The Fourth Gunman (Jack Bertolino #4) by John Lansing #Thriller #BookReview @jelansing #TuesdayBookBlog

Author: John Lansing

Published: March 2018 by Gallery Books/Karen Hunter Publishing

Category: Crime, Thriller, Suspense, Book Review

Retired inspector Jack Bertolino straddles two perilous worlds. Known for his impeccable police work, Jack has also done a priceless favor for an infamous Mafia Don: he saved the gangster’s kidnapped daughter from being sold into the sex trade, and brought her safely home.

In Jack’s line of work, he can’t help but have friends—and enemies—on both sides of the law.

The Fourth Gunman brings Jack Bertolino back into Vincent Cardona’s orbit when the FBI ask for his help. Cardona is in Jack’s debt after he saved Cardona’s daughter, Angelica, from a terrible fate. FBI Agent Liz Hunter’s brother has been working as an undercover agent, infiltrating Cardona’s inner circle. Now Luke Hunter has gone missing from Cardona’s exclusive illegal gambling super yacht, the Bella Fortuna, along with half a million dollars of mob money.

The FBI want Jack to call in his debt and see if he can find out what’s happened to Luke. Cardona also wants to track down Luke and retrieve the mob’s money before the East Coast families become involved. So Jack is given access to the yacht, and with his two trusted friends and associates Mateo and Cruz, they begin the delicate balance of their investigation.

Jack understood he was walking a tightrope. If he discovered Cardona was good for the death of Luke, he and his team would be in mortal danger.

If he discovered Luke was alive and, in finding him, put Cardona’s business in jeopardy, they would all become targets.

The reader knows from the start what happened to Luke, the enjoyment is following the twists and dangers of Jack’s investigation as he navigates his way through the minefield of untrusting operatives, double-dealing and lies, in an all too scarily realistic scenario. Jack begins to realise Luke Hunter’s disappearance is the least of his worries as he utilises his connections on both side of the law. Jack has no qualms about using every available avenue at his disposal to get to the truth. 

John Lansing delivers another intense, well crafted and fast paced plot, as well as creating a relatable, engaging protagonist who is not incapable of making mistakes or putting himself in the firing line. Jack bears the scars of the twenty five years he spent in the narcotics division of LAPD, and those more recently acquired.

His hair was dark brown verging on black, with strands of silver feathering the temples, and worn long enough to threaten his collar. His angular face was weathered from years doing undercover narcotics work on the streets of NYC, and his tan only served to accentuate the scars from hard fought battles.

There’s a diverse cast of characters, both good and bad, and all are well defined and portrayed realistically. Expressive writing and authentic dialogue lead to clear and vivid imagery – I do love the succinct descriptions of locales and food. Written in the third person, it gives a clear insight into the mind of each character.

The pace builds as the suspense and action escalate. The main storylines and subplots of the intriguing and complex narrative all blend together perfectly, pulling the reader along as the tension mounts. As Jack begins to unravel the threads and piece them back together, the trail brings him inexorably towards an explosive, dramatic and dangerous conclusion. I’ve enjoyed this series from the start and the stories just get better. The Fourth Gunman is everything I’ve come to expect from a John Lansing novel – great writing and characters, action, mystery, suspense and crime solving.

John Lansing started his career as an actor in New York City. He spent a year at the Royale Theatre performing the lead in the Broadway production of “Grease,” before putting together a rock ‘n’ roll band and playing the iconic club CBGB.
John closed up his Tribeca loft and headed for the West coast where he landed a co-starring role in George Lucas’ “More American Graffiti,” and guest-starred on numerous television shows.
During his fifteen-year writing career, Lansing wrote and produced “Walker Texas Ranger,” co-wrote two CBS Movies of the Week, and co-executive produced the ABC series “Scoundrels.”
John’s first book was “Good Cop Bad Money,” a true crime tome he co-wrote with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano.