This book has it all - organized crime goons, dead bodies (lots of them), tormented pasts, missing money, and so many questions to be answered before we run out of pages! When the head of the crime family dies, his protégée, Michael, must fight for his life against those who want to take control of the "business" and grab the vast hidden fortune. In a race to kill before being killed, Michael must protect his pregnant girlfriend and fragile brother while he tries to unravel the mysteries of his parentage. Michael and his brother spent their younger years in a dismal orphanage, Iron House, where the bullies ruled! Now, these men are being found at the bottom of a lake and fingers are pointing toward Michael's brother, Julian. With so much going on, I found some of the explanations a little contrived toward the end of the book. The best part about this book is that so much happens and so many secrets are revealed throughout. The action really starts on the first page. Several times during my reading of it, I thought, "How could there still be so much left?" Just when I thought things were resolved, more secrets were revealed, more drama brought to light. I really enjoyed reading it, feeling the suspense, discovering the answers to the many mysteries along with the characters.Michael is a good, strong protagonist. He has many flaws, and he's aware of them, but he's a better man than he even thinks or understand. Elena is a little annoying, too shallow of a character, typical of the sidekick woman in a thriller. But Abigail is a great sidekick. She's strong and layered, dangerous and complex. Julian is a good background character, one around whom the action centers but who never really gets involved in the action. Jessup reminds me of Jorah Marmont from Game of Thrones. Abigail consistently keeps him in the friend zone, but he remains loyal. The plot could have been typical with the New York City crime scene and gang activity. However, Hart adds so many layers to that story that it become unique. His take on it is something that I've never seen or read before, which is difficult to do with a stock story at the start.Overall, the book is interesting and well-written. I recommend it to people who enjoy thrillers and good stories with complex plots and layered characters.
What do You think about The Iron House (2011)?
Great book. Couldn't put it down. Kept me interested from the start.
—maria
brilliant! Got very little sleep this last week ;-)
—dottimun
