What do you think?
Rate this book
Bruno Johnson #1
The Disposables
Bruno Johnson, a tough street cop, member of the elite violent crime task force, feared by the bad guys, admired by the good, finds his life derailed when a personal tragedy forces him to break the law. Now he's an ex-con and his life on parole is not going well. He is hassled by the police at every opportunity and to make matters even more difficult, his former partner, Robby Wicks, now a high-ranking detective, bullies him into helping solve a high profile crime - unofficially, of course. Meantime, Bruno's girlfriend, Marie, brings out the good, the real Bruno, and even though they veer totally outside the law, he and Marie dedicate themselves to saving abused children, creating a type of underground railroad for neglected kids at risk, disposable kids. What they must do is perilous they step far outside the law, battling a warped justice system and Bruno's former partner, with his own evil agenda.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2014
209 people are currently reading
2689 people want to read
About the author
David Putnam
20 books2,028 followersBest-selling author David Putnam comes from a family of law enforcement. During his career, he did it all: worked in narcotics, served on FBI-sponsored violent crimes teams, and was cross-sworn as a US Marshall, pursuing murder suspects and bank robbers 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 O, serving as Special Agent for the Attorney General investigating smuggling and white-collar crimes.
Putnam lives in Southern California with his wife, Mary.
Putnam lives in Southern California with his wife, Mary.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
December 7, 2020
I have to admit I would never in a million years have picked up this book to read, had I not seen GR Friend and Author, David Putnam,’s offer for an ARC of his latest Bruno Johnson novel, The Ruthless. This series is so far off my choice of reading grid that it would never have otherwise bleeped my radar. David graciously sent me a copy of The Ruthless (and so did NG) and I thought, “How can I read Bruno Johnson #8 if I haven’t read even one of the previous books #1-7?”. So, off to the digital library I dashed to nab a copy of The Disposables, book #1 in the Bruno Johnson series.
The Disposables is a super quick read. Bruno Johnson, the main character, is an ex-con who previously was a police officer in a mythic elite squad. The members of the squad break a lot of rules and cover for each other as they go about their business of getting bad guys off the streets. The trouble is that when you start breaking the rules there is no clear line that cannot be crossed. Bruno crossed the line and killed a man, went to prison, and came out as the bottom of the food chain – or as the expression in Aramaic goes (loosely translated) “the bigger they are, the harder they fall”….
It took me a while to get comfortable in this book, I felt like I needed a shower and some serious anesthetic to numb the shock of graphic, behind the scenes. inner-city cops and robbers violence (just call me Princess Fainthearted of the Rose Colored Glasses), but never-the-less I was swept up into the story, flipping the pages like mad to see what was going to happen to Bruno, his dad, Marie, and all of the children that our hero Bruno was determined to save from their abusive parents and guardians (another crossed line).
Bruno has learned to become a master manipulator and fixer of sorts, committing heists, burying his loot, getting arrested, getting smacked around and shot at, bringing down villains and saving ungrateful prior colleagues. For most of the book he is busy dodging and being chased by the police and parole officer, getting his angel wings trapped in different getaway cars, and proving to all that an ex-con can also have the heart of a saint and savior.
So, did I enjoy the read? Hell yes! Will I read the next in this series? or skip right to Ruthless?….Hell yes!
The Disposables is a super quick read. Bruno Johnson, the main character, is an ex-con who previously was a police officer in a mythic elite squad. The members of the squad break a lot of rules and cover for each other as they go about their business of getting bad guys off the streets. The trouble is that when you start breaking the rules there is no clear line that cannot be crossed. Bruno crossed the line and killed a man, went to prison, and came out as the bottom of the food chain – or as the expression in Aramaic goes (loosely translated) “the bigger they are, the harder they fall”….
It took me a while to get comfortable in this book, I felt like I needed a shower and some serious anesthetic to numb the shock of graphic, behind the scenes. inner-city cops and robbers violence (just call me Princess Fainthearted of the Rose Colored Glasses), but never-the-less I was swept up into the story, flipping the pages like mad to see what was going to happen to Bruno, his dad, Marie, and all of the children that our hero Bruno was determined to save from their abusive parents and guardians (another crossed line).
Bruno has learned to become a master manipulator and fixer of sorts, committing heists, burying his loot, getting arrested, getting smacked around and shot at, bringing down villains and saving ungrateful prior colleagues. For most of the book he is busy dodging and being chased by the police and parole officer, getting his angel wings trapped in different getaway cars, and proving to all that an ex-con can also have the heart of a saint and savior.
So, did I enjoy the read? Hell yes! Will I read the next in this series? or skip right to Ruthless?….Hell yes!
August 12, 2019
I notice the Bruno Johnson series was written by a Goodreads’ author. So, I decided to give it a try.
The book is well written. I started the series with book one. Therefore, the author is setting up the series in this volume. Bruno was a police officer and member of an elite task force. He broke the law and ended up in prison. The story is about his attempt to get his life into shape after being released from prison. But he seems to be getting himself deeper into trouble. He has his cop skills and instinct but now also has street smarts. The pace is fast and the story is realistic. The characters are interesting. The setting is South Central Los Angeles, California. The book is hard to put down. I am looking forward to the next book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book was eight hours and fifteen minutes. Branden McKenzie does a good job narrating the book. McKenzie is a voice actor.
The book is well written. I started the series with book one. Therefore, the author is setting up the series in this volume. Bruno was a police officer and member of an elite task force. He broke the law and ended up in prison. The story is about his attempt to get his life into shape after being released from prison. But he seems to be getting himself deeper into trouble. He has his cop skills and instinct but now also has street smarts. The pace is fast and the story is realistic. The characters are interesting. The setting is South Central Los Angeles, California. The book is hard to put down. I am looking forward to the next book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book was eight hours and fifteen minutes. Branden McKenzie does a good job narrating the book. McKenzie is a voice actor.
October 8, 2020
Bruno Johnson is a tough guy with a good heart. A former LA county sheriff and member of the Violent Crime Task Force, Bruno has walked through fire for his beliefs, paid the price and must now decide if he can pull off his plan with the help of his dad and Marie, his girlfriend.
Before Bruno can succeed he has to keep ahead of those tracking him and win the ultimate chess game. All this to save THE DISPOSABLES.
This was a great, against-the-clock read that really kept me engaged. I’ll be reading all of this series.
Before Bruno can succeed he has to keep ahead of those tracking him and win the ultimate chess game. All this to save THE DISPOSABLES.
This was a great, against-the-clock read that really kept me engaged. I’ll be reading all of this series.
Want to read
November 7, 2015This copy is signed by the author.
December 3, 2020
“The Disposables” by David Putnam is the first novel featuring Bad Boy Bruno Johnson. Bruno is a disgraced LAPD cop who was jailed for the murder of a street punk who was responsible for his daughter and grandson’s deaths. He knowingly killed the guy, and personally felt it justified. Now, Bruno is out on parole and working with his new sweetheart to abscond with young children who have been let down by the criminal justice system. These “disposable” kids are the children who are continually abused by their parents and guardians, and yet given back to their parents where more abuse occurs. Bruno wants to save these children. He’s tired of witnessing these innocents being brutally abused.
At the time Bruno is saving money and quietly working to get these kids to safety, there is a serial killer on the loose who is pouring gasoline on random victims and lighting them on fire. Bruno’s ex-partner manages to get Bruno involved in finding the killer. Bruno is a notorious street cop who is highly trained and knows the streets.
What Putnam does well is illuminate street justice and how right and wrong are grey areas. While Putnam has previous law enforcement experience and serious street cred, he doesn’t shy away from exposing bad cops. He was writing these novels far before the “Black Lives Matter” movement began; he saw bad cops. He somehow weaves his experiences into his stories, making them realistic and fantastic thriller reads.
Putnam will bring out the vigilante in your spirit when you read his novels. Bruno skirts the moral line, but as a reader, you root for him and hope he accomplishes his goals.
At the time Bruno is saving money and quietly working to get these kids to safety, there is a serial killer on the loose who is pouring gasoline on random victims and lighting them on fire. Bruno’s ex-partner manages to get Bruno involved in finding the killer. Bruno is a notorious street cop who is highly trained and knows the streets.
What Putnam does well is illuminate street justice and how right and wrong are grey areas. While Putnam has previous law enforcement experience and serious street cred, he doesn’t shy away from exposing bad cops. He was writing these novels far before the “Black Lives Matter” movement began; he saw bad cops. He somehow weaves his experiences into his stories, making them realistic and fantastic thriller reads.
Putnam will bring out the vigilante in your spirit when you read his novels. Bruno skirts the moral line, but as a reader, you root for him and hope he accomplishes his goals.
January 31, 2021
Brutal and direct, putnam pulls no punches. I would not be surprised to hear that there's a AMC show in the works. Not to sound cliche but the disposables is a fast paced adeline ride. Gritty, raw and real!
Bruno Johnson is the type of guy they make movies and tv shows about. Tough guy with a heart of gold who will do anything to uphold what he thinks is right. Former badass cop turned felon. The writing style is really good and relentless. No words or sentences wasted. I also liked how every chapter ended strongly. With a punch you could say. I was thrown right into his LA crime world and understood everything he was about in the first chapter. It continues that way thought out the novel with non stop action and character building. The character building is really impressive. It takes place without slowing down the pacing. Alot of Bruno's character is reveal when he meets someone from his past and a story is related not always by bruno himself. He a sort of local legend but not always in a good way. The plot follows Bruno who is now over his head trying to save some kids from a uncaring ineffective system/family abuse. With his former partner and the FBI tracking him. Bruno scrabbles to save his girlfriend and the abused kids. Doing whatever it takes even if it's against the law. Some would call that kidnapping and Bruno just a criminal. But let bruno Johnson and david putnam show you why it's heroic!
I must have listened to the disposables in one or two days. Gritty crime dramas are not my usual thing. And the settings and life depicted are so different than mine in rural north georgia. But I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more. Will be a good change of pace from the escaptist fantasy, high ideal sci-fi and wordy classics I usually read!
Bruno Johnson is the type of guy they make movies and tv shows about. Tough guy with a heart of gold who will do anything to uphold what he thinks is right. Former badass cop turned felon. The writing style is really good and relentless. No words or sentences wasted. I also liked how every chapter ended strongly. With a punch you could say. I was thrown right into his LA crime world and understood everything he was about in the first chapter. It continues that way thought out the novel with non stop action and character building. The character building is really impressive. It takes place without slowing down the pacing. Alot of Bruno's character is reveal when he meets someone from his past and a story is related not always by bruno himself. He a sort of local legend but not always in a good way. The plot follows Bruno who is now over his head trying to save some kids from a uncaring ineffective system/family abuse. With his former partner and the FBI tracking him. Bruno scrabbles to save his girlfriend and the abused kids. Doing whatever it takes even if it's against the law. Some would call that kidnapping and Bruno just a criminal. But let bruno Johnson and david putnam show you why it's heroic!
I must have listened to the disposables in one or two days. Gritty crime dramas are not my usual thing. And the settings and life depicted are so different than mine in rural north georgia. But I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more. Will be a good change of pace from the escaptist fantasy, high ideal sci-fi and wordy classics I usually read!
August 14, 2024
Bruno “Bad Boy” Johnson used to be a cop. A good one, too, with a reputation for cleaning up the streets of L.A. Then he went to prison for a crime he most certainly did commit.
Now, he’s out, and he’s running out of time. See, he’s been committing a lot more crimes---kidnapping, to be exact---and he knows that the LAPD and the FBI are zeroing in on him, but he’s on a timeline for escaping to Costa Rica with his girlfriend, Marie, and his many kidnap victims.
Believe it or not, Johnson is the good guy in David Putnam’s phenomenal debut novel, “The Disposables”, a gritty, high-octane crime thriller in the vein of James Ellroy and Michael Connelly.
Johnson has a soft spot for children. He hates to see children on the streets, starving, scavenging for survival. He absolutely hates to see children being abused by the people who call themselves their parents. He knows these people aren’t “parents”; they’re people who had disposable kids. But Johnson---with the help of his nurse girlfriend and his father---have taken it upon themselves to help these “disposables”, kids whose parents are drug dealers, gangsters, mobsters, killers.
Unfortunately, under the law, what Johnson is doing is a crime. He knows it’s illegal, but he also knows that what he’s doing is the moral thing to do: getting these kids out of a horrible situation and giving them a chance.
Putnam has created a frightening upside down world in his novel, one that is, sadly, our own. He has a lot to say about it---the shady amorality of the gangland crews and the modern-day mafia and the police who are supposed to be stopping them; the failures of the justice system; the overloaded and inefficient social services that are supposed to protect children---and he knows of what he speaks, as Putnam is a former cop, having worked in narcotics, violent crime, SWAT, and Internal Affairs, just to name a few of the highlights of his career in law enforcement in Southern California.
It’s Putnam’s knowledge and experience, I think, that sets his novel apart from other crime novels and novelists. There’s a lot of good crime novelists out there, and they clearly do the research, but Putnam has lived the cop life. He’s walked the walk, and it shows in his writing.
Johnson is a hero for the 21st century, one that doesn’t look all that heroic to look at him or his past, and one that probably doesn’t give a shit if you think he’s heroic. He just does what he feels is right.
Apparently, Putnam has been writing novels featuring Johnson for years. (“The Disposables” was published in 2014, and there are at least five sequels.) I can’t wait to read more.
Postscript: I should disclose that I am a Goodreads friend of the author, but this, in no way, influenced my review, and I was not asked by the author or publisher to write a review. In fact, I should state that it was only recently that I discovered that Putnam was an established author with several books published. I’m not sure who friended who first, but, regardless, we became Goodreads friends based on our mutual love of books and reading and similar tastes. I only discovered that Putnam was an author when I read someone else’s review of one of his books. I’ll be honest: it kind of shocked me, only because I am constantly bombarded with author’s asking me to review their books via their friend requests. I never promise anyone, by the way, that I will review their books, but I am certainly not against it in anyway. I will gladly take requests (hard copies only, though, as I don’t do e-books), but I tell authors that it may take awhile before I read them. Anyway, Putnam never once mentioned that he was an author, nor did he ever once ask me to review one of his books. Just to be clear.
Now, he’s out, and he’s running out of time. See, he’s been committing a lot more crimes---kidnapping, to be exact---and he knows that the LAPD and the FBI are zeroing in on him, but he’s on a timeline for escaping to Costa Rica with his girlfriend, Marie, and his many kidnap victims.
Believe it or not, Johnson is the good guy in David Putnam’s phenomenal debut novel, “The Disposables”, a gritty, high-octane crime thriller in the vein of James Ellroy and Michael Connelly.
Johnson has a soft spot for children. He hates to see children on the streets, starving, scavenging for survival. He absolutely hates to see children being abused by the people who call themselves their parents. He knows these people aren’t “parents”; they’re people who had disposable kids. But Johnson---with the help of his nurse girlfriend and his father---have taken it upon themselves to help these “disposables”, kids whose parents are drug dealers, gangsters, mobsters, killers.
Unfortunately, under the law, what Johnson is doing is a crime. He knows it’s illegal, but he also knows that what he’s doing is the moral thing to do: getting these kids out of a horrible situation and giving them a chance.
Putnam has created a frightening upside down world in his novel, one that is, sadly, our own. He has a lot to say about it---the shady amorality of the gangland crews and the modern-day mafia and the police who are supposed to be stopping them; the failures of the justice system; the overloaded and inefficient social services that are supposed to protect children---and he knows of what he speaks, as Putnam is a former cop, having worked in narcotics, violent crime, SWAT, and Internal Affairs, just to name a few of the highlights of his career in law enforcement in Southern California.
It’s Putnam’s knowledge and experience, I think, that sets his novel apart from other crime novels and novelists. There’s a lot of good crime novelists out there, and they clearly do the research, but Putnam has lived the cop life. He’s walked the walk, and it shows in his writing.
Johnson is a hero for the 21st century, one that doesn’t look all that heroic to look at him or his past, and one that probably doesn’t give a shit if you think he’s heroic. He just does what he feels is right.
Apparently, Putnam has been writing novels featuring Johnson for years. (“The Disposables” was published in 2014, and there are at least five sequels.) I can’t wait to read more.
Postscript: I should disclose that I am a Goodreads friend of the author, but this, in no way, influenced my review, and I was not asked by the author or publisher to write a review. In fact, I should state that it was only recently that I discovered that Putnam was an established author with several books published. I’m not sure who friended who first, but, regardless, we became Goodreads friends based on our mutual love of books and reading and similar tastes. I only discovered that Putnam was an author when I read someone else’s review of one of his books. I’ll be honest: it kind of shocked me, only because I am constantly bombarded with author’s asking me to review their books via their friend requests. I never promise anyone, by the way, that I will review their books, but I am certainly not against it in anyway. I will gladly take requests (hard copies only, though, as I don’t do e-books), but I tell authors that it may take awhile before I read them. Anyway, Putnam never once mentioned that he was an author, nor did he ever once ask me to review one of his books. Just to be clear.
April 8, 2020
This was a great read and Bruno Johnson is quite the character. The novel is dark, gritty, and fast-paced and definitely kept me engaged. I look forward to reading the other Bruno Johnson novels. Highly recommended.
September 29, 2019
Not my usual genre but I read this book in 3 sittings. Fast paced, gripping and well written. I would definitely read more by this author.
August 22, 2021
Excellent
David Putnam I have put off reading your books and must say I've been missing out. This book is very well written and the storyline kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this for those of you that like drama filled police stories, you won't regret reading this one.
David Putnam I have put off reading your books and must say I've been missing out. This book is very well written and the storyline kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this for those of you that like drama filled police stories, you won't regret reading this one.
May 18, 2014
Wow. I don't usually read crime thrillers, but this one came highly recommended and I am glad I listened. It was impossible to put down...a real page turner. This had all the gritty, edginess one would expect from a story about LA cops, but it had heart, integrity, and lacked much of the gratuitous language that many of the genre have. I rooted for the main character all the way...despite his many flaws. Do yourself a favor and enjoy this story!
September 27, 2020
Ex-cop and now felon, Bruno Johnson finds himself on the wrong side of the law but answering to a higher call.
This writing is a unique and refreshing voice. With clipped sentences and inner city slang, it is a winding, convoluted story that confused me at first but became clearer as I read on. Bruno’s mission to rescue abused and neglected children of Los Angeles is action packed and so very risky.
Not your standard husband/wife thriller but a creative and stimulating scenario. I will be reading the next in this series to find out what mess Bruno finds himself in. 4.5 stars.
This writing is a unique and refreshing voice. With clipped sentences and inner city slang, it is a winding, convoluted story that confused me at first but became clearer as I read on. Bruno’s mission to rescue abused and neglected children of Los Angeles is action packed and so very risky.
Not your standard husband/wife thriller but a creative and stimulating scenario. I will be reading the next in this series to find out what mess Bruno finds himself in. 4.5 stars.
