From #1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles comes the first novel in his Natchez Burning trilogy—which also includes The Bone Tree and the upcoming Mississippi Blood—an epic trilogy that interweaves crimes, lies, and secrets past and present in a mesmerizing thriller featuring Southern lawyer and former prosecutor Penn Cage. Raised in the southern splendor of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn … splendor of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned all he knows of duty from his father, Dr. Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor has been accused of murdering the African American nurse with whom he worked in the dark days of the 1960s. Once a crusading prosecutor, Penn is determined to save his father, but Tom, stubbornly invoking doctor-patient privilege, refuses even to speak in his own defense.
Penn’s quest for the truth sends him deep into his father’s past, where a sexually charged secret lies. More chilling, this long-buried sin is only one thread in a conspiracy of greed and murder involving the vicious Double Eagles, an offshoot of the KKK controlled by some of the most powerful men in the state. Aided by a dedicated reporter privy to Natchez’s oldest secrets and by his fiancée, Caitlin Masters, Penn uncovers a trail of corruption and brutality that places his family squarely in the Double Eagles’ crosshairs.
With every step costing blood and faith, Penn is forced to confront the most wrenching dilemma of his life: Does a man of honor choose his father or the truth?
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Greg Iles’s masterful trilogy featuring Mississippi lawyer Penn Cage begins with “Natchez Burning,” a searing crime tale rooted in family secrets, sins of the past, and racial violence, all set in Mississippi, “the very incarnation of America’s tortured soul.”
Our door into this epic tale is an investigation into Cage’s beloved father, a physician accused of killing his former nurse, an African-American woman with whom he worked during the turbulent civil rights movement. Defending his father, Cage digs deep into the past and uncovers long-buried, horrific acts of violence committed by a splinter group of the Ku Klux Klan. His discoveries along this blood-stained path and the resulting plot twists may leave you breathless.
With a southern novel of these dimensions, there’s a temptation to quote William Faulkner: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Iles’s work resonates with that theme.
“Natchez Burning” is the fourth novel to feature Penn Cage, but it’s the first of a trilogy that includes “The Bone Tree” and “Mississippi Blood.” These are weighty tomes, totaling 2,500 pages, but you will burn through them, and they will stay with you.
When I downloaded this book by Greg Iles, I didn’t realize I was jumping into the middle of a series. By the time I figured that out, I was too engrossed to turn back. Fortunately, I never felt as though I was missing something. In truth, had I felt that way, I still wouldn’t have been able to pull myself away from the story. It was fascinating from the first page, terrifying and brutal when focused on horrors that we all know have existed during that time, but are still too atrocious to wrap one’s head around.
What saved the book from being too graphic were the chapters that focused on the protagonist and his family. This is definitely a book of contrasts, of good versus evil, of love versus hate, and forgiveness and acceptance versus revenge. Penn Cage balances his responsibilities as mayor of Natchez with his duty to his daughter, his father and his fiancée, while walking a tightrope over the yawning chasm of bigotry and savage murders that had remained unsolved for decades.
The heart of this book, in my opinion, was all the vividly drawn characters who stood up against organized hate and racism. What held the heart was superb writing that expertly wove together so many different storylines, I was truly in awe of the author’s ability to keep it all straight! I will definitely be reading more by this very talented author.
Great book. Read the trilogy. Greg Iles is a fabulous author.
I really like this book. I couldn’t put it down! Love the characters and how it is written. Can’t wait to read the next two books in this trilogy.
I’m currently reading Natchez Burning and can’t put it down. Not only are the characters excellent, but the plot which includes a look back at the 60’s, the actions of the KKK and the slayings of Martin Luther King, JFK and Bobby Kennedy couldn’t be more timely. It’s a terrific read. So glad I’ve found Greg Isles.
Entertaining, suspenseful and shares some in-depth history during a difficult era in Mississippi.
I don’t usually read books on this topic but I really enjoyed it and want to read the rest of the books.
Greg Iles is San author I keep coming back to. Love his characters and he keeps me glued to the book until it’s finished. Always leaves me with a great deal to think about….
Good history’s
Wonderful book, it kept me thinking and wondering what would happen next.
I realize this is the first book written and published by Greg Iles after an extremely serious auto accident, so perhaps it’s been difficult for him to get up to speed. The story was alright, but it seemed so similar to The Devil’s Punchbowl, especially in the scene terrorizing the main character. I kept thinking that I’d read the book before, but I know that’s not so. It felt like the author was just copying himself.
I plan to read the next book in the series, The Bone Tree, because I enjoyed the first three books in the Penn Cage series, and I’m hoping the author will have his act together in it.
Greg Iles never fails to weave a story that grabs your interest from beginning to end. However, it is the recurring characters in his well crafted storylines that make the reader feel as if they are going home for an interesting visit. Furthermore, his also uses recurrent settings which are described in intricate detail with wonderful adjective phrases that create images vivid enough to cross over from simply the setting into character status.
The entire Penn Cage series is a fascinating exploration of family, place and time, and how they’re all linked. The history of Natchez is integral to the stories and the area serves as its own character in the book. The relationship between Penn and His Father has always been well-drawn and realistic, and in this book, Penn begins to learn – as most adults do -that is father is human, complete with flaws that none of us want to see in our parents. I hope Greg Iles will add more to the Penn Cage series. I miss them!
Wow. I picked this book to read now because of the racial unrest currently storming through my country and couldn’t have picked a better book to address the issue. Set in Natchez, Mississippi, the book revolves around one reporter’s heroic efforts to uncover a chain of murders that took place in his youth. Spanning a forty-one-year period from 1964 to 2005, the author explores the horrific crimes of the Ku Klux Klan, and a spin-off group called the Double Eagles, that scorched the south in the 1960s. Penn Cage is the Mayor of Natchez in 2005, when his father, Tom, a beloved physician of the community, is suddenly accused of murdering a black woman who was once his nurse thirty years prior. As Penn and his girlfriend, Caitlin, try to help his father by uncovering the real killer, they discover Tom has many secrets, and some of them are worth killing for. The characters in this book range from idealistically heroic to severely flawed, cruel, and inhuman. Although this is a work of fiction, Greg Iles uses many authentic historical events to illustrate the real-life tensions and racial injustice that was rampant during this time of American history. No doubt, a lot of these racial prejudices and discrimination practices still exist, which has lead us to the current Black-Lives-Matter demonstrations now taking place all across America. This story was a real page-turner. Once I picked it up, I only put it down to eat, and sleep…because it is almost 800 pages.
Well done mystery.
This book was my first introduction to this author, and from the very first page, I was hooked. Though race relations are often an uncomfortable subject, I felt Isles did a superb job of handling it. The characters were compelling, and far from perfect, the introspection deep and eloquent. Very much worth your time.
Provides insight into racism and struggles w systemic racism that exists today
I just finished this book today. I must say that I really enjoyed this book. I listen to this book in audio form. And the narrator does amazing job. It’s most like watching a movie coming to life. This book took me on a ride of twists and turns. Yes this book took me awhile to finish and it not because I wasn’t listening. I lost my phone for two days lol. But I love the way this author puts these character and the back stories for each one. I am feeling very connected to theses characters and how far they come so far. And cant wait for the next two books.
About Book
Doctor Tom Cage is being accused of murdering someone. Who has come back to Natchez Mississippi.Her son wants to charge Tom for murder. Penn needs to save his father and figure out who this man really is. It brings up so many unsolved murders that happened in the early 1960’s. That comes up after all these years. But not without some serious consequences. I highly recommend this book. Like I said before his books will not disappoint.
A little too much action to be believable but about a very serious subject.
When I started this book, I almost didn’t want to keep reading. Once I got into it, I could not put it down. It is not my usual choice of genre but I think it is one of the best books I’ve read!