The Pact With Bruno: A Novel of Wealth, Family and Revenge [Mass Market Paperback]

David O'Neal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 1998

In this novel of wealth, family and revenge, the reader asks, "IS DOUGS FATE WITH THE MOB SEALED?"

In the 2nd book of The Dying Game Trilogy, Doug rebuilds his life while working for Bruno Sebastino. He faces questions that could easily have been answered a year ago, but today too many things have changed. Most important of all, his life is no longer his own.

In The Pact With Bruno the reader is swept headlong into the wealthy personal lifestyle of a Mafia executive and his family. Doug's life becomes astonishingly intermingled with those of Bruno, Jerry and Kely. As relationships appear to strengthen, it becomes clear that all is not well. The shadows conceal a betrayal.

Without warning a new adversary appears who is much more powerful than Mr. C and Doug is at war again but for much different reasons. Can he handle this new challenge?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David O'Neal has crafted an explosive action saga based on the provocative question: "Do law-abiding people kill?" Applying his extensive knowledge of System Dynamics and computer simulation to fiction, David examines the cause and effect relationships of senseless violence in todays society and how that leads normal people to kill.

Mr. ONeals early performance in the U.S. Marine Corps brought him a Presidential Appointment to the US Naval Academy, but he did not attend. Eventually, he served nine and a half months in the undeclared war in South Vietnam where he was assigned to repair communications equipment in a Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron. As a starboard gunner on a Huey Gunship supporting medivac missions and close combat operations, he was quickly awarded an Air Medal and his Combat Aircrew Wings.

Afterwards he earned a BS degree in City and Regional Planning from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. He continued his education with graduate studies in the Cybernetic Systems Program at San Jose State University. For several years during that period he volunteered to help others on a Suicide and Crisis Intervention Hotline. A decade later, he volunteered again to work with those in need and living in a local homeless shelter.

While still in college, Mr. ONeal founded a management consulting company in the heart of the Silicon Valley. He has had artificial intelligence articles published in a professional journal and he authored a technical book in 1992. By mid 1994, he was eager to begin his second career and retired from consulting to devote his full effort to writing fiction. Drawing on a diverse life experience and extensive studies, he has authored an explosive action series that softly touches the heart, pumps adrenaline hard and takes his readers on a roller coaster ride filled with unexpected twists and turns.

"The Pact With Bruno" was published in October of 1998 and continues to develop the suspense for his dynamite thriller series. Today with limited free time, David surfs the Internet and loves to travel. He lives in Sunnyvale, CA with his wife.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 262 pages
• Publisher: Pacific Coast Pr (October 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966085116
• ISBN-13: 978-0966085112
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,189,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I began writing when I was eight years old. Back then, I could barely print and hardly make sentences, but I knew what they meant, and I may have been the only one. A lot has happened since then.

Writing professionally began in the summer of 1994. By the first week of December, I had the first draft of my first novel. Those were happy days. That was the dream of so many people, to write a novel, and I had done it. Little did I know the toughest work of all was just beginning, the rewrites.

Fourteen rewrites and over three years were needed to finally get it published. That happened in early 1998. It got easier from there. At first, I was doing what became known as "The Dying Game Trilogy".

A few years later, when a fourth one was published, that idea got dropped. Today, those four novels are called "The Doug Carlson Thriller Series". All four mass-market paperback novels have been available on Amazon from the very beginning and also available through most major bookstores. Starting in late 2009, each one was released as a Kindle Edition and updated by the author as a second edition.

Currently, David has a number of writing projects in-progress. The one closest to a publication date is entitled, "Jessica and the Four Secrets", and it was completed in April, 2010 as a screenplay. It's completion as a novel is still pending with a flexible release date.

Here's the log-line for the movie version: "With two sorcerers, a 10-year-old girl leaps into a medieval battle, where even using magic, everyone has to fight." It's a story involving an unusual adult world of war as seen and experienced through the eyes of innocence.

Early discussions of this work brought up many questions. Particularly, is this anything like "Harry Potter"? Absolutely not! It's a very different kind of story with a uniquely different experience for readers and for the viewing audience.

Update 05-14-2011: Part Two of Jessica's ongoing story is now in development. The working title is "Jessica and the Medicine Woman".

As Jessica continues learning the practice of magic from Jules and Sal, an incredible accident happens; she is lost somewhere in time. While both sorcerers scramble to find her, back in the present, they become suspects in her disappearance, and a parallel story involving her family explodes into a frantic race against time to locate their abducted 11 year old daughter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second of the Series, Hard-Hitting Action, October 21, 2005

By 

Cąt MacGhriogair - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pact With Bruno: A Novel of Wealth, Family and Revenge (Mass Market Paperback)

The second of a four-part series, "The Pact With Bruno" is David O' Neal's novel of wealth, family and revenge. "Pact" continues the adventures of Doug Carlson from the first book, "What Goes Around," and the decisions that entrench him firmly in mob boss Bruno Sebastino's tight-knit family. O'Neal again illustrates how, when faced with the "no win" scenario, often the choice is simply survival. This story addresses the idea that cops can become immune to the very laws they represent. So hold on to your seats, breathe in . . . and hang on for a wild ride . . . as the saga continues . . .

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars David O'Neal Writes A Superior Thriller, March 20, 2000

By 

Ciara - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pact With Bruno: A Novel of Wealth, Family and Revenge (Mass Market Paperback)

The Pact With Bruno weaves a web of excitement, breathless anticipation, and heart-rendering emotion. The words followed one another in spell-binding anticipation, as I read page after page, chapter after chapter, until the very last word of the novel concluded the end of The Pact With Bruno.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A pact to avoid, August 14, 2001

By 

"ron_57" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pact With Bruno: A Novel of Wealth, Family and Revenge (Mass Market Paperback)

I had high hopes for this little book. I currently read about 100 books a year (and particularly enjoy mafia/underworld stories) but this one lacked...well...just about everything. The plot, though largely well-conceived, was interrupted incessantly with meaningless flashbacks. Otherwise powerful scenes became limp with annoying character daydreaming. Not only was there an abundance of typos (probably publisher's error) but the strange use of italics and punctuation frequently distracted this reader. And pacing was irregular: the novel's sense of "time" varied from paragraph to paragraph; the story bumped along. But perhaps the biggest disappointment was the writing itself. I found no voice in the book. Instead, choppy phrases and trite descriptions ("Mama's tired eyes lingered and drank the shared love her men demonstrated for one another") left me searching for writing skills. So I wasted a little time. Big deal. I learn something every day.