The Scorned

A Bruno Johnson Thriller, Book 10

By: David Putnam

Narrated by: Daniel F. Purcell

Ex-cop and 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 US law in Costa Rica with his pregnant wife, Marie, and the 10 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 US 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 listened to 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 (coming 2024)

©2023 David Putnam (P)2023 David Putnam

Love thes books

Great series! Thank you. I appreciate the attention to detail. The dedication to Mike Fassari was great. We all miss him m.

Noir Revisited

Reminiscent of Philip Marlowe's novels, The Scorned is the story of a good man who runs afoul of the law yet continues to do the morally right thing for women and children no matter the cost. Putnam's writing style makes it easy for a reader to follow along, but younger readers may find the male-female roles to be typical of the older generation. Putnam's love of family and children pours out through the pages.

(By the way, while one of Putnam's characters has a name that is nearly identical to one from Game of Thrones, I have been assured by the author that this is purely a coincidence because he has never read JRR Martin's books. I was given an advanced reading copy from the author in exchange for this honest review.)

The plot is satisfying yet not necessarily predictable. David Putnam's dedication to a fallen comrade is touching and speaks to his love of his long time profession in law enforcement and to the people who work in that noble endeavor. I highly recommend this novel which unfolds smoothly and with plenty of surprises.