Iron House by John Hart

by:  John Hart
published by:  St. Martin's Press
publish date:  July 12, 2011

There was nothing but time at the Iron Mountain Home for Boys, time for two orphans to learn that life is neither painless nor won without a fight. Julian survives only because his older brother, Michael, is both feared and fiercely protective. When an older boy is brutally killed, Michael makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect his brother: He flees the orphanage and takes the blame with him.

For two decades, Michael thrives on the streets of New York, eventually clawing his way to a world of wealth, fear and respect. But the life he’s fought to build unravels when he meets a woman who knows nothing of his past or sins. He wants a fresh start with Elena, the chance to build a family of his own. But a life in organized crime is not so easily abandoned. With a price on his head and everyone he loves at risk, Michael spirits Elena back to North Carolina, to the brother he’d lost and a thicket of intrigue more dense than he could possibly imagine. In a tour de force narrative of violence, hope and redemption, the brothers must return to the Iron House of their childhood, to the place that almost broke them, the place it all began.
I've had this book forever.  FOREVER!  I finally just got around to it and I could kick myself.  What was I waiting for?  It was awesome!

Michael is a cold blooded killer, yet we can't but cheer him on throughout the book.  He risks everything he's ever had for the woman he loves and the brother he barely knows.  Personally, I kept expecting Elena to turn on him.  I really really expected her to be some secret agent or assassin or something, I don't know.   She seemed suspicious to me.

The whole history of Iron House and Michael and Julian was very well written.  Abigial, Julian's adoptive mother, was a great character.  Her storyline in the end was so heart breaking.  Throughout the whole book I kept questioning why she wanted to adopt Michael and Julian specifically, but that question isn't until the very end and it's a little surprising.

This book sold me on the writing of John Hart.  I will definitely check out his older book and be anticipating anything new coming out.