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Water Moccasin, Copperhead, Black Swamp Water.

It's all there churning in the underbelly of Hush Arbor in Raven County. The Last Child redux.

John Hart sets down the characters of Johnny Merrimon and Jack Cross, once again, in the periphery of their own natural habitats. Their friendship locks in tightly and never skips a beat even from the mysterious shooting from 10 years ago. Secrets serve as steely links in an unbreakable bond between these two men that was rooted in the mud and the mire of unspeakable past events.

Johnny continues to live on the acre upon acre land that has been in his family since the 1850's. Resilient beyond words, Johnny hunts, fishes, and grows an enormous garden in order to sustain himself. Although "land rich", his money prospects are drying up. His mother, Catherine, and his stepfather, Clyde, are among the few that interact with him.

Jack Cross has come full circle since his childhood days in Hush Arbor. He now has a law degree and has ventured back into the shadowy segments of Raven County once again. His concern for Johnny prompts him into recommending that Johnny discuss his financial situation with Leslie Green, an appellate lawyer in the same law firm as Jack. Perhaps Johnny can benefit from this treasure of land.

But the thread that lifts and falls frequently at the core of this storyline is the eerie goings-on in regard to this land of Johnny's and what transpired so very long ago. We cannot escape the past and the past has no reason to escape its host. It is in this genre of magical realism that Hart uses as his vehicle for the layers of his storyline. It works to some degree, but it also breathes like forced air in a mine shaft. A lot of space to fill in a short amount of time.

Storytelling is what John Hart does best. You find yourself leaning in, absorbing every word. And he crafts those words like the wordsmith that he truly is. He can create a scene in soft whispers and then ratchet it up, unexpectantly, into a sonic boom.

You need not have read The Last Child in order to read this one. Ironically, few elements are the same and many elements are not in the same wheelhouse. A different avenue for Hart, and yet, a longing for the familiar shimmer that makes Hart......Hart.

I received a copy of The Hush through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the very talented John Hart for the opportunity.