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arobins72's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
donnabco's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
WOW!
John Hart doesn't disappoint. "Redemption Road" is the fourth book I've read. Previous books I've read by John Hart are: "The Hush," "Down River," and "The Unwilling." And there's not a bad book among the four. I'm also in the process of reading "The King of Lies," a riveting story about an attorney's father who is mysteriously murdered.
In John Hart's book "Redemption Road," he takes a familiar storyline and gut-punches you with complex characters that have something to hide. Most of them are as confused as you will be about what is going on. From the prologue to the last page of the epilogue, you will wish and hope things will change, and in the end, you will realize death is too easy an escape for some of the bad characters--yes, there's more than one, matter of fact, there's more than three. You will wish some had faced trial and others had received public vindication.
"Redemption Road" is a page-turner, and if you're like me who is a sucker for a whodunnit, you won't put it down until you've reached the end. And when the killer is finally revealed, you will want to drive a stake straight through the heart.
This is a heavy book, an in-depth character-driven novel about sin and violence against women. It's also about love and devotion, misguided devotion, misconception and deceit. If you are squirmy about the violence, you might think twice about reading this book. I had no idea the book would be filled with such violence until I was mid-way through it. I initially thought the prologue was just a preamble ... a setup. But murders continue throughout. I held up fine. Still, this book is "not" a quick read. It's heavy. If you tend to skip over parts of a book, don't bother reading this one. If you skip parts of it, you'll end up frustrated. There's not a line or a scene you can afford to overlook. This book is just that tightly woven. The story will seem real. And John Hart's writing abilities are magnificent, keeping his readers close to the action, making sure you feel the fear and leaving you in wonderment more than his characters.
John Hart can seriously write, and he has become a master at wielding suspense and getting you all caught up in it. He is one of those writers, no matter how old his books become, that makes you return to reread his stories over and over again.
His books are a timeless piece of art.
He's that good.
This is good writing at its finest!!
Donna
John Hart doesn't disappoint. "Redemption Road" is the fourth book I've read. Previous books I've read by John Hart are: "The Hush," "Down River," and "The Unwilling." And there's not a bad book among the four. I'm also in the process of reading "The King of Lies," a riveting story about an attorney's father who is mysteriously murdered.
In John Hart's book "Redemption Road," he takes a familiar storyline and gut-punches you with complex characters that have something to hide. Most of them are as confused as you will be about what is going on. From the prologue to the last page of the epilogue, you will wish and hope things will change, and in the end, you will realize death is too easy an escape for some of the bad characters--yes, there's more than one, matter of fact, there's more than three. You will wish some had faced trial and others had received public vindication.
"Redemption Road" is a page-turner, and if you're like me who is a sucker for a whodunnit, you won't put it down until you've reached the end. And when the killer is finally revealed, you will want to drive a stake straight through the heart.
This is a heavy book, an in-depth character-driven novel about sin and violence against women. It's also about love and devotion, misguided devotion, misconception and deceit. If you are squirmy about the violence, you might think twice about reading this book. I had no idea the book would be filled with such violence until I was mid-way through it. I initially thought the prologue was just a preamble ... a setup. But murders continue throughout. I held up fine. Still, this book is "not" a quick read. It's heavy. If you tend to skip over parts of a book, don't bother reading this one. If you skip parts of it, you'll end up frustrated. There's not a line or a scene you can afford to overlook. This book is just that tightly woven. The story will seem real. And John Hart's writing abilities are magnificent, keeping his readers close to the action, making sure you feel the fear and leaving you in wonderment more than his characters.
John Hart can seriously write, and he has become a master at wielding suspense and getting you all caught up in it. He is one of those writers, no matter how old his books become, that makes you return to reread his stories over and over again.
His books are a timeless piece of art.
He's that good.
This is good writing at its finest!!
Donna
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping, Violence, Rape, Confinement, and Murder
Minor: Physical abuse, Torture, and Body horror
maryquitecontrary_22's review against another edition
2.0
Suspenseful yet implausible storyline-- but you keep reading to find out who the killer is, right? Then, the killer is revealed and it's so silly and far-fetched, and his motives make no sense, that your eyes are rolling out the top of your head. So you begrudgingly finish the book because if you've already invested 370 pages, better read the last 50, even as irked as you are.
leach2225's review against another edition
5.0
When Net Galley put "Redemption Road" on their list I requested it and hoped I would be picked to read this book. John Hart one of the best authors I have ever read had finally wrote a new book. Well with some luck I got picked and when I started reading I was not disappointed. This guy can write! I can use unlimited adjectives to describe this book but I will just say it a superb suspenseful thriller. From the first chapter I was hooked, (I am a slow reader and with a great book I love to take my time to finish, since its usually a long time between really great books,) till the surprise ending. Once things all became clear, I still had to read to the very end hoping it would end the way I wanted. I can say that if more than 5 stars were allowed I would give it the highest rating possible. An excellent book, I am ready for his next. Thank you John Hart for another great read!!
sunshine_in_sc's review against another edition
5.0
I love these books...
I rarely write a recommendation...too much energy to expend. However, I LOVE John Hart's books. They make me crazy, they make me sad, they make me hopeful. I loved this book. So much wrong, so much humanity, so much grrrr...so much finally, happy.
I rarely write a recommendation...too much energy to expend. However, I LOVE John Hart's books. They make me crazy, they make me sad, they make me hopeful. I loved this book. So much wrong, so much humanity, so much grrrr...so much finally, happy.
meganbauer's review against another edition
4.0
Good easy read. Your typical murder mystery along the lines of the best of Lee Child and old school James Patterson.
book_dreamblog's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
rmarcin's review against another edition
5.0
John Hart is an amazing writer! This book did not disappoint. Elizabeth is a cop who found a young girl who had been held captive. The two thugs were shot 18 times, and now Elizabeth is being investigated for police brutality. Meanwhile, a cop that Elizabeth admired, Adrian Wall, is being released from prison after serving a sentence for murdering a woman. Soon after his release, another woman is found murdered in the same style. However, everything is not as it seems.
jenniferstringer's review against another edition
3.0
A very good page-turner, but I guessed who-dun-it early on, so no real suspense for me...but I can see this becoming a movie at some point.
lucyrider's review against another edition
4.0
Redemption Road - John Hart
This was another book club recommedation from my South Milford Bookclub and annoyingly even though I bought it in good time and actually when I got down to it progressed quite quickly through it, I was distracted by the Menopausing book from Davina and so didn't go to the discussion.
I have mostly listened to crime fiction on audible, but have read a lot of cosy crime such as Richard Osman's books, this was very different and whilst it was chunky at 450 pages it was an easier read than I'd expected.
Synopsis from Goodreads
"Now at NYT Besteller
Over 2 million copies of his books in print. The first and only author to win back-to-back Edgars for Best Novel. Every book a New York Times bestseller. After five years, John Hart is back.
Since his debut bestseller, The King of Lies, reviewers across the country have heaped praise on John Hart, comparing his writing to that of Pat Conroy, Cormac McCarthy and Scott Turow. Each novel has taken Hart higher on the New York Times Bestseller list as his masterful writing and assured evocation of place have won readers around the world and earned history's only consecutive Edgar Awards for Best Novel with Down River and The Last Child. Now, Hart delivers his most powerful story yet.
Imagine:
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.
Brimming with tension, secrets, and betrayal, Redemption Road proves again that John Hart is a master of the literary thriller."
I liked the main protagonist Elizabeth who was a detective with a troubled past, although some might think she was a bit too involved with some of the other characters where it felt at very least it would be a safeguarding issue. It was hard to place when exactly the book was set, which was quite a positive as you could see it being fairly realistic across around 20 years or so.
The ending was satisfying, but I did have a feeling that I knew "whodunnit" earlier on than I'd have liked, I almost wanted to be proved wrong, rather than guessing.
4 out of 5 stars as it made me crack on through the book even though I was initially initimidated by the size and the initial chapters were a bit harder to get going as I learned all the different detective names!
This was another book club recommedation from my South Milford Bookclub and annoyingly even though I bought it in good time and actually when I got down to it progressed quite quickly through it, I was distracted by the Menopausing book from Davina and so didn't go to the discussion.
I have mostly listened to crime fiction on audible, but have read a lot of cosy crime such as Richard Osman's books, this was very different and whilst it was chunky at 450 pages it was an easier read than I'd expected.
Synopsis from Goodreads
"Now at NYT Besteller
Over 2 million copies of his books in print. The first and only author to win back-to-back Edgars for Best Novel. Every book a New York Times bestseller. After five years, John Hart is back.
Since his debut bestseller, The King of Lies, reviewers across the country have heaped praise on John Hart, comparing his writing to that of Pat Conroy, Cormac McCarthy and Scott Turow. Each novel has taken Hart higher on the New York Times Bestseller list as his masterful writing and assured evocation of place have won readers around the world and earned history's only consecutive Edgar Awards for Best Novel with Down River and The Last Child. Now, Hart delivers his most powerful story yet.
Imagine:
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.
Brimming with tension, secrets, and betrayal, Redemption Road proves again that John Hart is a master of the literary thriller."
I liked the main protagonist Elizabeth who was a detective with a troubled past, although some might think she was a bit too involved with some of the other characters where it felt at very least it would be a safeguarding issue. It was hard to place when exactly the book was set, which was quite a positive as you could see it being fairly realistic across around 20 years or so.
The ending was satisfying, but I did have a feeling that I knew "whodunnit" earlier on than I'd have liked, I almost wanted to be proved wrong, rather than guessing.
4 out of 5 stars as it made me crack on through the book even though I was initially initimidated by the size and the initial chapters were a bit harder to get going as I learned all the different detective names!