Natchez Burning by Greg Iles

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: COPYRIGHT: (1991) 8/4/2016; PUBLISHER: Turtleback Books (library binding); ISBN 978-0606369459; PAGES 816; Unabridged

Digital: Yes

*Audio: COPYRIGHT: 4/29/2014; ISBN: 9780062331854; PUBLISHER: Harper Audio; DURATION: 35:51:44; PARTS: 35; File Size: 1033120 KB; Unabridged
Feature Film or tv: No

SERIES: Penn Cage Series, Book 4

SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it: I saw the hardbound version of this in a book sale and the description reminded me of a Grisham book I’d recently listened to, so I thought I’d try it.
What’s it about? The violence of race relations in the South.
What did I think? Clearly the author wanted to stay authentic to his subject, but it has way too much violence and because of that, it feels like it’s too long.
But it made the New York Times Best Seller list, so who am I to criticize?

AUTHOR: Greg Iles
From Wikipedia
“Greg Iles (born 1960) is a novelist who lives in Mississippi. He has published seventeen novels and one novella, spanning a variety of genres.”

NARRATOR: David Ledoux
From David’s website:
“David is a director, actor, and educator in New England. Currently he is the Director of the Theatre Program at Bristol Community College. He has worked at such theatres as The McCarter Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, George Street Playhouse, Crossroads Theatre, Vital Theatre, Pulse Theatre, The Jean Cocteau Repertory and Goodspeed Opera House.
He has narrated numerous audio books including Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen, and 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill (Audie Award Winner). As a teaching artist David has worked with students of all ages, in a variety of settings. He has taught at the college level, at theaters, and for in-school residencies using theatre as a tool to supplement a wide array of curriculum.
He is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA and Actors Equity.
David has a BFA in acting from the Purchase College Conservatory of Theatre Arts,
and an MFA in directing from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.”
I couldn’t get comfortable with David’s narration—too often it seemed like words were getting emphasis for no good reason…kind of like a children’s book might be.

GENRE:
Fiction; Suspense; Thriller

LOCATIONS:
Mississippi; Louisiana

TIME FRAME:
1960’s

SUBJECTS:
murder; civil rights; Mississippi; race relations; KKK; former military; politics; torture

DEDICATION:
“"To Stanley Nelson, of the Concordia Sentinel. A humble hero.
And
all the victims of the civil rights movement
Mississippi and Louisiana
1960-1969."”

EXERPT:
“He wondered how Pooky was doing. The fool of a boy had been hiding in the Hammond when his girlfriend’s father and a Klansman named Frank Knox had burst into the store, cursing Albert for “fomenting miscegenation” and threatening to kill him if he didn’t produce Pooky Wilson. Albert had summoned all his courage and lied with the sincerity of Lucifer himself; if he hadn’t, both he and Pooky would already be dead.
As the bedsprings sang in the back of the store, Albert prayed as he never had before. He prayed that the Klan hadn’t stationed anybody outside to watch his store. He prayed that Willie and the schoolteacher would finish soon, would get away clean, and that darkness would fall. Anything less meant the end for all of them, except maybe the white woman.
The sofa springs groaned at about E above middle C, so Albert tuned his voice to their accompaniment. “There was two hundred folks a-dancin’,” he belted as he negotiated his way through the pianos in the display room, “laughin’, singin’ to beat the band.” He’d already run out of verses, so he’d taken to making up his own, describing the tragic fire that would likely have killed him, had he not been away in the navy. “Yeah, there was two hundred souls a-dancin’, lawd—laughin’, singin’ to beat the band.” Entering his workshop, he sat beside the Hammond organ, picked up a tonewheel, and pretended to work on it. “Two hundred souls on fire, locked indoors by the devil’s hand.”
After a quick look back at the display window, he tapped on the Hammond and said, “How you doin’ in there, Pook?”
“Not good. I’m ’bout to pee in my pants, Mr. Albert.”
“You got to hold it, boy. And don’t even think about lifting that trapdoor. Somebody outside might see your water hit the ground.”
“I can’t breathe, neither. I don’t like small spaces. Can’t you let me out for a minute? It feels like a coffin in here.” “There’s plenty of air in there. That small space is the only thing that’s gonna keep you out of a coffin tonight.”
Albert heard a ripping sound. Then part of the grille cover beneath the organ’s keyboard was pulled back, and an eye appeared in the hole. It looked like the eye of a catfish gasping in the bottom of a boat. “Quit tearing that cloth!” Albert snapped.
The eye vanished, and two dark fingers took its place. “Hold my hand, Mr. Albert. Just for a minute.”
With a lump in his throat, Albert reached out and hooked his forefinger in Pooky’s. The boy hung on like Albert was the only thing still tying him to the earth.
“Is there somebody else in the store?” Pooky asked.
“Willie Hooks. He’ll be gone soon. Listen, now. When it gets dark, I’m gonna turn on the lights in the display room and start playing piano. That’ll draw any eyes watching the place. Once I get goin’ good, open that trapdoor and drop down to the hole. If the coast looks clear, make your way two blocks over to Widow Nichols’s house. She’ll hide you in her attic till tomorrow. When I think the time is right, I’ll pick you up in my panel truck and carry you to the train station at Brookhaven. From there, it’s the Illinois Central straight up to Chicago. You got that?”
“I guess so. What I’m ’posed to use for money? Man can’t ride the train for free.”
Albert leaned over and slid five twenty-dollar bills under the bottom of the organ.
“Tuck that in your pants. That foldin’ money’s gonna get you started in Chi-town.”
Pooky whistled in amazement inside the organ box. “Can we really make it, Mr. Albert? Them fellas mean to lynch me for sure.”
“We’ll make it. But we wouldn’t even be in this mess if you’d listened to me. I told you that girl was just trying to prove something to her daddy, messing with you.””

RATING:
3 stars

STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
9-18-2022 to 10-8-2022
( )

Crime

Penn Cage has grown up in Natchez, Mississippi. He is definitely his father's son. His father is Tom Cage, a beloved doctor. Dr. Cage has been accused of killing Viola Turner, his black nurse that worked with him in the 1960's. Penn is determined to defend his father, as he is an attorney and the town's mayor.
The quest to find the answer is laden with many layers and leads Penn on a horrific journey into the mind of a real madman, who seems to decide whether your life is worth living in his mind only.

This book was layer upon layer of history. Good read. ( )

Unfamiliar with the author, this was a staff pick at the local library; and it's obvious why. Greg Iles, a resident of Natchez, MS is a brilliant storyteller whose life had a plot twist of its own. In light of the recent political climate and rise in hate crimes, the story is particularly relevant. It sheds light on a group that spun off from the KKK, that like the Klan used barbaric, often startling tactics to remove those in the way. The story evolves continually and like any top-tier crime drama builds momentum that steamrolls. Family and friend relationships are highlighted as are the crimes against humanity. Revealing events of the past impact character emotions moving the story forward and twisting the plot. In the early sections I was shocked by the barbarism and mindsets of characters who have been created from reality. Make sure to read the Afterword, which is revealing as is the information about the author. Crime/action isn't my first choice of genre, but I plan to read the others by this author. Highly recommended! ( )

This book was pretty long. I'm not sure if some things could have been omitted. As with the last book, this one is a cliffhanger. The last book was delayed for a while so I cannot imagine the sequel will be out in the next two years ( )