Super Short Summary

In John Hart’s mystery novel, Down River, Adam Chase returns to his hometown in North Carolina after a five-year absence prompted by a cryptic phone call from his friend Danny, only to find himself enmeshed in a new murder mystery and haunted by past traumas. As Adam delves into the investigation to clear his and his friend Dolf's names, he confronts unresolved family conflict, his mother's death, and the harsh judgments of his former community. The novel contains themes of addiction, mental illness, and violence.