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John Hart

The King of Lies: A Novel Paperback – February 1, 2011

by John Hart (Author)

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From the masterful New York Times bestselling and two-time Edgar Award-winning author of The Last Child and Down River, comes this tour de force of murder and the dark ripples it sends through a man, his family and community.

Jackson Workman Pickens―known to most as Work―mindlessly holds together his life: a failing law practice left to him when his father, Ezra, mysteriously disappeared, a distant wife, and a fragile sister, Jean, damaged by the shared past they've endured.
And then Ezra's body is discovered.
Set to inherit his father's fortune, Work becomes a prime suspect. But so does Jean. Fearing the worst, Work launches his own investigation, crossing paths with a power-hungry detective, a string of damning evidence, and the ugly rumors that swirl within his small, moneyed Southern town. Desperate for the redemption that has eluded him for so many years and stripped of everything he once valued, Work fights to save his sister, clear his name, and regain the love of the woman to whom he gave his heart so many years before.

Praise for King of Lies:
"The King of Lies moves and reads like a book on fire." ---Pat Conroy

"Grisham-style intrigue and Turow-style brooding." --New York Times

"[An] ambitious debut thriller…a gripping performance." --People Magazine
"Compares favorably to the best of Scott Turow" --Publishers Weekly (starred)

"A striking new talent." --Entertainment Weekly

Print length

464 pages
Language

English
Publication date

February 1, 2011
Dimensions

5.35 x 1.55 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0312677375
ISBN-13

978-0312677374
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About the Author

John Hart is the New York Times bestselling author of The King of Lies, Down River, The Last Child, Iron House, Redemption Road, and The Hush. The only author in history to win the Edgar Award for Best Novel consecutively, John has also won the Barry Award, the Southern Independent Bookseller’s 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.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Minotaur Books; First edition (February 1, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312677375
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312677374
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.35 x 1.55 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #90,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,846 in Murder Thrillers
- #9,118 in Suspense Thrillers
- #14,234 in Mysteries (Books)

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John Hart

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JOHN HART is the author of six New York Times bestsellers, THE KING OF LIES, DOWN RIVER, THE LAST CHILD,IRON HOUSE, REDEMPTION ROAD and THE HUSH. His seventh novel, THE UNWILLING, be will be released on February 2, 2021. The only author in history to win the best novel Edgar Award for consecutive novels, Hart has also won the Barry Award, the Southern Book Prize, the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award and the North Carolina Award for Literature. His novels have been translated into thirty language and can be found in over seventy countries. He works from home on a Virginia farm, where he lives with his wife, daughters and four dogs.

He can be found here:

Website: http://www.johnhartfiction.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnHartAuthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnhartauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnhartauthor/

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4.5 out of 5

1,745 global ratings

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3 star		6%
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Glaring faults

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 10, 2022

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John Hart’s writing style is sort of in your face no holds barred. I like it. It feels like the reader says, “Yeah. I have sensed that or I have seen that thing before but I never could put it into words.” His talent for wordsmithing is showcased in ‘The King of Lies’. Unfortunately, after the unique prose, the book suffers from glaring faults. Eventually the prose grates on the reader. Hart believes that he needs to explain something with 3 or 4 pages when 3 or 4 lines would do.
None of the characters are likeable. In fact, some are downright repulsive. The protagonist, Work, is a case in point. He is miserable and wants to reject both his marriage and rich lifestyle but doesn’t have the guts to do so. He has no contact with his sister for 18 months or more. She suffers from mental instability and wants nothing to do with Work. He professes to love her nonetheless, and is willing to do hard time for her as guilty for his father’s murder. He is an unrepentant liar to everyone, a terrible lawyer and cheats on his wife with Vanessa, the “love of his life”. Still, he ignores her for months on end and emotionally bashes her around. That’s the good guy. I need a likeable character, not perfect, but at least with a tendency to be positive.
The plot feels contrived, and although the pace is good, is gets smothered in the many quirks and red herrings it picks up along the way. It gets so complex it takes 2 chapters of ‘tell, don’t show’ to explain it all. I could visualize the checklist of plot points to explain, clicking each off as the book comes to an agonizingly slow close. I finished the book but never became engrossed in it. After a while even I may try the author again but I will be very careful in my book selection.

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C. Carland

Southern based novel reminiscent of Faulkner

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 5, 2022

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I love John Hart's beautiful writing. The central theme of this story is a man's love for his sister, and his attempts at redemption in her eyes. There is mystery, a love story, and the central character's awakening to his failed life and material possessions. He is disgusted by wealthy women with cold hands from jewelry and blue veins. I could imagine a film with this story line.

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Rachel Perry

Another win for John Hart

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 1, 2017

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This is the third novel by Hart that I've finished in the last three weeks and I'm a woman on a mission to finish his other works. I devoured this book. At one point I honestly thought that of the previous two books I had read that this would be my least favorite of all three. The Jury is still out on that one. Just like the other books I've read the book focuses on the flawed lives and memories of the Picken's family. Jackson "Work" Pickens the main character is an unsuccessful lawyer who is continually overshadowed by the legacy of his larger than life lawyer father Ezra who has been missing for the past 18 months. On the same night Ezra disappeared Work's mother died in an "accident" during an argument with Ezra and the same night Ezra vanishes. Work finds himself trapped with a growing disdain for his dead marriage and superficial and greedy wife Barbara. Barbara is all about appearances and is the exact opposite of Work who has no real care for money or position. The story begins as Work receives news that the body of his missing father has been located. Immediately he suspects his unstable sister who was mistreated and looked down on by his father their entire lives as the murderer. Carrying the guilt of not being able to defend her all the years she was tormented by her father Work decides he must take matters into his own hands and decides that at whatever the cost he must protect his sister at any cost even if it means losing his own freedom. Work finds himself the prime suspect of his father's murder investigation. He quickly begins finding clues that make him realize that the people in his life are not who they always appear to be. So I have to say this in all of Hart's books I have figured out "who dunnit " before the book ended. With that said I love that way that Hart ties all of his clues and character that the ends are so satisfying I don't even care. He develops his characters so well that you empathize with them, hate them, root for them, but moreover you just want to see how everything turns out for them. Unlike the other books I've read it was a struggle for me to "like" the main character. Sometimes you admired work and other times he is so flawed that he's completely unlivable. He embodies a strange dichotomy of being both weak and incredibly strong. It is the weakness that causes you to resent him because you know the capability of the good and the strength he also possesses. The pace of the book was excellent and the conclusion extremely satisfying. I can't wait to read the rest of John Hart's books.

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Lex

A phenomenal writer and a very impressive book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 21, 2022

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I am delighted to have stumbled across this author, although rather surprised not to have heard of him earlier through the Amazon marketing machine. I started with Redemption Road (excellent), followed by Iron House (nearly as good), then coming up to date with The Unwilling (which I think is his latest, and for me the best so far - moving towards Thomas Harris quality in both writing ability and subject matter, which is the highest of praise from me).
I then looked back and read The Last Child (again excellent, with perhaps something of a nod towards Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn), before this one which I think was his first and which again is an excellent read.
His stock in trade seems to be portraying desperately bleak dysfunctional family situations wrapped up in violent thrillers with gradual dawning of hope of a better future as the stories unfold: very well paced and atmospheric, sometimes with quite a slow burn for the first half of the book (or more) as the scene is set in some detail before becoming an unputdownable express train of a page turner with plenty of interesting plot twists.

Very highly recommended, but not for the faint hearted!

Lynn Braben

Wow, a fabulous book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 2, 2012

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Not since I read The Firm, has a first time read of an author made such an impression on me. Hart's style of writing creeps up on you, and before you know it, you are engrossed in the story and the characters. He doesn't treat his readers like idiots, like some authors, (those who spell out everything like you are a bit slow, and can't quite grip the story), and builds up the tension, slowly but surely.
AFter King of Lies, I immediately bought Last Child (equally brilliant) and Down River (half way through and loving it) and recommended them to my book group pals. I just hope Hollywood has bought the rights. Hart deserves to be read by book lovers everywhere

Maggie Peplow

Probably the best crime writer to come out of America in the 21st Century

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 6, 2014

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Mr Hart is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I have been living abroad since Mr Hart burst on the scene. I was fortunate that a visitor, knowing my taste, bought three of his books out for me. This was the only one missing, but I ordered it as I was so completely hooked by the other three. No one does the Deep South better. Just keep writing Mr Hart I'll keep buying.

Gill Elliott

Great great great

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 20, 2018

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My only disappointment with this author is he hasn’t written enough books! This one is again a brilliant read, if I had to make one criticism it would be the name of the main character, Work! That was a little off putting but other than that it was wonderful

Inemac

King of Lies

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 1, 2009

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I so enjoyed reading John Hart's 'Down River' for the content and his writing style, I decided to find out whether he was just as good in an earlier book. I was not disappointed. He keeps the momentum of his story at all times.

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