In a Southern town at the height of the Vietnam War, a family is learning how to cope with personal tragedies. The oldest brother, the pride of his mother, was killed in that conflict. In reaction, Mom overprotects her youngest son, Gibby. Her husband, a police detective, caters to her whims, although in his heart he knows this may not be the right path. Gibby, just on the cusp of manhood, is beginning to feel hemmed in by years of coddling. Beneath his acquiescence, the desire to prove himself and become independent is steadily brewing.

Into this superficially functioning family, Jason, the second brother, returns. Jason also enlisted into the service. After numerous tours, a dishonorable discharge, PTSD (as recognized now) and stints with drugs and prison, he returns. His father has lost paternal interest in Jason, the mother both fears and distrusts him. As for Gibby, he has questions: How bad was Jason? As really as bad as his parents said. How did he escape this watchful home? What can he reveal about the oldest brother that Gibby barely remembers?

When Jason makes contact with Gibby, he agrees to meet. From that point Gibby is introduced into a world he never imagined - that may well confirm his parents’ worse fears. But Gibby soon realizes there is more to Jason than the image he learned from his folks. Worse, Jason is in danger that not only threatens him, but GIbby and those around him.

Gibby realizes that he is the only one who can sort this out. But he lacks the skills, the knowledge and the means to do this. Drawing upon internal resources he never knew he had, keen observations, plus the help of friends, Gibby makes this a powerful, thrilling coming of age story. Part mystery, part thriller – Hart leaves nothing on the table. Highly recommended. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I put off reading The Unwilling because I knew this would be a gut-wrenching and hard-hitting read, and I was right. Once I started the first chapter I was immediately captivated by the book’s many intense emotions. The story centers around the French family, a good southern family of the 1960s, shattered by the Vietnam war, losing one son in battle and another to the war’s dark side. Hart has created the most fascinating characters, and I can’t get them out of my mind.

The father, Bill French, a police officer in the town, has carried his family’s burden for a long time, loves both of his surviving sons, and tries to keep the peace with his wife while juggling his job duties.

The mother, Gabrielle, was a woman I wanted to reach through the book and slap upside her head. Yes, she deserved her grief for losing one twin son in the war, but she made it clear he was her favorite, and she wished his twin, Jason, had died instead. What mother does that? She smothers her youngest son and stifles his life to keep him protected. She was a character I felt should have been fleshed out better to understand her.

Jason, the surviving twin, returned from nearly three tours of service in the war a heroin addict, with deep secrets and a profound hurt he refuses to show his family. He ended up in prison for drugs, and his mother washed her hands of him without even trying to understand his pain.

Gibby, the youngest son, has been the good boy, going along with what his mother needs all his high school years, but with his brother’s return from prison, he needs to break free and make his own decisions. This is Gibby’s story, and it is fascinating to listen to what is in his head.

Chance, Gibby’s best friend, presents himself as always being happy-go-lucky but is suffering from fear and a lack of self-confidence. It’s so amazing to watch him come into himself as well.

There is also Becky, the girl Gibby has fantasized about for years, who lives on the poor side of town, but she is a powerhouse and helps Gibby when he decides to prove his brother’s innocence in a recent murder.

And these are just the good guys. There are plenty of bad guys to make this story a nail-biting thriller. This is a story of family, the good and the bad, and it was so compelling I could not put it down. I gave it four stars. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it for my honest opinion. This was my first John Hart novel, but it won’t be my last!

What a book!! This author knocked this one out of the park. Out of this world. He made a big impression on me for sure. This was my first John Hart book and I will be reading more...

This book is set in the mid to late sixties. During the Vietnam war. Reading this gave me a whole new respect for what soldiers go through who actually have to go into combat. Some are not the same when they come home. Some are beyond our way of thinking. Some have seen things that no young man or woman should see. During the Vietnam way this was more true than ever I do believe. This book only touches on that war slightly. In a very profound way though. It's about a boy who lost one brother there and is losing another after he came back to the states. A family torn apart by a war.

This book is so well written. It will make you take a few deep breathes and head shakes. It's just a story that will certainly make you stop and take a look at things. Life for instance. How much do we take that for granted. This story is about a boy. An eighteen year old boy but still a young boy. His name is Gibby French. He's almost eighteen and will have to sign up for the draft once his birthday arrives. He's still in high school. His best friend is Chance and his girl is Becky. He has his whole life ahead of him. But before that there is a lifetime of things going on.

Gibby's brother Jason has been to Vietnam, spent time in prison and is now out. He want's to know his little brother but his mother forbids it. Let me say that I honestly did not like the mother, Gabrielle. I think it's ok to want to protect a son from another son when it's the right situation but... To say it should have been him, when you lose one son is just unacceptable. No mother should have that much favoritism toward one over the other. Jason is troubled. He is trouble in many ways. He's set up, framed, for a brutal murder the likes of which no officer in this Charlotte, NC town has ever seen. But did he do it? Nothing is kept from you in this book. You will know who is guilty and who is not. It's not a book where you try to figure out the who did what to whom. It's a story of what happens between people. Both in and out of prison. Both in and out of Vietnam. Between family members. Between a mother and son. A father and his wife. Between two brothers.

This book hits deeply. Right in the heart. It's a heartbreaker and an edge of your seat story. It will keep you turning pages and wanting more. It's like reading the most horrific thing but you just can't stop. There is a lot of detail in this book and you will cringe many times. You will want to slap a few people along the way. You will wonder what makes a person do such horrible things to another. Why would anyone be so cruel. What could have possibly happened in a person life to make them seem to not have a soul. All your questions and thoughts are answered.

This story pretty much left me feeling better yet with a heavy heart also. I didn't feel sorry for Reece or X. They were very messed up people. Deserve anything that may come their way. I did root for Jason though. I really loved him. He is quite a big brother and deserves more than people will possibly ever know. People in the town that is. Maybe someday!!

My favorite paragraph from this book is: He felt a hundred different fears: the fear of war and mutilation, of falling now, just now, or of diving wrong, and breaking. He feared his friend might not forgive him, that the wound would fester and that the cracks ran all the way through. Most of all, he feared whatever life waited at the bottom of the trail, the future if he walked instead of dove, the man he might become. That was the devil inside, a demon with a face as familiar-soft as Chance's own. Maybe it was fate that brought him to this place, or fate that people called it the Devil's Ledge.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #JohnHart, #StMartin'sPress for this ARC. This is my own thoughts about this book.

5/5 stars and I highly recommend this one. It's intense and a bit scary in places. So worth reading.

By turns family drama, coming of age story, and unnerving psychological thriller, The Unwilling by John Hart was altogether a very enjoyable, twisty ride.



This novel is many things, but above all, this is a novel of connections. At the heart of those connections sits Gibby French - son of the distant Gabrielle and the well-meaning Bill, brother to twins Robert and Jason, best friend to Chance, he’s the fulcrum that the story hinges on. His uncertainty as he stands ready to move into adulthood is endearing – his determination to, above all, do the right thing is what really had me rooting for him. Having lost Robert to Vietnam, the fact that Jason came home changed almost beyond recognition isn’t enough to sever their connection; and when Jason’s past comes calling to drop a bomb into their already-disrupted lives, no threat will be enough to keep Gibby from doing whatever it takes to find the truth.



Initially, The Unwilling felt like a family drama, centered around Gibby’s coming of age, and his navigation of some truly rocky relationships. But when Jason found himself a suspect in a truly horrific murder, the focus widened to include one of the most chilling villains I’ve encountered yet. Mr X is the kind of presence you don’t soon forget – Patrick Bateman and Hannibal Lecter would envy his detachment, not to mention his funding. His introduction marked a turning point in the story, as he sets into motion a chain of events that lead right back to Jason and Gibby.



It could have felt tricky to reconcile the two parts of this book. That John Hart has knitted those seemingly very different stories together into a cohesive whole is astounding, but he has, and masterfully. Brotherhood underpins everything here – the literal brotherhood of Gibby and Jason; the more figurative but equally strong fraternity of the police their father works with; the bonds forged by soldiers in wartime; even the links between Mr X and his most trusted men. What happens to those chains of connection when they’re tested is at the heart of every part of the book, and it took that initial setup to lay the groundwork for the reader to see what was at play.



The Unwilling is the kind of novel I have come to expect from John Hart – an absolutely excellent thriller from an author at the top of his game.

This book brings a lot into play. Family relationships, effects of Vietnam, poverty, and a lot of violence. Pieces of it did not fall into place for me like the relationship of X and Jason. In some ways the book was painful to read due to the intense nature of the topics. I also didn’t necessarily feel as connected to these characters as I would have liked. They just were not fleshed out in a way that allowed me to connect with them.

I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Gibby is the youngest of three boys; his oldest brother died in the war and Jason came back broken. What seems like an innocent joy ride for the brothers shortly after Jason is released from jail on distribution charges quickly evolves into a nightmare of shadow players with vile intent and nothing is what it seems.

John Hart has composed in The Unwilling a classic detective mystery set against the backdrop of Charlotte, NC, during the Vietnam War, but with the added benefit of multiple character perspectives and a deep dive into the dynamics of one family as it struggles to battle the grief of losing one of their own and understand the personal battles of the other.

This is my second John Hart novel, and I appreciate in both his attention to the craft of writing even as he keeps his stories moving with a well-turned plot. In this story I wanted more from Gibby's mother, be it her backstory or just additional insight to explain why she existed the way she did. As a mother of boys I couldn't quite get to the place from which she comes.

There's a reason that any book by John Hart is guaranteed to be one of the best reads available and he proves it again with his latest offering The Unwilling.

**Warning - this book contains scenes of brutal violence and torture. If you are sensitive to that, do not read this book **

Set in North Carolina during the Vietnam war, this book tackles so much (family relations, coming of age, friendship, mystery, crime, drug addiction, psychopaths, and the war) that you wonder how they could all work together, but they do and in an unforgettable way.

The French family is at the core of the story. They have suffered greatly as a result of the war which has created deep rifts that time may never heal. William, a homicide cop, and his wife Gabrielle are parents to three sons, twins Robert and Jason, and Gibson (Gibby), a high school senior. The family lost both of the older boys to the war; Robert was killed in battle, and Jason returned from Vietnam distant and forever changed. Gabrielle is determined not to lose her youngest son too and is obsessed with protecting him. As the story begins, Jason has just been released from three years in prison following his time in Vietnam and has returned to his hometown.

Gibby is enjoying a senior skip day at the local quarry with his best friend Chance and many of his classmates. Jason seeks him out there and offers a "bro' day" during which they can catch up and get to know each other better. Though Gibby knows that his parents don't want him to have anything to do with Jason because of his struggles with drug addiction and his violent nature, Gibby is determined to get to know the only brother he has left. He soon finds that his parents had good reason to caution him; Jason is into some heavy stuff, and danger walks with him everywhere he goes, endangering those around him as well.

A horrific murder stuns even the most seasoned detectives and Jason is quickly named the prime suspect. William finds himself risking his job to save his sons; Gibby, determined to prove Jason innocent, encounters situations he never could have imagined. Amidst the chaos of crime and violence, Hart also manages to give readers a beautiful coming of age story. This book truly has it all.

Hart's natural writing style, intricate plot lines, multi-dimensional characters, and realistic dialog make the story come alive in a very vivid way. He also skillfully captures the essence of relationships and the wide variety of complex emotions they entail.

Suspenseful from the start, you won't be able to turn away from this captivating read!

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel which is scheduled to be published on 2/2/2021. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have read a few of John Hart's novels, but after The Unwilling, I'm committed to reading them all! Hart is a fabulous writer, who really brings his characters to life. The Unwilling is told from the POV of Gibby, and the time is the 70's.. Gibby is a High Schooler. His father is a detective, and his mother is a helicopter mom because Gibby is the youngest second she dearly wants to protect. Gibby has two older brothers. The eldest, to whom he was closest, was Robert, who lost his life in Vietnam. The other brother is Jason. Jason went to Vietnam after Robert's death. There he was a much-decorated sniper, but now, returned home, he is a recently released convict/addict with no relationship with his family. Despite that, you will definitely find yourself rooting for him.

One day Gibby is hanging out with his friends at a lake, contemplating a death-defying dive that his older brother Robert once took, becoming something of a local hero. While there, Gibby spots Jason, with whom he desperately wants to reconnect. Gibby and Jason make plans to get together, and Jason introduces him to two young woman, One of those women later turns up dead, and the novel takes a major twist from family drama to murder, kidnapping, torture, and suspense. There are twists and turns galore and two seriously bad guys, one of whom is pulling strings from inside prison.

Gibby is a wonderful, empathetic character, as is his father, who is in the untenable position with his job as a cop and his desire to protect his family. There is also a very sweet side story of Gibby and his first love, Becky. I loved everything about this book, from the writing to the characters to the whole tightly woven plotline.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend The Unwilling.

4.5 family story/crime thriller stars

This is my second John Hart novel and this one broke my heart! He is an amazing writer and storyteller, and my heart was torn apart for this family.

Set in North Carolina during the middle of the Vietnam War, this book focuses on the French family. The father is a cop and there are 3 sons, the oldest two are twins. One brother heads off to war and is unfortunately killed. Then the other brother Jason enlists, he returns as a decorated soldier and drug addict, and he is not the same person. I had to remind myself that these soldiers were typically not greeted as heroes when they returned, and many didn’t share their war experiences.

The focus of the story is on the youngest son, Gibson, or Gibby. When his older brother Jason returns to his hometown after a stint in jail, Gibby would like to spend time with him and get to know him again. Jason is eager for a relationship too. Their parents, especially the mother, want Gibby to stay far away from Jason’s bad influence.

A pivotal situation happens when Gibby and Jason spend a day together at a lake with two young women. This sets off events for the rest of the book. Chillingly, we learn about Jason’s time in prison and one dangerous and evil prisoner there, in particular. There are some gritty and disturbing scenes in this book.

I read this one with such anxiety about how much more this family could take. Gibby has a great friend in Chance and a budding romance with Becky. Things turn against Jason and soon it’s a race to see if evil will triumph. This one had a power-packed ending. This one totally sucked me in and I know there are some older titles of John Hart’s that I should read.

While I usually love John Hart's novels, this was one did not live up to my expectations. Whether it was the descriptions of the Vietnam War or prison life or the beatings and the grisly murder details, I had a hard time reading this one. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book deals with so many serious topics and does a wonderful job with them! There is the French family who lost one son to the Vietnam war and another son to the after effects of that war with drugs and prison time. It starts out with Jason being released from prison and going back to his hometown and reconnecting with the one brother that remained at home (Gibby) smothered by his mother trying to protect the one "good" son that she has left.

Unfortunately, secret plans abound and an awful murder is committed to further those plans. That bit was fairly graphic (the description of the murder) and there are several other parts as well. It made for much confusion among the cops trying to solve the case, including Jason and Gibby's father and sent them down the wrong path.

This is definitely a thrilling book and I liked it and how it ended where you find out the truth of several things, like Jason's role in the war and how it shaped him. Well written!

One of my critique partners recommended the work of John Hart to me, so when I saw that it was available on Netgalley, I requested it. I’m certainly glad that I did, and I understand why she likes his work so much!

Within a few pages, Hart had me invested in his characters and their lives.

Vietnam and the draft looms over the story. Gibby and his friend Chance are both eighteen, and now must sign up for selective service. The draft is a specter of dread that becomes increasingly real to them. Both know people their age who’ve been drafted; both know people who have not come home from Vietnam. And both know people who have returned from war physically alive, but forever changed by what they saw.

That includes Jason, Gibby’s brother, now fresh from prison. Rumors abound about his war activities, though no one knows the truth. Detective French, the boys’ father, fears the worst, especially after Tyra’s murder and wants to protect his youngest son. But Gibby is tired of being the obedient, unrebellious one, and the only French brother who hasn’t been tested by fire. And he believes Jason is innocent.

Hart is terrific at evoking emotion on the page and in the reader. At one point, my stomach was curling inside, writhing with impatience to know what happens and dread of what is to come. He writes in crisp, elegant sentences. He conveys in a few words what some might need a dozen pages to explain less effectively. The dialogue crackles with tension, loaded with all the things left unsaid.

In Gibby’s sections, there’s a sense of grief over the brother he lost, but also a sense of his own lostness: who he is, what he should do, how he ought to relate to his detective father, his overprotective mom (and her unreasonable demands), and now his unrepentant prodigal brother. This last might hold a key for how Gibby will emerge from this time. It’s a complex, deeply nuanced set of relationships.

I felt that the book was stronger in the Gibby/Detective French/Jason sections than when Prisoner X and his henchmen became involved. Some of those sections contained graphic, gruesome violence. (I was a bit freaked out by the brutality of Tyra’s death, to be honest. Then again, so were the investigating detectives.) The actual violence is off the page, but the aftermath is raw. (Incidentally, most of the victims are male rather than female.) A few of the story’s plot points felt improbable and almost unbelievable; but to Hart’s credit, he makes them believable in the story’s world. Given the strength of his writing, I was willing to believe in Prisoner X’s actions and power.

Overall, this was a riveting book. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime fiction, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more books from John Hart.

One thing I particularly liked . . .

I appreciated how Hart was willing to address the complexities of the draft and war through his characters, and he doesn’t cast judgement on any character for their choices, good or bad.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This review will appear on my blog on 1 February 2021.

