• Down River

  • A Novel
  • By: John Hart
  • Narrated by: Scott Sowers
  • Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (1,195 ratings)

Publisher's summary

The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning novel with from an author whose "prose is like Raymond Chandler's, angular and hard" (Entertainment Weekly).

Adam Chase has spent the last five years in New York City trying to erase his worst memories and the scorn and abandonment of his family. Then a phone call from his best friend awakens in him a torrent of emotion and pain. Having left North Carolina and its red soil for good, he never thought returning would be easy—but being remembered as a murderer doesn't help much. Adam is beaten, accosted, and hostilely confronted by his family, including Grace, the young woman whose abandonment torments him still.

Then people start turning up dead.

Within this small Southern town, John Hart explores the lengths to which people will go for money, family, and pure greed—and whether or not forgiveness is ever attainable.

©2007 John Hart (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC

Critic reviews

“Southern writer John Hart's work has a lyrical quality that Scott Sowers narrates with a growling weariness...The combination of Hart and Sowers provides the perfect marriage of prose and voice. Together they enable the book to transcend genre fiction and become something exceptional.” —AudioFile, Earphones Award Winner

“Scott Sowers delivers a solid performance reading Hart's powerful second novel…Hart writes with an intimate sense of melancholy and loss that Sowers resonates perfectly. Using a low-key, Southern accent to good advantage, Sowers draws the listener into the story from the very beginning with his simple, earnest delivery, and holds them tight.” —Publishers Weekly

“There hasn't been a thriller as showily literate since Scott Turow came along.” —The New York Times

What listeners say about Down River

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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5 stars

Really good story that holds reader’s interest. Perfect presentation of characters by the reader. Highly recommended.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Tough to listen to

The first John Hart book , King of Lies, that I listened to was a good story and the narrator smooth and authentic. So I bought this one expecting the same experience.
I immediately did not care for the narrator. The words do not flow like conversation but rather reading word-for-word. Many of the conversations and narratives are overly detailed and tedious. The story, which is not bad, is over shadowed by the narration.
Not sure I will buy another of this authors books.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

up the down river

I have to admit, it is with a bit of sadness that I write this book review. The reason is simple, I've now listened to all of John Hart's books on audible! I assume there will be more down the road but I can't believe how much I've enjoyed them all. Normally I try and listen to books in sequence, in a series or in the chronological order they were written in. With this author I started with the highest rated and worked my way down. I try and remember how I discovered this author and believe it was no more than audible suggesting that based on my previous listens I'd like this one.

This book is like the rest, set in North Carolina, an old family that had been on the farm 200 years with lots of secrets and demons. You really grow to like most of the main characters and it's a good, fun listen.

Enjoy!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great book

I thought it was excellent I binge listen to it pretty much straight through

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Terrific story and performance

This book kept me guessing until the end. looking forward to reading more books from this author.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Don't waste your time

I loved Redemption Road, Iron House and The Last Child. This one is no good.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Totally Satisfying

Good story with a compelling cast of characters. Keeps you guessing till the end. Love Hart's economy of dialogue. Very real.
Great narrator, too!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Down River a real "page turner".

Great book. Caused me some lack of sleep. The narration was wonderful. I really enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns in the story line.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story and Narrator

John Hart never disappoints! Couldn’t stop listening! I devoured this one in a weekend. Added John Hart to my list of favorites.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

About the narration---

I haven't finished the book--in fact I've just started it, but I've discovered something about the narration that may be helpful:

I generally listen to a book with the speed at about 1.10 or even 1.15, because it somehow suits my own weird rhythm.

Scott Sowers' narration does NOT lend itself to higher speeds. At 1.10, while it didn't seem like he was speaking quickly, the very slight rushing of his words made the sentence structure monotonous, and changed the tone and music of his voice, making it sound abrupt and perfunctory.

The narration was beginning to grate on me, when I thought to slow it to normal speed. At 1.0, Scott sounds just like the man he portrays, and I'm very eager to dive into this story again.

I gave five stars on faith, and I'll be back with a full review when I've heard the whole book!

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