The Ruthless

by David Putnam

Overview

Bruno Johnson, shaken to his core, but still a formidable force—an unrelenting focus on doing the right thing—unwilling to let anyone or anything stand in his way

Pushed to his emotional limit, Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy Bruno Johnson struggles to hold his family together while immersed in his unrelenting career. His daughter, Olivia, is a teen mom to twin toddlers; her common-law husband, Derek Sams, is a thug; and one of their little boys has disappeared under his care.

The overwhelming intensity demanded of Bruno on this personal level is compounded by the brutal shotgun murder of a superior court judge and his wife, both friends of his. Bruno cannot ignore these violent crimes even though he's supposedly off the law enforcement grid—undercover—working an illegal gun sting.

Tragedy strikes Bruno's life on all fronts: family, friends, and professional—however, none of these colossal forces can match the unthinkable catastrophe that will forever dominate Bruno's life.

Perfect for fans of Robert Crais and Michael Connelly

While all of the novels in the Bruno Johnson Crime Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

The Disposables
The Replacements
The Squandered
The Vanquished
The Innocents
The Reckless
The Heartless
The Ruthless
The Sinister (coming February 2022)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608094073
Publisher:	Oceanview Publishing
Publication date:	02/02/2021
Series:	Bruno Johnson Series , #8
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	569,879
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

During his career in law enforcement, best-selling author David Putnam has done it all: worked in narcotics, violent crimes, criminal intelligence, hostage rescue, SWAT, and internal affairs, to name just a few. He is the recipient of many awards and commendations for heroism. The Ruthless is the eighth novel in the best-selling Bruno Johnson Crime Series, following The Disposables, The Replacements, The Squandered, The Vanquished, The Innocents, The Reckless, and The Heartless. Putnam lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Mary.

Editorial Reviews

11/30/2020

Putnam’s fast-paced eighth novel featuring L.A. cop Bruno Johnson (after 2020’s The Heartless), the fourth and final prequel, brings events up to the action of The Disposables, the series’ debut. Despite Bruno’s constant grief after the overdose death of his daughter, Olivia, he works an undercover police sting to take illegal guns off the street. Bruno’s trigger-happy former partner, Robby Wicks, wants him in on a judge’s shotgun murder and the rundown of main suspect La Vonn Lofton. And more than any of these cases, Bruno wants to allot justice to Olivia’s ex, Derrick Sams, who killed one of their twin sons. The dog Junior Mint guards Bruno’s back as one tough talk tableau gives way to another. Putnam, who’s a law enforcement veteran, goes light on gunplay, but beatings, mild torture, and lots of remorse keep the pages turning. Readers will be curious to see what’s next for Bruno. Agent: Mike Farris, Farris Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for the Bruno Johnson Crime Series

“Putnam is a master of the gritty realism of law and order at street level. I guarantee that The Ruthless will grab you by the throat, shove you against the wall, and won’t release you until the final, satisfying page.” —William Kent Krueger, New York Times best-selling author

“Putnam’s fast-paced eighth novel [The Ruthless] keeps the pages turning. Readers will be curious to see what’s next for Bruno.” —Publishers Weekly

“I really loved The Disposables. It’s raw, powerful, and eloquent. It’s a gritty street poem recited by a voice unalterably committed to redemption and doing the right thing in a wrong world. I'll be first in line for the next one from David Putnam.” —Michael Connelly, New York Times best-selling author

“[The Sinister] Riveting, scary, but with plenty of wit and humanity, author David Putnam brings ex-cop Bruno Johnson’s world alive in a way that only another ex-cop could. In Putnam’s capable hands, the characters jump off the page—even the dog.” —Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times best-selling author

“David Putnam's The Heartless is terrific—a smart, well-written, relentless account of a battle against evil, fought by a protagonist who has a real man's flaws, but also shows us the kind of heroism that's real.” —Thomas Perry, New York Times best-selling author

“[The Ruthless is] a true thriller that is fast-paced, with twists and turns you will never see coming.” —D. P. Lyle, Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Award-winning author

“This is a police procedural that dazzles with authenticity, sharply-drawn characters, crackling dialogue, and insider details that only a real cop could bring to the page. Putnam can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Joseph Wambaugh and Michael Connelly.” —Lee Goldberg, New York Times best-selling author

“Dark, disturbing, and all too believable, this is the tale of one man’s quest for atonement in a world where innocence is a liability.” —T. Jefferson Parker, New York Times best-selling author

From the Publisher