The Replacements

December 1, 2014
Putnam’s thrilling sequel to 2014’s The Disposables finds Bruno Johnson, a former L.A. sheriff’s cop, settled in Costa Rica with his wife, Marie, and the eight abused children they rescued and took (illegally) from the U.S. Early in his career, Johnson intervened in a violent domestic case and managed to save the life of five-year-old Jonas Mabry. Now an adult, Jonas has kidnapped two young girls and will deal only with Johnson. Johnson is unable to resist the appeal of Montclair, Calif., police chief Barbra Wicks, and returns to California to track down Jonas. Jonas proves to be a diabolically clever opponent as he runs circles around Johnson, leading him down one blind alley after another and forcing him to make desperate moves. Putnam steadily ratchets up the tension, while memorable supporting characters, like the courageous Marie, help engage reader interest. Agents: Mike and Susan Farris, Farris Literary Agency.

January 1, 2015
The hero of this rowdy novel made his first appearance last year in The Disposables. The sequel makes quick mention of the earlier adventure in an opening chapter, then gets down to the violent life of ex-cop, ex-con Bruno Johnson. The plot motor is a twist on a detective-story standby: a long-forgotten crime surfaces to haunt the hero. But here it's Johnson's good deed that sets things off. In a stunning opening, we flashback to a day when Johnson rescued a child shot by his mother. Now the child is grown up and mean, and he's seeking, for reasons the author withholds till the finale, a nutty revenge. Johnson had hoped for the tamer life of a bartender, but he must go rogue again and, this time, battle thieves and killers before bringing the story home. The narrative charges ahead full tilt, like a bullet train. Readers may find the plot overcomplicated, and the good-hearted heels a bit of a stretch, but that hardly matters when the action won't slow down, and we're with the story all the way.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)