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Reviewed on Richard & Judy on Wednesday 16 July 2008.
Evocative, gripping and perfectly paced this crime thriller will have you engrossed whether you are on a sun lounger or on your commute to work. In a tight-knit community Adam Chase is banished for a murder he didn’t commit – but the prime witness for the defense was his stepmother. Five years later he is compelled to return but this sets in chain an unforeseen chain of events.
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Synopsis
Down River by John Hart
Going back is never easy ...Adam Chase has spent the last five years in New York
trying to forget. When he left North Carolina, Adam left for good. Now he has no
choice but to return -- and being remembered as a murderer doesn't
help.
Within hours of arriving, Adam is beaten up, accosted and has to
face the hostility of those closest to him, including Grace, the young woman he
cannot forget. Nothing has changed. And then people start turning up
dead.
For a man only just acquitted of murder, Adam's homecoming does not
go well. And he has a dark streak, a history of violence. Everyone
doubts.
No one trusts him. And as the past threatens to overshadow the
present, Adam becomes the prime suspect for the new murders. He alone can clear
his name ...
Reviews
'I don't always agree with the Richard & Judy recommendations, but this time I am with them all the way. This book is a really classy thriller, with a plot that is complex and beguiling without being too convoluted ... Whenever I thought that I had unravelled the plot, another twist left me flummoxed, and the solution had me blinking with surprise and admiration'
Matthew Lewin, Guardian
'[Hart] explores betrayal and forgiveness in indelible prose'
Observer
'Hart spins a clever mystery and keeps skilful control of his plot'
Sunday Telegraph
'Hart builds the suspense of this whodunit expertly'
Douglas Wight, News of the World
'A Chandleresque thriller'
Sunday Times
'A heart-pounding thriller that explores the dark side of human nature'
Metro
'A gripping thriller full of twists and turns'
Oldham Evening Chronicle
'Hart proves here he is certainly no one-hit wonder'
Good Book Guide
'This is a big, warm-hearted novel'
Natasha Cooper, Crime Time
'The story works both as a suspenseful whodunit and as a sensitive rumination on the emotional force of family dynamics'
Washington Post
'If you value Harper Lee, James Lee Burke, Truman Capote and Michael Malone, its time to add John Hart to your bookshelves'
New York Sun
'A novel about the power of family, how it defines and follows us, no matter how far or fast we run ... Evocative storytelling and lush prose'
Boston Globe
'Splendid ... a beautifully constructed story of personal redemption, family secrets and murder a small-town epic, if there is such a thing'
Booklist (starred review)
'A taut, entertaining thriller ... there are few books published that can legitimately be called a must-read, but this is one of them'
Chicago Sun
-Times 'This pacy, well-written mystery grabs you from the first page and keeps you there until the last.' **** -- MX Sydney Magazine 'The 'current hot kid of American crime fiction
TNT Magazine
About the Author
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John Hart was born in North Carolina, where he lives with his wife and two young children. He has degrees in French, accounting and law, and worked as a banker, stockbrocker and attorney before beginning his writing career. His first novel, The King of Lies, was an international bestseller.
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Categories
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Categories
Literary / Contemporary
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