Have read every book by this author. However, I did not finish this one. Not in a mood for a suspense thriller at this time. Perhaps later., want to read feel good books right now.

Gibby French has a lot on his mind, he just turned 18 and needs to register for the draft and potentially follow his brothers to Vietnam. His brother Robert never made it back and his brother Jason came back different caught up in drugs and went to prison. Jason is out and trying to reconnect with his little brother despite their parents’ concerns. Their father, detective French, finds himself in a tough place between being a father or a cop when it looks like Jason is back in trouble. Can Gibby stay out of it? This was a thrilling historical fiction full of heroes and horrific villains. Once I got stared it was hard to put this book down. The characters were well developed and the story was captivating.

Honestly, I’m not even sure where to start with this review. I can not figure out all the 5 star reviews of this. Did I get the wrong copy? Maybe a first/rough draft? If it had been longer it would’ve ended up in the DNF pile. The entire story felt amateurish... I actually found myself laughing at the absurdity of some of the dialogue and unbelievable scenes. I was going to include examples, but that would’ve been 3/4 of the book. The violence was another huge issue... can I say overkill? Maybe this level of descriptive violence works for people, but I find it disturbing and utterly distracting. Not surprisingly I felt the same about his novel Redemption Road. I know I’m in the big minority in my review... unfortunately, think this is the last Hart novel that I will force myself through. 2 stars.

Jason French is a haunted man. So are his younger brother, father and mother who are haunted by the death of Jason's older brother and the version of Jason after the war and now that he is out of prison it looks like the same broken version of Jason has come home. When a woman seen hanging out with Jason turns up brutally murdered and another goes missing all signs point to Jason. It doesn't matter that his dad is a decorated cop or his younger brother is convinced Jason didn't do it and just like that Jason is back in the same jail cell he just left. A prisoner who holds all the power wants Jason back and has the means to keep him there. Jason has his younger brother Gibby fighting for him but it will take all of his self control to stay alive and keep his younger brother safe. Just like his other books, this story is intense, violent but full of characters you can totally root for that are full of Hart. For fans of thrillers with flawed characters who are basically good but misunderstood, this is your kind of read. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

What a roller coaster ride! A Vietnam war vet, a police officer, an eighteen-year-old boy, a crazy prisoner, motorcycle gangs and a little romance, what could go wrong? Hart plunges the reader into a tale of bravery and what one will do to save a loved one. I’m excited to see that the ending opens up to potentially another story!

This new novel, The Unwilling, by John Hart is reminiscent of his earlier novels in that it packs a lot of suspense, has a strong plot and good characters. The story line is a bit dark in places but that honestly did not deter me from reading the book. Chapter by chapter the reader will be pulled in and kept on the edge of their seat. Fans of Hart will absolutely love this one! It's one they won't be able to put down until it's over.

To say that the war in Vietnam left many people scarred, is an understatement. Jason is a damaged soldier who was once decorated for his valor but who ultimately was dishonorably discharged and later ended up in jail. Now released, he seeks a relationship with his younger brother Gibby.

Jason had a twin brother but he died in Vietnam. The death of the one twin and the tragedy of the other, ripped their family apart. It resulted in Gibby being sheltered and kept on a short leash by his mother. The father who’s a policeman, has allowed his wife’s obsession with protecting Gibby, to rule the household. Jason has been essentially cut out of the family by the mother. Still, that doesn’t stop him from reaching out to his teenage brother.

As the younger brother wants to establish a relationship with his only surviving sibling, he learns a lot about Jason’s life. However, in the process, both of them end up in perilous situations. Jason’s story unfolds slowly and his true character is revealed. But Gibby finds himself involved in a world that is violent and dangerous.

Hart has written about a dysfunctional family, torn apart by war. Jason is complex and his life is a horror story. Gibby is the innocent who is sucked in to a world of monsters. Readers should know there’s extreme violence and the suspense is ratcheted up by the threats to anyone close to Jason. This is heart-pounding territory and yet the underlying story of Jason’s life as a soldier and prisoner brings some understanding of his need to reach out to Gibby. This book is one that can’t be put down unless, like myself, fear of what’s to come puts the page turning on hold. The reality of what Jason has survived and his relationship with his family, or lack thereof, makes him a compelling character. Another riveting book from a gifted writer.

