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.

Good detective story. I liked that we get a good bit more character development, especially of Chief of Police "Jeep" Mullane, than in many crime novels. It was interesting seeing how he interacts with the various circles he's a part of as he goes about solving a tricky mystery.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

A body has been washed ashore. Police Chief Jeep, a former NYPD detective, is called to the scene. The deceased’s face is unrecognizable but Jeep is able to identify the body because of a tattoo on his ankle which matches Jeep’s same ratio. The body is that of Jeep’s friend, Johnny Chambliss. Even though the case is not his Jeep continues to investigate anyway. As well as a police detective story it is also a class story. A story of haves and have nots and acceptance. I enjoyed this book.

I don't read a lot of police/crime dramas, but I must admit, this one drew me in with its intriguing and complex characters. I also really liked the flashback chapters, giving the reader vital relationship and background information.

The story begins with a body washing up on a Long Island beach. The area's police chief, Jeep Mulane, is called to the scene where area mayors seem to be a little more concerned with a car theft ring canvasing the area than the scene at hand.

In identifying the victim, as his face and head have been completely obliterated from the deadly strike, Jeep spots a tattoo on the deceased's ankle - a tattoo of crossed lacrosse sticks, one that matches a tattoo on Jeep's own ankle. Thus the story begins...

The victim, Johnny Chambliss, aka Johnny Careless, is Jeep's oldest friend. The nickname was bestowed upon him by a previous lacrosse coach who proclaimed that Johnny always did what he wanted and didn't care about any damage he left in his path.

The story is laid out for us as not only Johnny's murder is attempting to be solved, but also the mystery of the car theft ring ravaging the area. We meet some interesting characters along the way - Niven, Johnny's ex-wife and also a long time friend and acquaintance of Jeep's; Johnny's parents, Pete and Gwen Chambliss, who epitomize old money and show the stark contrast between the have and the have nots of the Long Island area; and an elusive and somewhat secretive relative from Chile, South America,

The author of the book, Kevin Wade, is the main writer for the show, Blue Bloods, and his expertise in crime drama shines through in his debut novel.

If you enjoy police drama with twists, reach for this one that was released January 28th. Thank you, NetGalley and Celadon Books, for this engaging debut.

This is a crime novel written by Kevin Wade, who is the screen writer for Blue Bloods, the TV show. Overall, I enjoyed this one. Jeep is a former NYPD police detective who has moved back to his hometown to be a police chief. The book starts out with the discovery of a body washed up on shore. The deceased is Jeep’s childhood best friend, Johnny Chambliss.

There is definitely a feel of ‘who belongs’ and ‘who doesn’t belong’ in this small seaside town with two country clubs. Jeep has always toed that line and it’s no different as an adult.

Like I said, overall I enjoyed it. It is a debut. There’s some repetitiveness that causes some lagging in the middle. I also think the ending was a bit rushed. I did enjoy Jeep as a character, though, and I would read more about him.

JOHNNY CARELESS is a good, solid police procedural set in a ritzy beach town with small town cops. The local police chief’s best friend from childhood turns up dead, and while he’s not assigned the case, he pursues answers anyway. Author Kevin Wade is a long-time screenwriter and this is his first run at a novel. It’s engaging and complex and well worth reading. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I wish I could say that I cared more for “Johnny Careless”, but I cannot. A murder or accident? An old friend, a small town honest Police Chief, wealthy communities with well heeled inhabitants on the North Shore of Long Island. How will it all end? Obviously, I will not tell you but what I will say is reading about these towns, the surrounding areas, the country clubs, the schools, the church, the roads, the restaurants, and presently living here, was interesting. The book is reminiscent to me of Nelson DeMille’s “Gold Coast” but it’s not humorous. In fact, the book doesn’t paint a very nice canvas of the wealthy on the North Shore. References like how the less privileged will always be signing into the club as a guest and not as a member, sets the tone. Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #JohnnyCareless, #CeladonBooks, #goodreads, #Netgalley.

Johnny Careless is a police drama enriched by its many complications.

The investigating officer, “Jeep” Mullane, grew up on the North Fork of Long Island but is new to his job as local police chief; we know there’s a story behind this, because he used to be a big-city detective in the NYPD. He’s called to the scene of a death in which the body found in the water turns out to be Johnny Chambliss, Jeep’s childhood friend and old lacrosse teammate. A number of involved parties have known Jeep forever: the victim’s father, who seems to want to whole thing over with as quickly as possible; his mother, who wants to understand what happened; Johnny’s ex-wife, who wants something from Jeep. Running through all of this is the perpetual tension between the country-club types and the have-nots, no matter how much they may be superficially friendly. The death is actually being investigated by a different department; the assigned officers don’t seem too kindly disposed towards Jeep and might not necessarily want to work too hard on this case. Jeep is determined to understand what happened to his old friend.

The author writes with sensitivity about interpersonal interactions ranging from festering personal resentments (Johnny’s old lacrosse coach), tensions (Johnny’s parents), and romantic attractions (Johnny’s ex-wife), to the professional give-and-take needed to trust one’s fellow officers and navigate local or departmental politics. Everyone has an agenda or a need, and Jeep must navigate these competing drives with tact or blunt force, as the circumstances dictate. This is an engrossing novel offering far more than just the solution to a crime.

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon for a digital advance review copy.

This is a small-town crime novel (set on Long Island's North Shore) centering around the death of a local wealthy bit-of-a-playboy Johnny Chambliss known to some as "Johnny Careless" for his cavalier demeanor. Johnny's childhood friend, "Jeep" Mullane is the Chief of Police and begins digging into the (out of his jurisdiction) case.

This is a multiple time period story toggling between Johnny's, Jeep's and Johnny's girlfriend/ex-wife's relationships from high school through the present, so we get some background perspective to ponder. Johnny is mostly portrayed as a spoiled, often arrogant rich boy with occasional redeeming moments. Lots of baggage, a lot of it stemming from his relationship with his domineering father.

Overall, I enjoyed this debut novel. There's humor, mostly likable characters (not a big fan of Johnny's ex-wife), some suspense. While I didn't necessarily feel drawn deeply into the story as much as I would've liked, there was enough interest (especially with the multiple timelines) to keep me reading.

Well done for a debut novel.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing the free early arc of Johnny Careless for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I was intrigued for this when I heard so many Blue Bloods actors and cast talk about this releasing, around the time when Blue Bloods was officially off the air, and it did give the vibe of a mystery of the NYPD with so many references, but it also gave that small town, lake house, town mystery that I didn't get the vibe off on Blue Bloods, so it was definitely interesting to read about. I am not usually a fan of mysteries, and never really was until Blue Bloods, and I have to say this was a good introduction to the genre, and I am very excited to keep going and five into more of the mystery genre.

It wa s abit difficult to follow along with what really was going on, it might have just been me, but this does have a dual timeline, and I was not expecting that, which was really interesting for this genre. I will say that I was intrigued, and the other relationships had me thinking "Whodunit" which was fun. I also enjoyed it because it was not at all graphic like I was thinking the genre to be.

Overall, if anyone misses Blue Bloods, or a tv show vibe mystery, you will definitely enjoy this!

Johnny Careless by talented writer Kevin Wade is everything that a crime novel should be and more; the main character is the son of an NYPD cop, so you might say that law enforcement is the family business. The chief gets a call to a drowning death, which, as readers know, can be very ugly. It’s even worse because the chief recognizes his friend Johnny. Intuition tells him that something is wrong with the crime scene. The chief has strong and long connections to his dead friend. The book takes place on Long Island, but not on Long Island, familiar to most readers. The writer provides interesting and nostalgic descriptions of Long Island and the chief as a determined and fascinating character. The additional players are also intriguing, adding humorous dialogue to an entertaining police procedural. Do yourself a favor, sit down, and buy Johnny Careless; you will not regret it for one second.

Kevin Wade is a debut author and a gifted storyteller. This entire novel was rich with details making me feel part of the story as well as setting an authentic atmosphere.
The plot is full of suspense and intrigue. Character development is a strong point in this novel.
Jeep is portrayed with a depth that resonated with me. Niven and young Johnny added interesting layers to the story as well.
This is a commendable debut and I would love to see a sequel or even a series.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a well-written, fast-paced crime novel in which crimes are solved, and we get a deep look at the personal life of Police Chief Jeep Mullane. Interwoven throughout the story are glimpses of events in the lives of Johnny Chambliss and Jeep, who were friends even though they were from totally different economic circumstances.

As can be expected, Jeep has the unenviable position of having to navigate the politics of his position as Police Chief, dealing with the wealthy, and solving the death of Johnny. He relies on the wisdom instilled in him from his dead father who a NYPD detective, his time as a copy, and his life experiences. There are secrets revealed as the case is solved but nothing that is unbelievable. Hopefully there will be more crime novels to come from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Awesome Crime Novel

In this exciting book, the reader has the gift of a successful screenwriter creating the anticipation and turmoil of the plot. Kevin Wade is the screenwriter of Blue Bloods. Think of the exhilarating timing of those individual episodes, and you will receive a movielike style.

Gerald “Jeep” Mullane is chief of police for the tony towns on Long Island’s North Shore. The book’s first chapter presents the reader with a superb characterization of Jeep and goody buddy Johnny Chamblisss. Good friends, better-than-most athletes and a sharp divide in social and money class unites and divides them.

Johnny’s body is found in the water of Bayville. He is the son of a well-known wealthy family. Johnny has a history of a fast life, but his death does not appear an accident. Jeep cannot head up the investigation,, but he indirectly probes the case and an intervening case. Stark truth slowly reared its ugly head.

An old but effective technique of shifting between past and present worked perfectly in characterization of Jeep and Johnny and the author’s pitch-perfect efforts uncovering the truth.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own

Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade

Johnny Careless is an all around privileged, athletic American male. His fatherless best friend, now police chief, is Jeep Mullane. The story tells of their friendship through the years with a back and forth approach. There is also, of course, a girl.

Jeep has a drowning (murder?) to solve which is really the story. All else hinges on this. Wade has a nice breezy storytelling style, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a page turner, keeping me wanting to know more about the drowning and the characters, along with a great twist in the book which adds another dimension. A solid four stars from this reader.

This is a police procedure by definition but there is a lot more going on here. Jeep Mullane returns to his hometown as the Chief of Police. His hometown is on Long Island and there exists a well defined line of demarcation between the haves and the have nots. Jeep is one of the have nots. When his childhood friend Johnny Chambliss, known as Johnny Careless, is found dead by what is presumed to be a homicide, Jeep must deal with not only his own sense of loss but also the deeply entrenched caste system that exists on Long Island.
I felt the book flowed smoothly. There are flashbacks scattered throughout the book that provide a lot of background information that adds a degree of richness to the story. We learn more about Jeep's interactions with Johnny's family and circle of peers. This helps make sense of the present day situation as Jeep investigates Johnny's death as well as a rash of high end car thefts.
I liked this book. I liked the interpersonal dynamics throughout the story. A highly recommended read.

Police Chief Jeep Mullane has been bounced back home to Long Island’s North Shore by a heartbreaking case that both earned him his NYPD detective’s shield and burned him out of the Job. Now heading up a small local police department, he finds himself navigating the same geography he did growing up there as the son of an NYPD cop. Jeep is a “have-not” among the glittering “haves,” a sharp-witted, down-to-earth man in a territory defined and ruled by multigenerational wealth and power and the daunting tribal codes and customs that come with it! Good read!! This book had great suspense, intriguing, action, murder, mystery, dark family secrets, a great who done it and a few wild twists! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

“All the good you might do, you can still be judged by your worst day.”

The screen writer and showrunner of Blue Bloods (which I will admit I have never seen) authors this police procedural. In his debut novel we are introduced to Jeep Mullane, the son of an NYPD cop and a police officer himself. When the body of his childhood friend surfaces, past collides with present and Jeep is trust back into a tangled web of wealth, secrets, and deceit.

3.5 stars! This book started off quite slow for me. I was expecting to be thrust right into the drama but that came later. Once that ball got rolling though WOAH. I was flipping those pages trying to get to the bottom of this crazy case right alongside Jeep.

“Why beat yourself up, the world does it for you.”

Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you, NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy.

Jeep was a big city cop who, after burn out, returned to his small town as its chief. Like many communities, it is a town of haves and have nots. Jeep came from the latter. His first homicide victim turns out to be his childhood friend Johnny who comes from one of the more affluent families but quite reckless. As.Johnny's father said when Jeep arrived to give the family notice said (paraphrasing) What has he done now?

The story toggles back and forth between their friendship over time to the present as Jeep investigates the death. Also causing him strife is the mayor who constantly demeans Jeep and his abilities,

While not the literary intrigue of many books, Johnny Careless held my attention as an instant gratification type book.

A dead body has links to a police chief's past

A body washing up on a beach on Long Island's Gold Coast is going to be a headache for newly minted Nassau County PD's second squad Police Chief Jeep Mullane...the local residents (in particular one of the mayors) are already up in arms over a rash of high end auto thefts which have thus far avoided injuries or worse but are happening all too often. The face of the victim has been churned up beyond recognition, but a small tattoo is all Jeep needs to see to know that it is Johnny Chambliss, son of one of the wealthiest area families and someone who was Jeep's closest friend back in high school. Johnny earned the nickname of "Johnny Careless" from his coaches back in the day because he always did what he wanted when he wanted and couldn't care less about the damage he left behind through his actions. Jeep by contrast was the son of a NYPD cop but his friendship with Johnny had him running with the country club set that dominated their small town; he was well-liked by everyone, but was never truly accepted as an equal. As Johnny's then-girlfriend (now ex-wife) Niven put it, Jeep might sign the guest book but would never be a member, a cutting remark that hurt even more coming from someone for whom Jeep had feelings. Jeep and Johnny have drifted apart through the years as geographical distance and life circumstances put them on different paths, but old loyalties die hard. Jeep doesn't agree with the assessment that Johnny's death was an unfortunate accident, particularly when he finds out how much pressure is being brought to bear on the PD and ME to accept it as such. But digging around could prove dangerous to Jeep's health and could also uncover some damaging secrets that the powerful would like to keep hidden.
Author Kevin Wade is better known as a writer and producer for the highly successful TV series Blue Bloods and for working on screenplays for movies like Meet Joe Black and Working Girl, so while this may be his debut novel he is no newcomer to writing about crime and developing characters. There is considerable depth to Jeep, Johnny, Niven and others while the author keeps the pacing of the story humming along. Jeep finds himself back in his hometown after his career (following in the steps of his late father as an NYPD cop) implodes in the wake of a domestic violence case that went horribly wrong. He's a hometown boy, but one who is not nor has ever been part of the ruling class there. His feelings towards Johnny are complex, as are those he harbors about Johnny's parents and Niven. The tale also features a solid detective whose personal problems are endangering his career, the younger cops that Jeep is trying to mold into a cohesive team, the pressure to crack the auto theft ring in a state where even when the police arrest a suspect that person is back on the street (and often on their way out of the country) before the paperwork on the arrest is fully complete...and there is Johnny, who is revealed through flashback chapters that alternate with those detailing actions in the present All this in 240 pages....this is a story that grabs the reader's attention from the opening pages and keeps it until the end, a classic crime novel whose hero isn't perfect but strives to live up to the standards his father set so many years ago. I am hoping that this is the first in a series featuring Jeep Mullane that will explore other fault lines within the communities he serves. Fans of authors like Nelson DeMille, Thomas Perry and John Sandford should add Kevin Wade to their list of authors to explore. Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for allowing me early access to this outstanding addition to the ranks of topnotch crime authors.