Helpful Score: 4
Welcome back, Mr. Hart! You were definitely worth the wait. Well written, hard to put down. Absolutely loved this book!
Helpful Score: 4
Wow what a book; what a story; what a writer!!
I can't say enough about a book like this. It is a must read, absolutely "unputdownable", I found myself doing chores with book in hand, unwilling to put it down.
All the characters are flawed, but oh what characters! They constantly invade your thoughts as you wonder what awful thing can happen next. All the while, a killer lurks in the background, killing young girls. It took me three quarters into the book before I guessed who it was.
This is a dark, disturbing story about torture in prison, a corrupt warden and prison guards, a good cop who was framed and gets out after 13 years and followed where ever he goes, a girl who loves him since she was young and becomes a cop herself, a 14 year old boy who wants to kill the person he thinks killed his mother, an 18 year old sharpshooter who was kidnapped and runs away from her affluent family when rescued, only to find herself in the clutches of the killer.
All these people matter and the writer pulls you into their lives. You really care about them and rejoice in the ending.
Highly recommended.
I can't say enough about a book like this. It is a must read, absolutely "unputdownable", I found myself doing chores with book in hand, unwilling to put it down.
All the characters are flawed, but oh what characters! They constantly invade your thoughts as you wonder what awful thing can happen next. All the while, a killer lurks in the background, killing young girls. It took me three quarters into the book before I guessed who it was.
This is a dark, disturbing story about torture in prison, a corrupt warden and prison guards, a good cop who was framed and gets out after 13 years and followed where ever he goes, a girl who loves him since she was young and becomes a cop herself, a 14 year old boy who wants to kill the person he thinks killed his mother, an 18 year old sharpshooter who was kidnapped and runs away from her affluent family when rescued, only to find herself in the clutches of the killer.
All these people matter and the writer pulls you into their lives. You really care about them and rejoice in the ending.
Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 1
An amazing read! Several story lines playing out with characters that quickly became a part of my heart! While I was pretty sure about the killer fairly early on, there were still many surprises and plot twists to keep me turning pages. I loved everything about this book!
Helpful Score: 1
A great story with a enjoyable complex plot. The characters stood out and they grew with you throughout the story. I was very excited to see where the story lead and was very satisfied with the ending. This is my first John Hart novel and definitely won't be my last.
John Hart is one of the few authors on my "must buy" list, and Redemption Road is his best work to date. There is a lot going on in this book, making it difficult to summarize the plot. I will make an attempt, but trust me when I say that it all comes together in the end.
Elizabeth Black is a preacher's daughter who is a police detective, despite the disapproval of her father. She comes under scrutiny after she finds and rescues a teenage girl who was kidnapped and raped by two drug dealers. The problem is that the victim is white and privileged, and the kidnappers were shot repeatedly during the rescue, in a way that suggested an intent to torture the two African American captors, rather than a justified shooting.
To complicate matters, Elizabeth's former mentor, who was incarcerated for murder, is about to be released from prison. At the time of his conviction, Elizabeth was one of the only people besides his attorney who truly believed him innocent, though that opinion may have been shaped by her romantic feelings towards him. When additional bodies are found, Elizabeth is convinced that the murder her colleague went to prison for was not his doing, but rather the work of a serial killer.
The chapters in Redemption Road focus on characters on an alternating basis. As usual, John Hart writes about horrific crimes with a compassionate and sensitive yet fair voice. The characterization he is known for does not sacrifice pacing: this book is really a page turner.
My only minor quibble is that I figured out "whodunnit" pretty early on. That does not mean I didn't enjoy the ride.
John Hart is not the most prolific author, but every book he does put out is of outstanding quality and worth the wait.
Thanks to Amazon for providing a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Elizabeth Black is a preacher's daughter who is a police detective, despite the disapproval of her father. She comes under scrutiny after she finds and rescues a teenage girl who was kidnapped and raped by two drug dealers. The problem is that the victim is white and privileged, and the kidnappers were shot repeatedly during the rescue, in a way that suggested an intent to torture the two African American captors, rather than a justified shooting.
To complicate matters, Elizabeth's former mentor, who was incarcerated for murder, is about to be released from prison. At the time of his conviction, Elizabeth was one of the only people besides his attorney who truly believed him innocent, though that opinion may have been shaped by her romantic feelings towards him. When additional bodies are found, Elizabeth is convinced that the murder her colleague went to prison for was not his doing, but rather the work of a serial killer.
The chapters in Redemption Road focus on characters on an alternating basis. As usual, John Hart writes about horrific crimes with a compassionate and sensitive yet fair voice. The characterization he is known for does not sacrifice pacing: this book is really a page turner.
My only minor quibble is that I figured out "whodunnit" pretty early on. That does not mean I didn't enjoy the ride.
John Hart is not the most prolific author, but every book he does put out is of outstanding quality and worth the wait.
Thanks to Amazon for providing a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A totally awesome book in every way. Great story line, goes in lots of directions. It is written beautifully. I just ordered two more of his books and put the rest on my wish list.
Every so often an author comes along that speaks to your heart. This is one of them. I can hardly wait to read all his other books.
I agree with most of the other reviews. One was not so positive, but everyone is different.
Do yourself a favor and give this book a try. You won't regret it.
Five stars to John Hart and Redemption Road.
Every so often an author comes along that speaks to your heart. This is one of them. I can hardly wait to read all his other books.
I agree with most of the other reviews. One was not so positive, but everyone is different.
Do yourself a favor and give this book a try. You won't regret it.
Five stars to John Hart and Redemption Road.
A boy with a gun waits for the man who killed his mother. A troubled detective confronts her past in the aftermath of a brutal shooting. After thirteen years in prison, a good cop walks free as deep in the forest, on the altar of an abandoned church, a body cools in pale linen. This is a town on the brink. This is Redemption Road.
It was my first John Hart book but will not be my last one. There are many plots that come together in the end. Even though I figured out early on what was happening, it doesn't take away from how good the book is. The plot and characters are very memorable and make the book hard to put down. The ending was surprising but I found the book to be dark and disturbing. If you love an author who is a great storyteller then you need to read this book.
It was my first John Hart book but will not be my last one. There are many plots that come together in the end. Even though I figured out early on what was happening, it doesn't take away from how good the book is. The plot and characters are very memorable and make the book hard to put down. The ending was surprising but I found the book to be dark and disturbing. If you love an author who is a great storyteller then you need to read this book.
