The Unwilling: A Novel
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- Author：John Hart
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Summary
“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 bestselling 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。
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 bestselling 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。
Editor Reviews
04/27/2020
This subpar novel from bestseller Hart （The Hush） explores the impact of the Vietnam War on a Southern family。 While serving as a Marine in Vietnam， Jason French reportedly killed many people， some under suspicious circumstances。 After returning stateside a heroin addict， he spent time in prison for violent crimes related to his addiction。 Now， in 1972， Jason has come back to his hometown of Charlotte， N。C。， and is working to reestablish a relationship with his younger brother， Gibby。 Meanwhile， a woman Jason once slept with is murdered as part of a scheme orchestrated by an over-the-top bad guy known as X， who has evidence planted implicating Jason in the murder。 A multimillionaire on death row for murder， X can manipulate the prison system and pull strings in the outside world。 Convinced of Jason’s innocence， Gibby sets out to exonerate him， a mission that coincides with a burgeoning relationship with the most attractive girl in his high school， a clichéd subplot that distracts from Jason’s fraught story。 Meanwhile， a villain out of a James Bond film undermines plausibility。 This gifted author has done better。 150，000-copy announced first printing。 Agent: Esther Newberg， ICM。 （Feb。）
About the Author
JOHN HART is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The King of Lies， Down River， The Last Child， Iron House， Redemption Road， and The Hush。 The only author in history to win the Edgar Award for Best Novel consecutively， John has also won the Barry Award， the Southern Independent Bookseller's Award for Fiction， the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award， and the North Carolina Award for Literature。 His novels have been translated into thirty languages and can be found in more than seventy countries。
Reviews
lfbaker
，
"We， the unwilling， led by the unknowing， are doing the impossible for the ungrateful。" Every time I open a new John Hart crime novel， I know that I am in for a challenging and thrilling read。 I also wonder if he can surpass his previous books。 The Unwilling does not disappoint。 Part family drama， part crime thriller， part coming-of-age story， and part examination of the different aspects of brotherhood， The Unwilling grabs hold immediately and does not let go。 Charlotte， NC detective Bill French and his wife， Gabrielle， have lost more than their fair share in the disastrous Viet Nam War。 One son， Robert， was killed less than one year into his deployment。 The second son， Jason， came home after almost three tours bitter， alienated， addicted to heroin， and dishonorably discharged。 Jason quickly falls into the world of drugs， guns， and biker gangs。 The third son， Gibson， is everybody's favorite; athletic， smart， funny， and kind。 He will soon graduate from high school and hit 18 when he has to register for the draft。 Gibby has no real doubts about what he should do， follow in the footsteps of his brothers。 Gibby's best friend， Chance， has different thoughts about his future。 Chance has already reached 18 and failed to register。 Jason has been in an infamous prison， built originally in the 1860s， on a drug conviction。 It's known as a hellhole， but no one who hasn't been there knows exactly how much。 The prison is in the iron control of an infamous criminal known as "X。" Jason has been out for several weeks and living in a halfway house in Raleigh but has not contacted his family。 Jason does not know， for sure， anyway， that "X" has taken a particular interest in him and wants him back inside。 Gibby and Jason reconnect， despite the elder French's wishes。 A trip into the countryside with two young women leads to an encounter with a prison bus and one of the young women's hideous death。 Jason is immediately a suspect， and when the other young woman disappears， Gibby is suspected as well。 Now， Bill French must balance his duties as a policeman， father， and the support of his fragile wife。 In the hands of a lesser writer， "X" would be a cartoonish supervillain， as well as his minion， the detestable Reese。 A lesser writer would not be able to draw all the narrative threads into a cohesive whole。 There are descriptions of stomach-churning violence and depravity， contrasted with the solid friendship between Gibby， Chance， and Gibby's first love， Becky。 He has created indelible characters that will be with me for a long time， and I would love to see them again。 John Hart has been known to do that。 I may have to rethink the whole "star" rating。 The Unwilling is head and shoulders above any other crime novel I have read in quite a while。 So I will enthusiastically give it two 'thumbs up"。 Thanks to St。Martin's and Net Galley for an advance digital copy。 The opinions are my own。
Raine McLeod
，
Completely unputdownable。 The story grabs you right away and it's paced so well that there was never a dull moment， even when it was just about straight character development。It's violent without being graphic （although tw for some body horror） and there's a respect that's given to the violence itself that makes sure that none of what's written here is for shock value。 Jason and Gibbie are just fantastic characters。 French is amazing too， and I saw him so clearly。It's thrilling and brutal and da Completely unputdownable。 The story grabs you right away and it's paced so well that there was never a dull moment， even when it was just about straight character development。It's violent without being graphic （although tw for some body horror） and there's a respect that's given to the violence itself that makes sure that none of what's written here is for shock value。 Jason and Gibbie are just fantastic characters。 French is amazing too， and I saw him so clearly。It's thrilling and brutal and dark and hopeful。The audiobook narrator is Kevin Stillwell。 It was a bit difficult at times to differentiate between the different （male） characters speaking， but the story makes up for it， and his voice is very pleasant。 I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes thriller/suspense novels that will have you saying "Oh， oh NO， OH NO！" a whole bunch while listening/reading。I received a copy of this audiobook for free from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest， voluntary review。 。。。more
Jkane
，
This was a moving tale， more of injustice than justice， and how it shaped a family and a community。 A great story with a wildly varied cast of characters。 It was interesting to see how the same events can trigger such different responses in individuals， and shape who those people would become in life。 This is a story where one individual's lack of faith in another tells you more about the person without faith， than about the one the person who never receives it。 This was a moving tale， more of injustice than justice， and how it shaped a family and a community。 A great story with a wildly varied cast of characters。 It was interesting to see how the same events can trigger such different responses in individuals， and shape who those people would become in life。 This is a story where one individual's lack of faith in another tells you more about the person without faith， than about the one the person who never receives it。 。。。more
Jeff
，
The perfect novel。 I love a good mystery thriller， but this one is terrific。 John Hart has woven together an epic， powerful drama that is so much more than a crime drama。In a letter to readers， Hart gives us a brief and enlightening peek in to his intent writing The Unwilling。 All his ideas， passions and goals with this book were fully realized， in my own opinion。There are so many really well told stories through the these deeply developed characters， it would be nearly impossible to list them a The perfect novel。 I love a good mystery thriller， but this one is terrific。 John Hart has woven together an epic， powerful drama that is so much more than a crime drama。In a letter to readers， Hart gives us a brief and enlightening peek in to his intent writing The Unwilling。 All his ideas， passions and goals with this book were fully realized， in my own opinion。There are so many really well told stories through the these deeply developed characters， it would be nearly impossible to list them all。 Gibby's coming of age story against a backdrop of a war that took the life of one brother and permanently scarred the life of the other， Jason; his disconnected mother， his father- desperate to be connected; the good and bad in law enforcement; the very human qualities possessed by of violent， depraved men that exist to feed on the souls and weaknesses of others-- just some of the puzzle pieces assembled here by the author。What elevated this book for me， was that above the horrors that are revealed， the themes of family， human connection， and the unwavering desire for truth drive this fascinating story。 I will be recommending this book for years to come。In the audiobook production of The Unwilling， Kevin Stillwell provides an excellent voice to the narrative。 Very well done。I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Darlene Batchelor
，
John Hart is the best & the book confirms！！
Reda
，
Excellent！ John Hart needs to be read twice。 Once in a gulp because it’s so stink in’ good。 Once slowly to savor the seamless threads he weaves together， and to appreciate the masterful writing。
Linda Baker
，
"We， the unwilling， led by the unknowing， are doing the impossible for the ungrateful。"Every time I open a new John Hart crime novel， I know that I am in for a challenging and thrilling read。 I also wonder if he can surpass his previous books。 The Unwilling does not disappoint。 Part family drama， part crime thriller， part coming-of-age story， and part examination of the different aspects of brotherhood， The Unwilling grabs hold immediately and does not let go。Charlotte， NC detective Bill French "We， the unwilling， led by the unknowing， are doing the impossible for the ungrateful。"Every time I open a new John Hart crime novel， I know that I am in for a challenging and thrilling read。 I also wonder if he can surpass his previous books。 The Unwilling does not disappoint。 Part family drama， part crime thriller， part coming-of-age story， and part examination of the different aspects of brotherhood， The Unwilling grabs hold immediately and does not let go。Charlotte， NC detective Bill French and his wife， Gabrielle， have lost more than their fair share in the disastrous Viet Nam War。 One son， Robert， was killed less than one year into his deployment。 The second son， Jason， came home after almost three tours bitter， alienated， addicted to heroin， and dishonorably discharged。 Jason quickly falls into the world of drugs， guns， and biker gangs。 The third son， Gibson， is everybody's favorite; athletic， smart， funny， and kind。 He will soon graduate from high school and hit 18 when he has to register for the draft。 Gibby has no real doubts about what he should do， follow in the footsteps of his brothers。 Gibby's best friend， Chance， has different thoughts about his future。 Chance has already reached 18 and failed to register。Jason has been in an infamous prison， built originally in the 1860s， on a drug conviction。 It's known as a hellhole， but no one who hasn't been there knows exactly how much。 The prison is in the iron control of an infamous criminal known as "X。" Jason has been out for several weeks and living in a halfway house in Raleigh but has not contacted his family。 Jason does not know， for sure， anyway， that "X" has taken a particular interest in him and wants him back inside。 Gibby and Jason reconnect， despite the elder French's wishes。 A trip into the countryside with two young women leads to an encounter with a prison bus and one of the young women's hideous death。 Jason is immediately a suspect， and when the other young woman disappears， Gibby is suspected as well。 Now， Bill French must balance his duties as a policeman， father， and the support of his fragile wife。In the hands of a lesser writer， "X" would be a cartoonish supervillain， as well as his minion， the detestable Reese。 A lesser writer would not be able to draw all the narrative threads into a cohesive whole。 There are descriptions of stomach-churning violence and depravity， contrasted with the solid friendship between Gibby， Chance， and Gibby's first love， Becky。He has created indelible characters that will be with me for a long time， and I would love to see them again。 John Hart has been known to do that。I may have to rethink the whole "star" rating。 The Unwilling is head and shoulders above any other crime novel I have read in quite a while。 So I will enthusiastically give it two 'thumbs up"。Thanks to St。Martin's and Net Galley for an advance digital copy。 The opinions are my own。 。。。more
TC
，
Recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 Recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 。。。more
Vicki
，
"The Unwilling，" by John Hart， St。 Martin's Press， Feb。 2， 2021。Bill French， the father， is a detective。 Gabrielle， the mother， had a breakdown when their oldest son， Robert， died in Vietnam。 Jason， the returning son， was dishonorably discharged during his third tour。 He and Robert were twins。 Jason was in prison for just over two years because of heroin use and violent acts。 Gibson， the youngest son， is just days from high school graduation。 His nickname is Gibby。When Jason is released from pri "The Unwilling，" by John Hart， St。 Martin's Press， Feb。 2， 2021。Bill French， the father， is a detective。 Gabrielle， the mother， had a breakdown when their oldest son， Robert， died in Vietnam。 Jason， the returning son， was dishonorably discharged during his third tour。 He and Robert were twins。 Jason was in prison for just over two years because of heroin use and violent acts。 Gibson， the youngest son， is just days from high school graduation。 His nickname is Gibby。When Jason is released from prison， he wants to reconnect with Gibby。 Jason convinces Gibby to go to the lake for the day。 Two women go along。 One of them， Tyra Norris， is killed shortly after and Jason is arrested。 When the other woman， Sara， is kidnapped， Gibby also becomes a suspect。Although the novel starts out well， when the author introduces a killer who is on death row and his follower， the plot becomes unbelievable。 It has a high level of violence and too many cliches。 The villains are more suited to a horror movie。Hart has won Edgar awards for "Down River" and for "The Last Child，" both of which I enjoyed。 This isn't as good。 In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a review。 。。。more
pawsandpagesbyannie
，
The Unwilling by John HartNarrated by: Kevin StillwellPublication Date: February 2， 2021。Description from NetGalley。。。“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 da The Unwilling by John HartNarrated by: Kevin StillwellPublication Date: February 2， 2021。Description from NetGalley。。。“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。”。Thank you to @NetGalley @macmillan。audio @stmartinspress for the ALC in return for my honest review。。My thoughts。。。This is my first book from John Hart， and wow， was this a good psychological thriller。 This book was set in the Southern U。S。 during the height of the Vietnam War。 This was one of those I’m glad I listened to the audiobook， even though sometimes the narrator sounded flat， but where it mattered the narration was great。 So what we had here was a coming-of-age that fast-tracked Gibby to adulthood， a family drama that turned into a scary story and an ex-Marine who was an ex-prisoner， who went back to prison because “X” wanted him back there - he’s named “X” because his real name was Axel or it could be because he killed 10 men。 A coming of age that became a blood-bath， turned police-procedural that ended into a spine-chilling ending。 。。。more
Susan Ballard
，
After serving nearly three tours in Vietnam， Jason French landed in North Carolina’s worst state prison on a heroin charge。 No one asked what happened over in the war， they just went with the rumors and Jason isn’t one to talk。 He has no real connection with his family; he lost his twin in the war， his mother won’t see him and his dad， a cop， doesn’t trust him。 But there is his younger brother， Gibby。When Jason is released from prison， he seeks out the only family he can relate to anymore， his b After serving nearly three tours in Vietnam， Jason French landed in North Carolina’s worst state prison on a heroin charge。 No one asked what happened over in the war， they just went with the rumors and Jason isn’t one to talk。 He has no real connection with his family; he lost his twin in the war， his mother won’t see him and his dad， a cop， doesn’t trust him。 But there is his younger brother， Gibby。When Jason is released from prison， he seeks out the only family he can relate to anymore， his brother。 They go out drinking with a couple of wild girls。 Racing down the highway， they pass a bus transporting prisoners from the state prison he had just been released from。 One of the girls， Tyra， sexually taunts the prisoners as Jason pulls the car past。Unseen to the foursome， a quiet prisoner was observing them， ready to take details back to an extremely dangerous man。 A man fixated on Jason。Days later， Tyra is found brutally murder。 When Jason is arrested for the crime， Gibby is set on proving his brother innocent。 This leads him on a dark and dangerous path。 Putting him at odds with his father， his brother’s past， and very sick， twisted killers。 John Hart tells this story with such mastery。 I loved how he mixes the struggles of a broken family， the ruins of war， and police corruption all into a chilling thriller。 If you like a warped， but brilliant villain you’ll enjoy meeting “X。”⚠️ gruesome murders， talk of animal killings， war stories， kidnapping， prison， drugs。 Thank you to @stmartinspress for this advanced copy。 。。。more
Kara
，
I loved this tender but suspenseful novel。 The unwilling was a story about brothers and fathers and sons。 It was about the past， mistakes， forgiveness， and love。 It was thrilling but rooted in family。 Unlike any thriller， I’ve read in a long time。 I loved the writing style and how Gibby learned about his brother's life and transgressions。 I loved Jason’s commitment to Gibby and his father。 Jason’s willingness to see his failures and his struggle with his inner self made his character likable and I loved this tender but suspenseful novel。 The unwilling was a story about brothers and fathers and sons。 It was about the past， mistakes， forgiveness， and love。 It was thrilling but rooted in family。 Unlike any thriller， I’ve read in a long time。 I loved the writing style and how Gibby learned about his brother's life and transgressions。 I loved Jason’s commitment to Gibby and his father。 Jason’s willingness to see his failures and his struggle with his inner self made his character likable and true。 A great read。 Thank you @macmillan。audio and @netgalley for my advanced copy。 。。。more
Kelly Parker
，
This is more like a three and a half star book， but I’m rounding up because I think that people who really enjoy thrillers will appreciate it。 Based on the description， I expected a different book， one that focused more on the ramifications of sending young men to war and being unable to accept what comes home。 There was a little of that， but it’s definitely more on the periphery。 The first half of the story is a family drama。 The French family is forced to confront their demons when black sheep This is more like a three and a half star book， but I’m rounding up because I think that people who really enjoy thrillers will appreciate it。 Based on the description， I expected a different book， one that focused more on the ramifications of sending young men to war and being unable to accept what comes home。 There was a little of that， but it’s definitely more on the periphery。 The first half of the story is a family drama。 The French family is forced to confront their demons when black sheep son， and war criminal， Jason， is released from prison。 His father distrusts him， his mother has disowned him， and his younger brother is desperate to know him。 The second half becomes a thriller when Jason’s girlfriend ends up dead。 A slew of nefarious characters are introduced and some cat and mouse games ensue。 I happened to prefer the first half but altogether， it was an entertaining read。 Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this ARC of #theunwilling in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
Fantastic read！ Fairly sure this will be on many “best of” lists for 2021。 This book is a historical coming of age mystery that deals with family dysfunction and the horrors of war， especially for soldiers returning from war。 In this story the war is the horrific Vietnam War。 I wasn’t alive then but have seen many news stories and many movies over the years （ as well as being the child of Baby Boomers） detailing the time period and believe Mr Hart does an excellent job making you feel like you a Fantastic read！ Fairly sure this will be on many “best of” lists for 2021。 This book is a historical coming of age mystery that deals with family dysfunction and the horrors of war， especially for soldiers returning from war。 In this story the war is the horrific Vietnam War。 I wasn’t alive then but have seen many news stories and many movies over the years （ as well as being the child of Baby Boomers） detailing the time period and believe Mr Hart does an excellent job making you feel like you are in 1972。 You can feel the anger， fear， indecision， and worries of Jason， Gibby， and the other characters。 There were some parallels in the story and time period that correlate to our world and the current events of today。 Gibby French is the youngest of 3 sons， one of which died in Vietnam and the other returned a damaged man。 This book is about Gibby growing up and realizing the world is a complicated place with a gruesome murder， Death Row， a biker gang， and more within its pages。 If you are a fan of John Hart’s previous novels or the literary mysteries of Tana French， William Kent Krueger or Louise Penny I highly recommend this novel。 The only complaint I had and once you get deeper into the story you realize why， is the beginning is a bit slow and takes a bit to get to the point of the story but by the end you realize the time spent on getting to know the characters sets up the rest of the book。 I sped thru the last 100 pages to get to the end， which was very rewarding。Thanks to the author， the publisher， and Bookish First for the print ARC I received。 。。。more
Olivia Fink
，
4。5*Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio copy to read in exchange for an honest reviewNot a book about the Vietnam war and the battles fought in it but about the boys who became men when they returned and the ones who feared the draft that would send them into the War。 Gibby doesn’t fear the draft like his best friend does。 He had a brother die in the war and another who volunteered to serve。 But when his brother finally returned home after a dishonorable discharge his parents 4。5*Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio copy to read in exchange for an honest reviewNot a book about the Vietnam war and the battles fought in it but about the boys who became men when they returned and the ones who feared the draft that would send them into the War。 Gibby doesn’t fear the draft like his best friend does。 He had a brother die in the war and another who volunteered to serve。 But when his brother finally returned home after a dishonorable discharge his parents don’t want him around his brother。 He had been doing drugs and got himself put into prison。 They don’t trust Jason and believe he will only cause harm to the only good son they have left。 This electrifying novel tells a story of what happens when Gibby does see his brother and what happens if his parents were right。 I absolutely loved this book。 I finished it within two days and was hooked onto every word。 I like that this story had the background of the Vietnam war。 It provided a backstory that drove a lot of the tension within the story， but it’s mainly about the person Jason has become after and the people he has got himself entangled with because of the path he had chosen。 There is so much in this book that gives it the thrill genre。 A lot of it is pretty dark but that’s what kept this book so entertaining。 It’s truly like no other book I have read before。 Through the book you are gaining more and more insight into Jason’s life and the people who are after him。 If this book was simply about Jason it would not have been as good of a book， but it was also about some pretty bad people and the innerworkings of a dangerous criminal and how he uses the corrupt cops inside the prisons his in to do his dirty work。 This criminal does all he can to ruin the life of Jason and to get exactly what he wants， get Jason back into prison。 He frames Jason with murder and frames Gibby as well。 There are many different agenda’s that different gangs have。 Gibby gets himself tied into a lot of messes as he tried to discover the truth about his brother’s past。 All I can say is I was never bored。 I listened to the audio version of this book and I liked and disliked the reading。 The readers voice was smooth and got me engaged into the story。 The book was narrated by one man， but he did good changing his voice to the characters who was talking。 One thing that got me confused a few times is the amount of times the perspective changes。 The book is written in first person by Gibby’s point of view but most of the other character have third person limited sections in the book。 I liked this from a story point of view because it always was changing the story up。 This helped me not to get bored of just one person problems or perspective。 It was always going from person to person at the best times so you can read about all the thrilling moments。 I did really like all the perspectives， but with the audio version it was hard to tell when this shift was made。 So， all the sudden it would be on one person and then switch to another。 There was no indication this shift was made so the only way to realize it was when you were suddenly hearing different names or a different situation then you were just reading about。 I’m sure there was some type of marker in the physical book to mark this change， but it was hard to indicate in the audio。 This wasn’t a big challenge for me because I was able to pick it up soon after because there was some indication in the words but if I wasn’t paying attention， I might get lost。 I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed this book。 It’s not one specific thing but just the overall enjoyment of the book。 It’s nothing overly special I just think it was really well written and developed。 All the characters had their own personality and you got attached to all of the different plot points。 And I really like how it ended。 All I can say is that it came full circle。 I would recommend if you can handle some gruesome details， but it was a unique read。 Trigger Warning: Drinking， War， Details of a bloody murder， Abuse of women， and Kidnapping。 。。。more
Suzanne
，
