The Unwilling

A Novel

By: John Hart

Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell

Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

"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

A Thriller With Character

This is a fantastic book. I live in the Pacific Northwest but have always been drawn to southern writers. It's so interesting to delve into the rhythm and culture of another place and in the case of The Unwilling, another time period too. Couple that with layered characters that you root for, the backdrop of the Vietnam War, coming of age and some really bad dudes and you have a thriller of the highest order by one of the great voices in Southern literature.

So many thrillers are just cookie cutter tripe that you can literally skip chunks of. When a chase or fight scene starts you can just skip ahead, because you know the hero will come out on top. Give me a character based story with twists, turns and emotional drama any day and that's what this book is and Kevin Stillwell is spot on in his narration from page one.

My only complaint about this book is that it ended and I have to wait for the next John Hart offering.

His Greatest

This is his greatest book yet. Amazing depth, extraordinary characters, scary, tender. Quick, write another!

Unforgettable

This book leaves a mark. It is elegant and well-written. It makes you hurt in ways you should hurt. It helps you learn what you should learn. Thank you, John Hart, for all of your books — most especially for The Unwilling. It will be in my head and in my heart for a long, long time. Five stars for the narration as well.

BRILLIANT, MASTERFUL & GRIPPING

John Hart has done it again, proving that he is perhaps one of the best writers of our lifetime. "The Unwilling" is worthy of high praise.

Wow

I couldn't put my phone away. What a story and John knows how to create his characters. Excellent work John and reader was spot on.

Hart does it again

I’ve been a fan of Hart’s novels for years. His characters are richly complicated, and his plots, too, are complex and rewarding. His fiction deals with the multitudes of ways that crimes, disasters, and lost hopes impact the intricate nets that connect families (and especially children and the adults whom they become). Ever since I watched the film version of Redemption Road (great adaptation), I’ve read every novel written by Hart. I’m certainly not the only one who recognizes his talent; he’s the only author who’s won back-to-back Edgar Awards.

This is a book well worth every minute you spend reading or listening to it.

I love John Hart

Frankly I love anything that John Hart writes . The people are so well written that I can almost anticipate what they would think and what they would do in certain situations.
I love how the characters are slowly revealed as noble, and all too human with normal human foibles.
I could’ve done it without some of those gruesome scenes but I’m pretty good at fast forwarding. The book was beautifully read and I really really enjoyed it

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!