Synopses & Reviews
"A STRIKING NEW TALENT."--ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Jackson Workman Pickens--known to most as "Work"--mindlessly holds together his disintegrating life: a failing law practice left to him when his father, Ezra, mysteriously disappeared, a distant wife who shares their loveless marriage, and an estranged sister who bore the brunt of their childhood trauma.
And then Ezra's body is discovered.
"READS LIKE A BOOK ON FIRE."--PAT CONROY
Set to inherit his father's fortune, Work becomes a prime suspect. But so does his sister, Jean. As much as Work's life was overshadowed by his domineering father, Jean's life was nearly destroyed by him. But does that make her capable of a vicious murder? Fearing the worst, Work launches his own investigation, crossing paths with a power-hungry detective, a string of damning evidence, and the ugly rumors that swirl within his small, moneyed Southern town.
"AN EXCEPTIONALLY DEEP AND COMPLEX MYSTERY THRILLER."
--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED REVIEW)
Desperate for the redemption that has eluded him for so many years and stripped of everything he once valued, he fights to save his sister and clear his name--in this poignant and thrilling anatomy of a murder and its ripple effect within a family and a community.
www.johnhartfiction.com
Review
"The King of Lies moves and reads like a book on fire. The author is a lawyer who knows his way around the courtrooms and jailhouses, the cops and judges, the way that Grisham and Turow do. Smart and swiftly moving, The King of Lies is the work of an amazing new talent." Pat Conroy
Review
"John Hart's debut in the world of fiction is that most engrossing of rarities, a well-plotted mystery novel that is written in a beautifully poetic style. The King of Lies will mark the beginning of a long and stellar career." Mark Childress, author of Crazy in Alabama, Tender, and Gone for Good
Review
"The King of Lies is a rare, remarkable book, a marvel from the first page to the last. At times blunt and startling, at times full of grace and subtle wisdom, this novel is, without a doubt, one of the most compelling pieces of fiction I've ever read." Martin Clark, author of The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living and Plain Heathen Mischief
Review
"A stunning debut, absolutely relentless. I dare you to read the first chapter of The King of Lies and not be hooked. Daring and original....John Hart delivers with this dark, heart-breaking tale of secrets and revenge." Steve Hamilton, author of Ice Run
Review
"A suspenseful novel about the unraveling of the poisonous legacy of a southern lawyer brings us a strong new voice in crime fiction. John Hart is a writer to watch." Thomas Perry, author of Dead Aim
Review
"The best thing about reading King of Lies is watching the character of Work Pickens evolve. Though there's plenty of intrigue here, with dead bodies and villains galore, the real change happens inside the character of Work Pickens as he's forced by external circumstances to take a hard look at his assumptions and values. An ambitious debut from a promising new novelist." Sheri Reynolds, author of Rapture of Canaan and Gracious Plenty
Review
"In a top-notch debut, Hart's prose is like Raymond Chandler's, angular and hard. (Grade: A)" Entertainment Weekly
Review
"This is a first novel that lunges off the page, just grabs the reader by the throat and won't let go....Readers will breathe in this fine novel like a breath of fresh air and, immediately after finishing it, wish for more." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"Hart has crafted a mystery with fully developed characters and a fast-paced and intelligent plot....[P]lenty of action and suspense..." School Library Journal
Review
"The King of Lies, John Hart's seething, roiling, boiling North Carolina murder story...crossbreeds enough Grisham-style intrigue and Turow-style brooding to make for a sulfurous mix." Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Review
"[A] fast-paced debut mystery..." The Wall Street Journal
Review
"[T]ake my word when I tell you that if you want entertainment that will ensnare you, deprive you of sleep and have you button-holing your friends about its greatness, you won't be disappointed in unknown author John Hart's first book." Rocky Mountain News
Review
"All of Hart's characters ring true....Indeed, The King of Lies pulls off the almost impossible: It makes you like a lawyer." St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Synopsis
John Hart creates a literary thriller that is as suspenseful as it is poignant, a riveting murder mystery layered beneath the southern drawl of a humble North Carolina lawyer. When Work Pickens finds his father murdered, the investigation pushes a repressed family history to the surface and he sees his own carefully constructed façade begin to crack.
Work's troubled sister, her combative girlfriend, his gold digging socialite wife, and an unrequited lifelong love join a cast of small town characters that create no shortage of drama in this extraordinary, fast-paced suspense novel.
Hart's mastery of prose and plot belie his newcomer status as he explores the true heart of a man. An illuminating anatomy of a murder and the ripple effect it produces within a family and a community, The King of Lies is a stunning debut.
Synopsis
When Work Pickens finds his father murdered, the investigation pushes a repressed family history to the surface, and he sees his own carefully constructed façade begin to crack.
Synopsis
Jackson Workman Pickens--known to most as "Work"--mindlessly holds together his disintegrating life: a failing law practice left to him when his father, Ezra, mysteriously disappeared, a distant wife who shares their loveless marriage, and an estranged sister who bore the brunt of their childhood trauma.
And then Ezra's body is discovered.
Set to inherit his father's fortune, Work becomes a prime suspect. But so does his sister, Jean. As much as Work's life was overshadowed by his domineering father, Jean's life was nearly destroyed by him. But does that make her capable of a vicious murder? Fearing the worst, Work launches his own investigation, crossing paths with a power-hungry detective, a string of damning evidence, and the ugly rumors that swirl within his small, moneyed Southern town.
Desperate for the redemption that has eluded him for so many years and stripped of everything he once valued, he fights to save his sister and clear his name--in this poignant and thrilling anatomy of a murder and its ripple effect within a family and a community.
About the Author
John Hart was born and raised in North Carolina. For a time he practiced criminal defense law, but left his practice to write The King of Lies and work for a major Wall Street firm. John used to do foolish things, like fly helicopters and sail small boats across large oceans. Now, with two young daughters and a wife whom he loves, he writes books, which is harder but safer. John still makes his home in North Carolina.