Customer Reviews

Down River

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The words "Rowan County, North Carolina," evoke many memories for Danny Chase, the hero of John Hart's second literary thriller, Down River. Many of them are pleasant--for instance, the time he spent with childhood friend Danny Faith. But even the happy memories are colored by the events that drove him from Rowan five years before the events depicted in this novel, when he was almost convicted of a murder he didn't commit. Thus, his reluctance to return to his home town at the urgent behest of his friend Danny is understandable; but, his loyalty to his friend eventually outweighing his misgivings, he decides to honor his pal's request.

His mere appearance in Rowan stirs up old emotions and grudges as he encounters allies and enemies from the past, and things get even more complicated when he discovers that Danny has mysteriously vanished. After a member of his own family is attacked, Danny becomes a person of interest in the investigation. When townspeople start dying all around him, he's forced to unravel an intricate web of secrets to clear his name.

One of those rare writers who actually live up to the expectations created by the hyperbole of his jacket copy and publicity materials, Hart delivers a book that should satisfy thriller fans as well as those who appreciate a well written novel (not that the two are mutually exclusive, mind you). Through his carefully fashioned prose and sheer storytelling ability, Hart successfully updates the southern gothic, artfully trodding some of the same territory as notables such as Grisham, Berendt, and (dare I say?), Wolfe and Faulkner.

I thought John Hart had a remarkable beginning with The King of Lies, a book which captured me and kept me glued to the page as it wove together a southern baroque small town family oriented sense of fantasy, reality, and mystery in a way that is totally believable. However, he may have surpassed himself in Down River, a novel which I found impossible to put down and which carried the sins of the past into the crimes of the present and the pain of the future with a human, personal touch that was endlessly gripping. I cannot recommend it too highly if you are interested in the human condition, the complexity of people, or the nature of southern gothic traditions. I believe that John Hart is going to become a writer that many readers look forward to every year for his latest volume. This certainly builds on King of Lies and continues his development as a major fiction writer.

...Mistakes usually leave that ripple, sometimes deep, sometime shallow, that flow outward in astonishing ways. If I could give this author 10 stars i would. His book is about a particular family, but I've been a member of a family with members that I saw in the pages of his book. Adam Chase leaves home under a cloud of suspicion, stays away five years and then comes back. People then begin to die, or are discovered to have died, people are hurt, memories that have been hidden rise to the surface and you, as as reader, keep turning the pages, faster and faster. The author writes with depth, with knowledge of how we hurt each other, and shows us tenderness, frustration and dispair. The book blurb says you will remember this story long after you've read the last lline, and that is a true statement. I couldn't recommend a book more. Good job, John Hart.

Adam Chase was erroneously arrested for murder five years previously principally due to his stepmother's testimony. He was released due to the jury's inability to find a motive. However, the small town, his Father, step-mother and many others turned on him during the arduous process and still believed that he was the killer. Chase left his family and his lover behind and vanished to NYC. After five years, he returns to his small southern town with a hope of finding his family, forgiveness and his relationship with his girl. Upon his return, he quickly gets entangled in a series of murders and he's again under suspicion.

The murder mystery kept me engaged throughout with many potential suspects and motives. The novel was a compelling and quick read albeit "light and fluffy." I found the plot, while unpredictable, also unbelievable in certain passages which impacted my rating of the novel. This book was an enjoyable page-turning romp.

John Hart made a superb debut in 2006 with THE KING OF LIES, a novel that was by turns a mystery, a thriller and a psychological study. DOWN RIVER, his sophomore effort, is equally as impressive, assembling a cast of unforgettable characters in a story of passion, greed and deception.

DOWN RIVER returns to Rowan County, North Carolina, the situs of THE KING OF LIES. Hart's setting is more rural this time, though emotions run just as high and deceit runs just as deep. The book centers on Adam Chase, the son of an extremely wealthy landowner who refuses to sell the 1,400-acre family farm to developers, despite intense pressure from the community. Five years prior to the events in DOWN RIVER, Chase had been tried for and acquitted of the murder of a teenager in Rowan County, a death that many continue to hold him responsible for. Indeed, his own stepmother testified against him at the trial. Following his acquittal, Chase fled to New York, leaving behind his embittered father as well as Robin Alexander, the love of his life and one of his few steadfast supporters.

In the present, Chase has reluctantly come back to Rowan County at the cryptic request of boyhood friend Danny Faith. His return exacerbates the emotional maelstrom that surrounds his family. There are many, including the local sheriff, who feel that he is nothing but a murderer who escaped justice, and his presence merely increases the resentment that many already feel toward the steadfast refusal of Chase's father to sell the property. When another murder occurs in Chase's proximity, it seems as if he either brings a curse with him or he has killed --- again.

