Down RiverDown River
Score Modern
What it's about
Five years ago Adam Chase was acquitted of a murder in his North Carolina hometown, but his family and the town still believe he did it, and he fled to New York. When an old friend calls asking for help, Adam goes home, and new violence breaks out on and around his father's farm, while a fight over selling land for a nuclear power plant divides the county.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Edgar Award for best mystery novel. It's a moody Southern thriller about family and secrets.
You'll love it if you liked
The Last Child
The Bottoms
The River We RememberGood to know
There's violence and sexual assault.
By the numbers
- Readers38 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller5 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #327 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #1033 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1904 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Moving
More by John Hart
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Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
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Quick answers
Is Down River worth reading?
Yes. It won the Edgar Award for best mystery novel. It ranks #1,904 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Down River about?
Five years ago Adam Chase was acquitted of a murder in his North Carolina hometown, but his family and the town still believe he did it, and he fled to New York. When an old friend calls asking for help, Adam goes home, and new violence breaks out on and around his father's farm, while a fight over selling land for a nuclear power plant divides the county.
How long does it take to read Down River?
About 8 hours (336 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Down River won?
Edgar Award winner (2008).
What should I read after Down River?
If you liked it, try The Last Child by John Hart, The Bottoms by Joe R. Lansdale or The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger.