Synopses & Reviews
Everything that shaped him happened near that river...
Now its banks are filled with lies and greed, shame, and murder...
John Hart's debut, The King of Lies, was compelling and lyrical, with Janet Maslin of The New York Times declaring, "There hasn't been a thriller as showily literate since Scott Turow came along."
Now, in Down River, Hart makes a scorching return to Rowan County, where he drives his characters to the edge, explores the dark side of human nature, and questions the fundamental power of forgiveness.
Adam Chase has a violent streak, and not without reason. As a boy, he saw things that no child should see, suffered wounds that cut to the core and scarred thin. The trauma left him passionate and misunderstood a fighter. After being narrowly acquitted of a murder charge, Adam is hounded out of the only home he's ever known, exiled for a sin he did not commit. For five long years he disappears, fades into the faceless gray of New York City. Now he's back and nobody knows why, not his family or the cops, not the enemies he left behind.
But Adam has his reasons. Within hours of his return, he is beaten and accosted, confronted by his family and the women he still holds dear. No one knows what to make of Adam's return, but when bodies start turning up, the small town rises against him and Adam again finds himself embroiled in the fight of his life, not just to prove his own innocence, but to reclaim the only life he's ever wanted.
Bestselling author John Hart holds nothing back as he strips his characters bare. Secrets explode, emotions tear, and more than one person crosses the brink into deadly behavior as he examines the lengths to which people will go for money, family, and revenge.
A powerful, heart-pounding thriller, Down River will haunt your thoughts long after the last page is turned.
Review
"If you value Harper Lee, James Lee Burke, Truman Capote, and Michael Malone...it's time to add John Hart to your bookshelves." New York Sun
Review
"Riveting. Down River will sweep you away." Richmond Times-Dispatch
Review
"Complex relationships blur the lines between friend and foe, heightening the suspense in this intricate, haunting story of a family in crisis, and the writing is simply superb. Highly recommended." Library Journal
Synopsis
John Harts debut, THE KING OF LIES, catapulted him onto the New York Times bestseller list and earned comparisons to the works of Raymond Chandler, John Grisham, and Scott Turow. Now, Hart delivers another thriller of profound insight and psychological complexity with DOWN RIVER
“Truly splendid.”—Booklist (Starred Review)
Adam Chase is passionate and misunderstood, a fighter. When narrowly acquitted of a murder charge, he disappears for five long years: not a clue, not a trace. Now, hes back and nobody knows why—not his family or the cops, not the women he left behind. But Adam has his reasons.
“The thrills come fast and furious.”—The Washington Post
When more bodies surface, Adam must unravel a web of deceit and violence so dense it staggers the imagination. Old secrets rise, lives collapse, and more than one person crosses the brink as author Hart probes the timeless, destructive power of deception and vengeance.
“Nail-biting suspense.”—Raleigh News and Observer
Synopsis
Adam Chase is passionate and misunderstood, a fighter. When narrowly acquitted of a murder charge, he disappears for five long years: not a clue, not a trace. Now, hes back and nobody knows why—not his family or the cops, not the women he left behind. But Adam has his reasons.
When more bodies surface, Adam must unravel a web of deceit and violence so dense it staggers the imagination. Old secrets rise, lives collapse, and more than one person crosses the brink as author Hart probes the timeless, destructive power of deception and vengeance.Down River is the winner of the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Novel.
About the Author
John Hart is the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Child and The King of Lies. The only author in history to win the best novel Edgar Award for consecutive novels, he has also won the Barry Award and England's Steel Dagger Award for best thriller of the year. He was born and raised in North Carolina. For a time he practiced criminal defense law, but left to focus on his writing.