Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

With Wanton Disregard is a graphic and gripping crime novel by author Gwen Banta. The plot takes place in the exclusive Long Beach area of Belmont Shore, where the high-gloss lives of the well to do people mask a seedy underbelly filled with crime and secrets. Our hard boiled detective is Tim Mulrooney, a grisly but likeable figure who has reached a challenging point in his life after many years working on cases. Everything changes for Tim when he begins investigating the death of prominent physician Scott Connolly, particularly when Tim meets Lauren, Scott’s wife. The grieving widow is the prime suspect, but Tim’s instant attraction to her gives him cause to doubt. What follows is a twisting, sexy mystery as we wonder whether we’re following our hero to his own doom, or his salvation.

I adored With Wanton Disregard from cover to cover. I’m not usually one for crime novels, especially those which are quite explicit, but Gwen Banta’s character work kept me riveted from start to finish. Tim Mulrooney was a somewhat tragic action hero, likeable in spite of his flaws and believably capable in his capacity as a detective. I also found the plots of the crime and murder themselves to be really credible, interesting and genuinely unpredictable. And, although Lauren began the book as a certain type of character, which I didn’t think I would like, her development and the place she takes within the story as a whole were really satisfying elements. Overall, a highly recommended read for crime and mystery fans.