December 14, 2019
A very fun and engaging read that had many threads and did a good job of bringing them all together. I have my mom to thank for my love of reading, when I was younger, like the eleven to twelve range, she would give me books she had read and as I read them we would have conversations about them. She gave me the Shining, Rosemary's Baby, books by Robin Cook and Michael Crichton, and some of my favorites to discuss with her were the early Lucas Davenport mysteries by John Sandford. She was good at keeping secrets and never spoiled the endings for me. Reading The Disposables by David Putnam brought me back to those days and reminded me how much I love these kinds of books that I had cut my teeth on. The story was relentless and unpredictable and kept adding momentum until the final confrontation where all was explained and everything made sense. I'm also a sucker for authors that put in a bunch of seemingly irrelevant info that comes back in the end to slap you in the face for their importance. People, facts, and details that to me seemed like stuff to flesh out existing characters all of a sudden came front and center and had huge ramifications to what was going on, and as Andy Rooney used to say, "I like that."
December 15, 2019
Good story line, well written crime-fiction, with interesting characters. At times it felt like I was in an old black and white crime-detective series. :-)
November 29, 2019
Read it in one night! Action-packed police thriller set in Los Angeles! Putnam's first-hand experience in multiple aspects of law enforcement add to believability. Can't wait to read #2.
November 22, 2020
Read it based of a positive review by Michael Connelly. Very good book. Sounds cliche but a definite page turne. Definitely going to read the rest.
May 11, 2017
David Putnam put the pedal to the metal on this hard-driving, first in a series introduction to ex cop, Bruno Johnson. The action wasted no time in getting started and slammed me right in the face beginning on page one, barreling right through to the end. With never a dull moment, the pages turned with ease.
The department that we depend upon that was designed to protect the welfare of children has failed miserably. Many innocent children are being released into the custody of parents too unfit to properly care for them. The rights of the parents are given more consideration than the safety of their children. In more extreme cases, some vulnerable children have sustained serious injury, even death. It's a political stew that's turned horribly bad.
Bruno Johnson, ex cop, knows how the system works. When he was on the force, he had come to see its many failures repeated over and over again. He had seen enough and had taken a stand to do everything within his power to save the children. His own way. He can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch the same tragedies play out with dire results. He knows that he can't rescue them all but he'll damn well try to rescue as many as he can. Just don't get in his way.
The department that we depend upon that was designed to protect the welfare of children has failed miserably. Many innocent children are being released into the custody of parents too unfit to properly care for them. The rights of the parents are given more consideration than the safety of their children. In more extreme cases, some vulnerable children have sustained serious injury, even death. It's a political stew that's turned horribly bad.
Bruno Johnson, ex cop, knows how the system works. When he was on the force, he had come to see its many failures repeated over and over again. He had seen enough and had taken a stand to do everything within his power to save the children. His own way. He can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch the same tragedies play out with dire results. He knows that he can't rescue them all but he'll damn well try to rescue as many as he can. Just don't get in his way.
August 4, 2019
I read these out of order (and in fact I think they are written out of sequence since the first book I read began with Bruno's child as an infant) but it totally does not matter (I mean, it matters plot-wise but if you don't mind spoilers...) because the writing is so good you must follow Bruno as he sweeps through LA's seamier neighborhoods and uncovers corruption and meets out his own street justice. I really love this series. If this is your first Putnam, keep going; this series gets better and better.
February 11, 2021
A gritty, realistic view of the underbelly of an American city, and its denizens. Wasn't sure I'd get through it when I started, but David Putnam did a great job of defining the characters and their motivations. The story moves well, building toward a much anticipated climax.
April 13, 2020
Great thriller
This book is a page turner. The flashbacks were well placed to fill in previous action without stopping the story in the process. The characters have depth. The clues are there but not obvious and has a satisfying resolution.
This book is a page turner. The flashbacks were well placed to fill in previous action without stopping the story in the process. The characters have depth. The clues are there but not obvious and has a satisfying resolution.
October 29, 2022
Gritty tale about an ex cop turned felon trying to give some kids a better life.
February 26, 2022
Reading books is my current avocation. There are a great many authors that I follow religiously and have been doing so for decades. However, there are also new-to-me writers that I keep discovering. Family and friends recommend books/authors; reading websites recommend other books/authors. DAVID PUTNAM falls into the latter category.
On one such website, David “friended” me and we communicated through the site. I found out that he is also an author. I just finished book one in his multibook series featuring former Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy Bruno Johnson. The book is entitled THE DISPOSABLES and the reader is introduced to Bruno and his world. I finished the book in about eight hours of reading time because I did not want to put it down. Putnam himself is a many years veteran law enforcement official so his police knowledge is impeccable.
Before the story begins, Bruno had been a Sheriff’s Deputy based in Los Angeles County (in California) for about twenty years. Something had happened in his world that was life and career altering. He ended up in jail for about two years. Bruno had met Marie, a nurse practioner fifteen years his junior, just before going to prison. His father is a retired postal worker. The three of them start to collect children from abusive homes where the parents or other family members are no longer fit to care for their kids.
One of those kids is his Bruno’s own grandson, Alonzo, whose twin brother Albert is deceased. Another is Wally Kim the young son of an abusive Korean diplomat. There a few other kids involved as well. In order to support their “family”, Marie uses her nurse’s salary and Bruno has a job in a convenience store. To supplement their income, Bruno takes jobs with John Ahern, aka “Jumbo”, that are criminal and could land him back in prison for a long time if caught
Lieutenant Robby Wicks is Bruno’s former partner when he was a Sheriff. They were founders and members of an elite force known as the Violent Crimes Team. He asks Bruno to help him find a perpetrator who has been burning his victims, using gasoline, after he robs them. Robby’s current partner is John Mack who is a thug and a bigot. Chantal is a friend of Bruno who is a prostitute and whose apartment is being paid for by a “client”. Bruno uses the apartment as his “legal” address for his parole. Debbie Brown (“Chocolate”) is a former Confidential Informer used by Bruno when he was a sheriff. She helps get him out of a jam.
Bruno is looking for a big payday so that he can remove his family from Los Angeles to Costa Rica. “Jumbo” gives him that opportunity. Before Bruno, Marie and the rest of the family can escape, things start to unravel. Bruno makes a startling discovery about his friend Robby Wicks.
There is action galore. There are tender moments as well. The characters are richly developed. There are more books in the series thank goodness. If you like police procedurals, this is a book for you. If like great storytelling, this is a book for you. If like serial books, this series is for you. EXTREMELY RECOMMENDED.
GO! BUY! READ!
On one such website, David “friended” me and we communicated through the site. I found out that he is also an author. I just finished book one in his multibook series featuring former Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy Bruno Johnson. The book is entitled THE DISPOSABLES and the reader is introduced to Bruno and his world. I finished the book in about eight hours of reading time because I did not want to put it down. Putnam himself is a many years veteran law enforcement official so his police knowledge is impeccable.
Before the story begins, Bruno had been a Sheriff’s Deputy based in Los Angeles County (in California) for about twenty years. Something had happened in his world that was life and career altering. He ended up in jail for about two years. Bruno had met Marie, a nurse practioner fifteen years his junior, just before going to prison. His father is a retired postal worker. The three of them start to collect children from abusive homes where the parents or other family members are no longer fit to care for their kids.
One of those kids is his Bruno’s own grandson, Alonzo, whose twin brother Albert is deceased. Another is Wally Kim the young son of an abusive Korean diplomat. There a few other kids involved as well. In order to support their “family”, Marie uses her nurse’s salary and Bruno has a job in a convenience store. To supplement their income, Bruno takes jobs with John Ahern, aka “Jumbo”, that are criminal and could land him back in prison for a long time if caught
Lieutenant Robby Wicks is Bruno’s former partner when he was a Sheriff. They were founders and members of an elite force known as the Violent Crimes Team. He asks Bruno to help him find a perpetrator who has been burning his victims, using gasoline, after he robs them. Robby’s current partner is John Mack who is a thug and a bigot. Chantal is a friend of Bruno who is a prostitute and whose apartment is being paid for by a “client”. Bruno uses the apartment as his “legal” address for his parole. Debbie Brown (“Chocolate”) is a former Confidential Informer used by Bruno when he was a sheriff. She helps get him out of a jam.
Bruno is looking for a big payday so that he can remove his family from Los Angeles to Costa Rica. “Jumbo” gives him that opportunity. Before Bruno, Marie and the rest of the family can escape, things start to unravel. Bruno makes a startling discovery about his friend Robby Wicks.
There is action galore. There are tender moments as well. The characters are richly developed. There are more books in the series thank goodness. If you like police procedurals, this is a book for you. If like great storytelling, this is a book for you. If like serial books, this series is for you. EXTREMELY RECOMMENDED.
GO! BUY! READ!
April 27, 2020
This is a good first novel. Bruno Johnson and his girl are rescuing abused children and get into trouble with the law. The book is extremely fast paced and has many, many plot twists. Recommended to fans of crime dramas.
June 2, 2020
It is never easy to read a book from a friend here lol. I gave it a shot now I might be unfriended lol. I thought it was a decent story, moved at a good pace, decent ending and ok dialogue so you can not go wrong. I had a couple of problems nervous lol. I thought the beginning of the book was choppy and uneven I could not get into a flow-maybe just me. My biggest problem was that from choppy beginning I did not care for the main character. I felt indifferent. Bruno rubbed me the wrong way.If you don't really care for the main character you will struggle simple as that. This book was a little bit outside my comfort zone I either like a police detective or a reporter investigating something serious ,where I fall. with certain fiction matter. I am not big into private eyes something like that. I will say give the book a big spin you could do a lot worse and the series might be great.
December 7, 2019
This was a new crimes series that I picked up as a fan of Michael Connelly's Bosch series - Connelly writes a nice blurb on the back back cover of the novel.
The story introduces us to Bruno Johnson, an ex-cop and now an ex-convict, who is trying to stay out of trouble, yet trouble seems to track him down. After seeing the system get things wrong so often during his time as a cop, Bruno has been taking matters into his own hands, removing kids from the hands of abuse and keeping them safe. While the heart of these actions comes from a place of love, the legality of these actions is strictly, well, illegal. Let's just say that Bruno has a lot on his plate.
Putnam has the position of being an author who was also uniquely qualified to write such a book, spending over 30 years in law enforcement from narcotics, SWAT, even internal affairs. "The Disposables" provides a believable story mixing fast-paced action with intrigue.
One interesting position that the book provides is that Bruno Johnson is African-American ex-cop. This allows Putnam to delve into some of the racial tensions and biases that exist especially within the world of law enforcement. This is especially tricky as a caucasian author and thus I am still wrestling with if he fully succeeded.
Overall, a good first book in the series. I look forward to continuing the series.
3.75 - closer to 4 than 3 stars.
The story introduces us to Bruno Johnson, an ex-cop and now an ex-convict, who is trying to stay out of trouble, yet trouble seems to track him down. After seeing the system get things wrong so often during his time as a cop, Bruno has been taking matters into his own hands, removing kids from the hands of abuse and keeping them safe. While the heart of these actions comes from a place of love, the legality of these actions is strictly, well, illegal. Let's just say that Bruno has a lot on his plate.
Putnam has the position of being an author who was also uniquely qualified to write such a book, spending over 30 years in law enforcement from narcotics, SWAT, even internal affairs. "The Disposables" provides a believable story mixing fast-paced action with intrigue.
One interesting position that the book provides is that Bruno Johnson is African-American ex-cop. This allows Putnam to delve into some of the racial tensions and biases that exist especially within the world of law enforcement. This is especially tricky as a caucasian author and thus I am still wrestling with if he fully succeeded.
Overall, a good first book in the series. I look forward to continuing the series.
3.75 - closer to 4 than 3 stars.
July 11, 2014
If you are looking for a great summer read, here it is. While I am great reader of crime fiction and mysteries, I often have to scale back my expectations as a good mystery may not be great literature. In this case we have great crime novel that is well written, and moves at a great pace. What is most interesting about THE DISPOSABLES is that the author combines the feel of a modern crime novel with the voice of writers like Raymond Chandler and John McDonald from the golden age of crime fiction. If you are a discerning reader and want tour of the dark side of L.A. pick up the DISPOSABLES. You won't be disappointed.
December 27, 2020
Enter Bruno Johnson a brutal former policeman, whose brutal lifestyle led to him killing somebody and losing his job and being send to jail. Now Bruno is out and has to make his way as a criminal at which he excels too, his only saving grace is him saving children from the Justice system and their families.
While I understand sometimes the choice of Police brutality I find it not acceptable that it would be considered a way of living and this Bruno fellow looks back upon it with reverance. What happened with the man who after a deadly accident with a child took it upon himself to chase the culprit by foot and capture him. The physical brutality that follows then cancels the goodness out.
This novel is essentially about brutality by police and criminals and it feels like the writer does seem to condone it because it is what happens in real live. We see the senseless killing by policemen of mostly African American males on TV daily because they now get filmed on a regular basis, and still we hear how this was in selfdefense. Which is kinda sickening if you have allowed a police force falling to that level of society and you feel you can write about it lacking any sense of appropriatness and how it should be better.
Bruno Johnson remains a thug from beginning to the end and it is good he was jailed and thrown out of the police, I found very little sympathy for the leading character or any of the other people in the book.
I did buy the first two books of this series and am not sure if I will ever read the second one based upon my experience with this first instalment. I prefer Michale Connelly easily where we learn of various kinds of grey in policeland instead of the total darkness.
While I understand sometimes the choice of Police brutality I find it not acceptable that it would be considered a way of living and this Bruno fellow looks back upon it with reverance. What happened with the man who after a deadly accident with a child took it upon himself to chase the culprit by foot and capture him. The physical brutality that follows then cancels the goodness out.
This novel is essentially about brutality by police and criminals and it feels like the writer does seem to condone it because it is what happens in real live. We see the senseless killing by policemen of mostly African American males on TV daily because they now get filmed on a regular basis, and still we hear how this was in selfdefense. Which is kinda sickening if you have allowed a police force falling to that level of society and you feel you can write about it lacking any sense of appropriatness and how it should be better.
Bruno Johnson remains a thug from beginning to the end and it is good he was jailed and thrown out of the police, I found very little sympathy for the leading character or any of the other people in the book.
I did buy the first two books of this series and am not sure if I will ever read the second one based upon my experience with this first instalment. I prefer Michale Connelly easily where we learn of various kinds of grey in policeland instead of the total darkness.
August 19, 2020
First off, let me say one thing. Bruno Johnson is a scary guy. If I met him in real life I would not waste any time getting as far away from him as I could.
I think that means David Putnam did a great job creating him, because Bruno is supposed to be a hard man with a good core. He is violent, quick, intelligent, and driven to do what he sees as right even if he has to break laws and heads to do it.
I am not usually drawn to characters like this, but David Putnam is a friend of mine, so I figured I would give the first book in his series a try. I can be brutal. I completely trashed my own son's first novel in my review of it, so you can be sure I am not going to be soft on some guy I am friends with online.
Putnam has a great deal of law enforcement experience and it shows in his writing. He does not bend reality to fit his narrative. His characters are real. Even the good guys are not nice. They are all in a rotten situation they all had a hand in creating, but that none of them saw coming. Real life, eh? And sometimes for some people real life involved drugs, theft, death and children getting badly hurt. That's why Bruno Johnson is a scary guy.
I will be reading more of Putnam's novels.
I think that means David Putnam did a great job creating him, because Bruno is supposed to be a hard man with a good core. He is violent, quick, intelligent, and driven to do what he sees as right even if he has to break laws and heads to do it.
I am not usually drawn to characters like this, but David Putnam is a friend of mine, so I figured I would give the first book in his series a try. I can be brutal. I completely trashed my own son's first novel in my review of it, so you can be sure I am not going to be soft on some guy I am friends with online.
Putnam has a great deal of law enforcement experience and it shows in his writing. He does not bend reality to fit his narrative. His characters are real. Even the good guys are not nice. They are all in a rotten situation they all had a hand in creating, but that none of them saw coming. Real life, eh? And sometimes for some people real life involved drugs, theft, death and children getting badly hurt. That's why Bruno Johnson is a scary guy.
I will be reading more of Putnam's novels.
May 23, 2014
Good cops, bad cops, dirty cops, ex-cops, they are all here. Bruno Johnson is an ex-cop with a murder conviction. Now, he is on a crusade with his red-hot Puerto Rican girlfriend to save battered children from the incompetence of Child Protective Services. To fund his plan he has stooped to working for a Los Angeles mobster, which is risky business for a parolee. All Bruno needs is one last big score and he will be over the border but the Violent Crimes Taskforce and the FBI have other plans.
The Disposables exposes the lawlessness within law enforcement from an insider’s viewpoint. This fast-paced story is so loaded with violence, corruption, double dealing and back stabbing the reader may want to wash his hands every time he lays the book on the nightstand. Even the altruistic Bruno is so dirty from his past life as a cop that it is difficult to bond with him. There are so many villains in this book you don’t know who you hate the most. The treachery builds steadily toward a twisted, deceit filled climax. This is an excellent cop story written in cop jargon and told from the level of the gutter. Read it.
The Disposables exposes the lawlessness within law enforcement from an insider’s viewpoint. This fast-paced story is so loaded with violence, corruption, double dealing and back stabbing the reader may want to wash his hands every time he lays the book on the nightstand. Even the altruistic Bruno is so dirty from his past life as a cop that it is difficult to bond with him. There are so many villains in this book you don’t know who you hate the most. The treachery builds steadily toward a twisted, deceit filled climax. This is an excellent cop story written in cop jargon and told from the level of the gutter. Read it.
June 7, 2017
To be honest, this isn't a genre I typically read, but it drew me in and wouldn't let me go. The author spent years in law enforcement, in a wide range of arenas, and those experiences inform his writing, which is outstanding. He's really got the pacing, drama, suspense, and character development down, but what makes this series super-good is Bruno Johnson.
Bruno is dangerous because he has to be, but he's got a big heart and a conscience, both of which are in serious pain. He's an ex-cop who did time for killing someone who needed killing. Now a marked man on the streets of L.A., Bruno is working to save a bunch of little kids who've been left in grave danger. Every time he turns around, he's pulled back in, but all he wants is to get the children and his beloved Marie OUT, and safely to Costa Rica to start a new life. You won't be able to put this one down, and now there's a sequel out: The Vanquished. Both are very highly recommended.
Bruno is dangerous because he has to be, but he's got a big heart and a conscience, both of which are in serious pain. He's an ex-cop who did time for killing someone who needed killing. Now a marked man on the streets of L.A., Bruno is working to save a bunch of little kids who've been left in grave danger. Every time he turns around, he's pulled back in, but all he wants is to get the children and his beloved Marie OUT, and safely to Costa Rica to start a new life. You won't be able to put this one down, and now there's a sequel out: The Vanquished. Both are very highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews