“A rare, remarkable book, a marvel from the first page to the last. At times blunt and startling, at times full of grace and subtle wisdom, this novel is, without a doubt, one of the most compelling pieces of fiction I’ve ever read.”
- Martin Clark, author of Plain Heathen Mischief

“John Hart’s debut in the world of fiction is that most engrossing of rarities, a well-plotted mystery novel that is written in a beautifully poetic style…The King of Lies will mark the beginning of a long and stellar career.”
- Mark Childress, author of Crazy in Alabama

“The best thing about reading The King of Lies is watching the character of Work Pickens evolve…The real change happens inside the character of Work Pickens as he’s forced by external circumstances to take a hard look at his assumptions and values. An ambitious debut from a promising new novelist.”
- Sheri Reynolds, author of The Rapture of Canaan

“A stunning debut; absolutely relentless. I dare you to read the first chapter of The King of Lies and not be hooked.”
-Edgar Award-winning author Steve Hamilton, author of Ice Run

“A page turner to the end!”
-Sally Brewster, President of Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance

“North Carolina lawyer Work Pickens is dismayed to learn that the body of his father has been found, 18 months after he went missing. Ezra Pickens, a man with many enemies (not to mention a very disharmonious relationship with his son), was murdered. Along with trying to track down his father's killer, Work has to shuffle a bitter wife, an unhappy lover, and a disgruntled sister-all the while dealing with the certainty that someone close to him is a murderer. This is a first novel that lunges off the page, just grabs the reader by the throat and won't let go. In the legal-thriller genre, which increasingly features protagonists transparently designed to be wildly individualistic, Work Pickens earns his individualism. And Hart is a fine stylist, turning phrases with a panache that recalls Raymond Chandler. Here's Work describing how he feels in his father's large house: "I rattled in it like a quarter in a tin can." Readers will breathe in this fine novel like a breath of fresh air and, immediately after finishing it, wish for more.”
­Booklist, Starred Review

“Hart's stunning debut, an exceptionally deep and complex mystery thriller, compares favorably to the best of Scott Turow. Jackson Workman Pickens, whom most people call "Work," is a struggling North Carolina criminal defense attorney. Work has wrestled with inner demons for most of his life, especially after the death of his mother and the disappearance of his wealthy father, Ezra Pickens, a highly successful lawyer who took him into his practice. Trapped in a loveless marriage and haunted by poor emotional choices and his sister's psychological trauma, Work finds himself under suspicion when his father's corpse surfaces more than a year after Ezra was last seen alive. Work's quest for the truth behind his father's demise opens old wounds and forces him to face the consequences of his own decisions. Few readers will be able to resist devouring this tour-de-force in one or two sittings—or clamoring for more John Hart.”
-Publisher’s Weekly, Starred Review.

“This powerful debut literary thriller starts off slowly but builds momentum like a runaway train. Jackson Workman Pickens, "Work" to his friends, an unambitious criminal defense lawyer in a small North Carolina town, has some serious baggage. He's lost his mother; his father, Ezra, has been missing for more than a year, leaving Work to deal with his psychologically damaged sister; and his marriage is on the rocks. Ezra, a prosperous attorney of questionable ethics and Work's boss, made a lot of enemies, so when his body is found, pretty much everyone is a suspect-but only one man is charged with the murder. Small-town ostracism and a social-climbing wife only add to the difficulties of trying to find out the truth behind the murder, which eventually opens a Pandora's box for Work. The writing is beautiful and the story is gripping, but it is the character study of a damaged Southern lawyer that puts this debut novel on the must-read list.”
-Library Journal, Starred Review

"Rookie of the Year.”
- Bookpage

"A plethora of books by bestselling authors will arrive in the coming weeks, and you'll be seeing their titles everywhere. It's like movies. If someone pays millions to make a movie like Pirates of the Caribbean 2, they're going to spend millions to make sure you go to see it.

But no one is paying me big bucks to schlep a book or a movie to you, so take my word when I tell you that if you want entertainment that will ensnare you, deprive you of sleep and have you button-holing your friends about its greatness, you won't be disappointed in unknown author John Hart's first book. Take note: When Hart is famous, you'll brag about reading The King of Lies before anyone had heard of him."
-Peter Mergendahl - Rockymountainnews.com Click here to read entire review.