Once again, John Hart took me to the edge of my seat as I read the continued story of Johnny begun in "The Last Child". This time Johnny is grown and lives life on his own terms in the swamp near his ancestral home and the deserted old slave yard. There is something going on there that is evil and not entirely of this world. Johnny is somehow connected, but once again misunderstood by the law. His friend Jack, now a lawyer, continues to stand by him, but is frustrated by Johnny's secrecy. The story connects with a young woman who is a descendant of one of the freed slaves from the plantation of Johnny's great grandfather. Both she and Johnny have "dreams" that take them back into their familial history. Add in people dying and going mad after daring to go in the swamp, and you have a complex and genre defying tale of terror.
I really like this author and this book. That said, I found it a bit complex at times and thought that maybe he could have cut out some of the detail which at times just slowed down this otherwise fast paced read. It is still an amazing story, and one that I would highly recommend whether you have read "The Last Child" or not. I continue to be a fan.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I had a difficult time with this book. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't read the book that started this story, The Last Child, or if it was the supernatural aspect that surrounded the violence and deaths at Hush Arbor. Once I started skimming large portions of the story, I knew I couldn't finish it. I think that John Hart took this story in a direction and genre he hasn't really done before and it didn't work for me. I think he is a great writer and can tell a story, but I just couldn't connect with this one... on to the next!

I had high hopes for this book as I have been a fan of John Hart but I was completely underwhelmed. This one has me going at first but then took a turn for the worse, not what I was expecting at all. It was hard to follow and just hard for me to struggle through in the end. I will look forward to more of his writing in the future but won't be recommending this one.

Huge fan of this author. Very fast paced and very intriguing. I enjoyed how it kept me hooked and it was an original story. Nowadays so many books read the same. Highly recommend

My indoctrination into the fabulous world of John Hart's writing took place with his second novel, DOWN RIVER. To this day it stands at the top of my list of favorite crime novels. I've read everything Hart has written, and enjoyed each story for different reasons. King of Lies was lyrical and assured for a debut. Redemption Road dark and foreboding. Iron Lake saw Hart taking risks he hadn't yet taken at that point in his career. The Last Child was his epic, game-changing entry, reminiscent of what Mystic River did for Dennis Lehane''s career. When word spread that Hart was writing a sequel to The Last Child I marked the date on my calendar and settled myself for what was to be a too-long wait. I read a lot of fantastic books in the interim, but all the while my thoughts were on The Hush. Then I learned that once again Hart was taking a leap with his writing. The Hush, I discovered, though a sequel to The Last Child, was steeped with more than a few supernatural elements. My disappointment allowed me to set aside the book without reading a page for quite some time. Then I finally decided to give The Hush a whirl, and it is an understatement to say that I am happy I did. I enjoy Stephen King's work, even the supernatural elements, in part because I expect those elements as part of his oeuvre. I didn't expect this from John Hart, and so I had to temper my ill feelings about this shift in his writing before I could tackle the book. I can share with readers that Hart is simply a fantastic storyteller, and his ability to stretch himself artistically with each entry is commendable. On its face, The Hush is a continuation of Johnny Merrimon's story, ten years after the dramatic events from The Last Child. But The Hush is far more than what it offers at the surface. Living alone on 6000 acres of land in Hush Arbor, a haunted place, Johnny's only connection to the outside world is with his best friend, Jack, who is now a lawyer. That law degree comes in handy when Johnny is threatened with losing his precious land. I say this book is more than its surface, because for all intent's and purposes this is the story of Johnny's fight to keep his land. And yet, this book delves into the ghosts of slavery, the cost of friendship, familial dysfunction, the balance of power, and so much more. This is a bravura performance from Hart. I'm glad I gave it a chance.

Editor's note: This review appears online and in print in (Boone, NC) Mountain Times (www.mountaintimes.com)

More than a whisper: John Hart returns to the scene of the crime in 'The Hush'

Reviewers have never been quiet when it comes to a new John Hart novel, and from starred critiques to caveats of uneven characterization — often in the same review — “The Hush” (St. Martin’s Press) is making well-deserved noise among literary circles.

It doesn’t hurt that Hart, the only author to win the best novel Edgar Award for consecutive books, returns to the scene of his most-read, most-awarded work, “The Last Child.” That 2009 Edgar Award-winning mystery details Johnny Merrimon’s search for his twin sister, a desperate escapade into a forgotten land with a century-old history of violence.

Because it would be easy to spoil that story for the uninitiated, suffice it to say that “The Hush” comes full circle. It’s been 10 years since the close of “The Last Child,” and now we find Johnny living in, and about to lose, the Hush, 6,000 acres of half-swamp, half dry land in Raven County, N.C.

