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Penn Cage #6
Mississippi Blood
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2017)The #1 New York Times Bestseller
The final installment in the epic Natchez Burning trilogy by Greg Iles
"Natchez Burning is extraordinarily entertaining and fiendishly suspenseful. I defy you to start it and find a way to put it down; as long as it is, I wished it were longer. . . . This is an amazing work of popular fiction."
-- Stephen King
"One of the longest, most successful sustained works of popular fiction in recent memory... Prepare to be surprised. Iles has always been an exceptional storyteller, and he has invested these volumes with an energy and sense of personal urgency that rarely, if ever, falter."
-- Washington Post
The endgame is at hand for Penn Cage, his family, and the enemies bent on destroying them in this revelatory volume in the epic trilogy set in modern-day Natchez, Mississippi--Greg Iles's epic tale of love and honor, hatred and revenge that explores how the sins of the past continue to haunt the present.
Shattered by grief and dreaming of vengeance, Penn Cage sees his family and his world collapsing around him. The woman he loves is gone, his principles have been irrevocably compromised, and his father, once a paragon of the community that Penn leads as mayor, is about to be tried for the murder of a former lover. Most terrifying of all, Dr. Cage seems bent on self-destruction. Despite Penn's experience as a prosecutor in major murder trials, his father has frozen him out of the trial preparations--preferring to risk dying in prison to revealing the truth of the crime to his son.
During forty years practicing medicine, Tom Cage made himself the most respected and beloved physician in Natchez, Mississippi. But this revered Southern figure has secrets known only to himself and a handful of others. Among them, Tom has a second son, the product of an 1960s affair with his devoted African American nurse, Viola Turner. It is Viola who has been murdered, and her bitter son--Penn's half-brother--who sets in motion the murder case against his father. The resulting investigation exhumes dangerous ghosts from Mississippi's violent past. In some way that Penn cannot fathom, Viola Turner was a nexus point between his father and the Double Eagles, a savage splinter cell of the KKK. More troubling still, the long-buried secrets shared by Dr. Cage and the former Klansmen may hold the key to the most devastating assassinations of the 1960s. The surviving Double Eagles will stop at nothing to keep their past crimes buried, and with the help of some of the most influential men in the state, they seek to ensure that Dr. Cage either takes the fall for them, or takes his secrets to an early grave.
Unable to trust anyone around him--not even his own mother--Penn joins forces with Serenity Butler, a famous young black author who has come to Natchez to write about his father's case. Together, Penn and Serenity battle to crack the Double Eagles and discover the secret history of the Cage family and the South itself, a desperate move that risks the only thing they have left to gamble: their lives.
Mississippi Blood is the enthralling conclusion to a breathtaking trilogy seven years in the making--one that has kept readers on the edge of their seats. With piercing insight, narrative prowess, and a masterful ability to blend history and imagination, Greg Iles illuminates the brutal history of the American South in a highly atmospheric and suspenseful novel that delivers the shocking resolution his fans have eagerly awaited.
The final installment in the epic Natchez Burning trilogy by Greg Iles
"Natchez Burning is extraordinarily entertaining and fiendishly suspenseful. I defy you to start it and find a way to put it down; as long as it is, I wished it were longer. . . . This is an amazing work of popular fiction."
-- Stephen King
"One of the longest, most successful sustained works of popular fiction in recent memory... Prepare to be surprised. Iles has always been an exceptional storyteller, and he has invested these volumes with an energy and sense of personal urgency that rarely, if ever, falter."
-- Washington Post
The endgame is at hand for Penn Cage, his family, and the enemies bent on destroying them in this revelatory volume in the epic trilogy set in modern-day Natchez, Mississippi--Greg Iles's epic tale of love and honor, hatred and revenge that explores how the sins of the past continue to haunt the present.
Shattered by grief and dreaming of vengeance, Penn Cage sees his family and his world collapsing around him. The woman he loves is gone, his principles have been irrevocably compromised, and his father, once a paragon of the community that Penn leads as mayor, is about to be tried for the murder of a former lover. Most terrifying of all, Dr. Cage seems bent on self-destruction. Despite Penn's experience as a prosecutor in major murder trials, his father has frozen him out of the trial preparations--preferring to risk dying in prison to revealing the truth of the crime to his son.
During forty years practicing medicine, Tom Cage made himself the most respected and beloved physician in Natchez, Mississippi. But this revered Southern figure has secrets known only to himself and a handful of others. Among them, Tom has a second son, the product of an 1960s affair with his devoted African American nurse, Viola Turner. It is Viola who has been murdered, and her bitter son--Penn's half-brother--who sets in motion the murder case against his father. The resulting investigation exhumes dangerous ghosts from Mississippi's violent past. In some way that Penn cannot fathom, Viola Turner was a nexus point between his father and the Double Eagles, a savage splinter cell of the KKK. More troubling still, the long-buried secrets shared by Dr. Cage and the former Klansmen may hold the key to the most devastating assassinations of the 1960s. The surviving Double Eagles will stop at nothing to keep their past crimes buried, and with the help of some of the most influential men in the state, they seek to ensure that Dr. Cage either takes the fall for them, or takes his secrets to an early grave.
Unable to trust anyone around him--not even his own mother--Penn joins forces with Serenity Butler, a famous young black author who has come to Natchez to write about his father's case. Together, Penn and Serenity battle to crack the Double Eagles and discover the secret history of the Cage family and the South itself, a desperate move that risks the only thing they have left to gamble: their lives.
Mississippi Blood is the enthralling conclusion to a breathtaking trilogy seven years in the making--one that has kept readers on the edge of their seats. With piercing insight, narrative prowess, and a masterful ability to blend history and imagination, Greg Iles illuminates the brutal history of the American South in a highly atmospheric and suspenseful novel that delivers the shocking resolution his fans have eagerly awaited.
784 pages, Library Binding
First published March 21, 2017
3924 people are currently reading
28810 people want to read
About the author
Greg Iles
122 books7,203 followersGreg Iles spent most of his life in Natchez, Mississippi. His first novel, Spandau
Phoenix, was the first of seventeen New York Times bestsellers. His Natchez
Burning trilogy continued the story of Penn Cage, the protagonist of The Quiet Game,
Turning Angel, and #1 New York Times bestseller The Devil’s Punchbowl. Iles’s novels have been made into films and published in more than thirty-five countries. He was a
member of the lit-rock group The Rock Bottom Remainders.
Phoenix, was the first of seventeen New York Times bestsellers. His Natchez
Burning trilogy continued the story of Penn Cage, the protagonist of The Quiet Game,
Turning Angel, and #1 New York Times bestseller The Devil’s Punchbowl. Iles’s novels have been made into films and published in more than thirty-five countries. He was a
member of the lit-rock group The Rock Bottom Remainders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,221 reviews
April 8, 2017
5 Stars (I’d give it more if I could)!!
Mississippi Blood. It is over. This is it. The end. How can that be? I am at a loss, yet I am amazed and stunned. Mississippi Blood and the entire Natchez Burning Trilogy is a masterpiece.
“Mississippi Blood is Different. … There’s Strength in it too. Strength that’s been beat but not Broke. That’s Mississippi Blood.”
Like I said, this is it for Penn Cage. There is nothing left. And in his life he has endured a lot. More than most. He has lost almost everything. His family is under attack by Snake Knox and Double Eagles and he is under armed guard. Every Second of Every Day. Penn fears for his daughter, Annie’s safety. And even the FBI can’t keep them safe. Penn’s father Dr. Tom Cage is on trial for murder and doesn’t even want his son’s assistance. Quinton Avery, the most reputable attorney in the State, is his father’s attorney and both are keeping Penn out of the loop. Dr. Cage is self-destructing. And no one knows why. Not even Quinton. And Penn’s half-brother, Lincoln Turner, is hell-bent on destroying the Cages. As the trial moves forward, more buried secrets come to light. Yet the past never stays in the past. Even though the Double Eagles want it to and will harm whoever they have to, in order to try and keep it there. Race relations still run rampant here and the violence exists all too often. Yet Penn is resilient. And his family means the world to him. Thus Penn does what any son would do. Find people who can help his father, regardless of the consequences. Luckily for him, he gets some help, in the form of Serenity Butler, a famous writer and former army officer, who steps in to help him battle the Double Eagles, as does his old friend Rusty.
In Mississippi Blood, Penn learns some more hard truths about his family and his friends. Most of which he doesn’t like. Some of which surprises the heck out of him. And us too, if I’m being perfectly honest. Sometimes however, he finds that there is still goodness in people. And Strength too. Mississippi Blood.
Penn Cage desperately wants to believe in his father. He wants to believe in truth and in justice. In family. But in this trilogy, those ideals are shaken to the core.
This trilogy leaves nothing on the table. It takes every single emotion from you. I don’t know how Greg Iles does it. This trilogy is complex yet simple. The books are bold.. so many interwoven storylines that meld together so well. With characters you loved. And characters you loved to hate. I love Penn Cage.. he’s like a friend who I’ve known for over ten years and have had coffee with and Tom Cage is like my dad, who has broken my heart a thousand times over. These are character you live with. Greg Iles makes you feel what they feel. When they suffer you suffer. I cried so many times reading these books.. Sometimes sobbing, and sometimes just releasing small tears. Sometimes smiling with wonderment at these characters who I know. With every cell. Every nerve ending. I admit that these books aren’t for the faint of heart. There is violence, there is defilement, there are assassinations and murder. But there is also the love, laughter and loyalty. And “Strength that’s been beat but not Broke.”
In short, this trilogy has it all. They are suspenseful. They are masterful. There is never a dull moment, nor is there ever a moment when my attention drifted or the storyline dulled. The Natchez Burning Trilogy (Natchez Burning, The Bone Tree and Mississippi Blood) is brilliant. Like I said, It is Greg Iles at his most incredible, his most talented. It doesn’t get better than this. He is one of the best authors I have ever encountered in my lifetime and this trilogy/series is the best I have ever read. It is a masterpiece.
*This Trilogy can be read without having read any of the other Penn Cage novels and if you haven’t read any books by Greg Iles, I IMPLORE you to do so. Start with Natchez Burning. Yes the trilogy is long. Yes it will take time. But it is worth your investment. Trust me.
My favorite characters in the Trilogy (in no particular order) include but are not limited to
Penn Cage;
Caitlin Masters;
Sleepy Johnson;
Henry Sexton;
Albert Norris;
Serenity Butler;
Quinton Avery;
Annie Cage; and
Tom Cage.
You guys rocked. Each and every one of you for different reasons.
Thank you Greg Iles for giving the readers this most incredible gift. I loved each and every second of it. Thank you also for persevering.
Published on Goodreads and Amazon on 4/7/17.
Mississippi Blood. It is over. This is it. The end. How can that be? I am at a loss, yet I am amazed and stunned. Mississippi Blood and the entire Natchez Burning Trilogy is a masterpiece.
“Mississippi Blood is Different. … There’s Strength in it too. Strength that’s been beat but not Broke. That’s Mississippi Blood.”