THE UNWILLING is a book in conflict; one part is an excellent portrayal of a family torn by loss， misunderstanding and betrayal。 The other part is a strange underworld thriller that wanders into and out of an underground prison world inhabited by a mastermind with uncertain desires。 While the overarching tale of a family humbled by loss and struggling for redemption is compelling; the B side story really detracts。 I lost interest in the prison tale。 I’m not that interested in mastermind killers。 THE UNWILLING is a book in conflict; one part is an excellent portrayal of a family torn by loss， misunderstanding and betrayal。 The other part is a strange underworld thriller that wanders into and out of an underground prison world inhabited by a mastermind with uncertain desires。 While the overarching tale of a family humbled by loss and struggling for redemption is compelling; the B side story really detracts。 I lost interest in the prison tale。 I’m not that interested in mastermind killers。 I am， though， impressed with author John Hart’s portrayal of Charlotte， NC during the early 1970’s， with the turbulence of the period as backdrop to the torment of this family。 Whatever the author hoped to accomplish by merging these two ideas， I missed the point。 The book， though， is worth reading。 I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Suzanne （The Bookish Libra）
，
Full review to come but another fantastic thriller from John Hart。 This is the 6th book of his I've read and he hasn't let me down once。 Full review to come but another fantastic thriller from John Hart。 This is the 6th book of his I've read and he hasn't let me down once。 。。。more
Brad
，
The Unwilling is the new book from John Hart。。"It's the early 70's in Charlotte， NC。 Families are terrified about their young men being drafted for Vietnam - a war that no one wants。 The French family has already lost one son， Robert， and another son， Jason， comes back damaged and angry and ends up in prison。 Their youngest son， Gibby， is 18 and a graduating senior。 When Jason is released from prison， he returns to his home town and seeks out his younger brother。 An outing with two older girls t The Unwilling is the new book from John Hart。。"It's the early 70's in Charlotte， NC。 Families are terrified about their young men being drafted for Vietnam - a war that no one wants。 The French family has already lost one son， Robert， and another son， Jason， comes back damaged and angry and ends up in prison。 Their youngest son， Gibby， is 18 and a graduating senior。 When Jason is released from prison， he returns to his home town and seeks out his younger brother。 An outing with two older girls turns bad。 When one of the girls is found murdered， Jason becomes a suspect。 He is caught and returned to prison。 But Gibby knows he didn't do it and sets out to prove his brother's innocence。 But people， including his parents， will stand in his way。。。"Wow - what a story from Hart。 And what great characters！ "X" is one of the scariest sociopaths you will see。 Reese was disturbing。 Jason is a young man returned from war and scarred from what he's seen and done - and the lie he is forced to live。 Gibby is tired of being kept in the bubble as the remaing "good son" and just wants to prove himself a little。 Gibby's dad constantly struggles with being a cop and upholding the law and doing what's right for his boys。I loved Becky's line about "it's just a house， it's not who I am"。 She seemed to be the calming force for Gibby。This is a gritty story from Hart。 There are several storylines that come together in a big smash at the end。 Hart makes it work。Fans of character-driven crime-fiction should love this book。 。。。more
Carla Johnson-Hicks
，
Let me start my review with this quote from the blurb about this book。 "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。"This was a dark and unsettling story of a family dealing with PTSD， loss of a child in a war， addiction， secrets and pain。 It is also a story about a man with money， lots of money， that enables him to hire people to do whatever he wants them to do， even if it is against the law。 The one thing he Let me start my review with this quote from the blurb about this book。 "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。"This was a dark and unsettling story of a family dealing with PTSD， loss of a child in a war， addiction， secrets and pain。 It is also a story about a man with money， lots of money， that enables him to hire people to do whatever he wants them to do， even if it is against the law。 The one thing he wanted most of all， he was unable to get， but he would die trying。 The French family has suffered。 Gibby's parents will do whatever they can to keep him away from his convict brother， also a war criminal， Jason。 When Gibby and Jason get together for an afternoon of partying， one action starts an avalanche of events that result in bloodshed， torture， arrests， kidnapping and moreThis is my first John Hart book， but will probably be my last。 Not that it was not a well-written story， but it was much too violent for my taste。 The story is told from Gibby’s point of view。 Gibby wants to prove his brother's innocence in a murder and begins his own investigation with his friend， Chance， and the girl he is getting involved with， Becky。 His investigation takes him to some dangerous places， meeting drug dealers， motorcycle gangs and others who will do anything to keep Gibby from discovering a lot of secrets。 He is in danger， but won't back down。 I liked both Gibby's and Jason's characters。 They were relatable characters who would do whatever they could to help their siblings。 Chance was Gibby's friend and was one that went above and beyond friendship as you will see when you read this one。 I felt for the family and their friends and my heart broke many times。 The part that has the reader suspending belief is the serial killer "X" who rules the prison from death row。 He has everyone in his pocket and his hired killers on the outside are also a bit over the top。 So， I am not sure how to rate this one， because parts are heartbreaking， others just gory and bloodthirsty and some unbelievable。I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kevin Stillwell。 His voice and expression definitely added even more atmosphere to this story。 I think that was the reason I was able to finish this one， as his voice mesmerized me as I listened。 I would recommend this to anyone who likes a well plotted， intense mystery。 Remembering that there is a lot of violence and lots of triggers as well。 I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kevin Stillwell。 His voice and expression definitely added even more atmosphere to this story。 I was gifted a copy of this book upon request。 The rating and opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
Victoria
，
