I haven’t read all of John Hart’s books, but the ones I have read have been terrific, so I was especially eager to read his latest, The Hush (thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley). This story happens to be a follow-up to The Last Child (2010 Edgar Award for Best Novel), which featured Johnny Merrimon and Jack Cross, two teenage boys growing up in the South who go on a wild adventure likened by The Washington Post as “Huck Finn channeled through Lord of the Flies.”
In The Hush, Johnny and Jack return as adults. Johnny is living on inherited land in The Hush, a huge parcel in North Carolina. This is part swampland, which I always tend to equate with creepy, nightmare-inducing stories. Johnny has just won a lawsuit brought by the Freemantles, descendants of slaves, but he is now facing an appeal. That appeal happens to be funded by a wealthy hedge fund manager (is that redundant?) from New York, who wants the land as a hunting preserve. Johnny recruits his lifelong friend Jack, still Johnny’s friend and also now his attorney, to help him in defend against the appeal. So far so good, and it even sounds like it has the mystery/thriller characteristics than I enjoy so much, along with some violence and history, both of which which will appeal to many readers.
For me, it just didn’t totally work (although I love Hart’s storytelling ability and the sense of place that has run through all of his work that I have read). Possibly if I had read The Last Child, and were more familiar with Johnny and Jack, it might have been more appealing to me (?), although I inferred that this was a standalone that happened to include characters from a previous book, rather than a sequel.
Interwoven throughout is the almost excruciating story of slavery and the indelible harm it caused for so many (including the family who filed the suit against Johnny as well as his own guilt for the actions of his slave-owning ancestors). But, after thinking about it, I am pretty sure that what took it down a point for me was the supernatural element. That just isn’t my thing. I only gave it three stars, despite the stellar writing and strong plot, but for those who appreciate stories with a supernatural element and who don’t get nightmares from reading about the pain and suffering resulting from the slave trade, this is a sure winner.