The Unwilling by John Hart is a must read. it’s everything you would want in a novel and more. This dynamic story takes place during the Vietnam War era, focusing on a family that’s been torn apart because of it. There are enough twists and turns, and emotional ups and downs to keep you reading until you reach to the explosive ending. And one that you won’t soon forget. I highly recommend this book, and will make sure that we have plenty of copies for all of the patrons of my library who are going to be in line to read this fascinating novel. Don’t miss this one. Thank you to. NetGalley, John Hart and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful novel for an honest review.

This one was worth the wait! John Hart’s new historical mystery, The Unwilling, is simply magnificent. My thanks go to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the galleys; this book will be available to the public February 2, 2021. Those that love excellent fiction should get it and read it.

The French family is troubled. The father is a cop in their small hometown in North Carolina; the mother, Gabrielle, has some sort of emotional disability. Bipolar? Anxiety disorder? Who can say. All we know is that her nerves are shot, and she loses it quickly and easily. The couple have three sons; the first two are twins, but Robert, the golden one, is dead, killed in Vietnam. Jason went to ‘nam too, and rumors say that he killed 29 people there in his first year. He is rumored to be bad news and has already done a stretch in prison. That leaves the youngest, Gibson, known as Gibby. Both parents are possessive of him. As adolescence sets in, it begins to chafe, the way he is overprotected, and now that he’s a high school senior, he’d like a little more room.

And then Jason is released, and he comes home. He isn’t welcome at the family manse, so he stays elsewhere, but he wants to spend some time with Gibby before he blows town.

The title is a chewy one. Initially, I associate it with the daredevil stunt that some high school seniors—mostly boys—consider a rite of passage. It involves jumping into the quarry from a very high bluff; make the jump wrong, and you’ll be dead when you land. Gibby doesn’t jump. Jason does.

The basic framework of the story has to do with crimes Jason has done time for, and others that are committed while he’s in town. A girl he’s spent time with is viciously tortured and murdered, and many in the community make assumptions. But in reality—and we know this early on—he is being framed by a man known as “X” in prison. Truth be told, X is actually the weakest element of the story, and he’s mostly superfluous, but since this is supposed to be a thriller, the thread involving him adds suspense, particularly at the end. The climax is something else again.

But the most interesting aspect of the narrative has to do with the family, and by extension, one could say, all families. Over the course of time, a family’s story is told, and eventually labels develop. The small town setting in a pre-internet era makes this especially true, since most people’s interactions are limited to those that live in the same vicinity. And so, Robert French is the tragic hero, cut down in his prime while fighting for his country; Gibby is the baby of the family, a good kid, a good student; and then there’s Jason. Not long after the murder, Detective French speaks with the medical examiner about Tyra’s murder, and he asks the ME what would make someone do this; not just murder, but torture and mutilate. And the ME tells him that although it’s not the accepted clinical expression, “People like that are born wrong.” And though French is reluctant to say such a thing about his own son, he wonders if he should accept this as true. His wife, mother of all three sons, tells him, “Gibby is all that matters.”

But as the story progresses, we see that there’s more to this story; a lot more. Jason has simply given up trying to defend himself. Refusing to do so is why he spent time in prison. When the world gives up on you, why try? To be sure, he’s no innocent, sad-eyed puppy. He’s seen things, and he’s done things. But people are complicated, and when we try to drop them into neatly labeled boxes, we shut ourselves off from learning details that don’t fit the picture we’ve painted.

For me, this story was less about solving a crime, and more about the characters. I was thrilled that the main story wasn’t about Robert. I’ve read too many novels lately that focus on the dead sibling, and it’s becoming trite. But Hart is a seasoned author, and he doesn’t drop into that well-worn channel. Instead, we see why various well-crafted, complex characters think and act as they do. Reading it, I find myself thinking about my sisters, and the small ways in which we developed labels as children and young adults; happily, none of us was labeled the bad seed, but if we’d been boys…? And I think also of my own children. For a brief, terrible time, I saw my eldest as that person, the one dragging his sister into trouble. Later, much later, I learned it was actually the opposite, but he figured it was better if one of them was still in good standing, and so he took blame that wasn’t entirely his. It’s not a great feeling, but at the same time, my own experience made this story more interesting, and I’m willing to bet there are a great many other readers that will read this book and think about their own families as well.

There are appealing side characters here, and the most compelling is Gibby’s best friend, a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who wants to make good.

So who is the unwilling one? Is it Gibby, for not jumping off the bluff? Is it Gabrielle, for not entertaining the possibility that her son, Jason, deserves more than she is willing to give him? Is it Detective French, for not being willing to completely give up on him? You can take this title in a lot of different directions.

Hart’s literary prowess shines here. It’s not always an easy read; during the more violent patches, I took it in small bites. I received both the print and audio galleys, and I moved back and forth between them, leaning more toward the audio, whose reader, Kevin Stillwell, does an outstanding job; but at times I forgot something, or wanted to check a detail or highlight a quote, and then I dove into my digital review copy. You can go either way without fear of disappointment.

Highly recommended.

It's Gibson French, or Gibbie as he's known to friends, senior year. He isn't sure what he wants to do with his life after that. Should he go to college as his parents want? The war in Vietnam is raging and he feels a pull to enlist and go there as his two older brothers did. But Robert, his oldest brother, was killed there and Jason, the middle brother, came back but as a broken shell of what he had been. Does the war deserve another French brother?
Then rumors start to float around that Jason has come back home after his dishonorable discharge and his time in prison. It's said he runs with the motorcycle gangs now, that he deals drugs and guns and that he doesn't care for anyone. So Gibbie doesn't know what to do when Jason seeks him out and seems to want to get to know him now that he has grown up. He goes on an outing with Jason and two girls and finds a man very different from the rumors.

But more trouble arrives. The girl dating Jason is found horribly murdered. Jason is arrested and sent back to the penitentiary where he is at the mercy of a psychopath who runs the place. When the other girl is kidnapped, the police assume that Gibbie is at the heart of that crime and now they are looking for him as well. But Gibbie has also been kidnapped, a pawn in the power play between the man who runs the prison, Jason and the police. Can he be saved?

John Hart has written a compelling view of a family torn apart by the times. The French brothers grew up with a policeman as a father and his black and white view of the world makes it difficult for him to accept his sons as they grow up and have their own ideas. He is quick to judge and although he loves his sons, he acts first and finds out the facts afterwards. The novel touches on the national nightmare that the Vietnam war was for so many families. It highlights the difficulties in growing up and separating from the child one was and it emphasizes family love above all. The tension is high and is ratcheted higher with every plot twist. This book is recommended for thriller readers.

I LOVED this book. I was expecting a book about Vietnam and reactions to the war. I wasn't expecting the terrific, compelling mystery it turned out to be. I really liked the two brothers. X, the evil guy, was terrifically developed.
I have others to read by John Hart...I may to go to them.

This one was just ok for me. It had a pretty strong start but then things went astray. I like a dark book here & there but this one got a little weird. Part was so unbelievable I could not suspend my disbelief. Additionally, I was not a fan of how any of the female characters in the book were described and behaved. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

On the rare occasion, I will finish a book and wish so very much I could start over and read it again for the very first time. This is one of those books. I loved it so much and will recommend it to everyone I know. John Hart has done it again with a brilliantly written story with wonderfully complex and well developed characters. I hung onto every word and wished it didn't have to end. Thank you John Hart, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Well this took a turn I was not expecting. I didn't anticipate so many gruesome details but I enjoyed them just the same (not sure what that says about me, ha!). I enjoy John Hart very much and this was just as good as everything else he has written. Really enjoyed the characters in this one.

When a book is so much more than what you thought...

Shortest Summary Ever: There were 3 brothers. The eldest died in Vietnam. The 2nd - Jason, fought, came home, and wound up in jail. The 3rd - Gibby, has just turned 18 and been sheltered from most of this. Jason returns from prison and reconnects with his brother. Their parents have written Jason off, mostly, as a lost cause, but Gibby wants to understand him. Family drama. Then... a murder and everyone is looking at Jason. Where will his loyalties lie? What is it we just don’t know about Jason?

Thoughts: I’ve read almost every Hart book and I’ll say this - he is versatile and unpredictable. His writing is like a sewing needle that weaves a perfect tale that zigs and zags. Solid. Captivating. The family dynamic of this story is timeless and universal even though Vietnam plays a specific role. It’s about the black sheep. It’s about brothers. It’s about parents. It’s about how those roles can be one of the biggest assets, yet the largest curses at the same time. Hart has a way of making the real SO real, it hits close to home no matter your background. The star here for me is Jason. As his story unfolds, peeling back the layers of his life, I started to see so much more to his character and good or bad an understanding grew in my mind. One I never saw coming.

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

Genre: Mystery/Historical Fiction

Recommend to: This one is a home run for all. I can’t think of a single reason why you shouldn’t read this. Perfect for the book clubs! Lots to discuss.

Not recommended to: Eh... maybe if you hate mysteries, but then I can’t be your friend.. lol.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making my winter break this year!