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 Not as amazing as others have mentioned August 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Found this book lying in a charity shop and decided to pick it up for a read. It definately has an eye catching title which raises the expecations for this book, however, I found the narration to be too drawn out at times.
e.g. "I take a packet of crips, I open them, it rustles, I put my hand in, pull out a potato chip, I bite it".....Whilst reading some of the text, I found myself thinking, do I really need to know so much detail?
The book itself does get better in the last quarter, when three or four of the side characters really become involved into the main story. I was just grateful that I had lasted that long and was able to finish the book itself. As someone had said previously, I found myself skipping large chucks of the novel in order to get to the tastier parts of the story.
Interesting legal mystery novel, but no classic.
 Excellent debut thriller May 27, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Having read a whole series of 'ok'; 'not bad'; 'vaguely entertaining' thrillers, it was a delight to read 'The King of Lies' by John Hart.
This is a murder mystery set in the deep South of the USA where the first person protagonist - Work - tries to manipulate an invstigation - and subsequent legal proceeding - into the murder of his father, a prominent lawyer.
Work - the central character - is not immediately likeable. He's weak; he's unfaithful to his wife; he's easily dominated, but Hart's skill is in making this guy not just decent, but a hero you end up rooting for.
Like all good heroes, he's 'trying to do the right thing.' The fact that 'trying to do the right thing' brings him into conflict with the forces of law and order and leaves him at the absolute nadir of his life is convincingly and grippingly explored.
Listen, this thing is good. The prose is scintilliating; the characters hum and the plot charges forward. It's not 'he's got to die, oh he gets away' followed by 'he's got to die, oh he get's away,' it is a remorseless, sensible, plot-driven juggernaut towards a shocking denouement. The really gripping parts are not when Work is in fundamental jeapordy, but when he realises what has happened, what he must do - as a lawyer.
I don't want to gush, but I'm going to. This is great!
When I'd read it, I passed it straight to my wife, who devoured it at the same pace. She, I'm ashamed to say, worked out the baddie; I didn't. But I like that. Most detective stuff is as subtle as a kick in the crotch, this....worked.
Last six books I've reviewed on Amazon, I've slagged off. I'm a harsh marker. This one is in a different league.
Excellent read, can't wait for the movie.... April 24, 2008
Loved this book. Very Grisham-like at times. Identified the murderer reasonably early in the read, but it didn't spoil it for me. Definitely better first 'half' with the main character taking blow after blow of misfortune. Only criticism would be that the author seemed to take a long time to 'tie-up' the various loose ends at the end, but I suppose this was better than leaving unanswered questions. Definitely potential for a great movie, with Tom Cruise or Matthew McConaughey as lead....
 Dreary March 5, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I found this book very dreary indeed. Found myself skipping sentences just to get the book finished.
One of my better recent reads January 30, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Jackson Workman Pickens (known as "Work" to his friends) is thought to have murdered his wealthy father, who headed a rather dysfunctional family. But his troubled sister is also in the frame. Work is an unsuccessful lawyer, and plodder, and once he believes his sister may have been the killer he also seeks to protect her. There is of course a wider cast, including an aggressive female detective keen to see Work in jail, his wife, a girlfriend of sorts, and his sister's lover.
This is a well-constructed, well-written and plausible debut novel. I was reminded at times of the writing of both Greg Iles and Dennis Lehane when reading the book.
There are two distinct halves and perhaps the first half is too drawn out while we see Work at his bumbling best rather than mobilising to defend himself and his sister. Work nonetheless remains the guy we're rooting for.
Some reviewers have said they identified the culprit pretty early. I must say I didn't as Hart did a good job of keeping me guessing with his sound plot development and carefully placed detours.
I haven't read anything as satisfying for a while, so I'm off to buy "Down River", Hart's next novel, which has been reviewed favourably on both the UK and American Amazon sites.
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