Great book ( )

I am a fan of Greg Iles and a fan of Penn Cage. This book didn't disappoint. I have read others, completely out of order, and I have to say, every book, I can pick up and don't feel I missed a lot having not read them in order. That said, glad to have read book 1.
Penn Cage is a larger than life character, seeking justice with determination that seems daunting. To me, he is a character you can admire. I love how the author delves into the true heart of what was going on in the 60's and even today.
There is a lot of action in this book. A great read. ( )

I found this book a really fun, fast read. While some of Mr. Iles' dialogue and characters may be stereotypical, and possibly express facile sentiment or emotion, overall the story is strong and well-done. Enjoyable! ( )

"Natchez is unlike anyplace in America existing almost outside time, which is exactly what Annie and I need."

It's shortly after his wife died of cancer and attorney and best-selling author Penn Cage's young daughter Annie is grieving. He decides to return to his hometown Natchez where his mother and father might help his daughter through the process. Days after he arrives back in town, he's embroiled in a Civil Rights Era murder mystery, not to mention helping his father who's being blackmailed.

There are a lot of things that annoyed/angered me about this book. First of all, Penn moved back to Natchez for Annie, then immediately abandons her to his parents. He's chasing around town solving crimes (and having plenty of time for flirtation with a pretty reporter), moaning about wanting to protect his daughter, but basically ignoring her. And he has way too many close calls.

Then there's the legal stuff. Not that I was any great shakes as an attorney, and I will admit that the inaccurate way in which trials/legal issues are presented in novels is a pet peeve of mine, but the legal matters as described in this novel are so far out there, so removed from reality that I couldn't stand it. Almost nothing in the way the legal matters are described in this book could have occurred in real life.

Worst of all there is the paternalistic attitude against Blacks that permeates this book. I understand that it's set in a small Southern town, and maybe it could be said that this is the attitude that many of white denizens would have. But it also seems to be the attitude of those in the book who are supposed to be the "good guys," (i.e. Penn and his parents). Beyond that, the characters are all pretty much cliches.

This is not a series I will continue.

1 1/2 stars ( )

My first impression of this book was that it was a real "guy" book. Mostly because of the detailed descriptions of the female characters' sexy clothes and moist lips. However, that type of bias aside, this is actually a pretty gripping read. There is some difficult language-- it takes place in Mississippi and concerns a race murder that took place in the '60s, so there is liberal use of the N-word-- but it is not gratuitous. The complex story deals with the history of civil rights, the grief over the death of a spouse, and regret after the abrupt end of a teenage romance. And all of this emotional back story is interspersed with a lawsuit and the lead-up to a trial, including an investigation dogged with danger and violence. It is characterized as a thriller, and I suppose there are elements of that, but it felt like the whole narrative was geared toward a conclusion in which the good guys would prevail, despite the many obstacles that are placed in their path, so it never felt too scary. Good read. ( )