree. Due to unexplained marks on his back, he suspected a homicide.
Wade expertly weaves multiple timelines to develop his multidimensional characters that justifies their motivational actions. The flashbacks progress to the present, while yielding valuable background information. The tightly plotted procedural progressives escalates tension and mystery as the themes of political conflict and social class issues are explored. The complexities and like ability of Jeep’s character begs for a continuation of this series. Brought into the mix will be a haunting relationship with Johnny’s ex wife, as well as a high end car theft ring.
Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

A story that has police chief Jeep Mullane being called out to a scene and once there he knows who it is immediately. His friend Johnny Chambliss but most people called him Johnny Careless. Once Jeep begins his investigation it is a look back into the lives of his and Johhny since they went to school together for a while even though Johnny and his family had money and Jeep's father was an N.Y.P.D. This was a good look into everyone's life and a look back into Johnny’s as well and when you get to the end you will find out what happened. A good book.

Gerald Paul (better known as Jeep) Mullane is a small town sheriff on Long Island's North Shore, in the town where he grew up. He left the NYPD after a devastating crime destroyed him. A body is discovered in the county and he knows who it is as soon as he sees the corpse. It's his best friend, John Chamberlain, known as Johnny Careless. Johnny grew up rich, but Jeep and Johnny were inseparable in the early years, playing lacrosse. Now Johnny is dead and who knows how many people are not sorry it happened? Jeep is forbidden to investigate since he knew the victim, but how can he not try to find out what happened to his friend? There are decades old secrets at the root of it all and Johnny's secretive family and ex-wife throw a spanner in the investigation. Wade is a screen writer and this shows; the book is fast-paced and entertaining.

Johnny Careless may be Kevin Wade’s debut novel, but he was a screenwriter and showrunner for “Blue Bloods” for years, so he has experience with police procedurals.

Jeep Mullane is Police Chief in Bayville, near Long Island, but he answers to four mayors, some of whom are on a power trip. His top priority right now is the on-going theft of high-end cars, and the residents are not happy. But, when the body of Johnny Chambliss, known as Johnny Careless, turns up, Jeep’s attention shifts to the murder of his childhood friend.

Johnny’s death appears accidental, but his mother and ex-wife don’t believe that, and they both push Jeep for answers. While Jeep grieves, he struggles with his past history, over twenty years in this life. As a kid, Jeep thought the wealthy were his friends. But, they made it obvious that he was just “a novelty item” to them.

While other authors also use multiple timelines to tell the story, Wade mixes the current investigations with the past, bringing the alternate timeline forward to meet the current one. It’s well-done in this somewhat melancholy story of the haves and have-nots. Johnny Careless is a solid police procedural, the story of a lost golden boy, and the policeman who owed him.

Johnny Careless
By Kevin Wade

This is a police procedural written by a man who has spent most of his career writing for the theatre, movies and television. He has won many awards for his work in these fields. During the writers' strike while the covid pandemic raged, he wrote this novel.

JP "Jeep" Mullane, police chief of Bayville, Long Island, arrives at the scene of a body washed up on shore. Alas, the victim is his oldest friend, Johnny "Careless" Chambliss.

Jeep is the son of an NYPD hero cop. Johnny is the scion of a wealthy Gold Cost family who never seems able to please his father. The powers that be decide that Johnny's death should be ruled a boating accident, but there are things that make Jeep doubt that ruling. Jeep circumvents all the higher-ups to try to understand what really happened.

There are multiple plot lines here that the author ties up neatly. The writing is clear and concise without giving too much away. I enjoyed the easy flow of the story and would be interested to see if Mr. Wade will do a follow-up with these characters. There are two situations which seem left unresolved, leaving me to hope that he does.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallet for this ARC.

I thought this debut police procedural story with short chapters was just ok. I had high expectations since the author Kevin Wade is a television writer and producer of the crime show Blue Bloods. I can’t pinpoint what the story was lacking. Johnny Careless had a diverse cast of characters, some unlikeable and one police chief who initially lacked integrity but was able to redeem himself by doing the right thing in the end, which I appreciated.

Kudos to author Kevin Wade for his debut novel Johnny Careless. I noticed early on how comfortable I was with Wade's writing style. He gives the reader a front row seat to enjoy the show. And it's a good show, even a warm show if you can say that about a crime novel. His lead character, Jeep, the police chief definitely needs a sequel and I want to be first in line when it comes out.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Kevin Wade’s Johnny Careless introduces a gritty, captivating protagonist in Police Chief Jeep Mullane, a man whose troubled past and complicated present collide when the body of his childhood friend, Johnny Chambliss, surfaces in Long Island’s wealthy North Shore. Once a reckless golden boy, Johnny’s death seems like an accident, but Jeep, still reeling from his own career setbacks, suspects foul play. What follows is a twisting mystery full of corruption, long-held secrets, and complex personal dynamics.

Wade, known for his work on Blue Bloods and films like Meet Joe Black, brings his expertise in crime and character development to this debut novel. Jeep is an engaging anti-hero, shaped by grief, regret, and an unresolved loyalty to his old friend. The contrast between Jeep’s working-class background and the affluent world of Johnny’s family creates a tension that drives the story forward. As Jeep unravels the mystery, he faces pressure from powerful figures who want Johnny’s death written off as an accident, but his determination and dogged sense of justice push him deeper into dangerous territory.

The novel’s pacing is sharp, with alternating flashbacks that reveal Johnny’s reckless past and Jeep’s conflicted feelings toward him, his ex-wife Niven, and the tight-knit community. The exploration of class divides, personal failure, and moral compromise adds layers of depth to a compelling crime narrative. The secondary characters, particularly the younger officers Jeep mentors, enrich the story and offer a glimpse into his evolving role as both a leader and a man trying to live up to his late father’s legacy.

At just 240 pages, Johnny Careless is a fast-paced, well-crafted crime novel that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Wade has created a memorable hero in Jeep Mullane, and this book holds promise for future installments exploring more of the gritty underbelly of Long Island’s elite. The debut delivers a satisfying mix of mystery, character-driven drama, and social commentary, making it a must-read for fans of crime fiction.

A terrific police drama with several ins and outs, relationship problems, a death to solve, and an expensive car theft ring that needs shutting down. It pulls together in an interesting and engaging manner. Great writing with some humorous thoughts of the main character. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As much as I hate to admit it, I probably read more crime novels than anything. I love a good David Baldacci, Lee Child, or Michael Connelly as an easy distraction, and found Johnny Careless fits into that category quite nicely.

Jeep Mullane is the fairly new police chief to the fairly new police force in his hometown on the North Shore. Having recently returned from a stint as an officer in the NYPD, he finds himself dealing with generational wealth once again, as an outsider to that world. When his childhood best friend, Johnny Chambliss, turns up dead, Jeep has to navigate the secrets and expectations of both family, friends, and those in power above him.

I found this to be quite easy and enjoyable to read. It's not as complex as other books in this genre, but I found it to be more witty and colorful. Kevin Wade is a master of simile and metaphor, which brings the world of Jeep to life. The characters were interesting, relatable, and well-rounded. The plot was well-paced, and I never found myself wanting to put the book down out of boredom.

If you're looking for a quick and fun mystery, this might be a book you'd enjoy.

Thank you Celadon Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read the ARC for an honest review.