Iron House

Got "Iron House" yesterday and finished it today.....I kept telling myself to take a break and walk away for awhile but I couldn't put it down. The only thing bad about that is that I waited a long time for his next novel to come out and now it has and I devoured it in less than a day. Hart does a fantastic job of creating characters that live and breath, good and bad, or just plain ordinary, they all come out of the pages to take you along for a fantastical ride. I gasped, I laughed, I cried and never, ever was disappointed. Now I have to wait for the next one....but with Hart, I know it will be worth the wait.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel by John Hart and I endorse what other readers have said that it is hard to put down. I have read two of his books now and consider that they are worth praising. The description of the characters are as if you can visualize what they would look like if real and the scenes painted as if I, the reader, were there. I am looking forward to more books by John Hart.The Last Child Regards, Stuart.

Best book I've read in some time. Compelling, involving, rich in both character and plot. A departure from
John Hart's other novels. I am dearly hoping he writes 5 more novels as stunning as Iron House.

For John Hart's return after his unprecedented repeat Edgar Awards he threw his readers a curve ball and it worked. This tale of two brothers separated after ten hard years in the Iron House orphanage is one that explores what it means to be brothers, but it also explores elements of humanity like nature versus nurture. It also plumbs the depth of a brother's love even after twenty years apart.

Hart departed somewhat from his previous Southern Gothic style and ramped up the action to full throttle with Michael as the intensely security minded brother out to make sure that no harm befalls the brother that he worked so hard to save. The dichotomy of the characters is great because Julian is very fragile and artistic where Michael is strong. As different of a feel as this novel has from his previous novels, it kept me reading late into the night eager to finish because his word play is so vivid that you can see the landscapes (which in some cases isn't necessarily a good thing) and scenes like a movie playing out in your head. John Hart has done it again.