Like I said, this is it for Penn Cage. There is nothing left. And in his life he has endured a lot. More than most. He has lost almost everything. His family is under attack by Snake Knox and Double Eagles and he is under armed guard. Every Second of Every Day. Penn fears for his daughter, Annie’s safety. And even the FBI can’t keep them safe. Penn’s father Dr. Tom Cage is on trial for murder and doesn’t even want his son’s assistance. Quinton Avery, the most reputable attorney in the State, is his father’s attorney and both are keeping Penn out of the loop. Dr. Cage is self-destructing. And no one knows why. Not even Quinton. And Penn’s half-brother, Lincoln Turner, is hell-bent on destroying the Cages. As the trial moves forward, more buried secrets come to light. Yet the past never stays in the past. Even though the Double Eagles want it to and will harm whoever they have to, in order to try and keep it there. Race relations still run rampant here and the violence exists all too often. Yet Penn is resilient. And his family means the world to him. Thus Penn does what any son would do. Find people who can help his father, regardless of the consequences. Luckily for him, he gets some help, in the form of Serenity Butler, a famous writer and former army officer, who steps in to help him battle the Double Eagles, as does his old friend Rusty.
In Mississippi Blood, Penn learns some more hard truths about his family and his friends. Most of which he doesn’t like. Some of which surprises the heck out of him. And us too, if I’m being perfectly honest. Sometimes however, he finds that there is still goodness in people. And Strength too. Mississippi Blood.
Penn Cage desperately wants to believe in his father. He wants to believe in truth and in justice. In family. But in this trilogy, those ideals are shaken to the core.
This trilogy leaves nothing on the table. It takes every single emotion from you. I don’t know how Greg Iles does it. This trilogy is complex yet simple. The books are bold.. so many interwoven storylines that meld together so well. With characters you loved. And characters you loved to hate. I love Penn Cage.. he’s like a friend who I’ve known for over ten years and have had coffee with and Tom Cage is like my dad, who has broken my heart a thousand times over. These are character you live with. Greg Iles makes you feel what they feel. When they suffer you suffer. I cried so many times reading these books.. Sometimes sobbing, and sometimes just releasing small tears. Sometimes smiling with wonderment at these characters who I know. With every cell. Every nerve ending. I admit that these books aren’t for the faint of heart. There is violence, there is defilement, there are assassinations and murder. But there is also the love, laughter and loyalty. And “Strength that’s been beat but not Broke.”
In short, this trilogy has it all. They are suspenseful. They are masterful. There is never a dull moment, nor is there ever a moment when my attention drifted or the storyline dulled. The Natchez Burning Trilogy (Natchez Burning, The Bone Tree and Mississippi Blood) is brilliant. Like I said, It is Greg Iles at his most incredible, his most talented. It doesn’t get better than this. He is one of the best authors I have ever encountered in my lifetime and this trilogy/series is the best I have ever read. It is a masterpiece.
*This Trilogy can be read without having read any of the other Penn Cage novels and if you haven’t read any books by Greg Iles, I IMPLORE you to do so. Start with Natchez Burning. Yes the trilogy is long. Yes it will take time. But it is worth your investment. Trust me.
My favorite characters in the Trilogy (in no particular order) include but are not limited to
Penn Cage;
Caitlin Masters;
Sleepy Johnson;
Henry Sexton;
Albert Norris;
Serenity Butler;
Quinton Avery;
Annie Cage; and
Tom Cage.
You guys rocked. Each and every one of you for different reasons.
Thank you Greg Iles for giving the readers this most incredible gift. I loved each and every second of it. Thank you also for persevering.
Published on Goodreads and Amazon on 4/7/17.
January 17, 2019
Mississippi Blood by Greg Iles is a 2017 William Morrow publication.
I’ve been putting off reading this book for a couple of reasons. One is that Greg Iles doesn’t churn out assembly line novels. It’s always a couple of long years between books, so I like to keep one waiting in the wings, so to speak. The other reason is that this is the last book, at far as I know, in the Penn Cage series, and I wanted to postpone saying goodbye to Penn for as long as possible.
With the news that GI has a new book coming out soon, I decided it was finally time to tackle this final Penn Cage tome.
The book picks up pretty much where the last one left off. Dr. Cage, Penn’s father, is in jail awaiting trial on a murder charge. Penn has buried his fiancé, Caitlin, coping with his grief, the impact these developments have on his young daughter, Annie, and trying to be there for his mother.
However, he’s been avoiding his father, unable to face him, blaming him for Caitlin’s death. But, once he breaks the ice again, he intends to do whatever he can to keep his father out of prison. However, Dr. Cage’s attorney seems bent on throwing the case, while one shocking revelation after another sends ripples through the courtroom.
Meanwhile, Snake Knox is still out there and is as much of a threat as he ever was- maybe even more so…
Well, this certainly was a twisty, yet arduous finale to this trilogy/arc in the Penn Cage chronicles. It’s hard to place this one in any one specific category. This is a mystery/ thriller, of course, but this installment also has some courtroom drama, and while many won’t admit this, this trilogy has also come close to becoming a good old- fashioned southern family saga, as well. The story also puts a white -hot spotlight on race relations, especially in Mississippi.
Mississippi blood is different. It's got some river in it. Delta soil, turpentine, asbestos, cotton poison. But there's a strength to it, too. Strength that's been beat but not broke."
Many people will claim to be progressive thinkers, but when it comes to following through on the hard part of their idealism, they often falter. This is a story that examines these truths while also bringing southern fried justice to those who have wreaked havoc for decades. Some heroes have feet of clay, saints fall from grace, while old enemies shake off the ghosts of the past, and others will rise -up and put their bitterness and anger to rest, hopefully for good.
As always, the reader gets their money’s worth from Greg Iles. This one weighs in at a little over seven hundred pages, as do previous installments. However, this one did drag on a bit too long, in my opinion. I do love epic sagas, as everyone knows, but when I find myself growing impatient, heaving a heavy sigh here or there, or fighting the urge to skip ahead, then maybe, for the sake of momentum, some areas could have been shortened, or left out entirely.
That said, this was one heck of a wild ride. Not only were there a few earth shattering and shocking big reveals I never even saw coming, there was a fair amount of action, and of course I loved all that courtroom wrangling. But, for me, at the end of the day, it was the deep introspection and realizations about the people we think we know, the lengths in which some will go in order to protect what they have, what they know, a way of life, and the consequences others will pay for those actions, that makes this book special. Iles hits upon some hard truths in this novel, poking at what really lies in the deepest darkest corners of the heart.
"Our country's messed up, son. Mortally wounded. And I can't for the life of me see how we're going to heal it. Your generation can't do it. Even your're too old. The new ones coming along.... that's where the hope lies. if there is any.
Penn’s musings are spot on in many ways and should compel readers to take a good, long look in the mirror and search one’s own heart and soul. Ask yourself the hard questions and answer them truthfully. Would you, if tested, have the courage of your own convictions?
4 stars
I’ve been putting off reading this book for a couple of reasons. One is that Greg Iles doesn’t churn out assembly line novels. It’s always a couple of long years between books, so I like to keep one waiting in the wings, so to speak. The other reason is that this is the last book, at far as I know, in the Penn Cage series, and I wanted to postpone saying goodbye to Penn for as long as possible.
With the news that GI has a new book coming out soon, I decided it was finally time to tackle this final Penn Cage tome.
The book picks up pretty much where the last one left off. Dr. Cage, Penn’s father, is in jail awaiting trial on a murder charge. Penn has buried his fiancé, Caitlin, coping with his grief, the impact these developments have on his young daughter, Annie, and trying to be there for his mother.
However, he’s been avoiding his father, unable to face him, blaming him for Caitlin’s death. But, once he breaks the ice again, he intends to do whatever he can to keep his father out of prison. However, Dr. Cage’s attorney seems bent on throwing the case, while one shocking revelation after another sends ripples through the courtroom.
Meanwhile, Snake Knox is still out there and is as much of a threat as he ever was- maybe even more so…
Well, this certainly was a twisty, yet arduous finale to this trilogy/arc in the Penn Cage chronicles. It’s hard to place this one in any one specific category. This is a mystery/ thriller, of course, but this installment also has some courtroom drama, and while many won’t admit this, this trilogy has also come close to becoming a good old- fashioned southern family saga, as well. The story also puts a white -hot spotlight on race relations, especially in Mississippi.
Mississippi blood is different. It's got some river in it. Delta soil, turpentine, asbestos, cotton poison. But there's a strength to it, too. Strength that's been beat but not broke."
Many people will claim to be progressive thinkers, but when it comes to following through on the hard part of their idealism, they often falter. This is a story that examines these truths while also bringing southern fried justice to those who have wreaked havoc for decades. Some heroes have feet of clay, saints fall from grace, while old enemies shake off the ghosts of the past, and others will rise -up and put their bitterness and anger to rest, hopefully for good.
As always, the reader gets their money’s worth from Greg Iles. This one weighs in at a little over seven hundred pages, as do previous installments. However, this one did drag on a bit too long, in my opinion. I do love epic sagas, as everyone knows, but when I find myself growing impatient, heaving a heavy sigh here or there, or fighting the urge to skip ahead, then maybe, for the sake of momentum, some areas could have been shortened, or left out entirely.
That said, this was one heck of a wild ride. Not only were there a few earth shattering and shocking big reveals I never even saw coming, there was a fair amount of action, and of course I loved all that courtroom wrangling. But, for me, at the end of the day, it was the deep introspection and realizations about the people we think we know, the lengths in which some will go in order to protect what they have, what they know, a way of life, and the consequences others will pay for those actions, that makes this book special. Iles hits upon some hard truths in this novel, poking at what really lies in the deepest darkest corners of the heart.
"Our country's messed up, son. Mortally wounded. And I can't for the life of me see how we're going to heal it. Your generation can't do it. Even your're too old. The new ones coming along.... that's where the hope lies. if there is any.
Penn’s musings are spot on in many ways and should compel readers to take a good, long look in the mirror and search one’s own heart and soul. Ask yourself the hard questions and answer them truthfully. Would you, if tested, have the courage of your own convictions?
4 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2016
I would give this ten stars if they were available. I couldn’t wait for the third installment of this masterfully written trilogy. And now, I’m sorry it’s over. Greg Iles is a magnificent story-teller; a genius with a pen. A history lesson, a love story, betrayal, a murder mystery, harrowing action, spectacular courtroom drama, corruption, incredible sadness… Everything one could ask for in a well-written story. Iles definitely saved the best for last. Mississippi blood is definitely thicker than water.
July 23, 2017
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! So good it makes me want to scream! The tension has been building throughout the series and this is a perfect culmination. Isles is a master at character development and describing action. I love that Penn is not a noble character who always does the right (lawful) thing,..he does what's necessary to protect his family. One of the best thrillers I've ever read! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
July 23, 2017
I started reading the Penn Cage books in 2009 and really enjoyed the characters and the setting. I felt awful when I read that Greg Iles sustained life-threatening injuries in an automobile accident in 2011, but the accident changed his outlook toward his writing and this trilogy within the series was born.
