The Disposables

March 3, 2014
Putnam’s first novel, a fast-paced tale of idealism and corruption, stars paroled ex-con Bruno Johnson, once a legendary member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s elite Violent Crimes Team, who fears that it’s only a matter of time before his former colleagues turn on him. Desperate for a nest egg large enough to allow him to disappear with lover Marie and the abused kids they’ve rescued, Bruno agrees to do one final big job. Meanwhile, his former partner, Robby Wicks, to whom Bruno owes a favor, asks him for assistance in solving a brutal series of murders, perhaps the work of a single madman or evidence of something much darker. The author relies on iconic figures—endangered children, sympathetic hookers with a weakness for broken cops, amoral lowlifes with and without badges—rather than more complex characters, but he wields his archetypes with skill and a sincerity born of long experience in law enforcement. Agents: Mike and Susan Farris, Farris Literary Agency.

May 1, 2014

Formerly with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and now an ex-con on parole, Bruno Johnson works outside the legal system to save children abandoned by an overburdened foster care system. With vigilante fervor, the African American Bruno rescues kids ("the disposables") with covert assistance from his dad and his girlfriend, a physician's assistant. In the midst of this grim scenario, things get worse--a serial killer is out on the streets torching random victims. Bruno gets involved, and it's then that he realizes that he has seriously misjudged some of the folks he trusts. Unlikely allies emerge, and fortunately, Bruno is smart enough to recognize the shift. He may not have enough time to save those he loves the most though. VERDICT Nonstop action keeps the pages turning at a furious pace in this debut ripped-from-the-headlines thriller showcasing the darker side of LA County's law enforcement. The positive Robin Hood hero contrasts with the drug culture; surprisingly mild language and most violence off-page will broaden the appeal. Think T. Jefferson Parker (Charlie Hood series) or Andrew Vachss. Putnam's police background adds to the authenticity.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
This novel gives off heat. It tells the story of a black Los Angeles ex-cop, once a member of an eliteread brutalcrime-fighting unit, who's been wronged and suffered prison time. But Bruno Johnson is not out to clear his name; he's trying to stay alive as his ex-partners work to trap him in a complex scheme involving a serial killer who sets his victims afire. And he's no angel: his desperate circumstances lead him to hijack valuable computer parts off a moving train. If this has a seen-this-before flavor, give it a chance; there are a number of unique and startling plot twists. But what really recommends the book is the high-octane presentation. Odd, because the occasional clunky sentence doesn't detract. Rather, they add somehow to the sense of urgency and authenticity, the feeling that this is the real deal, set down by somebody who was there and still hasn't gotten over it. The SWAT-like assault on the crime house is an impressive set piece.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)