Down River ebook

by John Hart

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 river is my earliest memory. The front porch of my father’s house looks down on it from a low knoll, and I have pictures, faded yellow, of my first days on that porch.

First published in Great Britain in 2007 by John Murray (Publishers). An Hachette UK Company. The river is my earliest memory. I slept in my mother’s arms as she rocked there, played in the dust while my father fished, and I know the feel of that river even now: the slow churn of red clay, the back eddies under cut banks, the secrets it whispered to the hard, pink granite of Rowan County. Everything that shaped me happened near that river.

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

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 hase has a violent streak, and not without reason.

sitting on the picnic table holding part of a carburetor. She stood when she saw me. I stopped on the porch. Nobody answered when I knocked, she said. I heard the water running and decided to wait. What are you doing here?. If it’s about earlier- It’s not, she said. A shadow crossed her face. It was Grantham’s call.

Adam was seeking grace when he got into this latest round of trouble. By the end of Down River, the evil secrets abound. He was looking for an actual person named Grace, a beautiful, innocent child who grew up as Red Water Farm’s precious foundling. And Mr. Hart’s vigorous plotting sustains its fever pitch, though this would have been a better book with even one calm, reasonable figure in its midst.

In Down River, Hart surpasses his debut. John Hart was born in Durham, North Carolina, the son of a surgeon and French teacher

In Down River, Hart surpasses his debut. While he revisits themes in The King of Lies, Hart breaks from the legal thriller in Down River. The only lawyer who makes an appearance is the family's long-time retainer. Down River - Audio CD Scott Sowers' superb narration makes John Hart's skillful plot, loaded with complex characters, come alive in this not-to-be-missed novel. John Hart was born in Durham, North Carolina, the son of a surgeon and French teacher. His family later moved to Rowan County, the setting for his first novel, King of Lies, and his second novel, Down River.

Down River - John Hart. WOW was my reaction to John Hart's novel Down River. I found myself reading this book when I should have been doing my job and cleaning the house. I just couldn't put the book down. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time that I read this book. Down River is a mystery book that is different then what I have read in the past.

Adam Chase has a violent streak, and for good reason. As a boy, he saw things no child should witness, suffered wounds that left him misunderstood - a fighter. 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.

the NY times bestselling author of the king of lies

Heraly

I don't know what took me so long before I finally read a John Hart book. I knew he had a solid rep, had won an Edgar, was a popular writer. Maybe I thought he'd be too slow, or too literary, maybe too serious in plot and themes - but he was not. Anyway, I finally did it; read "Down River" and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will soon be reading more John Hart. This book has a a rather basic plot - our protagonist Adam returns home after being away for a number of years, and not everybody greets him with open arms and hearts. We gradually learn what happened, and why many think he was guilty of a serious crime when he left. Upon his return, his family is still one of the richest in the area; his dad owns a huge farm, and a power company wants it to built a nuclear plant since it abuts a big enough river to support a nuclear facility. An outcome that would enrich the lives of all - some looking forward to enrichment in their pockets, others fear enrichment of uranium. Then there's the family. Where to start....perhaps the stepmother who five years ago in court accused Adam of murdering her daughter's boyfriend. And the step-brother who is deeply in debt to the wrong people. And that's for starters. There are also two attractive, passionate young women with strong feelings for Adam even though he has not been in touch with either since leaving. But we must eliminate one them from the chase because......And then there's a couple of murders. Guess who's the primary suspect?

A great, twisty story well told with a very satisfactory ending. Laid out very well such that you don't have to have detail upon detail in the last 50 pages to explain all the connections that tie everything together - a sign of a very good, practiced author. Kudos, John Hart.

Braned

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. To echo someone else's opinion -- John Hart can certainly write! His choice of words is so often impeccable and his descriptive phrases, if the reader can slow down to take them in, are spot on. One reader who reviewed called the book a quick read and referred to it as light and fluffly. I would say to that person -- go deeper! The themes Mr. Hart writes about -- human frailty, deception, family secrets, unfailing loyalty and devotion, forgiveness, etc. -- are anything but light and fluffy. It's true I finished Down River quickly but that was only because I couldn't put it down for long.
I am looking forward to reading Redemption Road and anything else by John Hart. It's a pleasure to find an author who writes books of such substance and tells his stories so beautifully. LWS

Freaky Hook

If you are an adrenaline junkie, "Down River" is not the book for you. If you are looking for a mystery with layers peeled away like the skin of an onion while learning more about the main characters with each layer unfurled, then this offering by John Hart is right up your alley. This book is what I would consider a character driven mystery, and while we learn more about the character, the tumblers to solve the mystery drop into place.

The story begins as Adam Chase drives back into his home town in Rowan County, North Carolina. We learn that Adam has not been there for five years, that he has not even been in contact with anyone there - not even his main squeeze Robin Alexander, who has worked her way up to detective on the small police force. We come to find out that the reason Adam left was a murder trial in which he was the defendant, acquitted but none the less considered guilty by most of the town - including his step mother who testified against him. This latter fact caused a rift between Adam and his father Jacob, a rift Adam did not see as being able to be mended.

The reason Adam returned to Rowan county was a cryptic message from Danny Faith, one of Adam's oldest and dearest friends. Adam almost did not return, but in the end felt he owed it to Danny. He had not been in town 24 hours when he had a run in with Danny's father Zebulon, who not only felt Adam was guilty of murder, but also felt the wealth of the Chase family was the reason Adam did not go to jail. After an ambulance ride to the emergency room, Adam was picked up by Robin, who let him know she was over him and the offer of her apartment did not come with any fringe benefits. Adam, however, was not able to locate Danny Faith and was told he went to Florida to hide from an assault and battery charge from his ex-girlfriend.

But it seemed as if Adam's presence dug up some all to fresh memories, despite the five year interlude. Not long after his inglorious return to his childhood home, a severe beating there had him under police suspicion once again. Later, a body is found, and the local sheriff was out to implicate Adam. Things surely did not look good for him. Add into the mix that half the town wanted Jacob to sell 1400 acres to the power company for a new plant to be built, and the town was boiling over with accusations and hatred. But the worse things got for Adam, the deeper he dug. And just when you thought you might have figured out the mystery, another layer was peeled away and you were back to square one.

I really enjoyed this book. It is not every author that could pull this story off the way John Hart did. I really wanted things to turn out right for Adam (not saying they didn't) and became frustrated with him at times, especially for his inability to control his temper. It is not every novel that can keep me invested in the experiences of the characters, but "Down River" did this and more. I recommend this to any mystery buff who is looking for something a little bit different.

JoJoshura

This is so much more than a mystery/thriller. It is fine literature that wraps and intertwines family dynamics, warts and all, with societal conflicts in an engrossing novel that is very well written. The storyline is involved but well paced, the diverse characters interesting and well developed. Definition of time and place is excellent. All in all, a terrific reading experience!

Hulis

I ordered Down River after reading and enjoying Hart's novel Redemption Road last month.
Early on in Down River, I had the discouraging feeling that the plotting and narrative development were too mechanical. There are many plot twists. The specifics of those twists were not predictable but their occurrence and frequency were. The characters, including the protagonist, Adam Chase, are largely two-dimensional. Half way through, I put the novel down (and actually tossed it). I just didn’t care about any of the characters or what was happening to them. It is not that Down River is so inferior to Redemption Road but rather that it was too similar and having read Redemption Road fairly recently, I could feel the same machinery at work and the second time through it felt clumsy.