The Unwilling

A Novel

By: John Hart

Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell

"The tension in Hart’s story never lets up, and you’ll find yourself unable to break away - disc after disc (or page after page) - long past your bedtime." (NJ.com)

This program includes a letter read by the author

“We the unwilling, led by the unqualified to kill the unfortunate, die for the ungrateful.” (Unknown Soldier)

Set in the South at the height of the Vietnam War, The Unwilling combines crime, suspense and searing glimpses into the human mind and soul in New York Times best-selling author John Hart's singular style.

Gibby's older brothers have already been to war. One died there. The other came back misunderstood and hard, a decorated killer now freshly released from a three-year stint in prison.

Jason won't speak of the war or of his time behind bars, but he wants 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 whisky 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, one of the women taunts the prisoners, leading to a riot on the bus. The woman finds it funny in the moment, but is savagely murdered soon after.

Given his violent history, suspicion turns first to Jason; but when the second woman is kidnapped, 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 more disturbing than he could have imagined: not just the identity of the killer and the reasons for Tyra's murder, but 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.

This is crime fiction at its most raw, an exploration of family and the past, of prison and war and the indelible marks they leave.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

“Another scorcher from Hart ... [he] keeps us engaged ... subtly folding quiet, character-driven moments into the story while still powering the narrative toward an all-stops-out ending—and a chilling coda.” (Booklist, starred review)

©2020 John Hart (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

Great book

Thought the book was very well written, great plot and the narrator did a great job presenting the characters

Phenomenal book, sub-par narrator

As with every John Hart book the story is masterfully crafted, dark, enthralling and sucks the reader in. Like The Last Child it's not always a feel-good book but is perhaps his best book yet, in my opinion. However the narrator is absolutely terrible, especially when doing the women voices in the first half of the book. Cringe-worthy narrative. The narrator does do a good job on Jason, X and Reese's voices but even on the other male voices I'd say sub par. If it wasn't a John Hart book and I knew it would be excellent, I would have quit listening to it a few chapters in simply due to the terrible narrator.

Riveting and epic story

This was one of the most spectacular audiobooks I have ever listened to! I loved complex characters, interesting plot, backstory, and setting! My words do not adequately express the depth to which this book spoke to me. Wonderful read!

Exceptional!

John Hart, though largely still unrecognized, is one of our generations finest autors. I have read over 4,000 books and all of Mr. Hart's. This may be his best. The story is thought-provoking, helps one grow beyond what the eyes see and relevant for any time period. Mr. Hart is an artist, not a writer of "sell it quick" and "give them blood and sex", as too many authors are today. If you read his books and get the message, you will be a better person for it. I call that an excellent investment of time.

Fantastic!

Never reviewed a book before, but this is a must read\listen. Great book. Love this author.

Good crime story

The story is good, the narrator is amazing. Really enjoyed this and didn’t want it to end. Was perfect for long walks

Very Good

A very good novel with great narration. The negative was it was a little to long.

The best

I was hooked on Hart when I read his first novel years ago. I’ve sought out and read each one since. This is his best. The underlying conflict of self, family, evil, failure, triumph…all so beautifully and painfully displayed in this story. Wonderfully narrated.

Captured

This book had captured my undivided attention from start to finish. I couldn't put it down. It felt like I was there and although I can't relate to what all happened, it expanded my mind to feel what it must had been like for those individuals in the story. To sum it up, it was jaw dropping on so many levels. Not one for the faint of heart.

An Interesting Story

A good story, but not my favorite John Hart book. The characters were interesting...complex.