I've been looking forward to reading this one since I won a physical copy in a BookishFirst raffle last year。 I read the preview while we were on our last vacation before the pandemic。 But， like many planned 2020 releases， COVID impacted the publication date - pushing it back eight months！ So I held off， to wait a bit closer to the release date。 I've been reading Hart's books for 12 years now - he's a very talented author， and this one is definitely one of his very best books。 I really enjoyed i I've been looking forward to reading this one since I won a physical copy in a BookishFirst raffle last year。 I read the preview while we were on our last vacation before the pandemic。 But， like many planned 2020 releases， COVID impacted the publication date - pushing it back eight months！ So I held off， to wait a bit closer to the release date。 I've been reading Hart's books for 12 years now - he's a very talented author， and this one is definitely one of his very best books。 I really enjoyed it - I could hardly put it down！Set in North Carolina in 1972， the book centers around the French gamily men。 William， a detective， and father to three sons - Robert， the eldest who died in Vietnam， his twin brother， Jason， who served nearly three tours there and Gibson， recently turned 18 who is a thoughtful young man， considering both his future and the state of his broken family。Although all of the action - and there is plenty of action， as this book is as much plot-driven as character-driven - takes place over a short amount of time。 The book still has an epic quality it as pasts are revealed and the time and era seeps off each page。 Well-written and riveting， my only complaint is the way the real villain of the story is handled - I wanted more background。 The more obvious villain， though， is almost likable， and I wouldn't mind a sequel to this one。 I really didn't want this to end！ I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to see what Hart will write next！ 。。。more
Lyndi Trowbridge
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Gibby French， an 18 year old young man， has already lost his oldest brother Robert to the Vietnam War。 Jason， Robert's twin， comes back from war hardened and drug addicted and after a 3-year prison sentence he is estranged from his family。 Gibby's father is a police officer and doesn't approve of Jason's life style and his mother is overprotective of her only remaining 'good' son， so Gibby is forbidden to have any contact with Jason。 But Gibby refuses to give up on his brother and they meet up f Gibby French， an 18 year old young man， has already lost his oldest brother Robert to the Vietnam War。 Jason， Robert's twin， comes back from war hardened and drug addicted and after a 3-year prison sentence he is estranged from his family。 Gibby's father is a police officer and doesn't approve of Jason's life style and his mother is overprotective of her only remaining 'good' son， so Gibby is forbidden to have any contact with Jason。 But Gibby refuses to give up on his brother and they meet up for a day of fun together， along with Jason's girlfriend Tyra and her roommate。 But after Tyra flirts with and taunts a busload of prisoners， then shortly after is murdered， the blame falls on Jason。 He is returned to prison to face a very powerful enemy。 Meanwhile Gibby is in a mission to prove his brother's innocence。 I've never read a book by this author before。 I quickly got drawn in to the story and the suspenseful quality of the writing。 I loved seeing Gibby's character develop from an innocent and sheltered boy into a strong and confident young man willing to put himself on the line for what he believes in。 And Jason。。。just wow！！ I can't believe how misunderstood and mistreated he was by his family。 I plan on adding ALL of this author's books to my must read list！ Thank you to John Hart and St。 Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this wonderful book。 I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley。 The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own。 。。。more
Jean
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There was nothing I can say that I disliked about this book。 What an extraordinary book about family， war， tragic loss and crime。 The story kept me captivated from beginning to the end。 The author tells a fantastic story with well developed characters。 There was just something about Jason calling Gibby "little brother" that made him more human and not a loss soul caused by the war。 I can't wait to read another of his books！ I highly recommend this book。Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press There was nothing I can say that I disliked about this book。 What an extraordinary book about family， war， tragic loss and crime。 The story kept me captivated from beginning to the end。 The author tells a fantastic story with well developed characters。 There was just something about Jason calling Gibby "little brother" that made him more human and not a loss soul caused by the war。 I can't wait to read another of his books！ I highly recommend this book。Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press and John Hart for a copy of "The Unwilling" in exchange of an honest review。 。。。more
Brad
，
The Unwilling is the new book from John Hart。。"It's the early 70's in Charlotte， NC。 Families are terrified about their young men being drafted for Vietnam - a war that no one wants。 The French family has already lost one son， Robert， and another son， Jason， comes back damaged and angry and ends up in prison。 Their youngest son， Gibby， is 18 and a graduating senior。 When Jason is released from prison， he returns to his home town and seeks out his younger brother。 An outing with two older girls t The Unwilling is the new book from John Hart。。"It's the early 70's in Charlotte， NC。 Families are terrified about their young men being drafted for Vietnam - a war that no one wants。 The French family has already lost one son， Robert， and another son， Jason， comes back damaged and angry and ends up in prison。 Their youngest son， Gibby， is 18 and a graduating senior。 When Jason is released from prison， he returns to his home town and seeks out his younger brother。 An outing with two older girls turns bad。 When one of the girls is found murdered， Jason becomes a suspect。 He is caught and returned to prison。 But Gibby knows he didn't do it and sets out to prove his brother's innocence。 But people， including his parents， will stand in his way。。。"Wow - what a story from Hart。 And what great characters！ "X" is one of the scariest sociopaths you will see。 Reese was disturbing。 Jason is a young man returned from war and scarred from what he's seen and done - and the lie he is forced to live。 Gibby is tired of being kept in the bubble as the remaing "good son" and just wants to prove himself a little。 Gibby's dad constantly struggles with being a cop and upholding the law and doing what's right for his boys。I loved Becky's line about "it's just a house， it's not who I am"。 She seemed to be the calming force for Gibby。This is a gritty story from Hart。 There are several storylines that come together in a big smash at the end。 Hart makes it work。Fans of character-driven crime-fiction should love this book。 。。。more
Sharon May
，
Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the fabulous new book by John Hart - 5 stars for a book that you will not be able to put down！Set in North Carolina during the Vietnam War， the French family has lost so much to the war。 The oldest son， Robert， was killed; middle son， Jason， was injured and came home with a dishonorable discharge， an addict and is fresh out of prison。 Youngest son， Gibby， 18 years old， has had to deal with the changes in his family fr Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the fabulous new book by John Hart - 5 stars for a book that you will not be able to put down！Set in North Carolina during the Vietnam War， the French family has lost so much to the war。 The oldest son， Robert， was killed; middle son， Jason， was injured and came home with a dishonorable discharge， an addict and is fresh out of prison。 Youngest son， Gibby， 18 years old， has had to deal with the changes in his family from all this fallout。 His mom is terrified to lose him， so keeps him in a bubble to protect him， not wanting him to interact with Jason。 Dad is a homicide detective trying to keep his wife steady and what's left of his family together。 When Gibby and Jason sneak away for a brother's day along with two women， things start to really go wrong。 One of the women ends up dead and Jason is wanted for her murder。 Gibby has seen too much so when the second girl goes missing， Gibby is also under suspicion。 But Gibby is bound to prove that Jason is innocent and undertakes a plan that puts him in mortal danger。 This book checks off every genre and emotion。 With John Hart's beautiful writing， this is a book about the long-reaching effects of war， relationships between family and friends， a coming of age story， all tied up with such a suspenseful mystery - you will literally not be able to stop reading。 It's a disturbing， violent， gritty read with characters so completely fleshed out that you will feel their emotions。 But we also see other sides to the characters as they take care of each other。 I loved the writing style - the point of view changed from person to person， letting us know what all the players were thinking and feeling。 Buckle up for this one - highly recommended！ 。。。more
Belva
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Another great suspense from John Hart！ This book grabs your attention from the beginning and has you on the edge of your seat until the end。 At several points， I was drawn up in a knot holding my breath。 Would love to see this made into a movie！ Kudos Mr。 Hart， can't wait to read what's next。 My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a galley of this book for review。 Another great suspense from John Hart！ This book grabs your attention from the beginning and has you on the edge of your seat until the end。 At several points， I was drawn up in a knot holding my breath。 Would love to see this made into a movie！ Kudos Mr。 Hart， can't wait to read what's next。 My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a galley of this book for review。 。。。more
Agustina
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After seeing a really good review from a friend of mine， I decided to listen to it。 This is my first John Hart book so I had no expectations。 My first impression when I got the audio book was that it was long， 15 hrs。。。。let me tell you。。。you'll find excuses to keep listening and never putting it down。 The 15hrs went by flying！ There's so much going on and you have no idea how everything will unfold。 It was a GREAT book。 Definitely will recommend it！ If you listen to it， instead of reading it， th After seeing a really good review from a friend of mine， I decided to listen to it。 This is my first John Hart book so I had no expectations。 My first impression when I got the audio book was that it was long， 15 hrs。。。。let me tell you。。。you'll find excuses to keep listening and never putting it down。 The 15hrs went by flying！ There's so much going on and you have no idea how everything will unfold。 It was a GREAT book。 Definitely will recommend it！ If you listen to it， instead of reading it， the narrator does a great job。 。。。more
Karen
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It is the middle of the night and I just finished The Unwilling。 How do I describe this book as it has so many different paths to follow？ The effects of the Viet Nam war on a family， a serial killer， prison life。。。。。 The oldest of twins， Robert is killed in Viet Nam， the family loses Jason who fought in the war and came back damaged spending time in prison。 The youngest son， Gibby is finishing high school and is trying to figure out life。 Then there are the parents。 Dad is a cop trying to keep i It is the middle of the night and I just finished The Unwilling。 How do I describe this book as it has so many different paths to follow？ The effects of the Viet Nam war on a family， a serial killer， prison life。。。。。 The oldest of twins， Robert is killed in Viet Nam， the family loses Jason who fought in the war and came back damaged spending time in prison。 The youngest son， Gibby is finishing high school and is trying to figure out life。 Then there are the parents。 Dad is a cop trying to keep it all together and his wife is mentally damaged by the death of one son and blames her second son for everything。 If this is not enough， there is a serial killer “X” who is on death row and constantly reminded me of Hannibal Lector from Silence of the Lambs。 Hart， a master storyteller， has produced a masterpiece。 This is my first time reading one of his books， and it will definitely not be the last time。 My thanks to St。 Martin’s Press and Bookishfirst for the ARC of this book。 The opinions of this review are my own。 。。。more
Gloria ~ mzglorybe
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A strong 4+ rating from this reader - rubbing elbows with 5Meet the French family。 Detective French has many years in law enforcement。 He is married to Gabrielle， and father of 3 sons。 One set of twins， Robert and Jason and one younger， Gibby （for Gibson） just 18。 This takes place in No Carolina， 1972 during the Vietnam era。 His one son Robert was killed there and the family is still grieving。 Gabrielle whined to her husband， “Why Robert？。。。 Why not Jason？” In her eyes Robert was the perfect son A strong 4+ rating from this reader - rubbing elbows with 5Meet the French family。 Detective French has many years in law enforcement。 He is married to Gabrielle， and father of 3 sons。 One set of twins， Robert and Jason and one younger， Gibby （for Gibson） just 18。 This takes place in No Carolina， 1972 during the Vietnam era。 His one son Robert was killed there and the family is still grieving。 Gabrielle whined to her husband， “Why Robert？。。。 Why not Jason？” In her eyes Robert was the perfect son， whereas Jason was always a little wild， a thorn in her side。 He overhears his mother say this and joins the Marines。 He does 3 tours of duty in Vietnam。 No one really knows what he went through or why he was dishonorably discharged。 Following that he spends 24 months in prison。 The war and prison have changed Jason French。 How could they not？ One thing didn’t change and that’s his love for his younger brother， but he knows he’s no good example for Gibby and when Gibby wants to spend time with his older brother he discourages it。 Gibby is not to be deterred， even when his parents won’t allow it。 Jason allows Gibby to spend one day with him and a couple of drunk girls。 That turns out to be a bad decision， one with several repercussions， culminating in a gruesome murder a few days later。 Detective French is concerned his boys will be suspects。。。 could they， would they？ John Hart has become a favorite author of mine。 He never disappoints。 His characterization is always his strength。 The reader becomes emotionally involved in what each character is going through and why。 The only character that I would have liked to know a bit better is Gabrielle， the grieving but unlikable mom， dwelling on keeping her youngest son safe。 To her that means away from Jason， who got the short end of the stick all the way around。 His father realizes it and knows he’s made some mistakes， but is it too late to rectify them？ When he and Gibby find out what Jason really did in the war， he is sick with guilt and self recrimination。This is a crime novel， but also a domestic drama， a true study of familial discord， also a little bit of history about the Vietnam war， and prison life。 It is also about murderers， heinous ones that seem unbelievable in their evilness。 One of them is a wealthy one on death row where his money can buy whatever he wants， and does， with his minions on the outside at his beck and call。 His money also buys privileges and that includes the warden。 I found myself enthralled throughout this reading and appreciated the respite from politics and Covid。 I know when I need a break from reality John Hart and his inimitable talents can take me away to a different world for a few hours。 Happy to recommend it。 Get your copy in the US on February 2， 2021My sincere thanks to the following for a galley copy provided for my unbiased rating。 #netgalley #StMartinsPress #johnhartfictiion。com 。。。more
Bam cooks the books ;-）
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*4。5 stars rounded up to 5！ My first 5-star read for 2021！ 1972。 Charlotte， North Carolina。 One family struggling with what the Vietnam war has done to their family: twin boys gone to war--Robert French， returned home in a coffin; Jason French， dishonorably-discharged and drug-addicted， has recently returned to Charlotte after serving time in jail。 Their youngest boy， Gibson 'Gibby' French， a high school senior， will soon be eligible for the draft。。。his parents desperately want to keep him home， *4。5 stars rounded up to 5！ My first 5-star read for 2021！ 1972。 Charlotte， North Carolina。 One family struggling with what the Vietnam war has done to their family: twin boys gone to war--Robert French， returned home in a coffin; Jason French， dishonorably-discharged and drug-addicted， has recently returned to Charlotte after serving time in jail。 Their youngest boy， Gibson 'Gibby' French， a high school senior， will soon be eligible for the draft。。。his parents desperately want to keep him home， safe and innocent。For the first 25% of this book， I'm thinking， 'Wow， this is a terrific story about family dynamics and coming of age， about what war can do to good people！' Then Wham-O！ John Hart hits us with an horrific murder。 Detective William French recognizes the victim and soon his son Jason is the number one suspect。 His parents have pretty much given up on Jason， but Gibby is determined to prove them wrong。 But unbeknownst to the family in Charlotte， there is an evil spider in its dark web pulling the strings， controlling them all。 A quote from the author in an email received about his new book: 'People say I write dark， but that’s not entirely true。 Instead， I write about the search for light in dark places。 Wartime or peace， at home or on the dim streets of a midnight city， it’s what humanity is about: how we handle love and hope， fear and loss， the enduring questions that confront us each generation。' An excellent thriller that will keep you turning pages。 But it goes so much deeper than that， into the very souls of these characters。。。and that's what sets this book apart。 Highly recommend， but keep in mind there is violence。 BTW， I love the cover design depicting a young man standing on the edge of a cliff， deciding whether to make the leap。 That theme is so much a part of this story。 I received an arc of this new book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Many thanks for the opportunity。 。。。more
Sharon Mensing
，
I can't believe I chose not to finish a book by one of my favorite authors， John Hart。 However， this one is uncharacteristically graphic in its violence。 It's amazingly well written， as are all of his books， but this one just turned my stomach and after about half of it， I just couldn't take it any more。 The violence is necessary for the story， and for those who can take it， I highly recommend this book。Aside from the crimes involved， it is a story of a father and son's relationship and involves I can't believe I chose not to finish a book by one of my favorite authors， John Hart。 However， this one is uncharacteristically graphic in its violence。 It's amazingly well written， as are all of his books， but this one just turned my stomach and after about half of it， I just couldn't take it any more。 The violence is necessary for the story， and for those who can take it， I highly recommend this book。Aside from the crimes involved， it is a story of a father and son's relationship and involves very deep characterization。 This is a key trait of all of Hart's books， and one of the reasons I love them so much。There's a touch of mafia-like perspective here， and that， again， is something that doesn't really appeal to me。 I knew that going in， however， and was willing to try Hart's take on it。 I think this is a great book for the right reader。。。it's just not for me。 I've been trying for a month， but just can't make myself go back to it。 Maybe time for a cozy， lol！ 。。。more
Laurie's Lit Picks
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I have read all of Hart's previous books; he is a master storyteller， threading mystery and family drama throughout his novels。 His latest takes us back to 1972， as the Vietnam War rages and a family with three boys experiences its impact。 After the oldest son is killed and the middle son is dishonorably discharged， spending time in prison， their youngest is pulled into a storm of murder， secrets， and corruption， moving between prison scenes， high school life， and police investigation。 This is d I have read all of Hart's previous books; he is a master storyteller， threading mystery and family drama throughout his novels。 His latest takes us back to 1972， as the Vietnam War rages and a family with three boys experiences its impact。 After the oldest son is killed and the middle son is dishonorably discharged， spending time in prison， their youngest is pulled into a storm of murder， secrets， and corruption， moving between prison scenes， high school life， and police investigation。 This is definitely a richly told family saga that made me turn pages quickly; some occasional implausibilities but I didn't care that much as the tale was just so good！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Unwilling: A Novel
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Unwilling: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft