Iron House: A Novel

John Hart

Jul 2011 · Sold by Macmillan

About this ebook

An old man is dying.

When the old man is dead they will come for him.

And they will come for her, to make him hurt.

John Hart has written three New York Times bestsellers and won an unprecedented two back-to-back Edgar Awards. His books have been called "masterful" (Jeffery Deaver) and "gripping" (People) with "Grisham-style intrigue and Turow-style brooding" (The New York Times). Now he delivers his fourth novel—a gut-wrenching, heart-stopping thriller no reader will soon forget.

HE WOULD GO TO HELL

At the Iron Mountain Home for Boys, there was nothing but time. Time to burn and time to kill, time for two young orphans to learn that life isn't won without a fight. Julian survives only because his older brother, Michael, is fearless and fiercely protective. When tensions boil over and a boy is brutally killed, there is only one sacrifice left for Michael to make: He flees the orphanage and takes the blame with him.



TO KEEP HER SAFE

For two decades, Michael has been an enforcer in New York's world of organized crime, a prince of the streets so widely feared he rarely has to kill anymore. But the life he's fought to build unravels when he meets Elena, a beautiful innocent who teaches him the meaning and power of love. He wants a fresh start with her, the chance to start a family like the one he and Julian never had. But someone else is holding the strings. And escape is not that easy. . . .

GO TO HELL, AND COME BACK BURNING

The mob boss who gave Michael his blessing to begin anew is dying, and his son is intent on making Michael pay for his betrayal. Determined to protect the ones he loves, Michael spirits Elena—who knows nothing of his past crimes, or the peril he's laid at her door— back to North Carolina, to the place he was born and the brother he lost so long ago. There, he will encounter a whole new level of danger, a thicket of deceit and violence that leads inexorably to the one place he's been running from his whole life: Iron House.

Now with an excerpt of John Hart's next book The Hush, available in February 2018.

Ratings and reviews

Michael and Julian are brothers who were raised in a boy's home. Iron House provided shelter and discipline. Julian was picked on and bullied by other boys. Michael wanted to protect his brother and had to fight to do so. As a result he became a ferocious combatant. When Julian finally struck back at his worst tormentor, Michael took the blame. Julian was adopted and Michael left the home and took to the streets, having to defend himself on numerous occasions. Crime boss Otto Kaitlin saw Michael fight and thought of himself as a youngster. He took Michael in and Michael became his protege and later, his main enforcer. Otto's son, Stevan continued his education but didn't have Michael's fighting spirit. Years later, Michael met Elena and fell in love. When she became pregnant, Michael decided he wanted to leave the life of crime and have a normal existence. Otto gave him his blessing but he was old and nearning death. Michael knew that Steven wouldn't let him go. One day, Michael went to see Otto and found him in such extruciating pain that when Otto asked him to end his suffering, Michael obliged. Then he knew he'd have to take Elena and make a run for it. There is a parallel story of Julian's life after adoption. He was adopted by a wealthy family. His adoptive father was a senator and running for office. His adoptive mother, Abigail is fiercely protective of him. However, Jilian's past comes back to haunt him and his path and Michael's converge. The story is reminiscent of Charles Dickens work where at the start of the story, the main characters are in dire situations adn impoverished. Somehow they must rise above their destitute and the manner that this is done is realistic and well described.

I've been privaledged to read this book twice and wouldn't hesitate to read it again, awesome plot, real characters, and unexpected twist. Overall, a classic to be!

Love this book from the first page it sucks you in until it's done and it's full of twists and I can't believe it's not a movie yet

About the author

John Hart is the author of three New York Times bestsellers, The King of Lies, Down River and The Last Child. The only author in history to win the best novel Edgar Award for consecutive novels, John has also won the Barry Award and England's Steel Dagger Award for best thriller of the year. His books have been translated into twenty-nine languages and can be found in over fifty countries. A former criminal defense attorney, John has also worked as a banker, stockbroker, and apprentice helicopter mechanic. A husband and father of two, he spends his time in North Carolina and Virginia.