With this trilogy, Natchez Burning was a 5-star book for me, the second book was 3 stars, and this final third gets 4 stars. I applaud the author for his honest portrayal of life in Mississippi, including the racial tensions between some people and the accepting and friendly behavior between the races in other people. Even the cruel and disgusting acts of whites towards blacks in 1968 were not glossed over. As for the Cage family and their allies, it’s been a long involved history over the six books. There may be more Penn Cage books in the author’s head, but I’d be satisfied if Penn’s story ended with this book.
The problem I had with all three books in this trilogy is their length. The books are physically huge and heavy, so for me ebooks were the only way to comfortably read them. I learned that the hard way by reading Natchez Burning’s 791 pages in hardcover.
With this trilogy, Natchez Burning was a 5-star book for me, the second book was 3 stars, and this final third gets 4 stars. I applaud the author for his honest portrayal of life in Mississippi, including the racial tensions between some people and the accepting and friendly behavior between the races in other people. Even the cruel and disgusting acts of whites towards blacks in 1968 were not glossed over. As for the Cage family and their allies, it’s been a long involved history over the six books. There may be more Penn Cage books in the author’s head, but I’d be satisfied if Penn’s story ended with this book.
The problem I had with all three books in this trilogy is their length. The books are physically huge and heavy, so for me ebooks were the only way to comfortably read them. I learned that the hard way by reading Natchez Burning’s 791 pages in hardcover.
May 21, 2017
Sometimes I catch myself about to write a review, wondering, "and just who do you think you are, Miss Never Published Anything Substantial who thinks punctuation marks can be used like crayons or Legos?" Then I read the professional writers on writing and whole books about so-you-want-to-be-a-novelist that contradict each other; well-known phrases like *kill all adjectives,* and read Faulkner; *say it simply,* then read Nabokov; and so on with the controverting. If I'm really in an contemplative state, or over caffeinated, I wonder about the function of editors; the relationship between an author and an editor, particularly an accomplished author and a novice editor. I'll have to look into this further...does Ms. Editor casually return a red penciled manuscript to Ms. NY Bestseller List then simply wait for the suggestions and corrections, or drop the packet and make a serpentine run for cover? What is an editor held accountable for in the publishing world? What is their culpability? Does size matter? Sometimes, I'd like a star designated just for the editing (or lack thereof), but then I'd be accountable for qualifying more of my opinion when I'd really just like to sit back in a creaky rocker on the porch, sip on some sweet tea, and watch the pee-cans drop, ignore that comment by a friend, "It could've been edited to 2/3rds the book" that interrupts my fading hold on Iles' South.
My humble opinion:
Iles' editor could cut a little. Contrariwise, I always am a little sad when I've finished inhabiting Iles' Mississippi -- gators, deviants, words and all.
I've read the trilogy, and advise readers against reading this third book in the Natchez Burning Trilogy as a stand alone novel. Natchez Burning, 791 pgs.; The Bone Tree, 804 pgs.; Mississippi Blood, 704 pgs. The history contained in these books is interesting and great storytelling.
Iles continues this third book, true to form: wordy and repetitive in places, violent, but good atmospheric read rich in history. I am intrigued by the South of many authors, thereby a reliable habitué.
Plots seem satisfactorily tied up, though emotionally you want more for these characters you've been involved with for the past few years and 2300 plus pages. The myriad, or community, of characters dead or accounted for, some mourned, some hissed and booed in their dying throes. There remain some questions (if you can remember back through the evolution of the trilogy), possibly hinting at a new direction for Penn Cage. Personally, I hope Iles lets Cage go out while on top, but I say that today knowing I'll miss him enough to regret that thought. There's always the brother....
The author writes an entertaining Southern crime thriller, some of the best as far as layered storytelling. He could be accused of excessively requiring suspension of logic and reality. You know this if you've sat in on legal proceedings. But reality is overrated, especially in Fiction.
I noticed some changes with the author's style, subtle throughout the trilogy, undeniably obvious once the author killed off Caitlyn at the end of the second book. The death of Cage's long-time fiancé marked a shift in this lawyer's libido, as written by Iles. Respectable lawyer Cage is looking lustfully at the babysitter (and she's looking back). Is the author feeling his age rather than the character feeling his? It felt awkward and out of character, as did his sudden in flagrante delicto affair. I wasn't quite convinced or appreciative of this new romantic direction. It was lacking Cage's otherwise impeccable style.
Prepare for plenty of violence, rape, and defilement that is almost painful to read, a staple of Iles' South, and a spotlight bright on the racial disgraces of our past. Several times characters refer to their story as the most vile story ever. When characters point that out to me, the reader, I get an uncomfortable feeling that there is a oh yeah, well top that! thing going on and the substance gets lost in too many dark shadows that are already cast by actual history.
Iles has always written about *Justice* and *Equality,* a conscience of the horrific deeds committed by horrible people against good people, so that's not a new theme, just expect it to be expanded. I'm still thinking about that epilogue, if it served the story or capitalized on the current political pulse. That may be a chicken or the egg question to ponder on my next spell of contemplation.
Just for fun: Greg Iles is an interesting character himself, and a prolific writer with a pack of likewise gifted and prolific friends that occasionally put down their pens and pick up a musical instrument. The Rock Bottom Remainders: Stephen King, Scott Turow, Mitch Albom, Amy Tan, Matt Groening, Dave Barry, Roy Blount Jr., James McBride, Ridley Pearson, Greg Iles, Sam Barry, and Roger McGuinn. Not a bad line-up, with the claim: "The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors)." After watching a video clip and reading the comments, the repartee might be better than their music.
Looks like the most fun you can have with either ear plugs or a couple of good stiff pre-performance drinks. ☺
My humble opinion:
Iles' editor could cut a little. Contrariwise, I always am a little sad when I've finished inhabiting Iles' Mississippi -- gators, deviants, words and all.
I've read the trilogy, and advise readers against reading this third book in the Natchez Burning Trilogy as a stand alone novel. Natchez Burning, 791 pgs.; The Bone Tree, 804 pgs.; Mississippi Blood, 704 pgs. The history contained in these books is interesting and great storytelling.
Iles continues this third book, true to form: wordy and repetitive in places, violent, but good atmospheric read rich in history. I am intrigued by the South of many authors, thereby a reliable habitué.
Plots seem satisfactorily tied up, though emotionally you want more for these characters you've been involved with for the past few years and 2300 plus pages. The myriad, or community, of characters dead or accounted for, some mourned, some hissed and booed in their dying throes. There remain some questions (if you can remember back through the evolution of the trilogy), possibly hinting at a new direction for Penn Cage. Personally, I hope Iles lets Cage go out while on top, but I say that today knowing I'll miss him enough to regret that thought. There's always the brother....
The author writes an entertaining Southern crime thriller, some of the best as far as layered storytelling. He could be accused of excessively requiring suspension of logic and reality. You know this if you've sat in on legal proceedings. But reality is overrated, especially in Fiction.
I noticed some changes with the author's style, subtle throughout the trilogy, undeniably obvious once the author killed off Caitlyn at the end of the second book. The death of Cage's long-time fiancé marked a shift in this lawyer's libido, as written by Iles. Respectable lawyer Cage is looking lustfully at the babysitter (and she's looking back). Is the author feeling his age rather than the character feeling his? It felt awkward and out of character, as did his sudden in flagrante delicto affair. I wasn't quite convinced or appreciative of this new romantic direction. It was lacking Cage's otherwise impeccable style.
Prepare for plenty of violence, rape, and defilement that is almost painful to read, a staple of Iles' South, and a spotlight bright on the racial disgraces of our past. Several times characters refer to their story as the most vile story ever. When characters point that out to me, the reader, I get an uncomfortable feeling that there is a oh yeah, well top that! thing going on and the substance gets lost in too many dark shadows that are already cast by actual history.
Iles has always written about *Justice* and *Equality,* a conscience of the horrific deeds committed by horrible people against good people, so that's not a new theme, just expect it to be expanded. I'm still thinking about that epilogue, if it served the story or capitalized on the current political pulse. That may be a chicken or the egg question to ponder on my next spell of contemplation.
Just for fun: Greg Iles is an interesting character himself, and a prolific writer with a pack of likewise gifted and prolific friends that occasionally put down their pens and pick up a musical instrument. The Rock Bottom Remainders: Stephen King, Scott Turow, Mitch Albom, Amy Tan, Matt Groening, Dave Barry, Roy Blount Jr., James McBride, Ridley Pearson, Greg Iles, Sam Barry, and Roger McGuinn. Not a bad line-up, with the claim: "The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors)." After watching a video clip and reading the comments, the repartee might be better than their music.
“We play music as well as Metallica writes novels.”-Dave Barryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ_FcdFIJqU
“Rock Bottom Remainders? Who the hell are they?” -Kirk Hammett, Metallica
“There’s an audience out there, and the key is to kick it in the ass.” -Stephen King
“Roy actually coined the term for our genre of music; ‘hard-listening music.’” -Dave Barry
Looks like the most fun you can have with either ear plugs or a couple of good stiff pre-performance drinks. ☺
March 28, 2017
I have read the entire series and felt nothing was gained by this book. Almost 700 pages of rehashing the same thing (the entire series) and extremely repetitive (how many times do you threaten to take the case from someone?). All telling and the action only served to kill off or harm people. The ending was just unsatisfactory. I even figured out who Tom was protecting early on. Not a fan of Penn in this book as Caitlin's body is barely cold in the bag before he is in bed with someone.
June 29, 2017
The sixth and final book in the Penn Cage trilogy. I really think Greg Iles is among the best writers of "Southern secrets." However, I think the scope of this book was a bit too narrowly focused on the trial of Penn's father, highly respected Dr. Tom Cage, and the legal strategies of his defense lawyer and prosecutor Shadrach Johnson. In fact, I though the book was strongest away from the trial: the visiting award-winning writer, the new witness that can sink the Double Eagles, and the young reporter who suffers a viscious, life threatening attack early in the book. That said, the book still resonates with tension, and I will miss this series. Too bad that the bad guys got off without real punishment. Please write again soon Greg!!
October 8, 2021
In this, the last of the Natchez Burning trilogy offered by Greg Iles, his mayor/lawyer/befuddled son of a protagonist hunkers down for the trial of the century. The bulk of these 694 pages will pin Penn Cage helpless to his courtroom seat as his father's sins and singular acts of heroism unfold before him in the justice system's effort to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the doctor's nurse. Was it euthanasia or cold-blooded murder? And committed by whom? Penn's dad, his angry half-brother, or the evil leadership of a "savage splinter cell" of the KKK, at long last tying up a loose end?
This trial is, unequivocally, the best part of the series - perhaps because the writing was forced to focus; to anchor itself to one location, one group of actors, one aim. In such situations, an author's brain is compelled to engage in creative ways to dramatize events that are constantly at risk of collapsing into the mundane. Iles did a laudable job; the courtroom scenes were pretty amazing. The rest of it, though, was annoying in the way this trilogy has been annoying all along. Penn Cage is a crap dad, a terrible lover, and continues to make exceedingly poor decisions for himself and everyone else around him. He's an accident not waiting to happen - which, as I believe I've mentioned before, is how you get 700 pages of page-turning crisis out of people who really should have known better. You make them dumber than they have to be. Then you coast.
Which, you know...it's a novel. No coasting. Isn't that, like, Rule Number Three?
This trial is, unequivocally, the best part of the series - perhaps because the writing was forced to focus; to anchor itself to one location, one group of actors, one aim. In such situations, an author's brain is compelled to engage in creative ways to dramatize events that are constantly at risk of collapsing into the mundane. Iles did a laudable job; the courtroom scenes were pretty amazing. The rest of it, though, was annoying in the way this trilogy has been annoying all along. Penn Cage is a crap dad, a terrible lover, and continues to make exceedingly poor decisions for himself and everyone else around him. He's an accident not waiting to happen - which, as I believe I've mentioned before, is how you get 700 pages of page-turning crisis out of people who really should have known better. You make them dumber than they have to be. Then you coast.
Which, you know...it's a novel. No coasting. Isn't that, like, Rule Number Three?
June 4, 2017
Penn Cage, Natchez, Mississippi mayor, continues the fight against the "Double Eagles," a militant branch of the KKK. These villains are the worst of the worst, vilest of the vile racists who have terrorized the area for decades. Penn has surrounded himself with true friends who would die to protect his family and fight against these villains.
Penn's father, who became one of the most respected doctors in Natchez, is on trial for the death of his nurse Viola. He seems bent on self destruction. His trial is one of the key subjects of this book.
The subject matter is extremely violent, the racial slurs are painful, but the fight against injustice is inspiring.
Penn's father, who became one of the most respected doctors in Natchez, is on trial for the death of his nurse Viola. He seems bent on self destruction. His trial is one of the key subjects of this book.
The subject matter is extremely violent, the racial slurs are painful, but the fight against injustice is inspiring.
March 9, 2018
Too long, too brutal, 2 stars of 10.
June 25, 2018
One star. I will try to do a book review down the road.
( Note- I cut and copy paste this.)
( Note- I cut and copy paste this.)
February 22, 2017
The final chapter in Greg Iles's trilogy includes Natchez Burning, The Bone Tree and finally Mississippi Blood. I was biting my nails waiting for this superb conclusion to one of the best series I have ever read. It took over 8 years to finish and I am sure readers who have been following this have been wondering what would happen to their main characters. This series is so special that it is being adapted for a TV series by Sony Pictures. You really need to read the books in order to achieve the full depth and comprehension of the events that took place. Despite being 800 pages, I was so absorbed that I stayed up to 1am to finish. The setting takes place in Natchez, Mississippi where Tom Cage's father is accused of the murder of his former African American nurse with whom he has had a love affair. Despite centering on the trial, the former issues of the white supremacy group whose cunning leader"Snake" are explored along with reconciliation, forgiveness,and family love. A conclusion that is so worthy that I want to shout it from the rooftops.If you miss this series, it is your loss...
May 4, 2017
To say it’s been difficult for me to disengage from this book over the last several days would be putting it lightly. Am I surprised by this? No. This is simply what happens when I pick up a book written by Greg Iles.
I’ve read all the full length Penn Cage novels, but this one is the culmination of a three-part story that began in Natchez Burning. It’s an extensive and intricate story that reaches back through generations into the civil rights era, exploring the hate, murder, and racial violence that festered during that time. It’s also a painful story and Iles does not shy away from descriptive violence or harsh language, so consider yourself warned. Because this book is so closely tied with its two predecessors, it is nearly impossible for me to review this book on its own merit. I think it’s enough to say that this whole trilogy is a driving and relentless pursuit of the truth. The road to that truth is soaked in the blood of many people, some of whom you have come to love, some who are evil, and some who are only caught in the crossfire.
I’ve been yearning for revenge, out for murder, and rooting hard for Team Cage. I’ve been on the edge of my seat, kicked in the gut, had my heart broken. All in the span of about 2,000 pages overall. I’m not sure I know of another author who can make me feel and hold my attention the way that Greg Iles can.
All of the stars for Natchez Burning - The Bone Tree - Mississippi Blood.
I’ve read all the full length Penn Cage novels, but this one is the culmination of a three-part story that began in Natchez Burning. It’s an extensive and intricate story that reaches back through generations into the civil rights era, exploring the hate, murder, and racial violence that festered during that time. It’s also a painful story and Iles does not shy away from descriptive violence or harsh language, so consider yourself warned. Because this book is so closely tied with its two predecessors, it is nearly impossible for me to review this book on its own merit. I think it’s enough to say that this whole trilogy is a driving and relentless pursuit of the truth. The road to that truth is soaked in the blood of many people, some of whom you have come to love, some who are evil, and some who are only caught in the crossfire.
I’ve been yearning for revenge, out for murder, and rooting hard for Team Cage. I’ve been on the edge of my seat, kicked in the gut, had my heart broken. All in the span of about 2,000 pages overall. I’m not sure I know of another author who can make me feel and hold my attention the way that Greg Iles can.
All of the stars for Natchez Burning - The Bone Tree - Mississippi Blood.
June 24, 2018
The stunning conclusion of the trilogy that began with Natchez Burning and The Bone Tree sees the trial of Dr Tom Cage get underway as son, Penn tries desperately to save his father from life imprisonment while also pursuing the Double Eagles and their hate crimes. Plenty of twists and turns that made this a satisfying edge of your seat legal thriller.
I would highly recommend this series(and yeah you need to read them in order), but they are lengthy so make sure that you clear your schedule!
I would highly recommend this series(and yeah you need to read them in order), but they are lengthy so make sure that you clear your schedule!
October 10, 2017
After being slightly disappointed with “The Bone Tree” I didn’t expect as much from Mississippi Blood. But, “Mississippi Blood” was a much better book from start to finish primarily because instead of some of the outlandish plot twists of the previous two books in the trilogy, this book centered around the murder trial of Penn’s father. The trial had so many twists and turns it made The OJ trial look dull. The only critiques I had that kept me from giving it 5 stars are (1) the way the author makes the present day South look like Selma in the 60s and (2) the gratuitous cursing that is unnecessary and unrealistic coming from every character based on spending my entire life in the Deep South. Keep it clean and Iles might be the next pat Conroy .... check that John Grisham - nowhere close to Conroy.
March 23, 2017
Wow, not sure what book others were reading - but I found this to be a huge disappointment and waste of time - jumped ahead about 8 hours worth and found the ending very disappointing
May 19, 2017
I finished the conclusion to this epic trilogy a couple of days ago, and am just now sitting down to write this review. Let me begin by saying that I found this to be the weakest book in the trilogy. In part this is because I am a prosecutor, so I spend a lot of time in courtrooms, and as a result of that, courtroom drama is most emphatically not my jam. And this is, first and foremost, a courtroom drama that returns to the question of "Who killed Viola Turner."
I liked the fact that Iles used that very simple question as a jumping off point into his trilogy that delves deep into the Mississippi soil to find the seeds that were planted during the long, hot summers of the civil rights era. However, I don't feel that one trial was sufficient to carry this book, and I was disappointed by the narrowing of his lens in this book. If the mistake of book 2 over inclusion - the entire Kennedy assassination subplot - then the mistake of book 3 was over exclusion - too much focus on the trial.
I also think that Iles over estimated the capability of his villains, and got carried away making them so much larger than life that they became cartoonishly, almost supernaturally, predatory. These men were human beings - and human beings who were in their seventies.
The rest of this review contains spoilers for the entire series.
I absolutely recommend the series. But, in the end, I was disappointed.
I liked the fact that Iles used that very simple question as a jumping off point into his trilogy that delves deep into the Mississippi soil to find the seeds that were planted during the long, hot summers of the civil rights era. However, I don't feel that one trial was sufficient to carry this book, and I was disappointed by the narrowing of his lens in this book. If the mistake of book 2 over inclusion - the entire Kennedy assassination subplot - then the mistake of book 3 was over exclusion - too much focus on the trial.
I also think that Iles over estimated the capability of his villains, and got carried away making them so much larger than life that they became cartoonishly, almost supernaturally, predatory. These men were human beings - and human beings who were in their seventies.
The rest of this review contains spoilers for the entire series.
I absolutely recommend the series. But, in the end, I was disappointed.
September 13, 2025
Iles wraps up the Natchez Burning trilogy with a bang. Mississippi Blood starts about three months after the previous installment and centers on the murder trial of Dr. Tom Cage, Penn's father. We know the victim, Viola, was a lover of Tom almost 40 years prior; we also know she was raped by Double Eagles, an offshoot of the KKK, the same folks that killed her brother. She left for Chicago, but returned to Natchez when she was in the final stages of cancer. What we did not know, however, was that she had a son with Tom, but never told him until she came back.
In both of the last two books of the series, Tom's murder trial hung in the background; here is it front and center. Tom will not speak to Penn about what happened during the night in question. He tended Viola that night and the next day she was dead, killed by an injection of adrenalin. Before the trial starts, Penn meets Serenity Butler, a fellow writer from Mississippi, who flew to Natchez for the trial. Together, they try to 'flip' the remaining Double Eagles with little success. The FBI is still around, but obtaining hard evidence on Snake Knox proves difficult to say the least. Snake fled to Andorra after the shit went through the fan at the end of the last novel, but he came back to Mississippi for some payback.
The trial really steals the show, however. Masterful! Yes, this did meander a bit, but Iles managed to keep up the suspense on yet another doorstopper. A tale of racism, family, love, hate, populated by breathing characters you can almost reach out and touch. I thought Iles left a few too many loose ends, however, or I would have given this all the stars. 4.5 engaging stars!
In both of the last two books of the series, Tom's murder trial hung in the background; here is it front and center. Tom will not speak to Penn about what happened during the night in question. He tended Viola that night and the next day she was dead, killed by an injection of adrenalin. Before the trial starts, Penn meets Serenity Butler, a fellow writer from Mississippi, who flew to Natchez for the trial. Together, they try to 'flip' the remaining Double Eagles with little success. The FBI is still around, but obtaining hard evidence on Snake Knox proves difficult to say the least. Snake fled to Andorra after the shit went through the fan at the end of the last novel, but he came back to Mississippi for some payback.
The trial really steals the show, however. Masterful! Yes, this did meander a bit, but Iles managed to keep up the suspense on yet another doorstopper. A tale of racism, family, love, hate, populated by breathing characters you can almost reach out and touch. I thought Iles left a few too many loose ends, however, or I would have given this all the stars. 4.5 engaging stars!
March 28, 2017
The perfect ending to an awesome series. I feel like I've been reading the Penn Cage series forever. This book is actually part of a trilogy and can be read on their own but I highly suggest you begin with The Quiet Game, which actually begins the series about Penn Cage and his family. I must warn you though, they have extreme and graphic violence, but sadly, it's real life. These things do happen.
Goodbye Penn. I will definitely miss you.
Goodbye Penn. I will definitely miss you.
December 20, 2017
The 30 Best Books of 2017
EPIC! 10 stars — Secrets of Mississipi’s violent past and a KKK group called Double Eagles are revealed. At the heart, the big question: Who killed Viola Turner?
Natchez Burning The first installment in an epic trilogy that weaves crimes, lies, and secrets past and present into a mesmerizing thriller featuring Southern mayor and former prosecutor Penn Cage, whose quest for the truth sends him deep into his father’s past. Top Books of 2014
The Bone Tree In this second volume, Penn is caught in the darkest maelstrom of his life, as he fights his way out of the war he unwittingly started with a violent offshoot of the KKK, the Double Eagles, and continues to hunt for the truth about dark deeds from the 1960s. Top Books of 2015
MISSISSIPPI BLOOD The endgame is at hand for Penn, his family, and the enemies working to destroy them. Featuring a trial scene that Publishers Weekly calls “among the most exciting ever written in the genre,” this novel delivers the shocking resolution Greg Iles’s fans have eagerly awaited. Top Books of 2017
The King of Southern Fiction, Greg Iles returns with his highly anticipated Natchez Burning trilogy, with his finale: MISSISSIPPI BLOOD – where we pick up following the murder of Viola Turner and the high profile trial of Dr. Tom Cage.
The Penn family is in crisis. Sins of the past still haunt the present.
Greg Iles is a master Southern storyteller and no one can compare! Skillfully crafted, a brilliant mix of Southern, historic, crime thriller, suspense, and classic literary fiction at its finest. He uncovers the moral outrage of racism, corruption, and hatred which has been a part of our history and still exists today- years after the Civil Rights era.
“Mississippi blood is different. It’s got some river in it. Delta soil, turpentine, asbestos, cotton poison. But there’s strength in it, too. Strength that’s been beaten but not broke.” ― Greg Iles, Mississippi Blood
Picking up from The Bone Tree, the Mayor of Natchez, Mississippi, former Houston prosecutor, and novelist Penn Cage is still grieving the loss of his fiancée Caitlin Masters. He still wonders if ghosts exist. He spends time visiting graves. Henry Sexton is dead. Caitlin is dead. Annie’s mother is gone —cancer took her to her death.
Presently, Penn is dealing with his dad’s upcoming murder trial. Local physician, Thomas J. Cage is being held in protective custody in Louisiana by the FBI for the murder of Viola Turner, his former black nurse, and mistress. He was not even allowed to attend Caitlin’s funeral. Penn has not spoken to his dad, Tom since Caitlin’s death.
The case has drawn national attention. Dr. Cage is accused of murdering his former 65-year-old black nurse in the wake of a pact that would have required him to euthanize the terminally ill woman who had been his employee thirty-eight years earlier.
In the final stages of lung cancer, she had returned to Natchez to die from Chicago. Being Cage is white and Nurse Turner was black, also complicated matters. In addition, it was recently revealed she had a child (Lincoln Turner) by Dr. Cage in 1968 while he was married. She was a widow at the time after her husband had been killed in the Vietnam War.
Assisted suicide? Or if administers the drugs, it is murder. A mercy killing? He was charged with first-degree murder.
However, what really happened that night? Did he administer drugs, or when he left, who came in next? Did Viola inject herself or something more sinister at play? A botched injection? A heart attack? An overdose or the wrong drug? So many questions and few answers.
What about the Double Eagles? Are they to blame? They have a history. Viola’s family wants justice. Lincoln set the investigation in motion. Does he have his own agenda?
There is John Kaiser of the FBI. Cage is being held in protective custody because he is a material witness in a major federal investigation and his life is in danger. He is being represented by African-American civil rights attorney Quentin Avery of Jefferson County, Mississippi, and Washington, DC.
Dr. Cage is keeping quiet. Avery his African American attorney in a wheelchair cannot discuss his case with Penn. What does Snake have to do with Viola’s murder? A recording of that night? Who are they protecting?
The civil rights era of the 1960s remains present. Viola Turner’s brother (a civil rights activist) was murdered by the Double Eagle in 1968. She was also raped repeatedly by the same group and the KKK. Upon returning to Natchez, this brought fear to the group. They want her dead. They had warned her.
Penn’s family is still under attack by Snake Knox and Double Eagles and the FBI cannot be counted on to protect them even though they live surrounded by bodyguards. Penn is raising his 11-yr. old daughter, Annie and his mom is staying near the prison in a motel, so he brings in the babysitter, Mia who has worked with them previously. His mom wants him to forgive his Dad enough to visit him in prison.
However, if his father had not hidden the truth of what inspired on the night Viola Turner died, Caitlin would never have become obsessed with Henry Sexton’s quest or picked up his torch after he martyred himself to save them, or followed a bloody trail to the abomination called The Bone Tree. She would be alive. They would be together in Edelweiss, their dream home with Annie and well on their way to a child together.
Penn’s work is suffering, and he is questioning his sanity. Who is Quinton trying to protect? His family has imploded.
His father had two sons and one of them was doomed to be an orphan. The happiness of his childhood was bought with the pain of a black boy who had hurt no one. He had a brother and long after his father passes his blood will flow through both their veins.
. . . “A man who has known love and grief and understands that one is the price of the other.”
An upstanding physician and friend to many. A man, not perfect. Dr. Cage is self-destructing and has every puzzled. Penn’s half-brother, Lincoln Turner, is hell-bent on destroying the Cages. Race relations, violence, corruption, evil, and those with hatred. Even though Lincoln and Penn have the same blood running through them, they grew up differently.
To Lincoln, he had nothing growing up and Penn had it all. They are opposites. When Penn was striving for a baseball championship, with a highly respected physician and mother, Lincoln was scrapping in the streets and running from the Chicago PD. His stepfather was in and out of prison or gambling away his wife’s salary.
All along while Penn was moving from a successful legal career to an author of legal thrillers, Lincoln was slaving in a small firm, chasing small-time cases until he was finally busted for embezzling escrow funds from a client trust fund. Doing so in a desperate attempt to save his stepfather (which he thought was his father), from a long prison term and had his license suspended.
Penn can only image Lincoln’s rage. Now his mother is dead, and he wants someone to pay. Justice. Payback. Lincoln is the living symbol of his father’s sin. Perhaps, his crime. After all, it was Lincoln who set in motion the murder investigation. And now Lincoln haunts his city, his family like some dark, retributive spirit.
Yet, Penn is resilient. Family and friendships are important. He must find a way to help. He can only hope that Lincoln can free himself from the lies that shrouded his youth and become what Viola dreamed he would be. A man who embodies the best of both his parents.
Can the two brothers join forces and work together to solve this horrible wrong, to find the truth and attain justice for both father and mother? Time is running out for Dr. Cage. Unless Penn is successful at exposing the past to exonerate his father, his family will be destroyed.
“ . . .Right meant more than might; that being faithful and good meant more than being rich; that honor superseded all.”
Readers are introduced to a new character, Serenity Butler, (love her), a famous writer (light-skinned African American), and former army officer who steps in to tackle the Double Eagles. The beautiful and talented writer in Atlanta, from Mississippi originally. He cannot trust anyone, even his mother. However, he joins up with a young black author and former soldier named who has come to Natchez to write about Dr. Cage’s case. She may be his best ally. To help expose the dark secrets.
Formed in the 1960s, the group’s mission is terrorizing and murdering African-Americans, and they are still at it today. The Double Eagles have reasons to want Viola Turner dead, and if their involvement can be proved, it will save Tom. Penn has to find a way.
Heartwrenching, raw, emotional, complex, intelligent – Penn Cage desperately wants to believe in his father, the family martyr. The decisions his dad makes have terrible consequences for the entire family. Penn is tested. He wants to believe in truth and justice, but his beliefs and values are threatened and shaken to the core.
No one can rest until the last of the Knoxes are jailed, and the Double Eagles smashed for all time.
Rich in Southern history, –From crusading journalists, racism, half-brothers, old lovers, old grudges, corruption, blacks-whites, fathers/sons, sons/mothers, strong family ties, protecting others, revenge, power, justice, and survival – Iles is at the top of his game with this extraordinary trilogy.
Superb character development, action-packed with page-turning suspense —bringing the saga to a satisfying conclusion. While at the same time exposing the ugliness, cruelty and shameful episodes of our past. Unfortunately, not only does it exist in the American South - it is widespread.
In 2011 the author was badly injured in an automobile accident and almost died, losing his right leg below the knee. Afterwards, he chose to go deeper with the story about family, race, prejudice, and secrets. His work is commendable!
Of course, we fans are delighted with the news: Sony Pictures TV is developing a cable series based on the books, with producers Tobey Maguire and David Hudgins (a Dallas native) and director John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side”) attached. Can't wait! Let's hope they film it where it all took place, due to the author being an expert. Would not have the same impact, filmed elsewhere.
If you have reviewed Iles' website you know (house/office) property is for rent in Mississippi, due to the steps. One of these days, my wish is to visit and experience the journey, while touring the places and landmarks in the book. Enjoyed reviewing The Map.
Well said.
As always, with Greg Iles books in this series, you need to experience MISSISSIPPI BLOOD in all formats. The audiobook is a must (narrated by Scott Brick) for an amazing performance (have listened several times). Then of course, you "must" purchase the Kindle format in order to highlight the beautiful lyrics; and last but not least, the print copy is a given, to add to your personal library collection.
USA Today: Greg Iles has his first-ever No. 1 USA TODAY best seller with Mississippi Blood the final book in his searing Natchez Burning trilogy.
JDCMustReadBooks
EPIC! 10 stars — Secrets of Mississipi’s violent past and a KKK group called Double Eagles are revealed. At the heart, the big question: Who killed Viola Turner?
Natchez Burning The first installment in an epic trilogy that weaves crimes, lies, and secrets past and present into a mesmerizing thriller featuring Southern mayor and former prosecutor Penn Cage, whose quest for the truth sends him deep into his father’s past. Top Books of 2014
The Bone Tree In this second volume, Penn is caught in the darkest maelstrom of his life, as he fights his way out of the war he unwittingly started with a violent offshoot of the KKK, the Double Eagles, and continues to hunt for the truth about dark deeds from the 1960s. Top Books of 2015
MISSISSIPPI BLOOD The endgame is at hand for Penn, his family, and the enemies working to destroy them. Featuring a trial scene that Publishers Weekly calls “among the most exciting ever written in the genre,” this novel delivers the shocking resolution Greg Iles’s fans have eagerly awaited. Top Books of 2017
The King of Southern Fiction, Greg Iles returns with his highly anticipated Natchez Burning trilogy, with his finale: MISSISSIPPI BLOOD – where we pick up following the murder of Viola Turner and the high profile trial of Dr. Tom Cage.
The Penn family is in crisis. Sins of the past still haunt the present.
Greg Iles is a master Southern storyteller and no one can compare! Skillfully crafted, a brilliant mix of Southern, historic, crime thriller, suspense, and classic literary fiction at its finest. He uncovers the moral outrage of racism, corruption, and hatred which has been a part of our history and still exists today- years after the Civil Rights era.
“Mississippi blood is different. It’s got some river in it. Delta soil, turpentine, asbestos, cotton poison. But there’s strength in it, too. Strength that’s been beaten but not broke.” ― Greg Iles, Mississippi Blood
Picking up from The Bone Tree, the Mayor of Natchez, Mississippi, former Houston prosecutor, and novelist Penn Cage is still grieving the loss of his fiancée Caitlin Masters. He still wonders if ghosts exist. He spends time visiting graves. Henry Sexton is dead. Caitlin is dead. Annie’s mother is gone —cancer took her to her death.
Presently, Penn is dealing with his dad’s upcoming murder trial. Local physician, Thomas J. Cage is being held in protective custody in Louisiana by the FBI for the murder of Viola Turner, his former black nurse, and mistress. He was not even allowed to attend Caitlin’s funeral. Penn has not spoken to his dad, Tom since Caitlin’s death.
The case has drawn national attention. Dr. Cage is accused of murdering his former 65-year-old black nurse in the wake of a pact that would have required him to euthanize the terminally ill woman who had been his employee thirty-eight years earlier.
In the final stages of lung cancer, she had returned to Natchez to die from Chicago. Being Cage is white and Nurse Turner was black, also complicated matters. In addition, it was recently revealed she had a child (Lincoln Turner) by Dr. Cage in 1968 while he was married. She was a widow at the time after her husband had been killed in the Vietnam War.
Assisted suicide? Or if administers the drugs, it is murder. A mercy killing? He was charged with first-degree murder.
However, what really happened that night? Did he administer drugs, or when he left, who came in next? Did Viola inject herself or something more sinister at play? A botched injection? A heart attack? An overdose or the wrong drug? So many questions and few answers.
What about the Double Eagles? Are they to blame? They have a history. Viola’s family wants justice. Lincoln set the investigation in motion. Does he have his own agenda?
There is John Kaiser of the FBI. Cage is being held in protective custody because he is a material witness in a major federal investigation and his life is in danger. He is being represented by African-American civil rights attorney Quentin Avery of Jefferson County, Mississippi, and Washington, DC.
Dr. Cage is keeping quiet. Avery his African American attorney in a wheelchair cannot discuss his case with Penn. What does Snake have to do with Viola’s murder? A recording of that night? Who are they protecting?
The civil rights era of the 1960s remains present. Viola Turner’s brother (a civil rights activist) was murdered by the Double Eagle in 1968. She was also raped repeatedly by the same group and the KKK. Upon returning to Natchez, this brought fear to the group. They want her dead. They had warned her.
Penn’s family is still under attack by Snake Knox and Double Eagles and the FBI cannot be counted on to protect them even though they live surrounded by bodyguards. Penn is raising his 11-yr. old daughter, Annie and his mom is staying near the prison in a motel, so he brings in the babysitter, Mia who has worked with them previously. His mom wants him to forgive his Dad enough to visit him in prison.
However, if his father had not hidden the truth of what inspired on the night Viola Turner died, Caitlin would never have become obsessed with Henry Sexton’s quest or picked up his torch after he martyred himself to save them, or followed a bloody trail to the abomination called The Bone Tree. She would be alive. They would be together in Edelweiss, their dream home with Annie and well on their way to a child together.
Penn’s work is suffering, and he is questioning his sanity. Who is Quinton trying to protect? His family has imploded.
His father had two sons and one of them was doomed to be an orphan. The happiness of his childhood was bought with the pain of a black boy who had hurt no one. He had a brother and long after his father passes his blood will flow through both their veins.
. . . “A man who has known love and grief and understands that one is the price of the other.”
An upstanding physician and friend to many. A man, not perfect. Dr. Cage is self-destructing and has every puzzled. Penn’s half-brother, Lincoln Turner, is hell-bent on destroying the Cages. Race relations, violence, corruption, evil, and those with hatred. Even though Lincoln and Penn have the same blood running through them, they grew up differently.
To Lincoln, he had nothing growing up and Penn had it all. They are opposites. When Penn was striving for a baseball championship, with a highly respected physician and mother, Lincoln was scrapping in the streets and running from the Chicago PD. His stepfather was in and out of prison or gambling away his wife’s salary.
All along while Penn was moving from a successful legal career to an author of legal thrillers, Lincoln was slaving in a small firm, chasing small-time cases until he was finally busted for embezzling escrow funds from a client trust fund. Doing so in a desperate attempt to save his stepfather (which he thought was his father), from a long prison term and had his license suspended.
Penn can only image Lincoln’s rage. Now his mother is dead, and he wants someone to pay. Justice. Payback. Lincoln is the living symbol of his father’s sin. Perhaps, his crime. After all, it was Lincoln who set in motion the murder investigation. And now Lincoln haunts his city, his family like some dark, retributive spirit.
Yet, Penn is resilient. Family and friendships are important. He must find a way to help. He can only hope that Lincoln can free himself from the lies that shrouded his youth and become what Viola dreamed he would be. A man who embodies the best of both his parents.
Can the two brothers join forces and work together to solve this horrible wrong, to find the truth and attain justice for both father and mother? Time is running out for Dr. Cage. Unless Penn is successful at exposing the past to exonerate his father, his family will be destroyed.
“ . . .Right meant more than might; that being faithful and good meant more than being rich; that honor superseded all.”
Readers are introduced to a new character, Serenity Butler, (love her), a famous writer (light-skinned African American), and former army officer who steps in to tackle the Double Eagles. The beautiful and talented writer in Atlanta, from Mississippi originally. He cannot trust anyone, even his mother. However, he joins up with a young black author and former soldier named who has come to Natchez to write about Dr. Cage’s case. She may be his best ally. To help expose the dark secrets.
Formed in the 1960s, the group’s mission is terrorizing and murdering African-Americans, and they are still at it today. The Double Eagles have reasons to want Viola Turner dead, and if their involvement can be proved, it will save Tom. Penn has to find a way.
Heartwrenching, raw, emotional, complex, intelligent – Penn Cage desperately wants to believe in his father, the family martyr. The decisions his dad makes have terrible consequences for the entire family. Penn is tested. He wants to believe in truth and justice, but his beliefs and values are threatened and shaken to the core.
No one can rest until the last of the Knoxes are jailed, and the Double Eagles smashed for all time.
Rich in Southern history, –From crusading journalists, racism, half-brothers, old lovers, old grudges, corruption, blacks-whites, fathers/sons, sons/mothers, strong family ties, protecting others, revenge, power, justice, and survival – Iles is at the top of his game with this extraordinary trilogy.
Superb character development, action-packed with page-turning suspense —bringing the saga to a satisfying conclusion. While at the same time exposing the ugliness, cruelty and shameful episodes of our past. Unfortunately, not only does it exist in the American South - it is widespread.
In 2011 the author was badly injured in an automobile accident and almost died, losing his right leg below the knee. Afterwards, he chose to go deeper with the story about family, race, prejudice, and secrets. His work is commendable!
Of course, we fans are delighted with the news: Sony Pictures TV is developing a cable series based on the books, with producers Tobey Maguire and David Hudgins (a Dallas native) and director John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side”) attached. Can't wait! Let's hope they film it where it all took place, due to the author being an expert. Would not have the same impact, filmed elsewhere.
If you have reviewed Iles' website you know (house/office) property is for rent in Mississippi, due to the steps. One of these days, my wish is to visit and experience the journey, while touring the places and landmarks in the book. Enjoyed reviewing The Map.
“Mississippi Blood” is the capstone to what could legitimately be called a magnum opus. Iles has emerged from an excruciating ordeal to create a superb entertainment that is a work of power, distinction and high seriousness. These are angry novels, filled with a sense of deeply-considered moral outrage. They are also prime examples of what the thriller— and other forms of “genre” fiction — can accomplish when pushed beyond traditional limits.
Often grim and frequently horrifying, these Natchez Burning novels set their larger historical concerns against the credibly detailed backdrop of a family in crisis. As the Cage family endures its own trial by fire, Iles shows us both the weaknesses and strength of people tested by extreme circumstances and by secrets and lies that have festered for too long. In successfully illuminating both the inner life of a family in peril and “the troubled borderland between black and white,” he has created something memorable and true.” – Washington Post
Well said.
As always, with Greg Iles books in this series, you need to experience MISSISSIPPI BLOOD in all formats. The audiobook is a must (narrated by Scott Brick) for an amazing performance (have listened several times). Then of course, you "must" purchase the Kindle format in order to highlight the beautiful lyrics; and last but not least, the print copy is a given, to add to your personal library collection.
USA Today: Greg Iles has his first-ever No. 1 USA TODAY best seller with Mississippi Blood the final book in his searing Natchez Burning trilogy.
JDCMustReadBooks
April 4, 2017
In anticipation of this, the long-awaited final book in the Natchez Burning trilogy, I did a full, back-to-back reread of the whole Penn Cage series. I am so glad I did, because there's at least a million and one details that I had forgotten. Maybe more.
I think all Greg Iles' books are wonderful, but he has outdone himself with this trilogy-within-a-series. It is impossible for me to review just this one book, so I'm going to talk about the trilogy as a whole. It's a complex story that's part family saga, part suspense, and part legal thriller, with the overarching theme of race relations in the American South from the segregated 1950s till now. (And with a bit of theory about the assassination of President Kennedy thrown in for good measure.) At times I felt as if I were reading George R.R. Martin; death is everywhere, and I'm giving you fair warning that the body count isn't all incidental characters or bad guys. Iles does not hesitate to throw a devastating punch to the reader's gut. But I suppose that makes the books even better, because who wants to read a story where you know what's going to happen and everybody rides happily into the sunset at the end? Not me.
The trilogy is fascinating reading, indeed the whole Cage series. I recommend it to almost everyone. But do be aware that there are some events and language that might be too disturbing for sensitive readers.
I think all Greg Iles' books are wonderful, but he has outdone himself with this trilogy-within-a-series. It is impossible for me to review just this one book, so I'm going to talk about the trilogy as a whole. It's a complex story that's part family saga, part suspense, and part legal thriller, with the overarching theme of race relations in the American South from the segregated 1950s till now. (And with a bit of theory about the assassination of President Kennedy thrown in for good measure.) At times I felt as if I were reading George R.R. Martin; death is everywhere, and I'm giving you fair warning that the body count isn't all incidental characters or bad guys. Iles does not hesitate to throw a devastating punch to the reader's gut. But I suppose that makes the books even better, because who wants to read a story where you know what's going to happen and everybody rides happily into the sunset at the end? Not me.
The trilogy is fascinating reading, indeed the whole Cage series. I recommend it to almost everyone. But do be aware that there are some events and language that might be too disturbing for sensitive readers.
