Iron House by John Hart

He was an orphan, but he was tough.  He took the blame to save his younger brother from a murder charge and ran...


Thomas Dunne Books, a division of St. Martin's Press, sent me an ARC of this book for review.  It went on sale in mid-July, so you can snag a copy at your local bookstore now.


The author says he got discouraged writing this book and almost gave up.  Boy, am I glad he didn't!  This is an amazing read.  I kept reading to see what was going to happen next.  Mr. Hart's writing style is hard hitting and holds no punches.  The plot is complex and the connections are hard to believe, but it's plausible.  And it sounds real.


Michael ran from the orphanage and fell into the hands of a mob leader.  He became an assassin.  Then he fell in love.  The old man tells him he will set him free to let him start a new life, but the old man is dying.  Soon, the old man's son is after him and people around him start dying.  He has two vulnerabilities:  his girlfriend who carries his baby and his little brother.  The mob intends to kill them both.


In some ways, it's like a game of charades.  Nobody is what they seem, there are connections Michael didn't know about, and most people have alternate agendas he's not familiar with. 


It's fast paced, full of action and violence, and I struggled to try to formulate an ending myself, but I sure couldn't see one.  Mr. Hart did a very nice job of tying the pieces back together again.  Not everyone lives happily ever after, but those who do live are moving on and getting on with their lives.


I don't think anyone would be disappointed in this book.  It's well written and I recommend it.


If you would like my ARC (which has a different cover), please leave a comment here on the blog and email me at info at bookfaerie.com with your name AND address to be entered in the contest.  I'll pick a winner in about a week.


Happy reading!