Another strong entry in the series with a dominating protagonist who fights for what he feels is right no matter what may be thrown in his way.

The Sinister by David Putnam -- 5 Stars
Oceanview Publishing
ISBN: 9781608094264

The Sinister is the ninth book in the Bruno Johnson series and like the others it is filled with great characters and plenty of action. No one knows the mean streets of Los Angeles like Bruno and he will go there to do whatever it takes to help a friend, especially if it involves a child in danger. It is a great story by an author who has experienced the world of law enforcement.


Reviewer: Nancy

This is a dark mystery with unforgettable characters…the story has so many red herrings that it is fun trying g to determine the outcome. The author weaves a story that makes the reader want more with this character. What will happen next? This book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley. Although the story does slow down, it comes to a promising end.

Ex-cop, ex-con Bruno Johnson and his wife Marie hide in plain sight from the law in an upscale L.A. hotel as Bruno heals from a run-in with a brutal outlaw motorcycle gang—and the loss of his son—a son he didn’t know he had until it was too late.

Marie, now pregnant with her first child, fears Bruno may never fully recover. She knows that soon they must return to Costa Rica to rejoin their large family of rescued children—kids who owe their lives to Bruno and Marie’s intervention.

I always can't wait to dive into the next Bruno Johnson book. Putnam's characters are textured with depth and he always brings a plot that has plenty of twists and turns.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this!

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis of this book. This book instantly drew me in, I got to explore through the eyes of our main character and this is always my favorite way to discover these details of the story and, it was done very well in this book. I really enjoyed this book and the plot. This author did amazing. I loved the writing style.

Brilliant!! There is so much to like about this book. The plot is riveting, and very edgy, with some great characters. I really enjoyed the Authors easy and fluid writing style.
Bruno Johnson was lucky to be alive after being shot twice, however it had taken him months to recover. His wife Marie had saved his life, and she was happy to be by his side while he his body continued to mend, although she was looking forward to getting back home. So, she wasn’t thrilled when FBI Assistant Director Dan Chulack showed up at their door. Law enforcement hadn’t had any luck in tracking down Emily Mosley, the young girl who had been recently kidnapped. Chulack knew how good Bruno was at tracking people down, and he also knew that Bruno had no qualms in using what ever methods were needed to achieve this. Whether Emily was dead or alive, they needed to find her.
From start to finish this is an exceptional book, and I would certainly recommend it. 5/5 Star Rating.

After being injured and in hiding, Bruno Johnson takes on a case for a friend...will he be successful in time? A gripping novel with a page turning story.

Well written realistic characters. Intriguing story that grabbed me at the start and didn't let up. Bruno is my favorite reluctant hero these days.

Book Review: The Sinister (Bruno Johnson #9) by David Putnam
Published by Oceanview Publishing, February 22, 2022

★★★★★ (4.5 Stars) RAVE

Made me laugh! Picture vintage "Cousin Vinnie's" pesky eyes and mischievous smirk. And that's when Book 9's "Whitey" cameo does those "Joe Pesci /Leo Getz in Lethal Weapon 3" classic antics. Reminds me of the time we all could just have a good laugh without fear of being "canceled". And when everyone pitched in to make it work - black, brown, white. And blue.

The Sinister (Bruno Johnson #9)

Hunkered down and lying low from events in Book 8, still reeling in abject remorse from the inadvertent death he'd caused of the son he never knew, Bosco, Bruno Johnson finds himself reunited with the woman who'd abandoned him as a toddler.

His own long-forgotten mom, Bea, sits in a wheelchair in his temporary hotel home, now elderly, forlorn, disabled, and as he finds out, wily, colorful and nestled in a place where appearances can be deceiving.

With the introduction of Bea Elliot, author David Putnam appears to put a pivotal turn to the series, even as the Bruno Johnson team tries to rescue a kidnapped little girl and retrieve yet another from a drug den.

The Team.

Bruno and Marie Johnson, a black couple who'd made it their mission in life to rescue and give refuge to battered children from abusive homes. Far from well-to-do, they manage to find a haven beyond reach in Costa Rica for the children, and for themselves.

Her, a healthcare worker, homemaker and strong female whose opinions are not to be set aside. Him, an ex-cop, ex-narc and ex-con turned vigilante, feared as a legend in both criminal and law enforcement circles; a force to be reckoned with.

