The novel by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone entitled A
Knife in the Heart is somewhat different from the other Johnstone books
that I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed. Certainly, it is not bad but this one
focuses on Hank Fallon who has done a
lot of things n his life including being an incarcerated prisoner. All of his
experiences make him the man he is today.
In this book, he gives up being a U.S. Marshal in Wyoming to
become the warden of Leavenworth prison… where a new facility is still under
construction. The older facility is still there and has plenty of bad people. Because
of his experiences in being an inmate, he seems to know all the tricks of the
prisoners but is a compassionate man as well.
He sees the goodness in people and if they are willing to meet him
half-way he is on their side.
Escapes, kidnappings, attempted murder and other not so
pleasant activities including murder are part of the story as Fallon tries to bring
a more modern approach to prisons. Not
everyone is liking this “new normal” there and do their best to thwart his
actions.
On occasion, he is known to revert to his former lives
including a stint as a Deputy Marshal in the Indian Territory and as a prisoner
himself. The key is not to make him mad,
although he is slow to anger.
While different from other Johnstone books, it is still
enjoyable and shows off a different writing genre. I’d recommend it for those looking for
something different from the good guys always wearing white hats. This one may be more realistic that some
others. I enjoyed it. In fairness, I need to say that I was given a
pre-publication copy in return for an honest review by #NetGalley. As in any
prepublication, there are a number of errors that proofing will catch before
the actual publication and they are not too distracting.
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