This latest death touches off a slow unraveling of the Chase family secrets, buried in a series of deceitful acts initiated with good intentions but tainted by evil. Before the events of the book have come to an end, Chase will learn things about his family --- and himself --- that in some ways would be better left unknown yet in other ways would give him the opportunity to face his future unencumbered.

Hart's work invokes the spirit of the best of southern literature. DOWN RIVER puts readers in the mind of topics explored by Thomas Wolfe, Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner, with a contemporary vision and edge that is memorable and haunting. Hart is a deep and strong talent whose future offerings will be greatly anticipated and welcomed.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

This is a "Prodigal Son" book, wherein the oldest son of a wealthy southern family returns home five years after he was accused (but acquitted) of murder. At first, the narrator of this excellent who-dunnit seems incredibly hard headed, self centered, and difficult to like. As the story unfolds, we find out why he is this way, and it lends credibility to his actions later in the book.

Because he's been gone and out of touch for so long, Adam Chase now has to spend time finding out what's been happening with his family, with his ex-girlfriend, and with the small town that was his home. We get to discover these things along with him. When a series of assaults and other crimes happen right after his arrival, Adam becomes the immediate center of attention, and he has to work hard to prove his innocence. All while trying to win back his place in the family and with his old girlfriend.

The plot moves along quickly and has plenty of surprises, but it was the many diverse characters in this novel that really made it entertaining. Plenty of suspects, a dysfunctional family, and the peculiarities of small town southern living make this mystery a good read.

John Hart certainly has a flair for painting a picture with words. I enjoyed reading his words, I didn't enjoy reading his novel. To be fair, it is the type of novel that compels you to finish it. But really, how many dysfunctional characters can there be in one novel, and how appealing can a novel be when the primary dysfunctional character is the self-centered, immature, whiny lead? Many times while reading, I would roll my eyes and mentally say "Oh, grow up!"

Five years after fleeing to New York in the wake of a murder acquittal, Adam Harston returns to North Carolina and to a hostile family, only to find himself trapped in the middle of a new case of violence, greed, family secrets, and murder as the people around him begin to die and he becomes the prime suspect in the crimes.
When I was reading this I was reminded of the Author Pat Conroy, who's novels are both emotional, literate and dramatic. That's John Hart in a nutshell. Betrayals, lies, thrills and an excellent writing style made this novel one you want to finish in one sitting.

Highly recommended.

I just read here that this author's novel is being compared to Scott Turow's and Raymond Chandler's novels. Don't believe it. Both have a much better sense of mystery, structure and style. The main problem with this novel is that it covers the same ground again and again and again and needed a really strong editor to pare it down. The protagonist narrator went over his problems in life continuously so that I wanted to scream at some points. We start off by going interminably over his past criminal trial in a small southern town. He was acquitted. He left town with his considerable inheritance intact. So he has lived like a king in New York City but he whines constantly about even being accused. He returns to his small town when a friend from the past needs his help but when he arrives his friend is gone. Then other things start going wrong, including assaults and more murders. He continues whining and complaining throughout and I cannot understand why his old girlfriend takes up with him again. I honestly don't know why I finished this. It seemed endless. But I was curious to see if I was right about who was the killer. I was. One problem with audio books is that you can do so many other things while listening that you tend to hang in longer than you should if the narrator is half decent. (In my case I was catching up with laundry, dishes, and all the other domestic tasks I'd let languish too long and didn't want to stop to change books). The narrator of this book was actually quite good. It is the self pitying writing with which I had a problem. Upon finishing, I swore off this author for good. I am willing to listen to this narrator narrate a better book. I cannot recommend this novel.

Adam Chase has returned home, a place he used to love, but now a place that holds bad memories and hard feelings. Five years earlier, he had been acquitted of the murder of a young man in Rowan County, a local high school football star. The state's star witness against him was his step mother. The jury was out four days. They could find no motive.

The jury may have acquitted, but the people of the area believe that Chase got away with murder. Chase's father is one of them, the patriach of the clan which owns Red River Farm, fouteen hundred acres of one of the largest working farms in North Carolina.

It is not long after his return that things start to go badly and they continue to do so has Adam tries to unravel the antagonisims that swirl around him and his family.

This is a story about relationships, revenge and retribution which is written in such a way as to make you reluctant to put it down and anxious to return to it. Reviewers often talk about the layers of a novel and talk of "peeling an onion." This one is more like an artichoke and quite delicious.

John Hart is an author that everyone should have on their list.