Down River

A mystery novel in the Southern Gothic tradition, John Hart’s Down River follows black sheep, Adam Chase after he returns to his hometown in South Carolina after five years in New York. Adam returns home after receiving a phone call from his old friend Danny and soon finds himself entrenched not only in a murder mystery but also in the recurring traumas of his past. As he struggles to navigate the addictions, mental illness, and violence of his hometown, Adam also takes on the role of detective—he hopes to solve the mystery of his friend Danny's death, in order to help acquit another long-time friend, Dolf, of the crime.

The novel begins as troublemaker Adam Chase returns to his hometown in North Carolina; his homecoming does not elicit a warm welcome. Five years earlier, Adam had left for New York City, in the hope of disappearing into the faceless mass of humanity. He left behind family, a lover, and many similarly difficult friends, many of whom turned their backs on him. Just before his departure, Adam was tried for and acquitted of the murder of Gray Wilson, a football hero and local celebrity. Though Adam was not found guilty of the crime, his own stepmother, Janice, testified against him, and the locals found him guilty by their own judgment. After being thrown out of Red Water Farm, the homestead that has been in his family for generations, by his own father, Adam knew it was time to cut ties and go.

But Adam Chase is back now, much to the confusion of townsfolk and sheriffs alike. Adam recently received a confusing, cryptic phone call from his old friend Danny Faith, and his concern brought him back to North Carolina. However, almost as soon as he arrives, Adam finds himself in trouble. Danny's father, Zebulon, decides to beat Adam senseless in Danny's absence. Adam also finds himself in a forced reckoning with Robin, an ex-lover who is still bitter about Adam's sudden departure five years ago. Robin ultimately takes Adam in, giving him a place to land, but her loyalty is not unconditional.



Soon, Adam finds Grace, a young girl whom Adam remembers raising on Red Water Farm. She was an orphan then and had a girlhood crush on Adam—when she appears again, a young, attractive woman in a bikini and sunglasses, she kisses Adam ferociously, while pronouncing her hate for him. Startled by the confrontation, Adam becomes even more confused when Grace is found beaten in the forest the next morning. Robin turns him into the police, making him the immediate suspect in a crime he did not commit.

Things only become more complicated for Adam when he finally finds Danny, the man who dragged him back to North Carolina in the first place. Danny has washed up on the riverbank, half-decomposed. Dolf, Grace's father and Adam's oldest friend, is implicated in the murder, and Adam is convinced that both he and Dolf are being framed. He begins to investigate both Grace's attack and Danny's death, in the hopes of proving himself and Dolf innocent.

As the investigation unfolds, Adam tries to reconcile with his father, come to terms with the trauma of witnessing his own mother's suicide as a boy, and guiding his gambling addict half-brother and suicidal half-sister toward better lives. However, becoming a new man in a town that disowned him is not easy, and Adam is guilty until proven innocent—a fact that he is reminded of again and again by all the people he loves.



John Hart is the author of thriller novels, most of which are set in North Carolina, where Hart was born and once lived. He has received two Edgar Allen Poe Awards, including one for Down River, and is the only author in the history of the award to receive the honor for two consecutive novels. He has also won a Barry Award and Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, among other honors. His novels include The King of Lies, Down River, The Last Child, Iron House, Redemption Road, and most recently, The Hush.