Natchez Burning: A Novel (Penn Cage, 4)

The cover of my paperback edition of Natchez Burning features a Stephen King quote, "I defy you to start it and find a way to put it down." With apologies to both Mr King and author Greg Iles, after struggling through 233 pages of this 788-page behemoth of a suspense novel, I found a way to put it down: by just putting it down. And it wasn't at all a difficult task. The discussion guide at the back of the book claims one (unnamed) critic has compared Iles' writing to William Failkner's. Said critic understandably declined to be identified as the culprit responsible for this preposterous and outrageous claim. I'm definitely in the minority of readers of this book, but I found it a bloated and boring "thriller." To make an already too long critique short: too many characters, too many dates; an unnecessarily over wrought plot line; flat, uninspired prose that failed to engage or excite. Several of the promo quotes on the novel's cover and inside pages boast of the book's epic proportions. OK. It is long.

I LOVE this series. Captivating-Fast paced- Great Characters- HARD TO PUT DOWN. Let me say to start that the first book “The Quiet Game” was all of the above but I held my judgement because the first book moved so fast, reminded me of the “Indiana Jones” movie… with some scenarios. I did enjoy the first book immensely but withheld total judgement…until NOW. The following books settled into the high rating I now give. It has enough historical background to recapture some of the earlier times that are brought up, each book different but non-the less a hard core Interest hold. I am HOOKED!DON’T START WITH NATCHEZ BURNING... it is Book 4. I have attached a picture showing the order in which to read.I have just now completed the 4th book “Natchez Burning” and cannot wait to download “The Bone Tree”. I just hope he finishes the last book in this series “Unwritten Law” which at the time I researched in which order to read had not yet been released.I think I have found a new name to add to my favorite author list. Greg Iles I am a fan.

He certainly knows how to drag out a book. The story could've been told in one book. By the third book I was yelling at the pages. I would not recommend these books to anyone. Yes I read all three because I like to finish what I start. I kept thinking it's got to get better. Get to the point. He never did.

I just finished reading Greg Iles’ “Natchez Burning” for the second time, and I thought I’d add my voice to the other 4,500-plus people who have reviewed this superb crime novel on Amazon.com.“Natchez Burning” is the first in a trilogy of novels about a series of fictional unsolved civil rights-era murders in Natchez, Mississippi and its surrounding areas. It is also the fourth in a series of novels featuring protagonist Penn Cage, a former Houston, Texas prosecutor, a published novelist, and currently the mayor of Natchez, Mississippi. Cage suddenly finds himself confronted with the fact that his father, Dr. Tom Cage – the town’s most respected and beloved physician – is about to be arrested for murdering Viola Turner, an African American nurse who worked for him forty years earlier, and with whom he briefly carried on a torrid love affair.Penn Cage believes his father didn’t do it, but his father refuses to answer any questions about what happened to Viola. Nothing seems clear about the case. It somehow appears to be linked to a series of unsolved, forty-year-old racial killings by members of an ultra-violent offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan. Penn Cage can be sure of only one thing: the local district attorney, a bitter personal and political enemy of his, is determined to send Dr. Tom Cage to prison for the rest of his life, as an act of revenge against his son...I have read several of Greg Iles’ novels, and I have enjoyed each one tremendously. I am especially impressed with the books in his Penn Cage series. Iles populates his novels with fascinating characters, engrossing and suspenseful plots and sub-plots, and plenty of twists, turns and surprises. Iles writes with a wonderful flair. His prose is smooth, literate, and easy to read, and it keeps getting better with each book.“Natchez Burning” is easily the best of the Penn Cage novels I’ve read… so far. It took me only four days to devour its 789 pages. This is crime fiction at its best. Most highly recommended.

If you like to read visceral violence you’ll like.The characters are weakly written ... especially ‘Penn’ he’s really a stupid, stubborn, self-serving and arrogant.There are so many plots and subplots ... that are not answered ... strong characters who figure predominantly at the beginning are left hanging and never spoken of again. The main issue of the book is not resolved ... what the heck!The story was about the father you never find out his story or what happens to him ... what the heck!800+ pages with most characters left hanging and issues not resolved

I thought this book was book 1 of 3 in the series, but it turned out to be book 4 of 6. No matter. It was fairly easy to pick up the story line. Clearly the author knows his region; the references from the 1960s to the Kennedy assassination and New Orleans crime boss Carlos Marcello were spot on. The reason I gave the book only 3 stars is its graphic depiction of violence. There were times when I just had to skip over pages because I couldn't read the gruesome descriptions of torture and murder. I know he writes from real-life murders, but it was just more than I could deal with. He is a New York Times best selling author, so there must be a lot of readers out there who can stomach the violence. I will say it's a page turner, and I kept reading through to the end to find out what would happen next. If this is your cup of tea, read it. If not, be advised that it gets rough. Complaint: my Kindle edition had at the end a preview of the opening pages of books 5 and 6, and there is a major spoiler at the start of book 6 that made me decide not to read book 5.

Like the other books featuring Penn Cage, i found this a fascinating tale. This book is the first in a trilogy. Not that there is any clue in the book that this is the case, nor in the next book (Bone Tree). Only in the final book do you find out this is what it was. Maybe the tale developed as it went along and just kept growing?This is a long book at over 800 pages. Not that it feels overly long when you are reading it, just a great tale that keeps on giving. some commentators have said it's too long but i really did not find that. think of it this way: if a normal book, of around 300 pages, is a film, then this book is a 4 part mini TV series. once you realise that it is not going to be snappily wrapped up in a few moments then it makes more sense.This tale is set in the present day, influenced by events from the mid 1960s. I really liked the historical detail, this being a period that (as a Brit) i had scant knowledge about.It is nicely paced, lots of characters with a complicated story to tell. whilst i am in no position to comment on the historical context, it feels authentic and convincing.I enjoyed this, i hope you might too

Greg Iles has been bubbling under for years with his Penn Cage series of gothic thrillers but "Natchez Burning" has transported him into the big leagues.The first of a trilogy dealing with Cage's father, a much loved local doctor accused of murdering his long services nurse.It is not as Simone as that as this is tied up with racism, black emancipation and the history of the Klu Klux Klan.This is the first of a trilogy that moves backwards and forwards over a near 40 year period and mixes fact and fiction.I won't add spoilers but this book is spellbinding and introduces a series of larger than life characters, both good and evil as the tension is racked up to breaking point.This is an incredible read that does demand some hard work on the part of the reader to remember exactly who is who but it is well worthwhile.Once you have finished this brilliant book you can then rejoice in the fact that there are two more books in the trilogy for you to devour - and believe me, you will want to do so.

This is the first Greg Iles book I've read and it won't be the last. I love thrillers of all kinds, but this one set in the real town of Natchez in Mississippi had the extra zing for me by being about the American Deep South and all the racial tensions and hatreds that have simmered and boiled over there since the days of slavery. The fact that this novel, whilst fiction, is based on reality makes it even more special. It is a tour de force in bringing to life the realities of racism, corruption, greed, megalomania and the mind-boggling evil that men can do, as well as the good that some men do to expose the evil of others, often at great cost to themselves. It also raises the moral dilemma of how far will an intrinsically good man go to save his father even as he begins to doubt the father he has always thought he knew. At 865 pages it is a long book but there was not a single page too many - indeed, I was shocked it ended so abruptly as I wanted to keep going and reach the final conclusion. I actually read Natchez Burning in two days, finishing around 10.30pm last night. I was on Amazon by 6.30 this morning writing this review and buying the next instalment!

This book was compelling, the plot was fast moving, the familiar characters were back. I found it hard to put this down. I can't help feeling, however that Penn, Tom, Caitlin and even Shad all acted out of character compared to the previous books. Tom had apparently known the killers for many years but blithely went on the run without caring about the peril his wife and granddaughter were in and without even talking to his adult son who is an experienced prosecutor. Penn is an experienced prosecutor, but he put his fiancée and family at risk over and over again in this book and was prepared to destroy evidence of terrible crimes to protect his father without even knowing what his father had or had not done. He confronted mass murderers then calmly went off without realising that they would try to silence him. If Penn and Caitlin had died in the end it would have been due to their collective naiveté and stupidity.Worse than that though, is the fact that the book didn't finish, it just stopped. I had to go into a bookshop to check that my kindle hadn't malfunctioned. I don't know whether the author ran out of time or ideas but this ending is unworthy of someone of his talent and is unfair to his readers.

Natchez Burning is an extremely long novel and whilst the events take place over 3 days it seems very sprawling as it covers a lot of ground. Tom Cage is charged with the murder of his former nursing assistant, Violet Turner, in some kind of mercy killing gone wrong and he refuses to defend himself. It all links back to events in 1968 at the height of the civil rights movement and it may well be that Viola was killed by racists who threatened to kill her if she returned to Mississippi. Penn tries to solve the mystery of Viola's death in an effort to save his ailing father from prison and gets much more than he bargains for. For such a long novel the basic plot is as simple as this but obviously it takes many twists to get to a rather inconclusive end which sets the reader up for the next novel in the trilogy The Bone Tree.Apart from the plot there are two main themes running through the novel - family and race relations. The cruelty of the white racists is truly astonishing and the descriptions visceral - this is not a novel for the faint hearted - but I came away thinking that their racist zeal is a cover for their inate sadism and violence rather than any great belief in white supremacy. The novel does, however, portray the fear and uncertainty of the times and the apathy of law enforcement very well. The other theme of family is a strange one - how far would you go to protect your family? Pretty far is Penn Cage's answer as he uncovers secrets he wishes he hadn't and compromises his own moral code but why, when his father makes it clear he doesn't want Penn's help and Penn leaves his mother and daughter unprotected for long spells?I found Natchez Burning to a well written, compulsive read with an inconclusive ending. The ending I can live with as I already have The Bone Tree downloaded (I hope it's not as long) but looking back on the novel with hindsight I can see the faults in it I couldn't recognise as I read it. I'm going to be a bit mysterious here to avoid spoilers but much of it would have been resolved if Tom Cage, a doctor, had taken a DNA test (duh!). There are other examples of common sense flying out the window to enhance the story, but as I said I got caught up in the narrative.I enjoyed Natchez Burning but it is very long and complicated so I don't recommend it as a dipping in and out read you really need to set aside some serious time to really appreciate it.

This book sure was an experience. What else could it be at nearly 800 pages?The book has its problems (length/repetition) but I think it wouldn't have been the same kind of story if it had been tightened up. My main issue was Penn Cage- I found him to be rather annoying. Thankfully, the other characters more than make up for him.The historical background was fascinating but also caused me some problems. My assumption is that most Americans are taught about the period at school (?), the same way the English learn about the World Wars, Suffragette movement, Gunpowder plot etc- one of those historically and culturally significant times that is taught or referenced repeatedly. It became clear to me very quickly that I know pretty much nothing about America in the 50s/60s. I'm aware of the broad generalisations- segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, KKK, and the death of Martin Luther King. I think the story would have meant more to me if i'd had a better understanding of the background. Still, it has ensured that I will look into the subject. It's something I feel I should know more about.I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, especially since I won it in a Goodreads competition!

I haven't read any of the previous 3 books (I didn't realise there were any prequel's before I bought it). With that in mind, I thought some of the book was under-developed.The themes are not necessarily comfortable reading, but the author has done a decent job of conveying them in an accessible way through the story line, even if some of it is not entirely believable. The plot is interesting, not too obvious throughout and there are enough elements and additions along the way to keep it interesting.The ending was rushed and slightly un-satisfactory - the main story line is abruptly ended without any real closure or clarity.I wouldn't rush to read any of the other books in the series, but as a holiday page-turner it does a good job of being more interesting than a lot of comparable books.

Iles has had a long career writing fiction about aberrant right wing political movements, from Nazis to Ku Klux Klanners, and Natchez Burning is a grand finale of sorts. In this very long novel he ties many strands together from previous books, and introduces some intriguing elements such as tying together the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. If the book has a failing, it is Iles' lack of development of the assassination theory that leaves this otherwise wildly exciting book unfinished. Perhaps, there is a sequel to come.

Another ponderous read about Natchez. This time steeped in racism from forty years earlier. A very good read, not an easy one as it deals with the hatred for ethnics still alive today. I still feel a couple of hundred pages could be cut from these books without detracting from the story line and Mayor Cage and Caitlin Masters could be a little less Clarke Kent and Wonder Woman, yet i will still download and read the next one!

The author has created a true masterpiece. All the characters have been really well sculpted, a storyline that holds the reader in a vice that increases its grip with every page turned. All the people involved seem to have a believable persona and behave in a natural and realistic manner.

If I'd written this review while I was halfway through the book it might have had 5 stars. It starts very strongly, setting the scene of civil rights atrocities in the 60s and linking them to the present day, and for a while it's quite plausible. It goes downhill in the second half of the book though as the body count rises and people's actions get less and less rational. It felt as though the author had a target for either the number of brutal murders or the number of words. I eventually concluded it must be the latter as the book ended very suddenly with no real conclusion and leaving two characters stranded in situations that were never resolved or explained. After such an exciting and absorbing first half the unsatisfying ending was especially disappointing.

I have always been interested in the fight for racial equality in America and this book is a fantastic introduction to the period which can be enjoyed as fiction by someone coming new to the era but sounds pretty accurate to anyone with a little knowledge. The book is totally gripping and that is written in a way which would transfer readily to the big screen and I hope that happens very soon. So now which one to read next??

great writer, I hadnt read him before and unfortunately read book not realising its a continuing story but didnt stop me buying version 4. I like series of books with the same central characters and have contacted the author to ask when his next book is out as book 5 finished with questions. He was kind enough to answer me and is writing it at the moment. Great conspiracy plots and believable

Based on true events - a description I've come across many times and one that isn't always easy to believe. This story, though, arising out of the Kl Klux Klan's awfulness, is compelling. And it's well written. Not an easy read at any time. But even harder to stop reading! Right to the end, the story is told so as to keep suspense alive - beyond that, almost any detail would be a spoiler. I couldn't skip bits and hated to put it down even for a while - loved it!

Having read the first 3 penn Cage novels I had to wait 3 years for this one while the author recovered from a bad accident. Well worth the wait. My only complaint would be that I became increasingly frustrated that the 4 main characters, while working towards the same goal, refused to co-operate or communicate with each other. Also, there were several loose ends but I understand that there are 2 sequels written and ready for publication. I will buy them.