Drago and Waldo. Him, a redneck "Sons of Satan" biker gang dropout, who hates motorcycle gangs. He's devoted to the Johnsons, a puppy who constantly seeks the nod and approval of Marie. And it, a 130-pound Rottweiler who never barks, has a bite, and understands and obeys commands from his master - in Deutsch.

The FBI. The LAPD. Drago's friends.

And last but not least, "My Cousin Vinnie" who plays a heroic pivotal role in keeping the posse hot on the trail. Howard "Whitey" Owsley a/k/a the "Owl", ex-con, career criminal, gleefully wagging his tongue. He survives with his wits, street creds, petty threats and banter. And with his chin as a decoy target.

All teamed up against the "Crips", street gangs, biker gangs and drug lords. And, at times, against bent elements within law enforcement ranks and brass.

-----

With uplifting themes of hope and redemption against the dire straits of street, drug and gang violence, David Putnam parleys his years of law enforcement into the palpable authenticity of his writing. Inter-alia, he was with the real Hawaii Five-O, a narc, on an FBI-sponsored team, with a SWAT team and has supervised corrections, patrol, and a detective bureau.

An action-packed entertainment gem to be relished!

Review based on an advanced reading copy courtesy of Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley.

The Sinister is the ninth book in the Bruno Johnson series, about an ex-cop from LA who has done time for murder, and now looks after children he has rescued from horrendously abusive homes. I have only read book 8 (The Ruthless) previously, but have bought books 1 to 3 and plan to read the rest of the series soon, as I really like both the characters and the way Putnam writes. I think this would work fine as a stand-alone, as you get plenty of backstory - the disadvantage is that I will now be spoiled for events in the earlier books. Books 1-4 are about Bruno later in life, while 5-8 are prequels, so if you want to read them chronologically, this one follows number 4, The Vanquished. This review may mention spoilers from that book (which are also present in the blurb.)

Bruno is finally about to return to his large brood of rescued children in Costa Rica with his pregnant wife Marie, after spending months recovering in an upscale hotel, from being shot by members of a biker gang. He’s suffering from PTSD and is physically weak, but when his friend Dan, who happens to be the Deputy Director of the FBI, asks him to step into the stalled investigation of the kidnap of Dan’s grand-daughter, he knows he can’t say no, and must once again step outside of the law to inflict his own form of brutal justice. Then, as if he didn’t have enough problems, a woman claiming to be his long-lost mother shows up…

While obviously I’ve only read two of them, I have to say I’m surprised that this series is not better known, given the popularity of the Reacher series and the like. They’re packed with action, suspense and bad guys getting what’s coming to them. As Bruno reports back to Marie: “The appropriate amount of comeuppance was meted out.” The author has had an extensive career in different aspects of US law enforcement, and his afterword explains which incidents in the book were inspired by real life events. He’s a white man but manages to convey the voice of a hardened middle-aged black man convincingly enough (for this white Englishwoman anyway). I loved the support characters, especially Drago and Waldo, and the hilarious Whitey, as well as two strong but very different women. Be warned that there is a lot of violence, although it’s not gratuitously gory, and mentions of child abuse although we don’t see it happening. The ending was surprisingly emotional, and now I can’t wait to find out what happens next. 4.5 rounded up for all-round great story-telling.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
The Sinister is published on February 22nd.

I received this book thru "NetGalley Read Now" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Bruno recovering from injuries he received in the last book. After two months they are about ready to return to Costa Rica when they get a knock on their hotel room door. When Bruno answers it Dan, a deputy director of the FBI, is outside and needs to speak with Bruno. Dan's granddaughter has been kidnapped and after several weeks the FBI has not been able to get any information who was responsible. Bruno after a little thinking agrees to help out. The only information that Bruno is given is that one of the people picking up the ransom was in jail. Bruno states that he will try to get information from him. When Bruno is waiting at the jail, he discovers that this individual has been killed. While Bruno was waiting Helen, a female detective, was trying to get information so that she could find out who killed the person Bruno was asking for. In a short while, Whitey, his cellmate, said he had information that he would give if they got him out of jail. For the kidnapping he gave a tidbit regarding the ransome and in addition provided the names of the people responsible for the jail killing.

Using this information, Bruno and Helen, began working together and were able to track down one person quickly, but before he could provide info about who hired him, he was killed. Whitey was once again helpful, but it came at a price.