Challenging Johnny for ownership of the land is Cree Freemantle, whose slave ancestors may have had a claim to the property. Needing legal help he can’t afford, Johnny turns to his boyhood friend and newish attorney Jack Cross (also returning from “The Last Child”) for help. Mix in the wealthy William Boyd, who offers Johnny $30 million for the land but soon falls prey to a horrific death in the Hush for which Johnny becomes the primary suspect, and “The Hush” has all the ingredients of a Grisham legal thriller.

It is in the second, and stronger half of the novel, that Hart turns from this tack to unleash the nightmares of violent and supernatural forces that prey on all who enter the Hush, and especially on those with a direct-descendent connection to the land.

Weaving those forces into a credible story is part of Hart’s particular brand of story-telling magic. Once he moves past the the slightly scattered opening, the author finds this footing and delivers a story that will satisfy a reader into the late hours of the night.

That satisfaction is something for which St. Martin’s obviously has high hopes. Amid an aggressive marketing campaign, Hart is now on the type of book tour — 32 stops from Raleigh to Denver — once common but now reserved for all but the most ambitious and promising of projects. With “The Hush,” it’s a good bet. Building on the strength of this well-crafted story, it’s a campaign that will be well-received.

I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I even got BACK up at night because I wanted to know what happened. Loved it

John Hart's latest, THE HUSH, defies categorization. While all of his previous books have been mystery thrillers, THE HUSH falls somewhere amongst historical mysteries, metaphysical treatises, and supernatural horror stories. It picks up Johnny Merrimon's story ten years after the end of Hart's 2009, THE LAST CHILD. For those who have read that first book, the background will provide additional depth to the reading of the current book, but THE HUSH can be read as a standalone with no loss of impact.

Johnny lives off-the-grid in a remote area called "the hush," an area that has a strong sense of the past remaining from the days when his grandfather owned and then freed slaves on that very land. He has a deep relationship with the land, particularly the swamp, feeling the trees and animals around him intimately. He takes his stewardship of the swamp and its surrounds seriously, and something in the swamp takes care of him in return. While Johnny sees his symbiotic relationship with his land as warm, caring, and essential, his boyhood friend turned lawyer, Jack, sees it as sinister. And the townspeople of Raven County agree with Jack.

When a trophy hunter with a bad history with Johnny goes missing and is then found dead in the swamp, the sheriff declares war on Johnny. Things go from bad to worse for both Johnny and the sheriff as the presence in the swamp protects Johnny and itself. We are filled in on the nature of that presence through dreams in which Johnny and a descendent of the freed slaves who lived in the swamp relive their ancestors' pasts. Hart places the reader in the minds of Johnny, Jack, and other main characters as well as providing glimpses of what it feels like to be a victim of the presence. He effectively transitions from past to present, making us feel the thinness of the temporal division. Suspension of disbelief is necessary, as events and Johnny's protector are unnatural, but the plot is logical within its own construct and the ending satisfying.

It will be interesting to see if this is a one-time departure toward the supernatural for Hart, or if it is a new interest he wants to explore. Either way, his writing is masterful and his books among the best.

St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Hush. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

The Hush is a supernatural thriller, but is missing the level of spookiness that is required to push a story in this genre past the no man's land between paranormal and normal thriller. The cold fear of the swamp, as it tries to repel all that dare to cross its boundaries, is clearly felt, but the evil that resides within is simply vague and elusive.

All Johnny Merrimon wants is to live on his six thousand acres and to keep the mysteries of the swamp from prying eyes. The only connections to the world outside that Johnny wants to keep are his friendship with his friend Jack and his relationship with his stepfather and his mother.
When a murder occurs on the land, will the sheriff, bent on revenge over Johnny's past missteps, force the young man to admit to certain perceptions of the truth? Will the fight to keep the land out of others' hands end in more pain and misery for all concerned?

The Hush had the potential to be a nail-biter, but I thought the story dragged instead. The supernatural element did not bother me and, in fact, the author did not go far enough to give this idea strength. When it comes down to it, the book was about a young man trying to keep the land he loves out of the prying hands of others. The Hush was not groundbreaking or unique and had a plot that was slow in its pacing. Although I did feel sympathy for Johnny as to the way he was treated, it was not enough to elevate this book for me. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Hush to other readers.

I am a HUGE fan of John Hart, so I was extremely excited when NetGalley approved me to read his latest book The Hush.

The Hush contains the same two main characters, best friends since childhood, John Merriman and Jack, that we were introduced to in The Last Child. That might imply that The Hush is a sequel to The Last Child, but each book stands well on its own and is entirely different.

Jack is now a lawyer, and John is a loner who lives in a cabin on 6,000 acres of wilderness. As different as their worlds have become, they still meet regularly and both rely on and treasure their friendship.

The Hush is not at all what I expected from John Hart - it is totally unlike any of his other books. This book is heavy into the paranormal/magical-suspense and the reader must be willing to suspend all belief while reading The Hush.

I love the way John Hart writes; his vivid characters, descriptions and atmosphere make the reader feel part of the story. However, this one was too "out-there" for me, and I didn't enjoy it as much as his previous books. I hope he makes this his experiment in the paranormal genre and gets back to writing books more similar to his prior books.

Many, many thanks to Netgalley and publisher St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read John's latest book in exchange for an honest review.

Dark, haunting, and unpredictable!

The Hush takes us back to into the lives of Johnny Merrimon and Jack Cross 10 years after we first met them in The Last Child as they face a journey of survival against resentment, jealousy, legal woes, the wilderness, and the unsettled skeletons and secrets of the past.

The writing is gloomy and exceptional descriptive. The characters are steadfast, scarred, and lonely. And the plot, which seems to be heading towards a legal thriller in the first half of the novel quickly veers into a story of tortured spirits, dark magic, and supernatural phenomenon.

I have to say that die-hard fans of John Hart may be a little disappointed in this latest outing which doesn’t leave you on the edge-of-your-seat or delve into the complex nature of the human psyche as we've come to associate with his novels. There's no question that Hart is an incredibly evocative writer, and although The Hush really didn't work for me if you can approach it with an open mind and enjoy stories steeped in magical realism you may just love it.

I haven’t read all of John Hart’s books, but the ones I have read have been terrific, so I was especially eager to read his latest, The Hush (thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley). This story happens to be a follow-up to The Last Child (2010 Edgar Award for Best Novel), which featured Johnny Merrimon and Jack Cross, two teenage boys growing up in the South who go on a wild adventure likened by The Washington Post as “Huck Finn channeled through Lord of the Flies.”

In The Hush, Johnny and Jack return as adults. Johnny is living on inherited land in The Hush, a huge parcel in North Carolina. This is part swampland, which I always tend to equate with creepy, nightmare-inducing stories. Johnny has just won a lawsuit brought by the Freemantles, descendants of slaves, but he is now facing an appeal. That appeal happens to be funded by a wealthy hedge fund manager (is that redundant?) from New York, who wants the land as a hunting preserve. Johnny recruits his lifelong friend Jack, still Johnny’s friend and also now his attorney, to help him in defend against the appeal. So far so good, and it even sounds like it has the mystery/thriller characteristics than I enjoy so much, along with some violence and history, both of which which will appeal to many readers.

For me, it just didn’t totally work (although I love Hart’s storytelling ability and the sense of place that has run through all of his work that I have read). Possibly if I had read The Last Child, and were more familiar with Johnny and Jack, it might have been more appealing to me (?), although I inferred that this was a standalone that happened to include characters from a previous book, rather than a sequel.

Interwoven throughout is the almost excruciating story of slavery and the indelible harm it caused for so many (including the family who filed the suit against Johnny as well as his own guilt for the actions of his slave-owning ancestors). But, after thinking about it, I am pretty sure that what took it down a point for me was the supernatural element. That just isn’t my thing. I only gave it three stars, despite the stellar writing and strong plot, but for those who appreciate stories with a supernatural element and who don’t get nightmares from reading about the pain and suffering resulting from the slave trade, this is a sure winner.

I could not put this book down! Lets just say that a lot of laundry didn't get done for two days! I was like this with John Hart's The Last Child.
John Hart writes an amazing story with such complex characters. I love the friendship between Johnny and Jack! And the twists and turns John took me on was amazing, the not knowing was AMAZING!!! Also I love love love the paranormal aspect in this book! Everything about The Hush was amazing! I can't wait to read more from John Hart.

Two best friends since childhood now live starkly different adult lives: one beginning his first year as an attorney in a top-notch law firm, the other living hermit-like in a huge piece of contested land. The land, called The Hush, was given to Johnny’s family before the Revolution, his ancestor in turn deeded acres of it to a freed slave until the last male descendant died and then it would revert back to the original family. It has reverted back, although a female descendant of the freed slave is appealing. The book starts out seeming like a legal contest between families. Are they fighting about a piece of Eden or about potential vast wealth? Slowly the tale becomes twitchy and mysterious. There’s more going on in that swamp than we could imagine. This is a great story about things that go bump in the night, rippling through our unconscious and stirring our dreams. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

If you're a long time reader of John Hart, The Hush is going to require that you set aside some of what you expect from his books. The author's distinct writing style is here, and the southern setting is more vividly described and integral than ever before. However, if you're expecting a typical mystery, you're going to be surprised. Sure, the story is mysterious, but I'd definitely take issue with calling this one a mystery. Magical realism doesn't seem to quite fit, and it's not quite scifi or fantasy... it's just unusual. The last 10% or so of the book really lost me as when the final bits of the story came together it just didn't make a ton of sense. It's an interesting departure from the author's previous work, but may leave some readers a little baffled.

In John Hart's newest novel he revisits two characters from The Last Child, Johnny Merrimon, and Jack Cross. Ten years on, their lives have diverged widely, but the two are still the closest of friends. Jack is beginning his career as a bankruptcy lawyer, and Johnny has inherited a six thousand acre tract of swampland called "The Hush."Johnny built a cabin on the land and has essentially become a hermit, seldom going into town and living off the land. The notoriety from the events of The Last Child still clings to both, and they would prefer to stay out of the public eye as much as possible. But other people want the land; a billionaire game hunter, and the family of Isaac Fremantle. The property formerly belonged to the Merrimons but was deeded to the Fremantle family, along with manumission in 1853.The death of the last Fremantle male triggered the reversion of the property to Johnny. But there are very odd things happening both on the property and to Johnny himself, things that Jack finds frightening and dangerous.Old sins and secrets are coming to a head in The Hush.

John Hart has taken a significant risk with this novel with its jump from traditional thriller into magical realism. If you have a problem with the suspension of disbelief, this may be a disappointment. Thinking back to The Last Child, the roots are there for this new story. I am, as always, dazzled by Hart's storytelling. It's not often that I read a book cover to cover in one day, but I couldn't put this one down. It is not necessary to read The Last Child to thoroughly enjoy The Hush, but I recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.



RATING- 5 Stars

“That’s exactly how childhood with Johnny had ended, not in quietness and time, but in a sudden rush of secrets and death and superstitious dread.”

Building on the award-winning The Last Child, we meet up again with friends Johnny and Jack ten years later in The Hush. Set in North Carolina swamp country, this thriller does not disappoint. Hart’s choice of time and place picks up from The Last Child exactly where it should in these young men’s lives. There’s been healing but still a rawness of emotions connected to past events. An inheritance of 6,000 acres of sacred land by Johnny becomes central to the story as his ownership is challenged by a slave’s ancestor.

Supernatural elements amidst the mystery were unexpected and showcases Hart’s imagination. The ominous cloud overhead kept me engaged and Hart’s word-smithing skill allowed me to easily imagine ‘the air like ice, the fog of his breath’ and the energy in the air when strange things happen in this swampland.

I wholeheartedly recommend to mystery thriller readers, but do yourself a favor and read The Last Child first as this story will have a greater impact knowing more of the details of Johnny and Jack’s history.
*will post in additional online venues once published.

"There is such magic in the world, and such strong hearts to hold it."

This is the follow-up book to John Hart's excellent book THE LAST CHILD. If you are like me, have read the first book and were anxious to continue Johnny and Jack's stories, you will get that in this book - but probably not in the manner you were expecting.

It's been ten years since the horrifying events from the first book. Jack is now a bankruptcy attorney - really - and Johnny, because of family connections, inherited 6000 acres of land that include the Hush Arbor. He and Jack built him a cabin on the land and he feels an extraordinary closeness to the land.

At the very end of THE LAST CHILD, there was a hint of otherworldliness. In THE HUSH be prepared to suspend belief and be taken on the supernatural ride of your life.

I probably liked THE LAST CHILD the best of the two books but it's a close call. They are really two different types of book. There are still vivid characters, beautifully descriptive passages of the land, and definitely an exciting storyline.

I received this book from St. Martin's Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

A big departure for John Hart with this second book about Johnny and Jack set ten years after the events in The Last Child--he has written this one with a big helping of magical-realism. Johnny prefers to live alone in a cabin in the Hush. There's some sort of magic here...or is it evil? Grown men go in and never come out, or if they do, they may have lost their sanity.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an arc of this suspenseful new book.

This one just didn't do it for me. It had some supernatural elements (which I enjoy), some paranormal (I like that, too). However, something just seemed off. I do recommend you trying this, but you should read The Last Child first since this is a continuation of that story.

My thanks to netgalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy.