- Hardcover: 432 pages
- Publisher: Hodder Hb (Jun 23 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1848541783
- ISBN-13: 978-1848541788
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,372,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
Praise for John Hart:'The Last Child is a rare accomplishment -- a compelling thriller written with a masterful, literary touch. You'll feel this story as much in your heart as in your gut' -- Jeffery Deaver 'Just once in a while a thriller comes along that makes you want to run out in the street and proclaim how good it is. John Hart's third novel is one of those. Written with power, precision and an iron grip on character it makes him out as one of the outstanding talents of his generation ... it grips you by the throat and never lets go' -- Daily Mail 'A really classy thriller ... the solution had me blinking with surprise and admiration' -- Guardian 'Compelling' -- Observer 'Smart and swift-moving ... Hart knows his way round the courtrooms and jailhouses ... the way that Grisham and Turow do' -- Pat Conroy
Product Description
Two babies left to die in an icy creak. Two boys who must fight to survive. Two men, two very different lives. One unbreakable bond. When a twelve-year-old boy murders his tormentor in their brutal orphanage, his older brother takes the blame and runs to New York - into the heart of organized crime. Two decades later, Michael returns to North Carolina with a sentence on his head, the mob in hot pursuit and his long-lost brother in trouble of a different kind. With vast sums in play, political fortunes at risk and bodies piling up, the brothers must reunite to solve the mystery of their shared past.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nuanced and thrilling,
By
This review is from: Iron House (Hardcover)
John Hart stands head and shoulders over other thriller writers for his lean and evocative writing and his richly nuanced characters. A very satisfying read.
Iron House is about brothers who grow up in Iron House, an orphanage out of Lord of the Flies. Julian, the younger brother, is weak both physically and emotionally and is thus a magnet for brutality. His brother Michael will do anything to protect him. The boys are separated when Michael shoulders the blame for a just murder committed by Julian. Michael runs away and Julian is adopted by a billionaire senator and his wife. Over the years he achieves fragile health and happiness. Michael grows up on the street and ultimately becomes the protege and killer for a kingpin mobster. When the mobster dies, Michael tries to turn his life around but it isn't that easy. The mobster now in charge sees Michael as a valuable asset and is willing to do anything to keep his loyalty. He threatens to kill Elena, Michael's pregnant fiancee, and he says that he will kill Julian as well. Michael hasn't seen his brother since that fateful night when he ran away from the orphanage. Now he has to find his brother and make sure that he's safe. But he also has to protect Elena. The story unfolds with page-turning complexity and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does not disappoint!,
By Barbara J. Scott "book enthusiast" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Iron House (Hardcover)
I have been looking forward to this book for quite a while, having read Harts last three books, and it certainly was worth the wait. The author manages to develop his characters very quickly, leading the reader into the story right away. John Hart creates some very sympathetic characters in this book, even those who are extremely bad people. This story takes the reader from the protagonists childhood, into his life as an adult and back again. The pace of the book is very fast, moving from incident to incident at breakneck speed. Note: there are some very violent and gory passages in this book. As in all Hart's books there is a surprise ending - the fun is in getting there.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (180 customer reviews) 64 of 81 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Full meal deal.,
By Susannah St Clair Foxy Loxy - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Iron House (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
One of the things I love about John Hart is the depth of his writing. Reading a John Hart book is like having the most incredible dinner with ALL the trimmings. His characters are deep, often flawed but you become totally involved with them. In this particular story, he does get harsh and sometimes, well maybe often, bloody. But it does not stop you from wanting to know where all the little jigsaw pieces are going to fit. Every time you think you know where he is headed, he slips onto a new path. Its a love story of many facets. It is also a brutal story of horrible beginnings with people who, at the end, will still be damaged goods. They will learn to be the best they can with all that has happened to them. There is mystery. Yep, lots of it. It will keep you on your toes worrying about how this can turn out ok. But it basically does.
Each John Hart story is unique in its subject but very much the same in the good prose and depth. This is the fourth I have read and I think the most raw one. I suggest you pick up any one of his books. May I say, start with "Down River" or "The Last Child" and then graduate to "Iron House". You should be impressed . No, take that back, you WILL be impressed. 40 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Bless this house, oh Lord we pray, make it safe." Song lyrics,
By michael a. draper - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Iron House (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
Have you ever considered how difficult it is to get out of an impossible situation and change the future?
Michael and his brother, Julian, were raised in a home for boys. Iron House provided shelter and discipline. Julian was constantly abused and bullied by the other boys. Michael wanted to protect his brother and was forced to fight for both of them. As a result, he became a ferocious combatant. When Julian finally struck back at his main tormentor, Michael took the blame. Julian was adopted and Michael left the home and lived on the streets, constantly having to defend himself. At age fifteen, he was attacked by a group of boys in Spanish Harlem. He fought courageously and Otto Kaitlin, a crime boss, witnessed the fight and rescued Michael. Otto saw a similarity to himself as a youngster. Michael became his protege and later, his main enforcer. Otto's own son, Steven, continued his education but didn't have Michael's fighting spirit. Years later, Michael meets Elena and falls in love. The author describes the setting vividly and when she becomes pregnant, Michael realizes that he wants to leave the life of crime to have a normal existence. He has loved three people, his brother Julian, Otto, and now Elena. His love of these people becomes the motivating force in his life. Michael's final scene with Otto shows his compassion in a way that is beautifully written and memorable. John Hart is one of the finest mystery writers that we have and is a mulitple Edgar Award winner. He portrays the enviable ability to describe his central characters with a view of life which make them interesting and sympathetic. Michael leads the way and shows admirable qualities of the love he has for his family. He is brave in his actions to protect those he loves, no matter what the cost to himself. These qualities make the reader want to know all that they can about him. The story is reminiscent of a number of Charles Dickens' novels such as "David Cooperfied" and "Oliver Twist," where the children who are the central characters at the start of the story are in terrible situations and are impoverished. The reader feels empathetic about them and knows that somehow they must rise above the destitute. The manner in which John Hart shows this transformation is entirely realistic and well described. With this novel, John Hart's readers will be taken on a dramatic ride that they have never experienced. 42 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Damaged children, broken adults,
By Carla Lilie "carlachris" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Iron House (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
When I read the product description for "Iron House" on Amazon I thought it seemed a little clichéd, the mob enforcer who finds love and seeks to break out of his old life, but can't because the mob won't let him go. He finds himself on the run with the woman he loves, who, of course, has no idea who he really is because he has been lying to her ever since he met her. I decided to give it a shot for two reasons; the first is the excellent reputation of John Hart. The second is the creepy, Southern Gothic atmosphere it looked like the book would deliver.
Well, the book does deliver. "Iron House" is consistently interesting, smoothly written, and has a variety of, for the most part, well-drawn characters . I did think the book would center more on the relationship between the two brothers, Julian and Michael, so I was a bit disappointed that Julian himself is missing for much of the book. There were elements of this book I really enjoyed, and it always held my interest. However, and I know my opinion is in the minority here, I can only give it three stars. One of the main reasons is for the scenes where the torture inflicted on characters is graphically detailed. Yes, I expected darkness in this book, but how the author chooses to depict it makes a big difference to the reader. For me, it went too far. In the end, it all seemed excessive; too many deaths and too much craziness. I also got tired of reading about the obscene amount of money some of the characters had at their disposal. I would like to have had some hint that Michael was at least going to try to do some good with the money, especially since it was basically ill-gotten gains. I also thought the last two chapters should have been left out of the book. For me, Michael and Julian's last visit to Iron House was a satisfying and proper ending. I imagine a lot of readers will disagree with me on this, but I would have preferred the Michael and Elena storyline to have ended on an ambiguous note. I won't be more specific, because I don't want to spoil anything, but the last chapter did not sit right with me and, in fact, seemed kind of silly. Judging by the reviews already written for "Iron House," most readers seem to really like it. I just had too many problems with it to rate it any higher. |
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