Through me the way to the suffering city; through me the everlasting pain. Dante

Jason French has lived a life full of pain and suffering. Endured a a tour of Vietnam and just released from prison. He has an air of confidence - probably due to survival. He has shut himself off from his family. His lost his twin brother in the war. According to his mother, the good one was killed. That is what Jason remembers from his mother. He has a younger brother Gibby who wants to know his big brother. Gibby wants to find a connection to the pain and suffering and misunderstanding. Their father is on the police force and their mother's only concern now is the safety of Gibby. Jason is to far gone that she is overwhelmed on how to relate to him. Jason is not the same.

That is the family dynamic and it comes to a head when Gibby and Jason meet at the swimming hole. He gravitates toward his brother, the scars on his body, the look in his eyes, and the what is said and unsaid. The day they get together, it starts with excitement and anticipation and it ends with the beginning of something sinister. A prisoners' from Jason's time in prison, a woman brutally murdered, and a brother trying to redeem his big brother.

I find John Hart's writing to be intense and this was intense. I liked the back drop of Vietnam and the brother relationship. The intensity came from the relationships as much has the plot. Glad I was able to pick this one up.

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

3.5 stars. I really like this author's writing style and how he writes a thriller, family drama, coming of age story and it doesn't become bogged down by too much going on. There were some elements of this book that were a little too unbelievable, especially with a few characters. And maybe just a little too long.

John Hart is easily one of my top 3 favorite authors and for good reason. After reading Down River and The Last Child when they won back-to-back Edgar awards, I knew Hart was a staple author. As expected, The Unwilling didn't disappoint - excellent character developments (even the 2nd tier ones) and great plot/storyline along with enough twists to keep you guessing but keep the overall story grounded. Some parts can become dark at times but the intertwined themes of loss, redemption, family and friends keep the plot well-balanced and will have you rooting for characters you never thought you would. Excellent all around - 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

DNF at 60%. This book is depressing and unbelievable.

Once I got to the numerous pages of torture and killings of animals, I didn’t need to continue. I was done.

The writing is good, but I think I am not the right person to read this book.
It is too much for me - too raw, too heartbreaking and too graphic.
Each character is well developed and the narrative is compelling, but the story is just too unrelentingly harsh.
I need to read something funny and inconsequential after this.

This is a suspense historical fiction mystery thriller. I did not get a lot of the historical fiction part of this book. I have to say I really enjoyed the first 50% of the book. but the last 50% I found it went to far and I just did not like it. I really wish the ending was different in this book. The characters in this book was not likable, but that is what they where written to be like. This was a dark mystery with a lot of questionable things in it. This book is not for the light hearted, and you should check the triggers for this book if you get upset while reading books. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (St. Martin's Press) or author (John Hart) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

I had never read a John Hart book before but have heard positive things so I was excited to read this ARC. I will admit from the beginning, this is not my regular sort of mystery, as there are graphic killings, mentions of animal torture (briefly), and not one but two serial killers. Despite that, there was a strong story line that kept me involved and interested throughout the whole book.

The story is set in the early 70s when any boy not going to college risked the Vietnam draft. I was in early years of high school during this time, so I could identify with the time period and the pall this cast over young men's lives. The French family is led by the police detective Dad, who works in murders, and the Mom who has never recovered from the loss of her son in the Vietnam War. His twin, Jason, survived the war but came home with a host of troubles including addictions and haunting memories. The parents are very protective of their youngest son, Gibby or Gibson, who will be heading to college in the fall after graduating high school.

Justin returns from prison and wants to meet his younger brother but the day they spend together has long reaching and tragic implications. From this point the story goes into a story of revenge and murder and there is plenty of meat for those who enjoy this sort of mystery. The author's story goes deeper however, as he delves into each character's struggles and motivations. He cleverly uses a watering hole where the towns students gather for summer swims as an allegory of courage. Both French twin brothers have dived from the high cliff, and their younger brother Gibby sees this as the true symbol of courage. This deep dive will come to symbolize courage, and the character's growth and realizations.

A small part of the story refers to the tragic Mai Lai massacre that took place during the Vietnam War, and the author says that this is what germinated the idea for the main character, Jason. I most enjoyed the part of the story, where the author fleshed out his characters and gave them some sort of redemption.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and author John Hart for the chance to read this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Unwilling by John Hart.

Gibby is cautiously happy to see his brother Jason after getting out of jail. His cop father, however, is not. Gibby has already lost a brother to the Vietnam War, and because of Jason's estrangement of the family, it looks like he might lose another one. Jason has also been to war, but his jail time, and rumors of his violence has kept most people at a distance.

Wanting a relationship with his brother, Jason convinces Gibby to spend the day at the lake with him. They meet girls and have a fine time. But then they pass a prison bus on the way out, and the course of their entire lives change. Jason's prison rivals now know who he's with, and what he's up to, and one murder is going to launch him back into the world of prison...

This was a dark, and nail biting thriller. It was disturbing, but also surprisingly full of heart and personality. It's not just a book about violence, war, or prison. Jason and Gibby are whole people, with complicated pasts and feelings, as well as the surrounding players. It took no time at all until I was fully invested in this story.

Another masterpiece by John Hart! "The Unwilling" is a suspenseful book about family, forgiveness, consequences, and war. Although a little far-fetched at times, Hart weaves a heart-wrenching story that keeps you guessing at every turn. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
#TheUnwilling #NetGalley

The Vietnam War has been hard on Gibby's family. One brother never returned and the other returned only to spend three years in prison. When a day at the lake ends with a riot aboard a prison transport that will result in the murder of a young woman, Gibby dives deep into his older brother's war history to prove him innocent. The Unwilling started strong with the complicated relationships of Gibby's family. However, the story didn't have enough suspense to compensate for the highly unrealistic characters and plotline introduced halfway through the book.

This is a coming-of-age story crossed with police procedural mixed in with a little thriller. The main character, Gibby, is a high schooler dealing with girls, the draft, the possibility of Vietnam, his parents and his drug-addicted, ex-con brother. A lot of chapters are from the point of view of the side characters. I didn't really connect with Gibby's character and was a little bored with his aspect of story. His brother, Jason, had a much more interesting background and storyline. I really would have liked to have heard directly from him but I think Hart was trying to make him an enigma. The bad guys were extra creepy. I could hear X--yes that is the character's name--in my head. And I got a clear picture of the "attorney" Reece. This started out slow but it ends with a bang.

I have always wanted to read John Hart, because I have heard great things about his writing. I got The Unwilling through NetGalley, and I was not disappointed.
I would compare his writing to C.J. Box as far as the tone and heart (no pun intended) that both writers put in their characters.
This story of brotherly love is great for anyone looking for a little action and gore and a few tender moments.
Set in the time of the Vietnam war, a pair of twins go to war but only one comes home changed. He hangs out with his younger brother and they end up with a dead girl. The twin goes to jail for the murder, but the younger brother knows that he did not do it, and tries to clear his name, but will he survive?

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Unwilling is a story of drama, action and the changing family dynamics as a result of war.
Robert and Jason are twins, Robert the oldest by a day, and because of this Robert is called up to go to war before Jason. He leaves for Vietnam and returns in a coffin. Jason follows in his brother's footsteps and completes three tours of duty before he is dishonorably discharged, coming home a changed man. Their youngest brother Gibby grows up under an overprotective mother who doesn't want to lose another son and wants Jason as far away as possible.
This book has everything to keep a reader engaged, wanting more. Real characters that you connect with, driven by a storyline that provides insights into a damaged family torn apart by tragic events. This is only part of the story and has a whole other side that lives in a dark, evil well of depravity with Jason as the common denominator.

This is my first book by John Hart, certainly not to be my last.
Highly recommend!!

The Unwilling is a historical fiction, set in the South during the Vietnam War. A dysfunctional family is at its core, with the members torn apart by war, death, and misunderstandings. Gibby is a teenager, with one brother dead from an enemy's bullet and one in prison. When Jason is released and comes back to forge a bond with his little brother, what happens when the past catches up with him? Can a person ever outrun the misconceptions that others have?

Trouble had a way of following Jason. His story would have been compelling had the book been about his time in Vietnam and his struggles to reconnect to the outside world, but the entire subplot about prison ruined the book for me. This side plot seemed to be there for both shock value and a way to get characters into certain situations. There was a lack of realism that I just could not get past. Overall, I liked the characters of Jason and Gibby, but I did not enjoy the story as a whole. For this reason, I would be hesitant to recommend The Unwilling to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press. The decision to review this novel entirely was my own.

5 big, sparkly stars for John Hart's The Unwilling, my favorite thriller/suspense read of 2020!

I've long been a fan of Hart's work - all of this books have been good -- but he really knocked it out of the park with this one. Themes of lost childhood, the impact of war (Vietnam in this case), loyalty, family, and of course, good versus evil, all converge in this novel and make one heck of a firework show.

I love books that explore how a human can truly be a multiverse - beautiful but terrible, cruel but kind, good and bad and every shade of color in between. Reading the synopsis will give you a great high-level overview of the storyline, but just know that with some books, the synopsis is really just a polished highlight reel of an otherwise less than stellar work, this book truly delivers on all those exclamatory "incredible crime fiction" and "page-turner" publisher blurbs.

If you love well-written southern noir, dark and gritty crime suspense, or are constantly on the lookout for one of those Killing Eve-level, ice-cold, sociopathic killers....this one is for you.

Like his previous works this books was thoroughly engrossing. Eloquent writing style, plot was well thought out and the dialogue between characters was realistic. Thanks for the opportunity to read this.

The Unwilling is the story of Gibby French, brother of a Vietnam Veteran who was killed in the war, brother to another Vietnam Veteran who came back troubled, son of the local police detective and son to a woman who mourns her first born.

As his troubled brother returns, Gibby tries to connect with him but learns that his brother is suspected in the murder of his girlfriend. Gibby is the only one who wants to actual learn about Jason, his past and why he has made such poor decisions. He knows that if he can only connect with his brother, he can learn the truth about the murder.

Unfortunately, Gibby gets pulled into Jason's underworld and his life becomes in danger. He becomes involved in corruption bigger than Jason and can lose his life to find the truth.

John Hart's books are slower than most mystery books. I call them Southern mysteries. His characters are deeply, deeply flawed but the weaving together of so many stories is amazing. One of the things I like most about John Hart's books is the importance of place. This was was not my favorite but I still was extremely interested to see how all the stories would wind up interweaving and what would happen to the French family.

A superb book, really grabbed me. Mr. Hart has the unique ability of writing with literary and eloquent beauty while also creating a page-turner of the highest caliber.

By far my favorite read of the year! I have been raving about this one to everyone that will listen. This will definitely be my most recommended book this year!

TWENTY Must-Read Books of 2021 that You Need On Your Bookshelf
In 2020, I read a crazy amount of books. I doubt I will ever top the amount I read!

I’m trying to read as much as I can and just plowed through some of the best novels I have ever read. I didn’t think another year could possibly compare, but there is an absolute plethora of books that are SO GOOD coming out now and in the next few months.

I cannot stop reading! As soon as I finish one I pick up another.

Here are TWENTY books that you will want to read as soon as they are published.

These are books that will entertain, make you think, make you laugh, some will have you biting your nails in suspense. Take a look now and let me know what you will be reading!

10. The Unwilling by John Hart, read this if you are in a serious mood, set in the South during the Vietnam War
Gibby’s older brothers have already been to war. One died there. The other came back misunderstood and hard, a decorated killer now freshly released from a three-year stint in prison.

Jason won’t speak of the war or of his time behind bars, but he wants a relationship with the younger brother he hasn’t known for years. Determined to make that connection, he coaxes Gibby into a day at the lake: long hours of sunshine and whisky and older women.

But the day turns ugly when the four encounter a prison transfer bus on a stretch of empty road. Beautiful but drunk, one of the women taunts the prisoners, leading to a riot on the bus. The woman finds it funny in the moment, but is savagely murdered soon after.

Given his violent history, suspicion turns first to Jason; but when the second woman is kidnapped, the police suspect Gibby, too. Determined to prove Jason innocent, Gibby must avoid the cops and dive deep into his brother’s hidden life, a dark world of heroin, guns and outlaw motorcycle gangs.

What he discovers there is a truth more disturbing than he could have imagined: not just the identity of the killer and the reasons for Tyra’s murder, but the forces that shaped his brother in Vietnam, the reason he was framed, and why the most dangerous man alive wants him back in prison.

This is crime fiction at its most raw, an exploration of family and the past, of prison and war and the indelible marks they leave.

Read it now!