John Hart is one of the best writer’s on the planet. His novels Down River, The Last Child, and The Hush are all brilliant stories about characters and place and history. He approaches each novel with the goal of having you feel like you know each and every character. And with The Unwilling, he has done it again.

A young man, speeding toward adulthood, faces down his fears and learns that sometimes life just is true fair. His oldest brother is dead, a casualty of the Vietnam War. His other brother is back from Vietnam, but fresh home after a detour to prison. No one knows what exactly happened over there, but he came home angry, addicted to drugs, and damaged.

Our main protagonist must choose between honoring a mother and father and keeping his distance from his brother or rebel and try to have a relationship with the only brother he has left. It’s a touching story and it is so well written and full of pain and moral dilemmas that I wish we’d have never left this part of the story.

Unfortunately, when we left this family drama and entered into the Hannibal Lecter part of the novel, I found it harder to relate to. I won’t spoil any of this; critical reading is of course very subjective and what may be my cup of tea might not be yours.
As the two parts of the story merge it is easier to again get dragged into the heart of the story.

Even as someone who didn’t enjoy part of the novel and couldn’t quite believe in a mastermind prisoner who ran the whole jail, I still loved the the book and would highly recommend it. The war caused irreparable damage and harm to so many American soldiers and their families, and this is a small, but touching story about one of those families.

This is my first book by John Hart and it is a winner!! What I loved about this book was that it was a combination of so many things. It was a thriller, a family drama and a coming of age novel. The story was about the horrors of war and what it can do to a young man. It was also a story of a family fractured by the loss of one son to the war and another who came back from Vietnam psychologically damaged and drug addicted. Their youngest son, Gibby is all they feel they have left and they will do anything to protect him.

The novel is set during the time of the Vietnam war, when young men were being drafted into the Army unless they had a deferment. The family of Detective French has been through a lot. Their oldest son, Robert, was killed in the war previously. The second son, Jason served three years in the war and then a prison sentence. He has been released and their youngest son, Gibby spots him at the local quarry where many high school seniors are enjoying a “senior skip day”, swimming, drinking and socializing. Jason wants to connect with his younger brother and offers a day of adventure and getting to know each other. When Gibby decides to go along with his brother the plot begins it’s twist into some very dark secrets and will include kidnapping, torture and murder.

A young woman is found dead, having been tortured first by someone who must be a very twisted psychopath. With no real leads to the killer the police turn to Jason, who is known to have had a violent history. Gibby will continue to try to prove Jason’s innocence but that path will lead to incredible danger for himself and his best friend Chance.

The story is told from Gibby’s point of view. While all of the drama is playing out with his brother he is discovering his first love, Becky. When they meet there is an immediate chemistry and Becky is there for Gibby when they begin to try to find Jason when he disappears. Their investigation will lead to meeting some very dangerous people, drug dealers, motorcycle gangs and others who will do anything to keep Gibby from discovering some incredible secrets.

I will not describe any more of the plot but will leave you to discover the story for yourself. This book had me from the first page to the last with an incredibly intense ending.

The characters are well defined and I could visualize them and the bonds between the brothers and friends. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a well plotted, intense mystery/drama.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
The Unwilling is set to publish on June 23, 2020

I will post to amazon upon publication

Wow. Very well written and absorbing, this is his best work to date. And all the others are great too. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

I have been John Hart fan several years now and was so excited to receive an advanced reading copy of his new book. I was not disappointed! Set towards the end of the Vietnam War, in the South, we have a detective and his family. One son has passed, another is in prison again, and the third is working hard to piece everything together. In his quest for the truth, Gibby, the youngest son, runs into some unsavory situations which end up putting him in the middle of messes left and right. We also have a backstory with the brother in prison and his time in Vietnam, which is also tied to a mysterious man, 'X' who is on death row. Put it all together, and you have a wonderfully suspenseful literary tale that will surely be a summer blockbuster! Highly recommend!

John Hart is a writer who consistently delivers gut-wrenching stories that immerse the reader so completely that you feel like you're living in the book. Set during the Vietnam war, Jason has finished three tours of duty plus a stint in jail and wants to reconnect with his younger brother Gibby. A day that was supposed to be a fun frolic with some girls ends up setting off a spiral of events including murder and abduction. The characters in all their achingly real nuance and backstory clash together to make an unputdownable book. Superb.

First of all a big shout out to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of the book. Now let me tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I loved every word and moment of it!
Set in the mid 1970's it is the story of Gibby whose two older brothers were in the Vietnam war. One of them gave his life in the war and the other Jason, returned home carrying the physical and emotional scars of that brutal war. In an attempt to connect with Gibby, Jason invites him along with a couple of older women for a day at the lake to swim, take in the sunshine and drink whiskey. The day takes an ominous turn that later results in a kidnapping and a murder and Jason emerges as the prime suspect. I am reluctant to tell you more because I want to avoid spoilers but suffice it to say that there are many more layers to this book.
Gibby struggles to find out the truth and once again master story teller John Hart delivers the story in his inimitable style merging literature and mystery writing. The characters are so well written that you empathize with their feelings and you understand the emotions of resentment, desperation, fidelity, hope, trust, friendship and love that each character has.
The storyline is strong and doesn't wane at any point and the suspense and anticipation kept me turning the pages. All of this is achieved with a masterful use of the English language. This book has such depth that it will stay with you long after the book ends. It is not simply a great mystery book it is great literature. It reinforces once again, why John Hart is one of my favorite authors. If you are looking for a great book to read then be sure to add The Unwilling to your list.

Robert French went to Vietnam and came home in a body bag. His twin brother, Jason, enlisted and did three tours and ended up with a dishonorable discharge and a morphine habit that landed him in prison for two years when he returned stateside. Jason is out now and wants a relationship with his little brother, Gibson. But his mother did not really survive the death of her favorite son and she is adamant that Jason must stay away from Gibby. Their father is a police detective and is trying hard to balance his unstable wife and his vulnerable son. Then Jason is arrested for the torture murder of a young woman he had been sleeping with and Gibby is also implicated. In Landesworth Prison, a billionaire is awaiting execution for the murder of 69 people, but he has long tentacles and they are wrapped around Jason, who ends up back in prison. This is a very slow-building story that explodes when Jason returns to prison. An intricate study of the psychology of war and its aftermath. Recommended.

I love John Hart. All of his books are compelling. The interpersonal relationships among the family members are so compelling. After losing the oldest brother in Vietnam, the family is barely keeping it together. The middle son had become the object of interest while he was in prison of a notorious serial killer. The story is a roller coaster!

5 Stars for this latest by John Hart. Intense story from beginning to end. Hooked from page one. I finished it in one day - could not put it down. Definitely recommend!

Thank you #netgalley and #St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

This was such a great book!! This book was set in the South during the Vietnam era. I got so wrapped up in this book and did not want it to end! My patrons will love this book in June!

John Hart never fails to deliver a story you just can't put down - with so many twists and turns and complicated characters - he leaves the reader anticipating an explosive ending...which you'll get...but could there be sequel to this?!?!?!?!

This will appeal to readers who love fast-paced thrillers. Personally, I was disappointed in the lack of character development. I also found the plot preposterous. I felt I was reading a made for TV movie.

However, The Unwilling will have an audience and may even be a bestseller.

Set at the height of the Vietnam war, this novel revolves around what is left of a family torn apart by that war. The mother, having lost two sons, one killed in Vietnam and the other dishonorably discharged and just released from prison for drugs, is overly protective of the 3rd son. The father, a policeman, trying to hold what is left of his family together. The son just released from prison wanting to connect with his younger brother. And finally, the youngest boy, a senior in high school, determined to prove that his remaining brother was framed, believing in his innocence against overwhelming odds. Add in corruption in the prison system and a couple of depraved serial killers.

I have read and loved most of this author's other titles and this one is near the top of the list. Sometimes brutal and unforgiving, this powerful story proceeds to a twisty ending that I thought very fitting. This author's books are often about redemption, forgiveness, loss, and courage and this one is no exception.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of the book.