May 14, 2017
When I finished reading Greg Iles’ THE BONE TREE the second volume of his Natchez Burning trilogy it was clear the third installment would be equally suspenseful and the type of book that I would not want to put down. I was not disappointed as MISSISSIPPI BLOOD drew me in, grabbed my attention, and would not release me. Iles begins the conclusion of the trilogy by using old newspaper articles as a vehicle to review or present material from the first two books. It is 2006, and Penn Cage, the mayor of Natchez, Mississippi is dealing with the murder of his fiancé, and is deeply troubled by his father’s refusal to talk about his past, and defend himself at his upcoming murder trial. Compounding his father’s actions is the effect it is having on the Cage family. Lurking in the background, soon to reemerge as one of the keys to the novel is a KKK offshoot, the Double Eagles, led by Snake Knox, a racist sociopath who will stop at nothing to keep his actions and past secrets hidden.
A number of characters from the previous novels reappear; Shadrack Johnson, the District Attorney who prosecutes Cages father as a means of furthering his career and reputation; Dr. Tom Cage, Penn’s father; Walt Garrity, a retired Texas Ranger who fought with Tom Cage in Korea; Sheriff Billy Byrd, who hates Penn and is in bed with the Double Eagles; Quentin Avery, the diabetic attorney who defends Dr. Cage; Lincoln Turner, Cage’s half-brother from Dr. Cage’s affair with his nurse, and Penn’s mother Peggy, eleven year old daughter Annie, and a number of others. As the novel progresses Iles integrates material from the first two books refreshing the memories of those who have read them.
Iles does introduce a number of new characters who help bring the state of excitement to new levels. Serenity Butler, writer, college professor, native of Mississippi, and an Iraq war veteran; Terry “Toons” Teufel, the muscle behind the VK (Varangian Vindred or Viking Justice) a racist biker group somewhat aligned with the Double Eagles; Dolores St. Denis, whose fiancé was murdered by the Double Eagles at the “Bone Tree” in 1966; Cleotha Booker whose son Sam was murdered by the Double Eagles in 1966; Aaron and Roosevelt Harvin the older brothers of Keisha Harvin, a reporter who was brutally attacked by a woman acting for the VK, and a few others. What is clear to everyone that Penn questions as he tries to figure out what his father is hiding is that if you went against the Double Eagles you would die.
As the plot develops Iles takes the reader into the seamy underworld of racist terror from the Civil Rights era and the present. What emerges is the depravity of southern racism that in many ways still remains today. Through the relationship between the VK and the Double Eagles we see their world view and are exposed to the legal and political corruption that existed in Mississippi and Louisiana. As Iles’ narrative progresses he provides the social texture that was Mississippi in the 1960s and some of which is contemporary. Iles provides a number of important insights into southern culture by employing a realistic and engaging dialogue between his characters, particularly involving Penn, his father’s supporters, and those who want to convict Tom Cage and bury the past.
The problem that dominates the novel is that Penn’s father is hiding important information about his life and how it impacts his trial. Further, his close friend and lawyer Quentin Avery refuses to disclose his strategy that seems remarkably weak. It grows worse as Doris Avery, Quentin’s young wife and Penn come to the conclusion that perhaps there is a pact between the two men, that in return for making sure he is found guilty, Dr. Cage will provide him with a painless death and release from the diabetes that has already cost him both of his legs. For Cage it seems likely his father wants to be convicted in order to save his family from the Double Eagles, or assuage his own personal guilt. As Doris states; “I think we’re all hostages, even though we’re walking free. Annie, you, me…all of us.” In response Penn states; “You mean literally? Hostages to the Double Eagles?” They conclude that most of the world has moved past the racist hatred that permeated Mississippi during the Civil Rights era, but not the Double Eagles and too many others.
Once the plot is laid out, the reader is taken on an imaginative, but realistic ride where it seems that the intensity of the narrative increases as you turn each page. The events of the novel are put forth through, at times, intense dialogue, conversations, newspaper articles, and courtroom testimony that is conveyed in detail. The book is an ode to Natchez as Penn tries to overcome the city’s past and provide optimism for its future. The book is riveting and can be tackled on its own, but I would recommend reading the three books in order. No matter how you approach Iles’ trilogy, which is quite an achievement, you will not be disappointed.
A number of characters from the previous novels reappear; Shadrack Johnson, the District Attorney who prosecutes Cages father as a means of furthering his career and reputation; Dr. Tom Cage, Penn’s father; Walt Garrity, a retired Texas Ranger who fought with Tom Cage in Korea; Sheriff Billy Byrd, who hates Penn and is in bed with the Double Eagles; Quentin Avery, the diabetic attorney who defends Dr. Cage; Lincoln Turner, Cage’s half-brother from Dr. Cage’s affair with his nurse, and Penn’s mother Peggy, eleven year old daughter Annie, and a number of others. As the novel progresses Iles integrates material from the first two books refreshing the memories of those who have read them.
Iles does introduce a number of new characters who help bring the state of excitement to new levels. Serenity Butler, writer, college professor, native of Mississippi, and an Iraq war veteran; Terry “Toons” Teufel, the muscle behind the VK (Varangian Vindred or Viking Justice) a racist biker group somewhat aligned with the Double Eagles; Dolores St. Denis, whose fiancé was murdered by the Double Eagles at the “Bone Tree” in 1966; Cleotha Booker whose son Sam was murdered by the Double Eagles in 1966; Aaron and Roosevelt Harvin the older brothers of Keisha Harvin, a reporter who was brutally attacked by a woman acting for the VK, and a few others. What is clear to everyone that Penn questions as he tries to figure out what his father is hiding is that if you went against the Double Eagles you would die.
As the plot develops Iles takes the reader into the seamy underworld of racist terror from the Civil Rights era and the present. What emerges is the depravity of southern racism that in many ways still remains today. Through the relationship between the VK and the Double Eagles we see their world view and are exposed to the legal and political corruption that existed in Mississippi and Louisiana. As Iles’ narrative progresses he provides the social texture that was Mississippi in the 1960s and some of which is contemporary. Iles provides a number of important insights into southern culture by employing a realistic and engaging dialogue between his characters, particularly involving Penn, his father’s supporters, and those who want to convict Tom Cage and bury the past.
The problem that dominates the novel is that Penn’s father is hiding important information about his life and how it impacts his trial. Further, his close friend and lawyer Quentin Avery refuses to disclose his strategy that seems remarkably weak. It grows worse as Doris Avery, Quentin’s young wife and Penn come to the conclusion that perhaps there is a pact between the two men, that in return for making sure he is found guilty, Dr. Cage will provide him with a painless death and release from the diabetes that has already cost him both of his legs. For Cage it seems likely his father wants to be convicted in order to save his family from the Double Eagles, or assuage his own personal guilt. As Doris states; “I think we’re all hostages, even though we’re walking free. Annie, you, me…all of us.” In response Penn states; “You mean literally? Hostages to the Double Eagles?” They conclude that most of the world has moved past the racist hatred that permeated Mississippi during the Civil Rights era, but not the Double Eagles and too many others.
Once the plot is laid out, the reader is taken on an imaginative, but realistic ride where it seems that the intensity of the narrative increases as you turn each page. The events of the novel are put forth through, at times, intense dialogue, conversations, newspaper articles, and courtroom testimony that is conveyed in detail. The book is an ode to Natchez as Penn tries to overcome the city’s past and provide optimism for its future. The book is riveting and can be tackled on its own, but I would recommend reading the three books in order. No matter how you approach Iles’ trilogy, which is quite an achievement, you will not be disappointed.
October 9, 2018
Friends, I am winded from the epic sprint that Greg Iles sent me on with this book. I tell you, I was already eagerly awaiting this final installment in Penn Cage's family saga. What I wasn't prepared for though, was how much Iles was going to throw at me all at once. This book is a rapid fire rush to the finish the line. It sweeps you off your feet, and all you can do is hang on for dear life as everything that you've been waiting for unfolds in this maniacally beautiful fashion. This book right here, more than anything else, has proven to me what an expert writer Greg Iles is, and I happily bow down to that expertise.
First off, let me say that I was originally a bit put off by courtroom melodrama that started in Mississippi Blood. Admittedly, I wasn't sure I actually wanted to read a whole murder case laid out on the page. I worried that it would slow things down. That is, of course, until I realized that even these portions of the book were utterly riveting. Watching Shad Johnson and Quentin Avery go at it soon became something that I looked forward to. Iles wrote two brilliant lawyers who, despite any flaws they might have otherwise had, were masters of the judiciary art. I felt like a part of the jury, as surprise witnesses were thrown into the mix and tantalizing details were unearthed. I felt like a part of Penn's family, as I watched them struggle to keep themselves together while dealing with what everyone around them was terming the "case of the century". In other words, I was completely engrossed. I've never run through a 700+ page book more quickly in my whole life. If I could have lived without sleeping for the three days I read this, I would have. I needed to know what happened next.
More than that though, was the fact that Iles didn't let go of a bit of the character development that he'd been nursing throughout this whole series. Despite the trial, and all the violence surrounding it, he didn't stop at all in his quest to make the reader actually care about these characters. I admit, I teared up more than a few times during this book. I hadn't realized how much I actually empathized with Penn and his family until everything was ramping up to a conclusion. It amazed me how quickly I fell in step with even the new characters who were put in place, and how much I wanted them to succeed. It's no secret that I was a little angry after the last book, where Iles took something away from Penn that I really thought was unfair and unnecessary. Reading this installment though, I understood. I saw the reason. It didn't mend the hole in my heart, but I saw Penn in a new a light. A man who has been through hell and back, but still has a heart as big as anything. It's tough not to love a man like that, even when his decisions seem insane.
Look, the point of this rambling review is to fairly confess that I started out this book with a bit of doubt as to whether or not I was going to fully enjoy it. I expected over the top courtroom melodrama, and worried that the climax might not be what I expected it to be. I'm happy to report that I was wrong. I was so very wrong. This book is amazing. Mississippi Blood is not only the ending that Penn Cage deserved, but the type of ending that any author should be damn proud of. My heart is still pounding from what happened, even after the epilogue tried to assuage my fears. This is mastery, plain and simple, and Greg Iles quite rightly has my heart.
Am I sad that there won't be anymore Penn Cage? Yes. Will I happily read anything else that Greg Iles puts out into the world? Absolutely. If you haven't started this series yet, please do. This is a genre that I all but never read, and so you can trust me when I say that this is worth your time. 2,100 pages later, and I'm not even the least bit sorry that I put in the time.
First off, let me say that I was originally a bit put off by courtroom melodrama that started in Mississippi Blood. Admittedly, I wasn't sure I actually wanted to read a whole murder case laid out on the page. I worried that it would slow things down. That is, of course, until I realized that even these portions of the book were utterly riveting. Watching Shad Johnson and Quentin Avery go at it soon became something that I looked forward to. Iles wrote two brilliant lawyers who, despite any flaws they might have otherwise had, were masters of the judiciary art. I felt like a part of the jury, as surprise witnesses were thrown into the mix and tantalizing details were unearthed. I felt like a part of Penn's family, as I watched them struggle to keep themselves together while dealing with what everyone around them was terming the "case of the century". In other words, I was completely engrossed. I've never run through a 700+ page book more quickly in my whole life. If I could have lived without sleeping for the three days I read this, I would have. I needed to know what happened next.
More than that though, was the fact that Iles didn't let go of a bit of the character development that he'd been nursing throughout this whole series. Despite the trial, and all the violence surrounding it, he didn't stop at all in his quest to make the reader actually care about these characters. I admit, I teared up more than a few times during this book. I hadn't realized how much I actually empathized with Penn and his family until everything was ramping up to a conclusion. It amazed me how quickly I fell in step with even the new characters who were put in place, and how much I wanted them to succeed. It's no secret that I was a little angry after the last book, where Iles took something away from Penn that I really thought was unfair and unnecessary. Reading this installment though, I understood. I saw the reason. It didn't mend the hole in my heart, but I saw Penn in a new a light. A man who has been through hell and back, but still has a heart as big as anything. It's tough not to love a man like that, even when his decisions seem insane.
Look, the point of this rambling review is to fairly confess that I started out this book with a bit of doubt as to whether or not I was going to fully enjoy it. I expected over the top courtroom melodrama, and worried that the climax might not be what I expected it to be. I'm happy to report that I was wrong. I was so very wrong. This book is amazing. Mississippi Blood is not only the ending that Penn Cage deserved, but the type of ending that any author should be damn proud of. My heart is still pounding from what happened, even after the epilogue tried to assuage my fears. This is mastery, plain and simple, and Greg Iles quite rightly has my heart.
Am I sad that there won't be anymore Penn Cage? Yes. Will I happily read anything else that Greg Iles puts out into the world? Absolutely. If you haven't started this series yet, please do. This is a genre that I all but never read, and so you can trust me when I say that this is worth your time. 2,100 pages later, and I'm not even the least bit sorry that I put in the time.
June 15, 2019
This is the sixth and final book in the Penn Cage/Natchez, Mississippi series. The central character in these books, Penn, is one of my very favorite fictional heroes. Now serving as the mayor of Natchez, Penn was previously an assistant prosecutor in Houston, Texas. After the death of his wife Penn moved back to Natchez, his boyhood home, so that his parents might help him with his young daughter, Annie. Penn appears to be a younger version of his father, Tom Cage, a local physician, and one who will treat all who are ill, regardless of race or creed. Much like his Dad, Penn is a man of strong character with a steadfast demeanor, handsome and full of southern charm, but also thoughtful and insightful. Penn is devoted to those he loves, to his strong sense of justice, and to his convictions of right and wrong. A man of the south in many ways, Penn stands resolute against racism, discrimination, and all the violence that has been perpetrated against black Americans by fellow white men and women.
In this last book of the series, Penn continues his fight against the Double Eagles, an extremely violent group who grew out of the Klu Klux Klan.
Once again, in this book as in others in this series, major well-loved characters meet their demise. Now Penn is fighting not only for the causes of justice and “rightness”, but also for the survival of his own family, and for dear friends.
This is a fast paced story, even with much of the unfolding story taking place in a courtroom, as Penn’s father is tried for murder. The courtroom scenes are every bit as spell-binding as the action that occurs outside the court, as attempt after attempt is made to squelch long-buried truths.
Probably in this final book even more than any of the others, Penn’s human weaknesses are exposed; although he remains a hero to the end, the reader sees how far Penn must sometimes stretch his own integrity in order to accomplish his goals.
I owe a big thanks to Bookreporter.com for the copy of this book I was provided, through their Word of Mouth program.
This book satisfies topic #5, Humbly Herculean, in the group A Book for All Seasons.
In this last book of the series, Penn continues his fight against the Double Eagles, an extremely violent group who grew out of the Klu Klux Klan.
Once again, in this book as in others in this series, major well-loved characters meet their demise. Now Penn is fighting not only for the causes of justice and “rightness”, but also for the survival of his own family, and for dear friends.
This is a fast paced story, even with much of the unfolding story taking place in a courtroom, as Penn’s father is tried for murder. The courtroom scenes are every bit as spell-binding as the action that occurs outside the court, as attempt after attempt is made to squelch long-buried truths.
Probably in this final book even more than any of the others, Penn’s human weaknesses are exposed; although he remains a hero to the end, the reader sees how far Penn must sometimes stretch his own integrity in order to accomplish his goals.
I owe a big thanks to Bookreporter.com for the copy of this book I was provided, through their Word of Mouth program.
This book satisfies topic #5, Humbly Herculean, in the group A Book for All Seasons.
March 30, 2017
The conclusion of Greg Iles’ Natchez Burning trilogy is spectacular. He weaves a tale of destruction and revenge at the hands of the Double Eagles and it has hit the Cage family relentlessly. In order to survive they must stand strong and find the truth to what has happened not only in recent months, but also forty years ago.
Mississippi Blood is everything an exceptional southern novel should be. In-between the covers, there burns mystery, murder, deceit, racial tensions, adultery, violence, crimes and a trial that is not to be missed. You will be captivated by the excellent interconnection that Greg Iles has set before you. A story teller of the highest regard.
I am devastated that this in the final book in the Natchez Burning series. I have come to know and love all the characters in Natchez, Mississippi. This quote is the heart and spirit of each character that Isles’ has breathed life into.
“Mississippi blood is different. It’s got some river in it, Delta soil, turpentine, asbestos, cotton poison. But there’s strength in it, too. Strength that’s been beat but not broke. That’s Mississippi blood.”
All three of the books in the trilogy are long. Don’t let that intimidate you. I suggest starting with Natchez Burning, then The Bone Tree. The conclusion in Mississippi Blood will moor you to Natchez and you will not want to leave. Now, the withdrawal begins.
April 11, 2017
I have been impatiently awaiting Mississippi Blood, the third book in Greg Iles' epic 'Natchez Burning' Trilogy. The last few chapters of the middle book, The Bone Tree, left me gasping, crying and re-reading to make sure what I thought happened, really happened. It did and I've been desperate to see where Iles would take the narrative. For those of you who haven't read this series (you need to) here's a quick overview from the publisher:",....tale of love and honor, hatred and revenge that explores how the sins of the past continue to haunt the present."
So, Mississippi Blood picks up a few weeks later. Penn Cage is speaking to the reader and says..."If you don't want the truth, stop reading now. If you go on, don't say I didn't warn you." Not a chance in heck I could stop reading.
I have no idea how I'm going to truly do this book justice with my own words. There is hands down one of the best courtroom scenes I've ever read at the heart of the book. Tom Cage seems determined to not defend himself in court. The defence mounted by attorney Quentin Avery seems to be not mounting any defence at all. Tom's son Penn is desperate to save his father - and what is left of his family. Is Tom guilty of murder? Who else could have killed Viola? (Who really did will stun you!) Surrounding the trial is more danger, death, love, hate, lies, fears, hopes and more. Iles captures the attitudes, history (much of this trilogy is based on fact) and racial tensions of Mississippi through his characters, their dialogue, settings and situations. The words fairly simmer on the page. But amongst all of the ugliness are those who want better for themselves, their families and their communities.
I was all over the place reading - angry, scared, hopeful and teary again. (Seriously, another beloved character gone?!) I could not put the book down. I was sucked back into the story on page one and only emerged three days and almost seven hundred pages later.
The title? "Mississippi blood is different. … there’s strength in it too. Strength that’s been beat but not broke. That’s Mississippi Blood."
If you haven't read this trilogy, you are missing out on some phenomenal storytelling. Storytelling that unfortunately is based in reality. Absolutely recommended. And don't you dare read this book until you've read the first two.
So, Mississippi Blood picks up a few weeks later. Penn Cage is speaking to the reader and says..."If you don't want the truth, stop reading now. If you go on, don't say I didn't warn you." Not a chance in heck I could stop reading.
I have no idea how I'm going to truly do this book justice with my own words. There is hands down one of the best courtroom scenes I've ever read at the heart of the book. Tom Cage seems determined to not defend himself in court. The defence mounted by attorney Quentin Avery seems to be not mounting any defence at all. Tom's son Penn is desperate to save his father - and what is left of his family. Is Tom guilty of murder? Who else could have killed Viola? (Who really did will stun you!) Surrounding the trial is more danger, death, love, hate, lies, fears, hopes and more. Iles captures the attitudes, history (much of this trilogy is based on fact) and racial tensions of Mississippi through his characters, their dialogue, settings and situations. The words fairly simmer on the page. But amongst all of the ugliness are those who want better for themselves, their families and their communities.
I was all over the place reading - angry, scared, hopeful and teary again. (Seriously, another beloved character gone?!) I could not put the book down. I was sucked back into the story on page one and only emerged three days and almost seven hundred pages later.
The title? "Mississippi blood is different. … there’s strength in it too. Strength that’s been beat but not broke. That’s Mississippi Blood."
If you haven't read this trilogy, you are missing out on some phenomenal storytelling. Storytelling that unfortunately is based in reality. Absolutely recommended. And don't you dare read this book until you've read the first two.
March 25, 2017
Stunning.
Greg Iles is my favorite author, and the Penn Cage series is a wonderful ride. Do yourself a favor and read this series starting with the Quiet Game.
History, courtroom drama, racial tensions of the South are captured brilliantly by Iles. His storytelling skills come from his Mississippi roots. 6 books and 3,500 pages later, I want more. But only Iles knows if that will happen. Either way, it was worth it.
I am going to have a major book hangover for the next couple of weeks.
Greg Iles is my favorite author, and the Penn Cage series is a wonderful ride. Do yourself a favor and read this series starting with the Quiet Game.
History, courtroom drama, racial tensions of the South are captured brilliantly by Iles. His storytelling skills come from his Mississippi roots. 6 books and 3,500 pages later, I want more. But only Iles knows if that will happen. Either way, it was worth it.
I am going to have a major book hangover for the next couple of weeks.
April 23, 2017
Mississippi Burning
Wow! What a truly amazing and great book! I haven't enjoyed a series the way I did this one in quite a very long time. Greg Iles has always been one of my favorite authors but he is definitely at the top of my list now. What a talented writer. This story has to be one of the best I've ever read and I'm so sorry to have it end.
Wow! What a truly amazing and great book! I haven't enjoyed a series the way I did this one in quite a very long time. Greg Iles has always been one of my favorite authors but he is definitely at the top of my list now. What a talented writer. This story has to be one of the best I've ever read and I'm so sorry to have it end.
August 5, 2020
This is a 4.5 stars book if there ever was one. An exciting and complicated plot ends the Natchez Burning trilogy. The only negative thing I can think of is that it is just too damn long. It seemed to go an on forever. The courtroom scenes are beautifully done and the violence is well handled and feels real. Highly recommended.
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