Down River
by John Hart
Down River
John Hart |
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 226)
Read in February, 2008
recommended to Beth by:
amazon.comrecommends it for: people who like John Grisham
I bought this book because it was an Amazon.com recommendation and received very good reviews from Amazon readers. It goes to show that you should take reviews with a grain of salt and ask questions such as, "what other books did you think were as great as this one?" If the answer includes John Grisham, then tread carefully.
While John Hart is a better overall writer than Grisham, I can only describe this book as 'grishom-esque', i.e., a pre-screenplay.
Southern gothic in a pre...more
While John Hart is a better overall writer than Grisham, I can only describe this book as 'grishom-esque', i.e., a pre-screenplay.
Southern gothic in a pre...more
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Hart’s sophomore effort surpasses his debut, the multi-award nominated King of Lies. A small North Carolina town is torn apart when a power company wants to buy up all the farmland on the river; some cling to their bucolic way of life, while others only see dollar signs. Adam Chase’s family has owned the largest parcel in the area for centuries, and his father has no desire to sell. But tempers are flaring and soon a young woman is severely beaten, a body is found on the Chase farm, and Adam...more
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Read in February, 2008
The belief that blood is thicker than water clouds the decision-making of a North Carolina man and his family. Acquitted of murder and kicked off the family farm five years ago, young Adam Chase returns to his hometown to clear the air and winds up solving a crime in which the cops are no longer interested and in the process discovers why he and his family are so screwed up. Why won't he hand over a crucial piece of evidence that would lead to the identification of a killer? Because before he go...more
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Read in March, 2008
Great book! It reads like a movie--it is fast paced and the many & varied characters are broadly painted swiftly. I was glad to be taken along for the ride. I read it in one day. The main character returns to his hometown after a 5 year absence. He left on bad terms when he was accused of a crime that he did not commit. Called back by his best friend, he re-enters a world of violence and misunderstandings. A lot has changed in 5 years, but a lot has remained the same. Adam Chase navig...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommended to Rose by:
Mystery loversrecommends it for: Mom would love it!
I actually enjoyed this book and would give it 3 1/2 stars if I was able. It was a fast-paced page-turner, who-done-it that if you had a long, leisurely afternoon, could most likely finish in one sitting. However, the reason I didn't give it more stars was that I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I felt no attachment to them as they were not developed well, pretty flat, cardboard people. When writing about dysfunctional families, there are so many areas to build your characte...more
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This fiction book is set in the Carolinas with all the flavor of Southern Fried Chicken. Adam was tried and found innocent of murdering a young man five years ago. However, a rift is formed between him and family members, so he leaves town. In his wake are a policewoman lover, a nubile lass, family and troublemaking friends.
I have never read anything quite like this. It reads like a Tennessee Williams (think the movie Baby Doll)wanna be, but is lacking something. I have been hooked by the st...more
I have never read anything quite like this. It reads like a Tennessee Williams (think the movie Baby Doll)wanna be, but is lacking something. I have been hooked by the st...more
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Read in April, 2008
Em, I'm not sure what I think about this book - I think three and a half stars is more appropriate - very Southern Gothic - all the characters are screwed up and damaged people and the protagonist, Adam, is such a hothead that sometimes you want to shake him. This certainly ain't the North Carolina I lived in for two years, although I do remember an inordinate number of meth lab busts.....
Anyway, it's definitely a page turner, but I was a little bit disappointed in it for some reason. Some...more
Anyway, it's definitely a page turner, but I was a little bit disappointed in it for some reason. Some...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
everyone!
Five years after fleeing to New York in the wake of a murder acquittal, Adam Chase returns to his bitter family in North Carolina, only to find himself trapped in the middle of a new case of murder as the people closest to him are murdered. Lots of family secrets start surfacing beginning with Adams mothers suicide that he witnessed when he was young and the family farm which the towns people are trying to take over for a new power plant. There are so many twists that you cannot piece it all tog...more
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Read in March, 2008
This is the second book I've read by John Hart and its probably better than "the king of lies". This author knows so well how to develop his characters and his descriptive analysis of each scene puts the reader immersed into the scene. This is the saga of a young man aquitted of murder in his town and the results and the discoveries he makes when he returns five years later. Mind boggling. Could not put this book down until I was finished. The 325 pages could not have been written be...more
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Read in April, 2008
Another passed-along library book from my mom. (I feel like I have to explain why I'm reading all this s***.) Writing unfavorable reviews makes me feel guilty on some level, I think because I am criticizing something that I couldn't do myself. Reading this one, however, made me feel like writing a commercially successful novel wouldn't be too far beyond my reach.
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Read in April, 2008
This won the Edgar Award for 2007. Hart's second novel isn't as good as the first, in my opinion. Again, his protagonist is somewhat unlikeable, and the POV is first person. Sort of a tight murder mystery, with a middle of the road twist at the end. I was quite surprised that it won the Edgar - several of the others on the list were better in my book.
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Read in March, 2008
Man returns home 5 years after being aquitted for murder there to a less than warm reception. Forced to defend himself he unravels the story behind this murder thus revealing some none too pleasant family secrets. The characters were interesting and decently drawn and the tensions of small town life when there is a major divide rang true.
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Read in January, 2008
This was a wonderful, fast-paced mystery set in North Carolina. This is Hart's second novel and it was a good one. Adam Chase returns to Salisbury, NC after being driven away five years earlier. He has some major issues to deal with and his return impacts everyone around him. Forgiveness or lack thereof, is a major theme in this novel.
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Read in January, 2008
recommended to Joyce by:
Browsing at libraryrecommends it for: adults or older teens
A man returns to his home town five years after he was acquitted of a murder he did not commit and was disowned by his family, and that is only the beginning. It is a well written and plotted tale of murder, mayhem, family and loss. An excellent read, one that will keep you up late. I will read more of what he has written.
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By the author of "King of Lies" both books take place in Salisbury, NC where I moved right out of grad school. The author wrote the first book in my library where I worked! And it was really good, I just picked it up because of the Salisbury connection but enjoyed it. This one got good reviews so it is on my list as well.
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
everyone who can afford to buy it
A close family member stands to gain from the success of this author, therefore I cannot praise this or his other work highly enough! If you haven't bought this book already, you should buy several copies for yourself and friends--hell, they make great furniture even--and then go see the film version as well.
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Read in September, 2007
Greed leads to murder in a Southern town. Not an original concept, but more complicated because the protagonist Adam becomes prime suspect after being acquitted of a murder several years earlier. Is true forgivness possible? Do people ever forget? The descriptions of the river, flora and fauna are noteworthy.
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Read in March, 2008
John Hart is a North Carolina author, he worked as an attorney and writes crime mysteries. This book is not as good as his first book, The King of Lies. However, the story and mystery are there, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the big reveal at the end.
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Read in December, 2007
Good read. Great southern book, it takes place in North Carolina. Good mystery with lots of family secrets. I devoured the book in a day and a half. Adam had been accused, tried and acquitted of murder and left town five years prior and comes home at the request of a friend.
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Read in May, 2008
This book is an amazing read. The characters are beautifully developed, the writing is tight and the plot sweeps you along like you're floating down stream - sometimes it's slow and steady, but often there is a hint of danger. Cn't wait to go back and read The King of Lies.
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