BY PAT TAYLOR

Advertising Director

It's a complex web John Hart weaves here, a tale full of mixed-up characters with holes in their souls.

Violent and bloody in parts, killings string out from New York City to the countryside of Chatham County. The Mafia is central to the plot, as is a high-flying politician and his long-suffering wife. In the middle of it all is a hard-core killer with a good heart, who is trying to change his life for the love of a woman. What a page-turner!

"Iron House" is Hart's fourth novel, and is already getting acclaim. The name comes from an orphanage in the N.C. mountains where early events in the book take place, shaping the central characters' lives. The story begins in New York, where Michael is trying to make the first steps to a new life.

Bad things happen as a result, and he's pulled to North Carolina to find his long-lost brother, who is now endangered. Things get complicated from there, as Michael searches for answers to a past life, and tries to help his brother overcome a lifetime of mental anguish. His new girlfriend doesn't understand any of it, knows nothing of Michael's past, but gets dragged into the middle of a high stakes chain of events nonetheless.

Hart uses several voices in telling the story, introducing a host of characters along the way. Some of them are hard-core criminals, others wealthy beyond belief. Several of the characters are downright creepy, but fascinating. The book is dark and moody, but there is a brightness to the core of the central character that makes you pull for him all the way through. The plot moves along at a fast clip, keeping the reader highly engaged.

This book was hard to put down, frankly. Set aside a weekend. You'll want to keep going back to the "Iron House."

Contact Pat Taylor at pat@thepilot.com.