Reviews

The Hush by John Hart

jodimcdonald's review against another edition

3.0

Close to a four star, just a bit to drawn out. The story was interesting, just took a bit too long. The end of the book was where all the action was, and it was pretty good. History, ancestors and the supernatural.

kristinrob's review against another edition

4.0

This was a departure from the usual John Hart. It was nice to se our old friends grown up and getting on with life, but I think I wanted more happiness for my old friends.

elizabeth75's review against another edition

2.0

I am a HUGE fan of John Hart but I really did not like this book. Very weird. I like a good ghost story, but did not like anything about this story. The main characters were ones from a previous book, but I read it so long ago, I had a hard time remembering the story. I wish the author had spent more in depth time on the back story. Plus the editors missed some mistakes. Johnny’s mom was referenced as Katherine on one page and Catherine on the next. I still will read Hart’s books, but this one wasn’t for me.

scottk1222's review against another edition

4.0

I have not read a book by this guy yet that I have not loved. His pacing is great, his plots are unique and original. I did not want to put this book down, and thought about it on many occasions that I did have to break away for a bit. Putting the Ol' Hart spin on themes of family, friendship, power, bloodlines etc how could Mr. Hart go wrong? He definitely knows how to take something mundane, and give it a unique spin. If you have yet to pick up one of his books, I'd give them all very sparkling recommendations,he is one of my auto buy authors. Actually the next book is on my shelf at home already. Most are in stand alone novels, but for this one to have it's complete impact, The Last Child should be read first.

anneaustex's review against another edition

5.0

In his newest thriller, John Hart has created the perfect blend of mystery, adventure, suspense, and supernatural events. I suppose some might find portions of this novel scary but I didn’t feel scared at any point. Rather I felt an intensity and a sense of suspense about where the action was going next. Never once did I figure out what was guiding Johnny, nor what secrets ruled Hush Arbor. Gratefully, in the end, Hart gives us just enough to feel the big questions have been resolved while leaving a few gaps for the reader to ponder.

I could go on but this is one of those books you need to begin without any introduction (other than Hart's earlier book with characters, Johnny and Jack: The Last Child.
Read it! Read them both!

jenlhawes's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars... I love the way John Hart writes, but the supernatural edge to this story was a little over the top for me. I still enjoyed it and thought it was an entertaining read.

jayesbear's review

2.0

I loved the first Johnny Merrimon book and was totally pulled into to his world and all of the mystery and suspense. These book is very different. Before I say anymore I will state I usually do not like super natural fiction. I would rate the first 3/4ths of this book as 4 stars. John Hart is an amazing author with a rare power with words. The last quarter of this book I would only rate a 1 star. The ending seemed ridiculous. Is it horror, supernatural, is there some allegory or message I am missing? I'm not sure what, but it seemed so drawn out and pointless. Luckily the epilog sort of fixes some awkwardness in the last few pages so it does not leave a bad taste.

THIS IS NOT A MYSTERY but rather a supernatural/fantasy story.

robinhigdon's review

2.0

not enjoying this one as much as past reads of his

vkemp's review against another edition

3.0

If you remember Johnny Merrimon from The Last Child you are half the way there. This is about Johnny as a grown-up; he has retreated into The Hush, a 6,000 acres enclave that is all that remains of his ancestor's 40,000 acre land grant from George III. This plot of land holds secrets, terrible secrets that can kill people. Anyone hostile to The Hush does not survive and every time Johnny is injured, he awakens with no visible signs of damage. Johnny knows things that no one else knows. Cree Freemantle and her mother, Luana, have tried to take the property away from Johnny. These two women also have ties to The Hush and a community of freed slaves who lived there after the property was deeded to another freed slave, Isaac, in 1853. Cree and Johnny will clash as the horror of The Hush will come to life. An interesting look at mythology and the power of dreams. A very different kind of book from John Hart that is intriguing, with a plot that seems to get away from him at times.

tonstantweader's review against another edition

3.0

There's something about Johnny Merrimon in John Hart's The Hush that sets people on edge. Perhaps it's his history, the murder of his sister, the terrible deaths that happened ten years ago in John Hart's The Last Child. Or, maybe it's because he lives a hermetic life in Hush Arbor, the mysterious swampland outside town that many people swear is haunted. Even his best friend Jack Cross thinks there is something weird about Hush Arbor and maybe even about Johnny.

Meanwhile, Johnny is trying to save Hush Arbor. It had belonged to his family before the Civil War, but his great-grandfather had given the land to the slaves he had freed. It reverted to Johnny when there were no more male heirs. The female heirs were suing and he could lose the land, land he felt bound to in more than just heritage.

In addition, William Boyd, a billionaire is trying to buy the land. He also feels a familiar connection as his grandfather hunted there and made a discovery that motivates Boyd who uses his wealth to keep local lawyers from representing Johnny. When Boyd turns up dead, Johnny is a natural suspect and the local sheriff would love to pin it on him. He is certain that Johnny is damaged by his past and dangerous and the Sheriff won't let anything like the law get in his way.

But there's another actor in this drama, the unseen forces of history, of the long ago past, haunting their descendants, not just Johnny, but the women suing for the land. There is a compulsion bringing them all to a terrifying confrontation.



John Hart is a good writer, even a great one. After all, I just read the kind of book I never read. When I saw Edgar winner, I made a false assumption about the kind of book this was, and somehow found myself reading what I would classify as a horror story, as weird fiction, rather than mystery, though it's steeped in mystery.

I don't like horror stories, not the really scary ones. Sure, I love campy horror like Dresden or iZombie, but real horror gives me the creeps, probably a remnant of my Baptist upbringing that prohibited reading supernatural stories because they opened the door to demons. Not that I believe in the supernatural, but it's still creepy. Something about authors dreaming this stuff up creeps me out. Needless to say, this book is scary. The mix of suspense, the supernatural, and the bloody history of racism in the South make it a perfect exemplar of Southern Gothic horror.

The Hush has a tremendous sense of place. Hart puts you right in that otherworldy swamp. In fact, he puts you in that swamp too well. It's why I had to keep putting this book down. I found it too spooky and gruesome. Hart makes you care about the people, too. I had to know what happened, I cared about Johnny and Jack. I cared about Cree, Luana, and Leon. He made me care what happened which made me keep reading this book that creeped me out.

The Hush is truly weird, and by weird, I mean in the sense that Lovecraft described, "the illusion of some strange suspension or violation of the galling limitations of time, space, and natural law which forever imprison us and frustrate our curiosity about the infinite cosmic spaces beyond the radius of our sight and analysis. These stories frequently emphasize the element of horror because fear is our deepest and strongest emotion, and the one which best lends itself to the creation of nature-defying illusions."

So if you like scary books, if you like horror and weird fiction, you will love The Hush. I don't and yet I kept reading and have to confess I liked this book even if I could only read it in small doses because it's so dang creepy.

I received a copy of The Hush from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Hush at St. Martin's Press | Macmillan
John Hart author site

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