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

Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade is a fast-paced, no BS, crime novel following the new local Police Chief, Jeep Mullane. Jeep’s father was a NYPD officer and Jeep followed in his footsteps, but years later he decides to move back home to Long Island’s North Shore and his role is still being defined by the local wealthy families and the political tie-ins from the of the local Mayors. When a body is found in the local Bayville waters, Jeep is able to positively ID one of his childhood best friends, Johnny Chambliss aka Johnny Careless, a nickname given to him for his rich-boy attitude. Simultaneously, a car-theft ring has added more pressure to his job – and could there be a link with Johnny’s death? Jeep’s personal and political obligations are quickly intertwined with his past crashing into his present – while attempting to figure out if Johnny was just careless and died accidentally, or if there is something more sinister going on behind the scenes?

From start to finish, I enjoyed this book! I was immediately pulled in by the connection Jeep had with Johnny and the chapters from the past that helped tell the story or their (unlikely) lifetime friendship. The writing style was quick and the underlying grit made this for a fast, fun read.

I think one of my “in theory” favorite characters was Jeep’s dad – a 9/11 hero that passed of complications – all of his quotes and sayings that clearly made Jeep who he is today were filled with great advice and logical thinking . . . adding great depth and perspective to this book.

Fans of Lee Child and John Sandford will devour this crime detective novel. I really hope that this is the start of a Jeep Mullane series – the foundation was very well laid with great scenery and surrounding characters to propel Jeep (and Wade!) forward into a long Police Chief career. (Yes, I know Wade is already an acclaimed screenwriter, but we need more of him in this sector – please!) I give this 5 stars and would highly recommend this novel.

Thank you NetGalley for this amazing debut novel; all opinions are my own!

“Trust the wrong guy, you’re screwed that once. But trust nobody, you’re screwed for good.”

3.5 stars rounded up

I enjoyed this book because I like the investigation aspect of working backwards to find out how the victim died and who was responsible. There were flashbacks which were very effective by adding context to current-day relationships.

There were two "cases" going on simultaneously - death investigation and car thefts - which ended up converging at the end.

There was also a lot of "small town" politics taking place and I'll admit I got a bit confused as to what was going on and the people involved. I guess it was supposed to add tension to the story but I didn't think it was necessary and was a bit pointless.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Johnny Careless is a fast past murder mystery about a wealthy man who lived a risky life. A native Long Islander with all the moneyed background it implies. His father wants his death ruled as an accident but his childhood friend who is now the Chief of Police in their small town wants to know the truth.
A very enjoyable book to read. I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed reading this murder mystery that combine the worlds of the have and have-nots. Differences are clear through lifestyles and attitudes.

I received a free copy of, Johnny Careless, by Kevin Wade, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jeep Mullane is a police in New York. Johnny Chambliss aka Johnny Careless, body was found in the water, he was a childhood friend of Jeep. This book was a good read.

When a body washes up on the shore, Police Chief Jeep Mullane knows the victim Johnny Chambliss. Johnny Careless was born into wealth and he and Jeep grew up together, playing sports together, but while Johnny was wealthy, Jeep was not, his father was on the NYPD police force. Now, Jeep needs to navigate the world of country clubs, and the elite he knows but isn’t really a part of while trying to figure who is behind the death of his friend.

I enjoyed this book. The author did an amazing job of setting the scene between the haves and the have-nots. I felt for Jeep, his character was stuck between a rock and a hard place and tough decisions had to be made. The author provided insight and depth of the situation, the agony of trying to please both sides, trying to stay on the right side of the politics. The mystery of Johnny’s death was engaging, well crafted and multi-layered. Story is well composed, engrossing and worth your time!

Chief Jeep Mulane, son of a NYPD cop, is called to a possible drowning death, and recognizes the body of his childhood friend, Johnny. He immediately suspects foul play and is deeply saddened by the death of his old friend. It is somewhat surprising how Jeep, a family oriented man, would be so connected to a player like Johnny in the first place.This book is a quick read written in two timelines. The setting is the North Shore of Long Island, where Jeep’s more blue collar family coexists alongside the super rich. The author places tremendous emphasis on a huge cultural split on the North Shore, and it is the backdrop of the story. That said, the constant references to “Lawn Guyland” as the pronunciation of Long Island throughout the book detracts from an otherwise interesting description of the physical area and culture. Jeep is a well developed character and it’s interesting to follow how his mind works. I wish the other characters were more fleshed out and more believable. Still the author writes witty dialogue and his success as a screenwriter is evident. With thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Pretty great story. Johnny (not John) was nicknamed Johnny Careless as a boy, for the fact that he flitted here and there, never really committing to anything in particular. And that concept held true as I read the book.
There were many, many short chapters that distracted from my reading experience. The fact that the writer, Kevin Wade, writes for television makes perfect sense, because the narrative was choppy, like making room for all the commercials on TV. It was like my brain was reading right along and then it had to jump a hurdle of a chapter break and it took real commitment to not take a break from reading. That's why it took me nearly two weeks to finish the book. Does that make sense?
Finally, when I committed to the fact that this was not one long narrative, but rather an obstacle course, I was able to finish the book. And, as I said, it was one heck of a story. If you're still wondering if you should get the book, think Bluebloods on CBS or streaming on Paramount Plus.

Great first novel; I hope many more follow. The author provides characters and dialog that take me back to the days of Robert Parker. In a town where the ”haves” and “have nots” are well defined, the police chief definitely fits with latter while his dead buddy is counted among the former. The setting, plot, and characters fit together so well that the story moves (almost too) quickly.

Wonderfully Intricate Mystery

Johnny Careless is no more. His body was found in the lake with his face totally destroyed, unrecognizable, but they know it was Johnny. What happened to him is a mystery that Jeep feels he must determine and won’t rest until he does. Jeep was probably his best friend, they grew up together although they have drifted apart as their lives went in different directions. Johnny the rich kid with the freedom to live as he pleased, Jeep the working class kid who is now the Police Chief. Jeep is now discovering the many secrets that he never knew about his friend.

There are a lot of different characters in Johnny’s life and at times I had difficulty keeping up with where each of them connected in the story. I have deducted one star due to this. Overall the story was very well written and I enjoyed it immensely,

Johnny Careless was a nice surprise for me. It’s a police procedural wrapped up in long-standing, sometimes messy relationships and wonderfully drawn characters. The dialog is wonderful, I loved the author’s use of language to describe characters, situations and places, and the his understanding of human nature is enjoyably on display. I hope Kevin Wade continues to write novels!

Jeep's best friend, Johnny is found dead on the beach. Jeep is a cop, and this is this story of the search for Johnny's killer. Johnny is from a wealthy family, and he's grown up taking risks. The story goes back and forth in time and we learn about Jeep's and Johnny's friendship, and about some of Johnny's escapades that might have contributed to his demise. A surprise character appears and helps solve the mystery. Johnny's ex-wife Niven plays a role in Jeep's investigation. The ending ties a lot of loose ends together and is lovely and satisfying.

The name of the book led me to believe that this mystery might have some humor and be a light mystery, but it certainly was neither. I felt a little bogged down in the middle of the book, and almost stopped reading there, but I was glad I stuck with it until the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Johnny Careless.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Celadon Books for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in return for my honest review.

I have always been skeptical about reading new books that are compared to best selling authors that I read but this author/book does not disappoint.

Johnny was a "spoiled" rich kid who befriended a "regular Joe" for lack of a better word. He was generous and knew his faults and did try to do the right thing. The book intertwines how he and his best friend, Jeep, a cop following in his father's footsteps, friendship came about and how their choices affected the storyline until the end.

It was a well written book that makes you want to continue following this writer. I hope Mr. Wade continues to write books to share with us. I look forward to more.

Beautifully written. More heartfelt than many crime novels. The dialogue sings, which isn't surprising, considering Wade's extensive work writing for the screen and television. The main character, Jeep, chief of police in a small town, is vividly drawn. The supporting characters just as well. Hopefully, this is the first entry of many in a new series. Notice I haven't mentioned the plot? It's a good one, but takes back seat to everything else I mentioned above. Highly recommended!

Police chief Jeep Mullane has returned to Long Island's North Shore after a case with the NYPD results in burnout.
When his old friend Johnny "Careless" Chambliss winds up dead, he is unablle to accept the verdict of accidental
death due to the condition of the body. To find out the truth, he will have to go against Johnny's rich and well
connected father. As more is revealed about Jeep's long time friendship with Johnny, one understands what
drives him to uncover the truth.
#JohnnyCareless #CeledonBooks #NetGalley

A most compelling novel of suspense, with a robust and appealing protagonist and a well paced and multi threaded plot. Should be most satisfying for Harlan Coben fans and readers who grew up in or live on Long Island

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley, but the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. I enjoyed reading this back and forth timeline book about Jeep and his good friend Johnny from high school who turns up dead. Jeep (as police chief) must investigate despite pressure to let it go. There was a lot of action and drama between the haves and have-nots. A satisfying investigative murder mystery.

What an unexpected treat. I was put off by the somewhat pedestrian title but didn’t let that stop me. The story centered on a small town modern day sheriff similar to so many others, but his role in the community, halfway between the locals and the entitled gentry due to his athletic abilities, , gave him a special position. He was able to deal with both strata when carrying on an investigation. Although he was good friends with the Golden Boy found dead, he admitted to never feeling comfortable in that role. It made the story much less predictable.
The format of the story was a great way to move the plot along. Alternating present day chapters investigating the death of Johnny with chapters that flashback to the dynamics of the sheriff and his friend. Kept things off balance. Those historical chapters are told chronologically so gradually the relations of the different characters are revealed.
The writing of this story was a real bonus. There were actually word pictures and observations I underlined, and I never due that with a run-of-the-mill mystery story. Only when reading About the Author” at the end did I learn Kevin Wade was the showrunner for the hit television series Blue Bloods who began writing this story out of boredom during the writers’ strike. Well, now that Blue Bloods has ended, I hope he will continue as a novelist!

Haves and have nots, beach town, treachery, murder? Sign me up. This is a really good debut novel. At points it reminded me of some passages from Pat Conroy books. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade covers the story of Police Chief Jeep Mulane and his childhood friend Johnny Chamblis. When Johnny's body is found, Jeep is called in to try to navigate between the haves of Johnny's life and the have nots of Jeep's life.. This is a well crafted story with characters to love and hate and the intertwined lives are interesting.