Blond Cargo

Jack Bertolino #2

by John Lansing

Jack Bertolino's son, Chris, was the victim of a brutal murder attempt and Vincent Cardona, a mafia boss, provided information that helped Jack take down the perpetrator of the crime. Jack accepted the favor knowing there'd be blowback. In Blond Cargo the mobster's daughter has gone missing and Cardona turned in his chit. Jack discovers that the young, blond, mafia princess has been kidnapped and imprisoned while rich, politically connected men negotiate her value as a sex slave.

A sizzling whodunit for fans of James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell, Blond Cargo taps into the real-life crime world to deliver a thrilling, action-packed story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the explosive, unprecedented finale.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Suspense

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2014

About the author

John Lansing is the author of six thrillers featuring Jack Bertolino—The Devil’s Necktie, Blond Cargo, Dead Is Dead, The Fourth Gunman, 25 To Life, and Mia, the prequel—as well as the true-crime non-fiction book Good Cop Bad Money, written with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano. Embedded is John’s first thriller in the Dakota Judd series. He’s been a writer and supervising producer on network television, and the co-executive producer of the ABC series Scoundrels, and co-wrote two MOWs for CBS.
The Devil’s Necktie is in development at Andria Litto’s Amuse Entertainment, with Barbara DeFina attached as a producer.

A native of Long Island, John now resides in Los Angeles. Find out more at www.johnlansing.com

Reviews

[Judy Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A special thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sexy Jack (Jack Bertolino and Associates NYPD officer turned LA PI), is back with Book #2 with John Lansing’s Blond Cargo with an action packed crime thriller, in search for a blond mafia princess.

Vincent Cardona, a mafia boss (a mobster who abuses cigars, drugs, and booze, with a heart of gold) needs a favor, and Jack knew payback was coming. He just did know it would be this soon. He had taken it upon himself to station Peter outside Saint John’s Health Center while his son was drifting between life and death. Cardona’s enforcer had scared off Delgado, and that may have saved his son’s life. The unsolicited good deed was greatly appreciated by Jack and the debt weighed heavily.

The request is to find Angelica Marie Cardona, his only daughter. His wife died giving birth and he raised her. Angelica, beautiful, blond, early twenties, and he has not seen his daughter in a month, around the time Jack’s son Chris was in the hospital.

There have been two women (both blonds) murdered, and he has a bad feeling, as she has never disappeared for this length of time. The other girls were the same age and similar features, as Angelica. Money is no object, he wants his daughter found. Jack is taking the case; however, he has no clue what he will be up against.

Jack soon discovers that the young, blond, mafia princess has been kidnapped and imprisoned while rich, politically connected men negotiate her value as a sex slave. (A white slavery ring and priceless artifacts).

In the last book, when Jack busted Mateo, he decided it was in the state’s best interest to utilize the man’s connections and talent and he became Jack’s most prolific CI. Now Mateo is joining Jack on the hunt and along with Cruz Feinberg, Jack’s new associate.

Chris (from The Devil’s Necktie), Jack’s son, presently attending Stanford on a baseball scholarship-- The two are not getting along these days, because the Columbian drug dealer Jack had taken down a month ago had decided to get personal and had run Chris down; one of the main casualties of the assault was Chris’s pitching arm.

Angelica, last seen in Club Martinique interacting with an ex-con, is being held hostage by a stereotypical Iraqi super-villain investor with powerful local and international connections. Retribution is something the Mafia had always excelled at. In a race against time, Jack is running out of options on a collision course to save them both!

From multi-billion dollar Malibu mansions to million dollar customized and cigarette boats, sexy cars, designer clothes, Cuban cigars, marinas, women, drugs, murder, cops, crime, gangsters, cartel, sex videos, Miami connections, sex slavery rings, rape, torture, mob, art, and some hot spots in Marina del Rey, Venice Beach and Santa Monica; private compounds, estates on the Pacific, the and the rich, are just a few of the mentions of this fast paced suspense action thriller.

I highly recommend the debut #1 The Devil's Necktie and a few of the characters are back in #2: sexy DDA Leslie with some sizzling sex scenes; with plenty of fury, sparks, and chemistry, and son Chris, still in pain, taking pills and seeing a neurologist, with a case of PTSD.

With all the action, thrills, and danger, and added bonus with some human interaction with Jack's character. Fans of James Patterson will devour this series. (personally I prefer Lansing's style over Patterson).

Judith D. Collins Must Read Book Blog

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blond Cargo is a riveting tale that takes the reader back into the seedy underworld of crime as they follow private investigator Jack Bertolino on his latest investigative adventure. Author John Lansing weaves a fast-paced crime thriller set in Los Angeles and written in the third person narrative, that follows the dangerous quest of retired NYPD narcotics detective now private investigator Jack Bertolino as he returns the favor from mafia boss Vincent Cardona, and investigates the case of his missing daughter Angelica, the beautiful young blond mafia princess who has been kidnapped and imprisoned by rich and politically connected men who are negotiating her value as a sex slave. Jack's investigation leads him into the seedy underworld of the sex slave trade ring, where he finds himself caught up in a dangerous and deadly world that he thought he had left behind.

This riveting realistic story is full of intrigue, action, drama, suspense, murder and dark humor that draws the reader in and keeps them captivated and turning the pages. As the reader follows Jack into the shady world of the sex slave trade, the multitude of plot twists and turns will keep them guessing what will happen next. Jack takes the reader on a wild ride when his dangerous adventure takes him into the upscale areas and seedy neighborhoods of various California locales. It is a seedy and gritty world of drugs, gangs, sex slave trade, and murder ... all in the pursuit of finding and bringing Angelica home to her father.

With a multidimensional cast of characters who leap off the pages; gritty dialogue and vivid interactions; richly detailed description of various California locales; and a no-holds-barred storyline that keeps the reader sitting on the edge of their seats holding their breath as the chilling trail of crime, sex slave trade business, and murders leads up to an explosive climax; Blond Cargo is one hell of a thrilling story that you won't be able to put down and leaves you wanting more!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...

[Cathy Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Bertolino owes a man a big favour. The trouble is, that man is Vincent Cardona, mafia boss. Cardona supplied Jack with information relating to the attempted murder of his son, Chris, during the last case Jack worked, which allowed him to take down the would be assassin. Now Cardona’s only daughter, Angelica, is missing and he’s calling in his marker. He wants Jack to pull out all the stops to find Angelica and Jack feels honour bound to repay the debt, regardless of the effect his working for Cardona is having on the relationship with his girlfriend, Deputy District Attorney Leslie Sager.

Jack’s subsequent investigation leads him deep into the dangerous waters of murder, drugs and sex trafficking, uncovering high level corruption along the way. Angelica has been abducted by totally vicious and immoral men who think nothing of bartering and selling young women into the sex trade.

Jack is fundamentally one of the good guys despite his flaws. This is a man who put in twenty-five years as an undercover detective working in the narcotics division of the NYPD. After multiple and unsuccessful back surgeries after a serious fall he retired out to California to find some peace and live the good life. But the hoodlums still manage to plague Jack’s life and so, with his new career as a private investigator, he can still take them down, even without having the back up of a police badge.

Jack, in emotional turmoil with the pain and distress Chris is experiencing, is trying to tread delicately in his attempts to help his son, whilst concentrating on the job at hand. Chris is doing his best to keep his father at arm’s length and resorts to desperate measures to try and ease his torment. I love the relationship and interaction between these two, completely human and relatable, and I couldn’t help but feel for them both. Jack is an extremely likeable character and easy to empathise with.

John Lansing brings Jack Bertolino, together with a large cast of diverse characters, to life vividly with a gripping and unpredictable storyline, full of action, suspense and drama. The villains are completely chilling and the characters are all authentic and convincing. The main antagonist, Malic al-Yasiri, surrounds himself with exquisite, stolen antiquities and fine art and has no hesitation in selling the beautiful women, who are kidnapped at his bidding, to Middle eastern harems. He is prepared to do whatever it takes to keep what he has acquired. The horrifying trail of murder, abductions and the sex trade lead to a tense and dangerous conclusion.

This is a realistic and intense tale with detailed descriptions of places and people, unrestrained and sometimes brutal, but compelling throughout. John Lansing is a skilled author and I love his concise and suspenseful writing style. The storyline is well planned and thought through, the pace brisk, which kept me immersed from beginning to end.

[Addictive Passions · Rating 3 out of 5]

I accepted this Arc of Blond Cargo after getting in a romantic slump; you know, where you are burnt out on reading a certain kind of genre and the only way to get your juices going again in the direction you want then to go in you have to go in a totally different direction for a while.
Well, my go to genre is mystery/suspense. I am slowly becoming a fan of this genre of intrigue and detailed writing, but not so much so that I delete romance all together from my reading inventory.

Heaven forbid.

So, Blond Cargo by John Lansing was my latest go to escape and I have to say from the first page I was hooked with the writing style. But I never thought I’d be so involved with the plot as much as I was. So, Blond Cargo is book 2 in this series but I never got the feeling that I was missing out on anything by starting in the middle of a series.
It’s safe to say that you can read each book in this series as a standalone.

So, Jack Bertolino is repaying a favor to a mob boss (apparently, Jack was given information that would help take down the guys who tried to kill his son in book 1). The Mob bosses’ daughter has gone missing, and the race is on to try and find the kidnapper’s before…you know.

Oh! And you can’t forget the romance. There’s heavy romance in this book in terms of sex.

I absolutely loved becoming immersed in this story, I felt like I was part of the action and all because of the detailed writing. Why doesn’t romance have such intricate wording?

I definitely didn’t feel I had to go back and read book 1 (The Devil’s Necktie). But I could be seen reading book 3 sometime in the future…

[William Bentrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blond Cargo by John Lansing

Jack Bertolino returns redeemed in his own eyes and in the eyes of his LA peers. Jackis a retired NY City police detective with a bad back. Jack's behavior in Devil's Necktie has cemented his bonafides with the LA law enforcement community. Comfortable in his new relationship with ADA Leslie, Jack's only concern seems to be his son's PTSD based on his near death experience in Devil's Necktie. His idyllic interlude is torpedoed by gangster, Vincent Cardona calling in a favor.

Lansing pulls his story right out of today's headlines with the concern for human trafficking and immigrant crime. Iraq is still in the daily news and Lansing takes recent historic aspects and envelopes them in a seedy criminal plot. The amoral aspects of many of the characters are practically unbelievable unless you have happened to have had contact with a true sociopath and then the characters are sadly believable.

Interspersed with human trafficking, drug dealing, marital and girl friend relational problems, Jack finds out that the Mexican cartel from the previous book has put out a contract on his life.

Loyalty is a two way street and Bertolino both demonstrates it to his people and regrets his indebtedness to Cardona. An interesting side bar to the story is the portrayal of redemption by Mateo and the appreciation of the American way of life by Kayla. Bertolino again demonstrates he is not to be trifled with, bad back or not, and is a firm believer in retribution.

Lansing has a good plot, plenty of action and keeps your interest from beginning to end, I really enjoyed the book.

web site: http://www.johnlansing.net/

[Gordon Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great writer draws you into a startling new reality, erases your own comfortable surroundings, then rocks your world by showing your mind a movie you can’t look away from. John Lansing is such an author.

Blond Cargo is the follow-up to his critically acclaimed The Devil’s Necktie, and Lansing is again the master of his craft.

Blond Cargo is the next chapter in the tumultuous life of Lansing’s oft flawed hero, Jack Bertalino -- a multifaceted, take no prisoners ex-NYC narc turned west coast PI -- tough, thick headed, hard edges, soft places only a few know how to poke.

Charged with rescuing a beautiful young woman who has been kidnapped, Jack Bertalino finds himself caught up in the snake-filled world of the international slave trade. There is danger at every turn as he follows the trail down the rabbit hole and through a maze of unexpected twists, coming up against not one, not two, but three distinct mafia organizations -- each with their own bloody axes to grind, and all wanting to behead Jack.

Lansing keeps many balls in the air as he artfully juggles an intricate plot populated with a host of quirky, depraved, defective characters, and shows us a world where hope is in short supply.

John Lansing’s uniquely visual writing style, vivid characterizations and an uncanny ability to pull off seamless complexity makes Blond Cargo an extraordinary, must-read detective thriller.

Can’t wait for the next installment! Look out Patterson, someone’s gaining on you!

[Cheryl Masciarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts and Opinion:
When I first read the synopsis of this book, like you might just have done, the word sequel stood out to me. But since the story sounded like something I would enjoy, I hoped that it was a book that the author would enlighten the reader of info from the first book when needed and he did. I never felt that I was "lost"

Words that came to mind while reading BLOND CARGO: excitement, non-stop action, adrenaline pumping, page turning adventure, heart pounding pace, and sometimes even a bit of humor.

Jack Bertolino, former LAPD and now PI is "paying back a favor" for mobster Vincent Cardona, to find his missing daughter. But it's not your average "missing person" case. Drugs, Sex trade, Mafia, Family, Children, Relationships, Exes, Contract hits, Action packed.

This was the first time I read anything by this author and I was hooked by the first chapter. By the third chapter, because of his amazing ability with the written word, my visual creation and the adrenaline that was pumping faster than my eyes could absorb, until the final page, Mr. Lansing was added to my "authors to read" list. I will definitely be picking up the first in this series, THE DEVIL'S NECKTIE and hopefully there is a 3rd.

Do I recommend this author and/or this book? If you like action? Then the answer is absolutely!!

(I received a digital copy via the Publisher in exchange for my honest opinion)

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack, a former cop, is now a private detective. Vincent Cardona, a mafia boss, helped Jack out when his son, Chris, was hit by a car and now Vincent is calling in the debt. His daughter, Angelica, has disappeared and Vincent wants Jack to find her. Two other women who resemble Angelica have turned up dead and Jack hopes he can find Angelica before she ends up with the same fate. As Jack investigates, he suspects she may have been been kidnapped to be sold as a sex slave and everyone from the mayor, a cardinal, a land developer and a shah may be involved.

In the meantime in his personal life, he is having problems with his girlfriend, Leslie, and he is concerned about his son, Chris.

This is the second book I've read by this author ... it is the second in the Jack Bertolino series (I'd read the first one last year). You don't have to have read the first one to read this one as it works well as a standalone.

It was an interesting story. Though I liked the the writing style, I thought it could have been a bit tighter. There was lots of action and never a dull moment. It is written in third person, with the focus shifting depending on what was going on. As a head's up, there is swearing and adult situations.

I liked Jack ... he was a good guy. I found that there were a lot of characters, though. I had a hard time keeping them straight sometimes.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2014/10...

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not wrong when I figured this book was going to be captivating. From the beginning of the story, you are sucked into the crime and drama that seems to follow PI Jack Bertolino around. A retired narcotics police officer, Jack knows the streets and knows that a favor given to him will come back to be repaid and Blond Cargo is that favor.

While I have never read a book by John Lansing before, including the prequel to this new book, I did not feel lost in the least. There was plenty of explanation about prior events and people that were encountered in the book to make sense and keep me engaged in this fast paced storyline.

The story is realistic and reads from today's headlines. It tells the story of money, drugs, and the sex slave trade; from the top floor of a large corporation, to the seedy underworld of the streets of LA, and all the way across multiple continents. It is a great combination of thriller and suspense for those that love crime and drama genre of fiction books.

I loved the face paced storyline that kept me engrossed in this book, page after page. Jack is a likable guy and he knows is craft well. This book will not disappoint, especially the ending! I cannot wait to read another of John Lansing's books!

*A review copy was received in exchange for my honest review*

[Sheila Kell · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Lansing's Blond Cargo has me hooked as one of his fans. This is an outstanding fast-passed, suspenseful, realistic, crime thriller.

Private investigator Jack Bertolini knew that the favor he owed mob boss, Vincent Cardona would come due one day. That day came and Jack had no idea he'd be tangling with the rich and powerful plus the seedy underbelly of society who mix in the sex slave and drug trades. If it isn't difficult enough for Jack locating and releasing Angelica, he has relationship problems to deal with and finds out a contract has been taken out on his life. None of it stops Jack and that is only one of the reasons I fell in love with this character.

I thought this would be my night-stand read - read a bit each night before you sleep. The twists and turns kept me guessing and staying up well beyond my bedtime. This is a captivating story that has wet my appetite for the remainder of this series. This is a must read series!

I was provided a copy for an honest review.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blond Cargo
By John Lansing
The book speaks about every new immigrant group bringing in the good and the bad to the country. Looking at this story those lines could not have been drawn clearer. Blond Cargo follows the highly controversial sex trade, where young women are enticed or kidnapped and forced into the sex trade. A young aspiring actress, Angelina Curtis has been missing for three weeks. Her father a crime boss and local mafia head is desperate. Calling in a favor from a PI, Jack Bertolino, to find and recover his daughter. The case turns to the dark side of the Sex trade, drugs and outright theft. Jack has bitten off more than he could chew. Will he survive numerous attempts on his life, his career and his mission? This book is a successfully drawn out adventure that could make movie watchers and critics unable to predict the outcome. A master piece of intricate design and a chess masters moves on plot and situation.

[Linda Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent thriller from John Lansing! I re-read Lansing's first book, The Devil's Necktie, before starting this one and was surprised at how well it held up a second time. While it isn't necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one, I would recommend doing so just so you can have a good understanding of the character's backgrounds and some of the events referred to in this one. Blond Cargo didn't disappoint! It is every bit a page-turner as the first story. Fans of crime drama should really give this series a try; Jack Bertolino is a terrific hero, well developed and completely likeable yet human and allowed to have faults. The suspense is well paced and had me on the edge of my seat. These books really need to be made into movies as they're just screaming for adaptation! Looking forward to the next entry and I hope this series will last a long, long time!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blond Cargo is a fast paced action filled thriller that pits Jack Bertolino (former cop now a private investigator) against ruthless men in the sex trade in the hopes to free the daughter of a local mafia boss so that he can pay back the debt owed to him. Meanwhile, he is also dealing with his son who is away at college but dealing with the after effects of being hit by an car because of his dad. I believe this has to do with incidents that happened in the first novel. (This is these second Bertolino and Associates story). I have to say that I enjoyed all aspects of the story; the characters, the mafia crew, the criminal real estate developers, the Middle East sheik and even the gin drinking woman sitting on her deck. Adding Bertonlino's personal life into the mix makes all the more realistic. I have to go back to and read the first novel. Very enjoyable indeed!

[Bob Marinaccio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Bertolino leaps off the pages of John Lansing’s first two novels, The Devil’s Necktie and Blond Cargo. Bertolino is a take-charge, no-holds-barred PI who devastates criminals with his unruffled perseverance and excites women with his rugged good looks and charm. The man has his flaws which only add to his persona.

Blond Cargo is an exciting thriller with wonderfully crafted characters – from the beautiful blond Mafioso princess of the title to the smarmy pervert who is about to sell her in the high-end sex trade to the ancillary characters who bring humor and suspense to a stunning conclusion.

Lansing is an intelligent writer, and Blond Cargo is his finest work to date.

[Lori Cedar · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT A THRILLER!

Great writing, great characters great story. Page turner with can't-put-it-down plot that keeps you guessing at every turn. Jack Bertolino, former police officer turned PI, is tough, smart and also compassionate. I read the first in series, Devil's Necktie and was equally pleased. Can't wait for the next book. Kudos Mr. Lansing thanks for the great entertainment.

[Heath Henwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood Cargo
By John Lansing

Blond Cargo is the second instalment of Jack Bertolino mysteries.

The story picks up after from The Devil’s Necktie, Jack is returning a favour to mafia boss Vincent Cardona, whose daughter has gone missing.

This is a sizzling mystery with a few twists, and plenty of action.

[Duffy Pearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this enough to look for other Lansing books at the library because I'm too cheap to pay for summer reading. If it were a Kindle special or on Kindle Prime, I'd immediately download another book.

[Misty Rayburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than the last one! Full review coming later! :)

[Larry D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great entertaining read

So many things going on, but the author puts them out smoothly so they are easily followed. Plenty of action and personal relationships woven into the action. Loved it.

[Miriam Downey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...

I am ending the year with a thriller. Jack Bertolino is an ex-cop turned PI who has taken on the job of finding a mob boss's kidnapped daughter. Readers find her right away, in the hands of an Iraqi mobster who is planning to export her to an Iraqi sheik. She's blond and statuesque, apparent just what Iraqi sheiks want as sex slaves. Bertolino figures out quickly who has her as well, but it takes the whole book to actually free her from her captors.

There apparently are a lot of loose ends to tie up from the first book in the series, The Devil's Necktie, because it takes a long time for the action to begin, but once the plot gets rolling, it is non-stop raids, shootings and killings until the young woman is rescued. In typical form, the best is saved for last, and the final chase scene is absolutely riveting.

The characters in Blond Cargo are well drawn. Apparently the author, John Lansing had a career as a TV writer/producer before studying a real-life New York narcotics cop upon which he based his Jack Bertolino character. Jack Bertolino is very appealing, a Bruce Willis type. He's full of the aches and pains of being a middle-aged man doing a young man's job. He has a college-aged son who causes him worries and an on- and off-again girlfriend who doesn't approve of his current gig. His years as a narcotics detective make him a good hire as a PI, but they also put him in danger a good deal of the time. I also really enjoyed the kidnap victim, Angelica, who is feisty and inventive and is not about to be coerced by her Iraqi captors.

Blond Cargo is a great diversion. You can read along a little at a time until you reach the last third of the book. Then you better set aside a block of time because there is no stopping until the shoot-it-out conclusion. Loved every nail-biting moment.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find more reviews Mademoisellesnow Blog

I can safely say that all of the books in this series can be read as a standalone book. I really enjoyed reading this instalment. This book caught my attention from the very first page and didn’t loosen until the end. The writing style was amazing to read and it just flowed off the pages. I felt that there was a lot of action and there wasn’t a dull moment in the pages. I did find it hard to keep all the characters straight, there were just too many to keep track. It’s a nail-biting book.

[Mark Zodda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, quick read. Can't really connect with the characters so I won't be reading any more of this series.

[Bubbles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read, but I liked The Devil's Necktie better. Jack is a nice guy, the story was interesting, but there were too many characters who weren't fleshed out enough for me to keep track them. I kept going back to remind myself who was who. I'll give the third book in the series a shot though.