Review: The Hush by John Hart

by Susan Roberts

When you have to wait two years for a new John Hart book, you figure that it better be good. And when you find out that the main character is the grown-up version of one of John Hart's fantastic earlier book, you know that it's going to be good. And when you read it and find out that it's one of the best books you've ever read, then the wait was worth it.
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February 2018; St. Martin's Press
978-1250012302
audio, ebook, print (432 pages)
thriller

THE HUSH takes the reader into the life of grown-up Johnny Merrimon who we first met in the Edgar Award-winning novel THE LAST CHILD. You can read THE HUSH as a stand-alone with no confusion but there are some references to situations in the earlier book and I read THE LAST CHILD years ago so I just ordered it to read again. John Hart is the first author to win the Edgar Award two years in a row and I have enjoyed all of this novels. THE HUSH is a bit different because there is a supernatural element to it. It's a fantastic well-written novel that I think will be another top selling book.

Johnny is now in his late 20s, living life off the grid in an area known as the hush - an area in Rowan County NC, where a group of freed slaves started their new lives in the mid-1800s. Strange happenings are going on in the hush and Johnny wants to find out what is causing them so that he can continue his solitary life on the land that has been in his family for decades. His best friend, Jack, now a lawyer in Rowan County is the only person that Johnny allows on his land and knows where he lives. As Johnny and Jack try to find out what is happening in the hush, the reader is led down a mysterious path, with lots of detours to find out the answers. I really can't say much more about the plot without spoilers, but trust me, this is a plot that will keep you up far into the night. I lost a lot of sleep while I was reading it. The two main characters are extremely well written and believable and the plot will keep you guessing. I highly recommend this as another fantastic book from a great author.

Buy The Hush at Amazon

May 2009; Minotaur Books; 978-0312359324
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); thiller

The Last Child by John Hart

Thirteen-year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he'd been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is—confident in a way that he can never fully explain.

Determined to find his sister, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown. It is a desperate, terrifying search, but Johnny is not as alone as he might think. Detective Clyde Hunt has never stopped looking for Alyssa either, and he has a soft spot for Johnny. He watches over the boy and tries to keep him safe, but when Johnny uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it, Hunt has no choice but to intervene.

Then a second child goes missing...

Undeterred by Hunt's threats or his mother's pleas, Johnny enlists the help of his last friend, and together they plunge into the wild, to a forgotten place with a history of violence that goes back more than a hundred years. There, they meet a giant of a man, an escaped convict on his own tragic quest. What they learn from him will shatter every notion Johnny had about the fate of his sister; it will lead them to another far place, to a truth that will test both boys to the limit.

Buy The Last Child at Amazon

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads,  or Twitter. 

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