I've never read any of the other titles in this series so I approached this one as a stand-alone. I'm happy to say that it worked just fine that way.

On the other hand, I'm less happy to say that I really didn't enjoy it very much. The narrative had a strong 'Florida Man' vibe to it in which a jumble of weird characters just got weirder and weirder as the book went on and engaged in weirder and weirder behavior. It wasn't long before it all got downright tedious. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I much prefer a narrative that doesn't strain so self-consciously to be cool.

A Not So Idyllic Life At A Tropical Resort

This novel has the most eclectic start I have read in a novel. The author introduces all the major characters in the first two chapters. This takes place at the wedding reception for Bruno Johnson's best friend and the daughter of his doctor, who recently delivered Johnson’s baby girl. The reception was held where Johnson is a bartender in the cabana bar in a seaside resort hotel on the west coast of Costa Rica. All is fun and joy until after the reception when the local police chief asks for Johnson’s help in a multiple murder in town at El Gato Gordo. A complex mystery starts from here.

The main storyline consists of three threads. The first is the investigation into the multiple murders in a café in town. The local police chief, who knows Johnson’s real identity and that he used to be a detective before his life of crime, coerces him to solve the multi-murders. The second thread is protecting a hotel guest with security services as he fears for his life. The third thread is his job as a bartender at the hotel's cabana bar. This thread provides the base for the other two threads. There are many obstacles that Johnson must deal with. First, both he and his wife are wanted in the States for murder and kidnapping and are under constant threat of deportation. John works for an authoritarian supervisor at the hotel. Finally, when the Judicial Investigation Agency becomes involved, Johnson’s thread of deportation is greatly heightened.

The flow of this novel flows well between the three threads. Johnson, being the almost sole narrator, made following the action easy. In both the murder investigation and protecting the hotel guest, the nature of the threads changed with the twists and turns that kept me engaged with the novel. The tension increases as more characters want Johnson out of their way, want more extensive help from him, or need information he usually does not have. My interest was quickly captured and lasted to the end.

The Johnson character, for most of the time, is a level-headed and easy-going guy. When he senses danger, he has a very low threshold to shift into his “blood and bone” mode. His character is provided in his interactions with all the other characters. He always looks out for his family, friends, and coworkers. Several of these interactions are so extensive that I consider them B-storyline threads. The most prominent thread is with his boss, Darla Figueroa. Their relationship is very adversarial initially, illustrating how Johnson deals with people he does not like. This relationship changes over time, which shows how relationships mature with him. This aspect of the novel contributed to my enjoyment of reading.

Some aspects that can cause some readers to stop reading are present in this novel. There is a definite level of intimacy. It is not the depth but the frequency of their occurrences. This novel aspect did not add to my enjoyment of reading it. The use of vulgar, rude, and impious language is also present, but the level did not bother me. There is some use of the Spanish language. A translation is provided if the meaning is not apparent in its use. This is the eleventh novel in this series, but the first I have read. There were many short explanations of what had happened in the previous novels, but I did not feel I was missing something by not reading them.

There were no specific aspects that I did not like about this novel. There were plenty of aspects that I liked. Most was the light nature of Johnson in most of his interactions with friends and foes. I particularly liked Waldo, a 130-pound Rottweiler, whom Johnson is dog-sitting for the groom while he and his bride are on their honeymoon. Many times, I had to smile at Waldo’s antics. Lastly, there was one last loose end I was waiting to be tied up. It was in the very last sentence of the novel. This novel left me smiling.

I have read only one previous novel in a different series. Based on the quality of this book, I have assigned this author to my Must-Read category. Also, I have purchased the previous ten novels in this series. I do recommend this novel. I enjoyed reading it and rated it with four stars.

I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Oceanview Publishing. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. Thank you, Oceanview Publishing, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Thanks to Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Bruno Johnson is minding his own business, bartending at the beach in Costa Rica and attending the wedding of friends when he is approached by the police. Not a good thing for him since he is wanted in the US and living under an alias. It turns out several people have been murdered at a nightclub and one of them was a friend of Bruno. Now he must figure out why this happened and who did it.

I have read about half of this series and the books I have read have been read in order. All of them had taken place in LA until now. Shockingly, I think I liked the LA books better than this one even though I am a huge flan of beaches and beach settings. As is typical for this series, there is a lot going on and I felt like I had a harder time following it all this time. There may have been a few too many side characters for me to keep up with. I struggle in those scenarios. Also, some of the action is a little over the top, but I suppose that is why it is fiction. That said, still a good book and I look forward to the next installment.

I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this excellent thriller from Netgalley, author David Putnam, and publisher Oceanview Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read The Diabolical of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am always pleased with a new Putnam novel. He writes of people you would like to know, those few good guys and dolls out there holding the front lines for us all. This is number 11 in this series, but completely stand-alone. However like all good series, the story feels richer, the characters more personal, when these books are read as a series.

And we are back with ex-LA police detective Bruno Johnson and his lovely wife Marie, and their thirteen children, counting their recently born son, Tobias. No, 14 at their home in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, as they also will be babysitting another infant child, Daph, one of questionable parentage Layla had rescued after Bruno helped her escape kidnappers in LA. Bruno's best friend Karl Drago and his soon-to-be-wife Layla, daughter of Bruno and Marie's best friends Aleck and Alisa Vargas were getting married today. And let's not forget Waldo, Drago's black Rottweiler, who is the ringbearer at this wedding. Bruno is the best man. With that many kids around, it is always a good plan to have a good plan. The only thing Bruno has failed to adequately consider is Darla Figueroa, his micromanaging food and beverage boss at the Punta Bandera Beach Club and Spa where he is employed as a bartender. Though not long on the job, Darla had a way of destroying schedules and harassing her employees right into the unemployment line. Bruno has a LOT of mouths to feed. His Mom and Dad, housekeeper Rosie, wife Marie, those 14 children, and now Waldo who won't be welcome on the honeymoon. He needs to keep his job. Waldo drinks a lot of beer, too. Steaks and beer. Not spoiled, at all. But the way things seem to be headed, Waldo might just come in handy, after all. It would be nice if he actually liked Bruno, though.

Wow! My first David Putnam novel but definitely not my last! So many great things about this book. The characters were fantastic and gave me a front row seat to all of the action. It was impossible to know who to trust. And about the time I ‘had it figured out’ I was knocked right off the page. Packed with tension, secrets and lies.
Thank you NetGalley, David Putnam and Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This might be more a case of it's not for me than it's a bad book, but I had to almost force myself to read it. The story feels like it's all about the violence, with things escalating and never letting up. It's not so much as there's violence leading to plot advancement, more like the violence is just there to one-up itself despite the need to advance the plot.
It's also not a book that you can just jump into and figure out, things from the past don't get explained or laid out clearly enough for new readers to catch the drift of who, what, and where. I'm not asking for a massive summary of every past book, but at least some background info on how we got here sprinkled into the conversations and exposition.
In the end, I gave a new author a chance and found out they were not for me.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the early read!

Another great Bruno story. Bruno always manages to have trouble find him. even when he and his family are hiding out. As always Bruno manages to find out who was behind the situation. Can't wait for the next story.

The Diabolical by David Putnum is an unlikely mashup of violent crime, an ex-con turned family man and snippets of quirky humour. Welcome to the eleventh installment of the Bruno Johnson crime thriller series.

Bruno and his large family are settling into life in Costa Rica, away from bustling crime-ridden big cities. Life is good for Bruno, a bartender at a resort. Until six people are killed, that is. Bruno is no stranger to crime as an ex criminal himself. He is trying to keep his nose clean but gets caught up in bad guy stuff as he helps the good guys.

The author's quick pacey writing, weird characters including Rottweiler Waldo who has an uncanny way of turning up at the right (wrong?) times, heists, code words, Costa Rican setting and mass murder are gripping. What didn't work well for me was the smarmy ogling of other women by Bruno who had a wife he claimed to dearly love. Some aspects of the story are over the top. But if you enjoy unique crime fiction, this series may be your wheelhouse.

My sincere thank you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this novel.

A somewhat different escape to Costa Rico!

All Bruno Johnson, former cop and convict (Yeah! Interesting combination and obviously part of backstory) wanted was to provide a safe haven for his wife Marie and their fourteen children—those of their own and those they’d rescued from at risk homes in South Central Los Angeles. All had a huge hold on his heart
In Tamarindo, Costa Rico he felt out of sight. He’s working at a resort as the beach bartender “Juan Gaylord.” That was until a night club massacre of six people placed Tamarindo squarely in the public eye.
Bruno finds himself in the middle of a Russian mafia and the Mob’s war over stolen loot, the local Justice department breathing down his neck, the police chief threatening extradition, the FBI, he’s mistaken for a jewel thief, and then there’s the Ice Princess! (his boss)
Fast paced, a tad Quentin Tarantino, this is somewhat different thriller with bodies littering the pages. Oh, and more than a few comic moments with his friend’s Rottweiler, Waldo!
I obviously can’t get enough of Bruno because I’m off to read the rest of the series!

An Oceanview ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I enjoy reading Bruno's stories and I found this one different as he's not his usually tortured self and shows a lot of good humor even when under dire circumstances. He thought they had found heaven on earth but their small community in Costa Rica will be shattered by a series of crimes and Bruno will see himself and his family in the middle of it. A great bonus to The Diabolical is Waldo, a dog with a great personality!
I thank Mr. Putnam, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for an advance copy of The Diabolical, the eleventh novel to feature ex cop and con turned bartender Bruno Johnson, set in the the town of Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

Bruno has turned his back on his former life and has happily settled in Costa Rica with his wife, Marie and his thirteen mostly adopted children. He is still wanted in the USA and that comes to haunt him when the local chief of police threatens to hand him over if he doesn’t help with the investigation into a night club shooting where two of his friends died. If this isn’t complicated enough he ends up entangled in another crime when he is attacked.

I enjoyed The Diabolical, which is a fun read with a lot of violence and a clever, busy plot. I have not read this series before, although I know the author’s work from other novels, and was interested to try it. I think that I, perhaps, joined it at a crossroads with Bruno making a fresh start in both location and mentality (not so sure that the latter is working out), so it reads well as a stand-alone.

I understand that it sounds like a contradiction to call a violent novel fun, but it is. The premise of a lawless man raising thirteen children is absurd, even if they have a lot of fun, but there is a point to be made. The children have been rescued from bad situations, so perhaps there is some personal redemption going on. Then there’s the plot where Bruno lurches from one sticky situation to the next and there’s enough of them to keep the reader fully occupied. Lastly there is Bruno’s first person narrative, which is humble and self aware enough to give the novel a humorous edge.

The novel is non stop action with some great twists and a genuine mystery to be solved. I found it absorbing and a page turner. The journey is fun, but the last few sentences make it all worthwhile, ending as it does in a gobsmack.

The Diabolical is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

The Bruno Johnson series of novels by David Putnam have brought me plenty of reading pleasure and The Diabolical is no different. Putnam is a wanted man, and not just by his wife and 13 adopted children. In this novel we see him risk his anonymity to help solve a series of crimes in his usual crime-free home in Costa Rica.
For me, the focus is on Bruno- how he battles the bad guys and works to a satisfactory conclusion. Author Putnam does not let up here. It was a pleasure to see that he can maintain my interest through so many books.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Diabolical is the eleventh book in the Bruno Johnson series about a former LA Sheriff's Deputy now living incognito in Costa Rica with his wife and large family of young children rescued from abusive homes. While the foreword suggests that the books can be read in any order, and this is technically true, there’s an awful lot of backstory now that could make this confusing to a newcomer. Even having read four of them, I felt lost at some of the mentions of his past, so I would recommend starting with the earlier books, and not least because I didn’t much like some aspects of his character in this one and would be unlikely to look for more if this was my introduction to him.

Bruno is trying to put his violent past behind him, and is happy working as a bartender in a beach resort, earning just enough to keep his large family comfortable. Then two of his good friends are killed in a massacre at a nearby bar - and the local police chief is ready to offer Bruno up as a suspect if he doesn’t solve it promptly. Can he solve the crime while keeping his wife, his bossy manager and his best patron happy - or at least alive?

Unlike the other books I’ve read from the series, this one is set exclusively in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, which made an interesting change. As in the last one, Bruno is trying hard to give up the “blood and bone” of his previous life, but circumstances and bad guys keep forcing him back to it. The plot got quite complicated, with an over-reliance on coincidence, with a variety of criminals bumping people off for reasons that may or may not be connected, and it all got pretty implausible - especially with Waldo his best friend’s psycho-rottie appearing every time Bruno gets into trouble, ready to maul anyone who gets in his way - or just attack Bruno himself! I didn’t guess what was going on because the twist came rather out of left field and it felt a bit contrived, plus the ending was very sudden. Maybe there’s more to come with the various unresolved plot lines…

What I really didn’t like was how sleazy Bruno has suddenly become - which was not an issue in the previous books that I recall - one glimpse of his sexy Food & Beverage Manager sunbathing naked, and he’s perving at her at any opportunity - and sizing up any other woman he meets, despite supposedly being madly in love with his wife and her new baby - not to mention what comes later. This is the quickest way to put me off a “hero” so I hope it won’t be a new theme of Bruno’s midlife crisis as he approaches fifty. I did like some of the humour and lighter moments, like Bruno’s family hijinks with his crazy brood of kids. I’ve been swithering between rounding up or down from 3.5 - I’m invested in this series so will continue it (and definitely need to catch up with the earlier books all sitting on my TBR) but am settling on three stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview publishing for the ARC. The Diabolical is published on February 6th.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with the wedding of Drago and Layla at the hotel where Bruno works. At the end of the wedding party, Marie and Bruno are in the ocean when three men show up looking for Bruno. The police chief is one of them and he needs Bruno's help. It seems that a major shooting had taken place with 6 people killed. When they arrive at the scene and Bruno looks it over, he discovers that one of the victims is Layla's father and an addition victim is one of Bruno's friends. Bruno tells the chief what he saw with regard to the scene and gave him suggestions how to follow up with the investigation.

As this investigation was happening, Bruno was approached by Otis, a guest at the hotel to provide him with protection. Bruno didn't get a lot of information, but later they were both attacked when Bruno was taking Otis back to his room. As a result of this attack things got dicey. Bruno later learned that the Russian Mafia was looking for Otis in relation to a heist that had gone bad. This was just the beginning of Brumo's troubles. It also put him on bad footing with his boss at the hotel.

Eventually two suspects were arrested, both of them acquaintances of Bruno, that were charged with the killing of the six people. Marie, Bruno's wife felt that Alisa, one of the individuals charged was not involved. Bruno then looked more at the crime information.

To discover who was responsible for the killing, why Otis specifically wanted Bruno's help and what Bruno saw that led him to the person responsible, then you need to read this book.

The ending is one that you won't expect but does sum everything up nicely.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

This is number 11 in a series of books which I had never heard about until I received this one. But I WILL be looking for the others!

Bruno Johnson is an ex-cop and and ex-con, both of which have lead to him and his wife and their thirteen children choosing to make a new life in Costa Rica, as far from LA as they can get. And, just for more safety, Bruno uses a new name frequently, which no one in his new home town seems to mind. In fact, the employees and bar customers at the upscale hotel where he works seem to enjoy finding out what his name is this time.

His best friend is getting married at the hotel and it is quite a party, so Bruno and his wife Marie decide to spend a little alone time skinny-dipping down the beach from the party. But they are soon interrupted by the local police who want Bruno's help with a mass murder which happened at a local bar. This town hasn't had a murder, at least officially, for a long time and now there are six dead bodies on the barroom floor. And more to come. But you have to read the book to find out about them!

But finding out who did this and why leads to a lot of stories that other people would just as soon stay hidden. After all, Costa Rica is a place to reinvent yourself, not re-live past lives!!

I went into this book thinking it would be amazing plus I am from costarica. I just didn’t feel the pull in the story like I thought I would. I liked the characters but it just wasn’t my favorite book

I'm not sure what The Diabolical is at the beginning. Am I really supposed to think that a bartender who also gets tips looks after ten kids, the oldest of whom is ten years old, along with his partner and a woman's helper? They are taken from their homeland to a foreign nation where their language is foreign—a tale that is repeated ad nauseam. I should have stopped there.
With the unbelievable Princess managing the hotel, Russians, diamonds, grasshopper drinks, and the wrong identity, this combination led us to the lazy finish where we had the 'miracle' ending.
An independent review for NetGalley / Oceanview Publishing

Bruno Johnson is one of those guys you almost hate to love; a former LAPD officer who got in serious trouble (and spent time in jail as a result) who's now happily married to Marie but living with her and their 14 kids - mostly rescues - in exile in Costa Rica. He's also prone to reverting to his former self, even after he's promised his cherished wife that he's done with that phase of his life.

This installment of the series - the 11th - begins after a deadly shoot-em-up in a local nightclub that included a dear friend of Bruno and Marie, the police chief - who is aware of Bruno's real identity despite his "cover" as a bartender at a local tourist hotel - asks for help in solving the murders. When the chief goes so far as to threaten him with turning him over to U.S. authorities, Bruno feels he has no choice but to try despite his dislike of the chief.

Bruno's good friend Karl Drago, who recently married the dead friend's daughter, has taken his bride on a honeymoon, leaving Bruno in charge of his loyal Rottweiler, Waldo - and, as readers become acutely aware of as the story progresses, Waldo is not a Bruno fan. Neither, apparently, are some very bad guys who seem to be out to get him, nor is his boss, the hard-nosed Darla, who rules the hotel with an iron fist (any just about anything else she can get her hands on). One who's sold on Bruno, though, is a rotund guy named Otis Brasher who sits at the bar all day drinking grasshoppers and insists on hiring Bruno as a bodyguard (it seems some very bad guys are out to get him as well).

Confused? Well, so is Bruno - especially when more dead bodies pile up and it starts to look as if Otis's predicament and that bar shoot-out may be connected. It's also starting to look as though Bruno may have to relocate his entire brood elsewhere lest he be found and returned to the United States, where he's wanted on charges of kidnapping and murder (how that hasn't happened before this, especially since just about everyone in Costa Rica seems to know who Bruno really is, remains a mystery to me, but hey - all in good fun). All told, it's another fun romp - and of course, you'll have to read it for yourself to get down to the nitty gritty. Great series, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review another pre-release copy.

The Diabolical
David Putnam
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


Embark on a thrilling roller coaster ride through the streets and alleys of Tamarindo, Costa Rica with David Putnam’s eleventh Bruno Johnson novel. In this gripping tale, Bruno will stop at nothing to ensure justice for his family and friends. This book stands alone, thanks to Putnam’s skill in weaving necessary backstory seamlessly into the narrative.



Bruno’s complex history began over thirty years ago with the violent crime task force in Los Angeles. Revered by his adversaries, he was known for his tenacious and sometimes violent approach to justice. His past includes a stint in prison for avenging his daughter’s murder. Now, he resides in Costa Rica with his wife, Maria, and their thirteen rescued children, saved from abusive homes in Los Angeles. Their efforts are legendary, likened to an underground railroad for abused children. Despite his fear of extradition and outstanding kidnapping warrants, Bruno remains unchallenged. Known for skirting the line in pursuit of criminals, he currently works under the alias ‘Gaylord’ at the Punta Bandera Hotel and Beach Club, ever vigilant against threats of extradition.

Bruno’s life takes a turn when his best friend, Karl Drago, marries his beautiful bride Layla on the beach, accompanied by his faithful Rottweiler, Waldo, trained to respond to German commands. Unbeknownst to Bruno, Karl entrusts him with Waldo’s care. Shortly after, he’s summoned to a crime scene by Chief Hernandez.

Chief Hernandez, aware of Bruno’s skills, requests his assistance at the scene of Tamarindo’s first-ever murder – a brutal shootout at the nightclub El Gato Gorda. Recognizing two of the victims, Bruno is drawn into the investigation, offering insights to help solve the case.

Meanwhile, Bruno contends with Otis Brasher, a regular at the bar, who hires him for protection. Bruno suspects Otis’s slovenly appearance is a disguise, doubting his story of being a white-collar criminal hiding out in Costa Rica. Complications escalate when the Russian mob mistakes Bruno for “The Genie,” a notorious diamond thief.

David Putnam proves his storytelling prowess, skillfully intertwining complex plotlines in this fast-paced, engaging novel. The book’s multidimensional characters add warmth, humor, and authenticity, reflecting Putnam’s deep understanding of law enforcement. This memorable tale, rich with well-crafted characters and a compelling plot, will linger with readers long after the final page.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publication for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

Bruno Johnson #11

Ex-cop, ex-con, Bruno Johnson is hiding from US law enforcement in Costa Rica with his wife, Maria, and the twelve children they've rescued from toxic homes in south central Los Angeles. Bruno works at the Lido Cabana Bar at the Punta Bandera Hotel, and his friend, Karl Drago, is getting married on the beach, right outside. After the festivities, Bruno and Marie go skinny-dipping in the ocean, but they're quickly interrupted by a visit from law enforcement.

This story has everything I like - mystery, romance, great characters, and a strong plot. Unfortunately, life kept interrupting my reading otherwise, I would not have been able to put this book down. The pace is fast in this very twisted read. I like the author's writing style. The local police chief needs Bruno's help in solving the murders of six people, and Bruno has no choice, he has to help him.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #OceanviewPublishing and the author #DavidPytman for my ARC of #TheDiabolical in exchange for an honest review.