Starred review from December 20, 2021
Putnam’s pulse-pounding ninth Bruno Johnson novel (after 2021’s The Ruthless) finds Bruno, a former L.A. County deputy sheriff, and his wife, Marie, hiding out in a high-end hotel. The couple have become fugitives after rescuing 12 abused children from parents who then accused them of kidnapping. Before Bruno and Marie can get out of L.A. to join the 12 kids in Costa Rica, Dan Chulack, a friend who’s the FBI assistant director, asks for Bruno’s help. Chulack’s granddaughter, Emily Mosely, was kidnapped several weeks earlier, and despite payment of the requested ransom, neither Emily nor the nanny who was with the girl has been freed. Chulack wants Bruno to interrogate Duane Eldridge, the imprisoned gang member arrested after fleeing the ransom drop site, who was only a decoy for whoever walked off with the cash. Despite his own jeopardy, Bruno agrees, only to get caught up in a related murder inquiry. The twists come fast, and Putnam’s brisk prose maintains the momentum. Fans of Marcia Clark’s Samantha Brinkman series will be gripped. Agent: Mike Farris, Farris Literary.