To learn what Whitey provided that helped find the other suspect, who was discovered that caused Bruno to feel that Dan's granddaughter was dead, what request Helen made of Bruno and how everything ended, then you need to read this book. You won't be disappointed.

As I was reading The Sinister, my fourth Bruno Johnson book but the ninth in the series, I kept wondering: why on earth is this series not on the best-seller lists? It’s got everything: non-stop action, emotional family scenes, a main character who will do what he has to do to right a wrong. Bruno Johnson tells the story himself, so you get inside his head. His love for his wife Marie and the children they take care of shines through everything. The author has a law enforcement background and you can definitely tell. He also is very familiar with the “mean streets” of Los Angeles, which come to life in his stories.

In this book, Bruno is recovering from a bad injury that occurred in The Vanquished, and Marie is pregnant. He is healed enough to be able to leave Los Angeles to head back to their new home in Costa Rica when an FBI friend of Bruno’s begs him for help in locating his kidnapped granddaughter. The action never lets up after that, with lots of twists and turns and some great characters along the way. I especially loved “Whitey.”

You can definitely read this as a standalone because Putnam does an excellent job of filling in what you need to know. As with any series, your reading experience will be richer if you’ve read at least some of the other books in the series, but it’s not necessary. (If you do want to read others in the series first, keep in mind that books 5-8 are prequels, so the action in this one, #9, follows the action in book #4, The Vanquished.)

Thank you to the author, Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

CW: Violence, kidnapping, child abuse, drug abuse

Blood, Bone, and Bullets

The Sinister is by turns suspenseful and action-packed, and introspective and loving. Be warned, there's a bookful of violence and mayhem, and there's scenes of child abuse. There's also child rescue. In fact, the entire plot revolves around rescuing children. A former cop, Bruno Johnson has become the kind of vigilante who in-the-know members of law enforcement call for help.

Bruno is a fascinating character. His relationship with Marie is one I'd wish for every husband and wife -- though I'd never wish hiding out from both the law and from gangsters on anyone.

All of Putnam's characters are well-developed: quirky; but authentic. I especially loved Waldo. His role in the plot wasn't large, but he provided a lot of the humor. He's a very good boy.

All the characters are quite vivid and author David Putnam has a flair for imbuing dreadful events with humor. His world-building reminds me of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct, with sun and palm trees, and a modern, West Coast feel.

I was lucky to be gifted a free advanced review copy of The Sinister, courtesy of the author, Oceanview Publishing, and NetGalley. My review is entirely voluntary. Sinister is an absorbing, exciting read and I heartily recommend it! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

Bruno Johnson is a wanted man. The former LAPD cop, who also spent some time in jail, has been hiding out from the law in a hotel with his pregnant wife, Marie; they're waiting to return to Costa Rica to rejoin the children they rescued from lives of almost unimaginable horror. He's also wrestling with PTSD after delivering his kind of justice to a motorcycle gang during which he was seriously injured - and during which he lost a son he never knew he had.

Marie can't wait to get back to the kids and Bruno's elderly father, who is dying of cancer; Bruno is hot to trot as well, at least until he gets a call from FBI Deputy Director Dan Chulack, who begs him to find his recently kidnapped granddaughter. Despite Marie's protests, Bruno reluctantly agrees - it's an offer from an old friend he can't refuse. It'll just take a day or two, Bruno counters. Then we'll be on our way, he insists. Enter that old "best-laid plans" expression.

In fact, it enters in more ways than one. The second hitch in the gitalong comes with the out-of-the-blue appearance of a woman who claims to be Bruno's long-gone-missing mother; now in a wheelchair, she insists she wants to make up for lost time and accompany him and Marie when they return to Costa Rica and the ailing husband she left in the lurch. That encounter, BTW, led to one of the best lines I've read in a book in quite some time (hint: It's his impression of his mother the first time he sees her).

Problem is, Bruno's search for the kidnapped child and his mother's past indiscretions (some of which landed her in jail) get twisted up, requiring him to head into dangerous gang territory even though he's not fully healed. But he's got help from his big old pal Karl Drago and his uber-capable dog Waldo. I don't remember Drago from the only other book I read in this series, "The Heartless," is the seventh (somehow I must have missed the eighth, in which I'm pretty sure Drago made an appearance). At any rate, he's an impressive character - and if anything, his dog is even more impressive.

For the most part, everything works out in the end - but you'll just have to read it for yourself to find out how. I'll be watching for the next installment - hope I don't miss another one. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of another one.