Redemption Road: A Novel

Redemption Road, May 16, 2017, by American author, North Carolina native, John Hart. Over two million copies of his books are in print; he is also the first and only author to win back-to-back Edgars for Best Novel. Each of his four books has been a New York Times bestseller.Since his debut bestseller, THE KING OF LIES, reviewers around the world have praised the work of Hart, who was born and raised in the western, mountainous frequently poorer part of the state. Each of his novels has taken him higher on the New York Times Bestseller list as his fine literary writing; exciting plotting-- lots of twists and turns-- and evocative evocation of place have earned history's only consecutive Edgar Awards for Best Novel with DOWN RIVER and THE LAST CHILD.This novel imagines a small, poor North Carolina town, nestled in the mountains, trying to deal with the fact that they have a serial killer in their midst. Meanwhile, after thirteen years in prison, a good cop wrongly found guilty walks free, while deep in the forest, on the altar of an abandoned church, a pretty young woman’s body cools in pale linen. A boy with a gun waits for the man who the boy believes killed his mother. A troubled young detective worries about the impact of brutal abuse on a young girl, confronts her own past in the aftermath of a brutal shooting.Hart was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1965, to a young surgeon and French teacher who quit teaching to raise her children. He has won the Barry Award, the Southern Independent Bookseller’s Award for Fiction, the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award and the North Carolina Award for Literature. His novels have been translated into thirty languages, can be read in more than seventy countries. I have read each of his novels as released, loved them, and reviewed them all on their Amazon web sites. Really lucky that way: was introduced to Hart’s work shortly after having moved to coastal Wilmington, North Carolina. The local library then threw mystery weekends; the 2007 event tipped him as Rookie of the Year. I still have the bookmark that says so, if only I could figure out how to scan it and post it here. Saw Hart again at the 2015 Boucher.con convention for international mystery authors and fans, which was held that year in Raleigh, N.C. And I’ve every one of his books autographed. Long may he prosper and write, long may I be able to review his works and add them – autographed, of course, to my collections of the works of handsome young Southern authors.

Adrian Wall is out of prison, after thirteen years of torture at the hands of the warden and his minions. John Hart's new book, REDEMPTION ROAD, finally here five years after his last, does indeed bring redemption for Wall and the other main characters in the book. However, that redemption comes at a huge cost to himself and also to the victims of the serial killer who framed detective Wall.The characterization is deep, as it is in all of Hart's books. There's Adrian, of course, and the female cop, Elizabeth Black, who has always believed in his innocence. Black's flawed partner, who played a critical role in Wall's conviction, becomes increasingly complex through the book. Gideon, the son of the woman Adrian was convicted for killing, is all but legally adopted by Elizabeth and becomes the personification of goodness at the center of the tale. The young girl that Elizabeth rescues from her rapist captors turns out to be less than a victim. Adrian's lawyer, an elderly friend of Elizabeth, is tormented by the demons caused by Adrian's imprisonment. And finally, Elizabeth's father, a preacher who has never forgiven her for early sins, counterbalances the goodness of Gideon. Each of these characters, and indeed even the more peripheral ones, is written with such depth and clarity that they could be the readers' own family. And each finds, in some way, redemption by the end of the book.A book that so brilliantly captures the individuals who people it is often short on plot. However, this is not the case with this book, any more than it is with any of Hart's books. The road to redemption is indirect, complex, and twisty, and the reader is glued to his or her seat as the mystery is finally revealed. The book opens with the serial killer, unidentified until the final pages of the story, abducting a young woman. While the rest of the narrative weaves Adrian's and Elizabeth's present and past seamlessly, slowly exposing their history, abrupt changes in perspective occur in alternating chapters told from the victims' and the killer's perspectives.This is a gratifying story, told in beautiful language. It is not, however, a book that fosters much faith in our legal system. Redemption for these damaged souls is not bought cheaply, nor does it result in the traditional happy ending. But it does occur, in a way that makes sense given the multifaceted history of the characters, and in the end it provides a sense of closure and possibility. REDEMPTION ROAD imbues the reader with a sense that even in the most corrupt world, it is possible to find one's place.Thank you to netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review.

I came to this from the Unwilling. If anything, it proved an even more exciting read, well-written and full control of both character and plot. Way above the average crime novel . It is a pity though that in both books Hart dwells on torture to the point of repelling all but those with the strongest stomachs. The novels would lack none of their impact with less of this unpleasant feature.

I eagerly awaited this book having read and thoroughly enjoyed Harts previous ones. However this was not of the same standard.I gave up twice but returned because I was sure he would redeem himself. He didn't the ending was poorThe Writing: Hart uses great prose and can create a great sense of place. However in this one I think he tried too hard in places. Descriptions like a "hard minute" left me wondering what he meant, which disturbed the flow.The Characters: All miserable. OK I admit Hart usually has miserable people but it's too much. Everything is dark. I found the protagonist unlikable and her situation unbelievable. She is raped along with another girl (who, though 18, is referred to as a child frequently) and allegedly shoots the perps. However she is then treated like a pariah by the towns folk and her colleagues. I also found it hard to believe that the lawyer would be called Crybaby. He cried during one court case and had been labelled ever since - even by the protagonist.The Plot: There are a couple of intertwined main plots - the serial murders and the persecution of Adrian Wall. The latter at times felt a bit like Shawshank with hidden millions motivating the crooks. Though How they knew, I am unclear. The serial murders seemed to grow nicely but then the villain (I won't spoil it) comes out of the blue and the whole thing is over just as quickly. A bit of a twist but without build up or satisfying denouement.Overall: I don't think Hart plotted the story well enough to keep the reader entertained and guessing. There are long sections when very little happens and tension wasn't built up for the climax. Hart is such a good writer normally - and a lot of effort went into this - but this was a great disappointment and I'm unlikely to try another of his books in the future.

A well-plotted and well-written thriller which maintains its pace from start to finish, filled with well-developed characters: quite a lot of violence, so not for the faint-hearted! This was my first foray into John Hart's work and I have already added two more of his books to my reading queue.

I love this author, so glad someone left one of his books lying around, I have since bought and read all the others. I was beginning to despair of ever finding another good writer who could keep me turning the pages, now I dread finishing the last book

The first John Hart book I read was the Last Child and and I thought it was excellent .Took another chance on this one even though it was expensive for Kindle.It never stops coming , with a complicated plot and finely drawn characters.I won't give the plot away , read the jacket!Highly recommended .