The King of Lies
by John Hart
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Read in May, 2007
KING OF LIES (Suspense-Jackson Workman Pickens-North Carolina-Cont) –NR
Hart, John – 1st book
Thomas Dunne Books, 2006, US Hardcover – ISBN: 031234161X
First Sentence: I’ve heard it said that jail stinks of despair.
*** Jackson Workman “Work” Pickens is a defense attorney, married to a beautiful woman, living in a big house. His father, Ezra, had built a powerful legal practice and a financial fortune and disappeared. Now Ezra’s body has turned up showing he dies of two guns...more
Hart, John – 1st book
Thomas Dunne Books, 2006, US Hardcover – ISBN: 031234161X
First Sentence: I’ve heard it said that jail stinks of despair.
*** Jackson Workman “Work” Pickens is a defense attorney, married to a beautiful woman, living in a big house. His father, Ezra, had built a powerful legal practice and a financial fortune and disappeared. Now Ezra’s body has turned up showing he dies of two guns...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommended to Eric by:
John Hart
I met John Hart a few months ago. He is friendly, intelligent, down-to-earth guy with a good personality. He convinced me to get this book, the first of his 2 currently published ones. He didn't force sell - he just talked about it.
It is a 1st-Person POV murder mystery.
At first, it took me a little while to get into his writing style because it was so different from what I normally read (SF&F). However, once I adapted, I flew through the book. I also thought it was neat that his...more
It is a 1st-Person POV murder mystery.
At first, it took me a little while to get into his writing style because it was so different from what I normally read (SF&F). However, once I adapted, I flew through the book. I also thought it was neat that his...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
nobody
This book should have been better. It's Pat Conroy doing noir with a little bit of Grisham mixed in. Part family drama, part murder mystery. The problem? The book just sucked. The first 100 pages show promise, but that promise quickly dissolves as the protagonist turns into a self-loathing, jerky moron and the plot becomes a disaster. We're supposed to feel sorry for the character (in the noir fashion, he's supposed to be a good man caught in a web of deceit), but I found myself rooting ag...more
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
people who enjoy suspense
I picked this up on a lark and could not put it down! This novel is written in first person. The protagonist has spent his entire life living up to the expectations of a cruel and heartless father. In his quest to please him, he has become cruel and heartless himself. However, when his father is murdered, Work (yes, that's his name) begins to reexamine his lifestyle, his goals, his relationships with others. As he conducts an investigation into the death of his father, he evolves into a happ...more
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
Lovers of dark family tales, especially those who grew up in NC
John Hart could perhaps have set his debut somewhere other than his native Rowan County, NC, but he captures the area magnificently. By the way, I grew up there too. He joins the long tradition of Southern writers who expose the dark underbelly of dysfunctional families. In this case an "old money" family that is part of Salisbury, NC's psuedo aristocracy. Hart's language is pitch perfect and actually rather beautiful. The main character is a man who will break your heart, just as his ...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommended to Nancy by:
Judy
After about 80 pages I hadn't found a single like-able character. I checked for friend's Goodreads reviews and discovered that LJ had a very low opinion of this book. Knowing it wasn't just about to become really fascinating, I skipped to the end to see who-done-it. The last 50 pages seemed better than the first 80 so I gave it 2 stars. Over 200 pages went unread so take this review with a grain of salt. There could be good parts I missed.
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Read in July, 2006
TITLE/AUTHOR: THE KING OF LIES by John Hart
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Mystery, 2006, 320 pgs
CHARACTERS: Jackson Workman Pickens/lawyer
TIME/PLACE: Present, N Carolina
COMMENTS: Very atmospheric of south & twisted
families. Good debut. Work is a struggling
attorney -- his heart isn't in it but he
needs to pay his wife's bills. Jean, his
sister is broken from a traumatic end to
her marriage. When their father, Ezra, goes
missing shortly after their mother's death, ea...more
RATING: 4.5/B+
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Mystery, 2006, 320 pgs
CHARACTERS: Jackson Workman Pickens/lawyer
TIME/PLACE: Present, N Carolina
COMMENTS: Very atmospheric of south & twisted
families. Good debut. Work is a struggling
attorney -- his heart isn't in it but he
needs to pay his wife's bills. Jean, his
sister is broken from a traumatic end to
her marriage. When their father, Ezra, goes
missing shortly after their mother's death, ea...more
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I really liked this one. My mom gave it to me, and, despite the dubious title (which my boss has adopted as a nickname) it is a tight, well-written mystery. Flaws: the dialogue was occasionally trite and the ending was obvious to me by the time I got two thirds into the novel, which is a red flag because I'm never able to guess where mysteries are going. Despite its flaws, it is a very quick, accesible, entertaining, and satisfying read for a weekend at the beach.
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3 comments
Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
Margie
I have a certain affinity for southern authors and am naturally drawn to the likes of Patricia Cornwell and John Grisham. I can picture myself in the small southern towns they write about and feel intimitately familiar with the fictional characters that inhabit them. John Hart reminds me of a junior John Grisham who leans a little more towards prose and a little less towards building a labyrinth of plot. The pace was excellent.
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Read in August, 2006
Jackson Workman Pickens' father was a pillar of the community. But he whom the community revered made his son's life a mess. In fact, they whole family was screwed up. He disappears for a year and then his body is found and everything thing Work did it. Work thinks his sister did it and will do anything to protect her. But this story is much more. It's full of great characters and it's really well told.
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
mystery lovers, legal fiction lovers
Excellent mystery about a lawyer who is accused of murdering his father. The lawyer has an alibi, it appears but he thinks he is protecting his sister who has other demons and there are a lot of bit characters on the stage as well. There is a lot of intrigue as well. The novel hooks you in but if there is one flaw it rambles a little, but I liked it a lot.
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Read in December, 2007
Purely for scientific purposes, I bought a copy of this book and also got it out of the library. After reading both versions simultaneously--to eliminate any bias--I have concluded that the version I bought was a far more satisfying read than the one I borrowed from the library. You should buy it too. Many times.
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Read in November, 2007
Although it was slow to start and get into for me after I put it down and went back to it I really got into it and ended up really enjoying it and the twists it took along the way. If you like suspense and murder tales you will enjoy this. just give it some time and about mid-way through it really gets going.
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Read in March, 2008
This book was a real page-turner for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. My only issure with it was sometimes i felt like he was trying to show off his immense vocabulary. =) After a while it just became part of the story though. A great first effort.
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Read in November, 2007
Just when you think you know "who dunnit".....it all changes! :)
This one was kinda slow. Took me a week and a half to read just over three hundred pages. It's a good book, don't get me wrong, it just doesn't captivate you like some books I read.
This one was kinda slow. Took me a week and a half to read just over three hundred pages. It's a good book, don't get me wrong, it just doesn't captivate you like some books I read.
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Read in November, 2007
This John Hart book is a thriller from page one. All of my family has read it and all agree. Interesting to picture the character Ezra might be if they made a movie based on the novel. Ezra is deceased throughout the novel but certainly makes an impact.
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Read in March, 2008
This is a pretty good book, honestly. IT's a bit slow, often, but sometimes that just adds to the book. The main character, however, is often a total idiot. I can't believe some of the things he does. But other than that, it's an enjoyable mystery.
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This is his first book, and it was fantastic! He's got a new one out called "Down River" that I highly recommend as well, but I can't find it listed on this site...5 stars as well. They take place in NC, and I like reading about "home".
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The first novel from John Hart was nominated for an Edgar award. It is a suspenseful murder mystery with unpredictable twists and turns. The protagonist (and narrator) is somewhat unlikeable, but overall the book is very entertaining.
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Read in July, 2007
I picked this book up used in the airport, and I hit the jackpot. I couldn't put it down. Its a mixture of Pat Conroy and Michael Conley.
Hidden family secrets, great characters and a can't miss plot.
Hidden family secrets, great characters and a can't miss plot.
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