I see that your new book, THE SINISTER, is the ninth book in the series. Can it be read as a standalone story for readers who may be new to the series?
THE SINISTER can most definitely be read as a standalone. I wrote this purposely to work as a standalone. I quickly and economically give the reader the information they need to understand the back story.
How would you describe your main character, Bruno Johnson, to readers?
Bruno Johnson is an ex-cop, ex-con who rescues children from toxic homes in South Central Los Angeles. He couldn’t do it as a cop because of all the rules and policies so now he goes outside the law to rescue the children.
From the book description, it says that family plays a big part in THE SINISTER. Does having the main character deal with family issues increase the anxiety or sense of danger?
Bruno Johnson is a real person with real problems. He rescues children and women from hostile environments and the story—each novel–always overlaps into his family. He keeps the children he rescues which means his family continues to grow. With a bigger family comes more problems.
I’m very cognizant about not too-often putting Bruno’s family in jeopardy. Bruno’s wife Marie and his father always have a place in the story and even assist him in the capers. The children also add another layer of suspense. And Bruno feels guilty about leaving his children to deal with the current conflict.
In a thriller like this, can it be difficult keeping the tension throughout the entire book?
I follow an exact structure when writing a novel starting with the four Cs conflict, complication, crisis, conclusion. I make sure there are five things a scene needs to make it work. The three parts of voice that lock hand in hand with MAR motivation, action, reaction. And the one most important I write the scene in the best way to display the character. Many writers write the scene the best way to tell the story. There are sixteen precepts that readers expect in a mystery/thriller. The more of those precepts are left out or not touched strong enough the less chance the book has for success.
I was on my 38th manuscript, the 38th novel I’d written before I sold number 36, (The Disposables). Right now, I’m on novel 55th so I have the experience of writing and analyzing a few million words while learning my craft.
So, if I follow the numbers, write by the numbers I always know where I am in the book.
Another reason I feel I don’t have a lot of problems maintaining tension in my novels is my prior career. I loved my job working the streets as a a cop and would still be doing it if I wasn’t old and slow (and fat). Each novel is a snapshot of my career. The Heartless is about a real jail break where six murderers escaped out of our jail, their girlfriends in visiting drilling out the visiting window with cordless drills. The Reckless is my time chasing bank robbers, the Replacements deals with the most heinous man I ever came across and so on. At the end of each novel I include an Authors Note that helps to explain what really happened in the novel. Readers love the Author’s Notes.
Do you ever end your books on cliffhangers?
My main goal is to write the book, so the reader will think about the characters long after he/she finishes it. I have put cliff hangers in some of the books because this is now a well-established series, and the reader base knows what they are in for when the start a book. Funny thing, though, some readers have written critical reviews about those books not having ending. Which leaves me on the fence about doing it again.
Some other authors I’ve interviewed have said that what they enjoy writing is not the same type of book they enjoy reading. Is that true for you? What types of books do you enjoy reading? Favorite books or authors?
I am an avid reader, always have been. I will read anything that is written well no matter the genre. My favorite books of all times are historical – Lonesome Dove, Pillars of the Earth, The River God, Shogun. But I also have favorites in every genre. Other favorites, John Sanford, John D. MacDonald, Raymond Chandler.
I love writing because I never know what’s going to happen until I get there.
What are you currently working on?
Bruno 9 comes out Feb 22, 2022. THE SCORNED, book ten, comes out next Feb. it’s in post-production. THE DIABOLICAL has been purchased by Oceanview and I just finished THE SCANDALOUS which the publisher hasn’t seen yet.
In July I have a second series starting, the first one comes out in July, and it’s called A FEARSOME MOONLIGHT BLACK. I’m currently writing the sequel, A LONESOME BLOOD-RED SUN.
THE SINISTER by David Putnam
Ex-cop, ex-con Bruno Johnson and his wife Marie hide in plain sight from the law in an upscale L.A. hotel as Bruno heals from a run-in with a brutal outlaw motorcycle gang—and the loss of his son—a son he didn’t know he had until it was too late.
Marie, now pregnant with her first child, fears Bruno may never fully recover. She knows that soon they must return to Costa Rica to rejoin their large family of rescued children—kids who owe their lives to Bruno and Marie’s intervention.
But when Bruno’s friend, FBI Deputy Director, Dan Chulack, pleads with Bruno to help rescue his kidnapped granddaughter, escape plans are put on hold. After exhausting all legitimate investigative avenues, Chulack seeks Bruno’s brand of justice. With Marie’s reluctant consent and her own special expertise, they plunge into the evil world of those who prey on children.
Meanwhile, Bruno’s mother, a woman he has never known, appears asking for forgiveness—and Bruno’s assistance—while bringing her own set of complications. Bruno finds his professional and his personal lives colliding in a pursuit that is excruciating and brutal.
Thriller Crime | Thriller Police Procedural [Oceanview Publishing, On Sale: February 22, 2022, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781608094264 / eISBN: 9781608094271]
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About David Putnam
David Putnam always wanted to be a cop. His career in law enforcement has spanned over 30 years. He has worked in narcotics, served on FBI-sponsored violent crimes teams, and was cross-sworn as a U.S. Marshall, pursuing murder suspects and bank robbers in Arizona, Nevada, and California. Putnam did three tours on the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s S.W.A.T. team, executing dynamic entries, hostage rescues, and serving as team sniper. He has also worked in Criminal Intelligence and Internal Affairs and has supervised corrections, patrol, and a detective bureau. After 28 years of California law enforcement, Putnam moved to Hawaii where he worked as a Special Agent for the Attorney General investigating smuggling and white-collar crimes. Putnam is now retired and lives in Southern California where he farms organic avocado trees, reads and writes, and attends writers’ conferences with his wife and fellow writer, Mary. The Replacements follows The Disposables in Putnam’s Bruno Johnson series.
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