Johnny Careless may be Kevin Wade’s debut novel, but he was a screenwriter and showrunner for “Blue Bloods” for years, so he has experience with police procedurals.
Jeep Mullane is Police Chief in Bayville, near Long Island, but he answers to four mayors, some of whom are on a power trip. His top priority right now is the on-going theft of high-end cars, and the residents are not happy. But, when the body of Johnny Chambliss, known as Johnny Careless, turns up, Jeep’s attention shifts to the murder of his childhood friend.
Johnny’s death appears accidental, but his mother and ex-wife don’t believe that, and they both push Jeep for answers. While Jeep grieves, he struggles with his past history, over twenty years in this life. As a kid, Jeep thought the wealthy were his friends. But, they made it obvious that he was just “a novelty item” to them.
While other authors also use multiple timelines to tell the story, Wade mixes the current investigations with the past, bringing the alternate timeline forward to meet the current one. It’s well-done in this somewhat melancholy story of the haves and have-nots. Johnny Careless is a solid police procedural, the story of a lost golden boy, and the policeman who owed him.
Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade. Celadon Books, 2025. ISBN 9781250355102 (hardcover), 240p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley from the publisher, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin Wade appeared for The Poisoned Pen on release day for Johnny Careless. Here’s the link to that online event, if you’re interested.
The part that sounds immediately realistic to me in the “high end car” thing. Long Island is a car culture, as you pretty much have to drive everywhere (unlike in New York City itself, where it is mostly a choice). Bayville is in Nassau County, part of the town of Oyster Bay, across Long Island Sounds from Greenwich, Connecticut, not the richest area but far from poor. I’ve heard a couple of good things about this.