John Hart’s “The Unwilling” Combines Crime, Suspense and Searing Glimpses into the Human Mind and Soul

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In this 200^th episode of Charlotte Readers Podcast, we celebrate with special guest and six-time New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, John Hart, whose latest book, “The Unwilling” is the subject of this episode.

In his very first historical novel, John Hart returns to the South. The book is set in Charlotte, during the height of the Vietnam War. It’s a novel inspired by the courage and sacrifice shown by soldiers who fought in that conflict.

Booklist calls the book “another scorcher.” Mystery and Suspense Magazine describes the book as “a very enjoyable, twisty ride.” AARP uses the words “unforgettable and propulsive.” Several New York Times bestselling authors say the book “is crime fiction at its absolute best,” “richly complex,” and “somehow, raw, tender, brutal and exquisite–all at the same time. Exceptional.”

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About the Author:

John Hart is the author of six New York Times bestsellers, most recently The Hush. The only author in history to win the Edgar Award for Best Novel consecutively, John has also won the Barry Award, the SIBA Award for Fiction, the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, and the North Carolina Award for Literature. His novels have been translated into thirty languages and can be found in more than seventy countries.

About “The Unwilling”

THE UNWILLING follows a family at war in both the past and present as they become pawns in a struggle much larger than any of them can even imagine.

Gibby’s older brothers have already been to war. Robert died in the jungles of Vietnam, while Jason came back misunderstood and hard, a decorated killer and drug addict now freshly released from a three-year stint in prison.

Jason won’t speak of the war or of his time behind bars, and he’s estranged from his father, a detective, as well as his mother. But Jason does want a relationship with the younger brother he hasn’t known for years. Determined to make that connection, he coaxes Gibby into a day at the lake: long hours of sunshine and whiskey and older women.

But the day turns ugly when the four encounter a prison transfer bus on a stretch of empty road. Beautiful but drunk, Jason’s girlfriend Tyra taunts the prisoners, leading to a riot on the bus. She finds it funny in the moment, but is savagely murdered soon after. The man behind this violence is a deranged, wealthy serial killer, incarcerated yet running the prison through money and intimidation.

Given Jason’s violent history, suspicion turns first to him; but when Tyra’s friend, Sara, is kidnapped days later, the police suspect Gibby, too. Determined to prove Jason innocent, Gibby must avoid the cops and dive deep into his brother’s hidden life, a dark world of heroin, guns, and outlaw motorcycle gangs. What he discovers there is a truth bleaker than he could have imagined: not just the identity of the killer and the reasons for Tyra’s murder, but also the forces that shaped his brother in Vietnam, the reason he was framed, and why the most dangerous man alive wants him back in prison. THE UNWILLING is crime fiction at its most raw, an exploration of family and the past, of prison and war and the indelible marks they leave.

More Praise for the Book

“Hart offers another propulsive crime novel that features fully realized, multifaceted characters and a strong sense of place.”

—Library Journal

“John Hart creates novels that are somehow raw, tender, brutal, and exquisite—all at the same time. Exceptional.” —C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“John Hart writes about violence with frightening passion and vivid description. At the same time he masterfully lets you see inside a powerful family dynamic. His villain will be in anyone’s top 2.”

— John Sandford, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Prey Series

“The Unwilling is crime fiction at its absolute best. An impeccable story teller, John Hart weaves an intricate tale of family, war, prison, and murder into a thoroughly thought provoking and enjoyable read that I absolutely could not put down.”

—Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Minute Out

“Richly complex, as intricately woven as a fine tapestry, soul-piercingly emotional, this is John Hart at his lyrical, atmospheric best. He builds a world and draws you in, and there you remain, a willing captive.”

—Tami Hoag, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boy

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