The Scorned

by David Putnam

Overview

Ex-cop, ex-con Bruno Johnson stumbles into a criminal organization that exploits women and children—he must fight his way out and home

Bruno Johnson is hiding out from the U.S. law in Costa Rica with his pregnant wife, Marie, and the ten kids they rescued from toxic homes in South Central Los Angeles. When Marie encounters a difficult labor and delivery, their good friend Dr. Vargas rescues both her and Bruno’s infant son. So Bruno feels indebted when asked to escort his daughter Layla, a college student in Los Angeles, back home to Costa Rica.

When Bruno arrives in Los Angeles, he finds the problem with Layla is complicated and dire. Layla has fallen in with Johnny, the leader of a vast and notorious criminal empire that exploits women and children. She says she’s had his child and that he has taken the baby.

Bruno enlists the help of his old friend Karl Drago—and his dog, Waldo—to aid in his search for Layla’s baby—a baby her parents disavow. Bruno soon discovers things aren’t as they appear, but he will stop at nothing to save the innocent baby and return to his family and newborn son in Costa Rica—providing he can evade capture while on U.S. soil.

Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and David Baldacci

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
The Scorned
The Diabolical

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608094943
Publisher:	Oceanview Publishing
Publication date:	02/07/2023
Series:	A Bruno Johnson Thriller , #10
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,052,625
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Best-selling author David Putnam comes from a family of law enforcement professionals and always wanted to be a cop. During his career, he did it all: worked in narcotics, served on FBI-sponsored violent crimes teams, and was cross-sworn as a US Marshal operating in Arizona, Nevada, and California. Putnam did two tours on the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s SWAT team. He also has experience in criminal intelligence and internal affairs and has supervised corrections, patrol, and a detective bureau. In Hawaii, Putnam was a member of the real-life Hawaii Five-0, serving as Special Agent for the Attorney General investigating smuggling and white-collar crimes. The Scorned is the tenth novel in the Bruno Johnson Crime Series. Putnam lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Mary.

Editorial Reviews

12/19/2022

Putnam’s hard-hitting 10th Bruno Johnson novel (after 2022’s The Sinister) finds Bruno and his pregnant wife, Marie, in their idyllic Costa Rican home with the 10 abused children he rescued from South Central Los Angeles. When their obstetrician, Aleck Vargas, sees Marie through a life-threatening birth, the gratitude Bruno feels leads him to agree to accompany the Vargas’s daughter, Layla, back to L.A., where she’s a college student—and rescue her from Johnny, a vicious gang leader who exploits women and children. In addition, Bruno agrees to his father’s request to take his long-estranged mother to the States. Once back in Los Angeles, Bruno learns that Jonny has taken the baby he had with Layla. With the aid of his anti-biker man-mountain buddy, Karl Drago, and Drago’s monstrous Rottweiler, Waldo, Bruno searches for Layla’s baby. Driven by hatred for human traffickers and love for those nearest and dearest to him, Bruno surmounts all obstacles with grim wit. Breathless action and a deeply humane hero help make up for unlikely coincidences and reversals. Those seeking a mix of action and dark humor will be satisfied. Agent: Mike Farris, Farris Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Scorned

“David Putnam proves to be a masterful storyteller as he spins a gritty street tale . . . The exploits of Bruno Johnson rival those of Harry Bosch and Jack Reacher, and certainly will quench the thirst of action-thriller enthusiasts.” —Mystery and Suspense Magazine

Praise for the Bruno Johnson Crime Series

*“[In The Sinister] the twists come fast, and Putnam’s brisk prose maintains the momentum. Fans of Marcia Clark’s Samantha Brinkman series will be gripped.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“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, New York Times best-selling author

“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

“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

“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

“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

“Reading a novel by David Putnam is almost as good as riding shotgun in a patrol car. He writes what he knows and what he knows is that justice on the mean streets isn’t always black and white. Gritty and dark, The Reckless is a realistic and highly entertaining police procedural.” —Robin Burcell, New York Times best-selling author

“David Putnam provides an insider’s knowledge of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. His characters and settings are rich and authentic, and his dialogue is spot on accurate.” —Robert Dugoni, New York Times best-selling author

“David Putnam knows the mean streets and the characters who inhabit them better than anyone writing crime fiction. In The Heartless, Putnam is at the top of his game. Fans of Bruno Johnson will rejoice at this latest offering.” —Alan Russell, New York Times best-selling author

“Putnam puts his years of law enforcement experience to good use in The Squandered, a shocking and intense tale of brotherly love and redemption realized in the midst of moral decay. It’s a raw and gritty story I couldn’t put down.” —C. J. Box, 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
 

From the Publisher