Mississippi Blood: A Novel by Greg Iles

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author

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.

Tom Cage’s murder trial sets a terrible clock in motion, and unless Penn can pierce the veil of the past and exonerate his father, his family will be destroyed. 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–a former soldier–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, New York Times bestselling author 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.

my thoughts:

Wow. What a story!  Mississippi Blood is the thrilling conclusion to an epic trilogy filled with suspense, mystery, southern history, and plenty of drama.  I absolutely LOVED every minute I spent with these three fantastic books.  They made for one spectacular story.

In this final book, Penn Cage is determined to save his father and his family.  Yep, Tom Cage is finally on trial for the murder of Viola, and he doesn't want his son taking any part in his defense.  Let me just say that those courtroom scenes - OMG! It was like watching Law & Order to the nth degree - they were excellent!  I was riveted.  I just loved those scenes so much - they really made you feel like you were watching a live courtroom drama unfold right in front of you.  Seriously - they were excellent!  Plus, so many secrets are revealed.  It is pure melodrama and it was so much fun to read.   Meanwhile, Penn is working with Serenity (author come to town to write about Tom's story) to clear his dad's name.  He wants to dig deeper into his family's past, the Double Eagles' past, and his town's history to figure out what really happened and what is really going on.  So many secrets and so much danger all make for one gripping story.

The writing is top notch.  I loved the fast pace of the story.  It was chock full of twist and turns that elevated the level of suspense.  I can only imagine the intricacies involved when it came to plotting out this trilogy - epic!  As for the characters, I was invested and did not want to stop reading until I found out what happened to them all.  I was hooked from the start and LOVED every minute of it.

I would most definitely recommend Mississippi Blood, along with Natchez Burning and The Bone Tree - you will LOVE this trilogy!! It is a must-read for fans of Greg Iles' works and anyone looking for their next great read.  Check it out!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Mississippi Blood

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Bone Tree: A Novel by Greg Iles

(Thank you to HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles comes the second novel in his Natchez Burning trilogy—which also includes Natchez Burning and the upcoming Mississippi Blood—an epic trilogy of blood and race, family and justice, featuring Southern lawyer Penn Cage.

Former prosecutor Penn Cage and his fiancée, reporter and publisher Caitlin Masters, have barely escaped with their lives after being attacked by wealthy businessman Brody Royal and his Double Eagles, a KKK sect with ties to some of Mississippi’s most powerful men. But the real danger has only begun as FBI Special Agent John Kaiser warns Penn that Brody wasn’t the true leader of the Double Eagles. The puppeteer who actually controls the terrorist group is a man far more fearsome: the chief of the state police’s Criminal Investigations Bureau, Forrest Knox.

The only way Penn can save his father, Dr. Tom Cage—who is fleeing a murder charge as well as corrupt cops bent on killing him—is either to make a devil’s bargain with Knox or destroy him. While Penn desperately pursues both options, Caitlin uncovers the real story behind a series of unsolved civil rights murders that may hold the key to the Double Eagles’ downfall. The trail leads her deep into the past, into the black backwaters of the Mississippi River, to a secret killing ground used by slave owners and the Klan for over two hundred years . . . a place of terrifying evil known only as “the bone tree.”

The Bone Tree is an explosive, action-packed thriller full of twisting intrigue and deadly secrets, a tale that explores the conflicts and casualties that result when the darkest truths of American history come to light. It puts us inside the skin of a noble man who has always fought for justice—now finally pushed beyond his limits.

Just how far will Penn Cage, the hero we thought we knew, go to protect those he loves?

my thoughts:

Whoa, Nelly! What a book! I spent all weekend hunkered down with tea, cookies, and this monster-sized novel, The Bone Tree. Its the second book in the Natchez Burning trilogy by Greg Iles.  And let me just say it does not disappoint.

Picking up from where the first story left off, we find Dr. Tom Cage on the run; Penn and Caitlin barely surviving an abduction and fire; and FBI Agent John Kaiser even more hell-bent on seeking out justice.  The Bone Tree jumps right on in with all the action.  Its a fast-paced, suspense thriller filled with rich details and vivid descriptions.  There are graphic scenes and violence painted throughout, but its all necessary in showing us what evil is truly capable of and also the dangers involved when 'good' wants to triumph over 'evil'.  With this book we also get more of the investigative aspect, which was both fascinating and eye-opening.  I absolutely loved catching up with these characters and their journey on this perilous path to justice.  Iles is on fire with his writing - its brutal, honest, clever and packs quite a wallop with its razor sharp wit.  I know that I haven't written much about what happens, but I can't.  This is a story you need to experience for yourself. All I will say is that The Bone Tree is an intense and riveting read that you won't be able to put down. I'm serious, it is truly an excellent reading experience.  I absolutely LOVED it!

I would definitely recommend The Bone Tree to fans of the Natchez Burning trilogy, fans of Greg Iles, and anyone looking for a superb suspense-thriller to dive into.  You will LOVE this book!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Bone Tree

Thank you to HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

Natchez Burning: A Novel by Greg Iles

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

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 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?

my thoughts:

Cripes! Have I been hiding under a rock? I can't believe its taken me so long to read Natchez Burning!? Talk about a suspense-thriller at its best! I absolutely loved this book. The story is just so damn good (and addictive).  Its the fourth book to feature the protagonist Penn Cage, but the first book in a planned trilogy created by Greg Iles.  I loved getting to know Penn in NB and can't wait to find out what happens next in The Bone Tree (followed by Mississippi Blood).

Now, I'm not going to share any details from the story, because I want you to experience it for your self.  Its that kind of book.  However, I will share with you what I loved about it.  I enjoyed the writing.  It was excellent!  It was rich with vivid imagery (some a bit too graphic, but crucial to the story); filled with exciting twists and turns; fast-paced; and haunted you for days after you turned the very last page.  The characters were well-developed.  They were complex, messy, and real.  I couldn't help but be fascinated by Iles' portrayal of human nature in every aspect - at its most goodhearted and its most heinous.  It was truly captivating.  As for the story itself- wow! Talk about a page-turner. I didn't put this book down for anything. I was that hooked!  I found Iles' storytelling to be passionate, engrossing, and unforgettable. I absolutely loved spending all weekend with my copy of NB.  It was such an amazing read.  I would happily recommend this book to fans of Greg Iles and fans of suspense-thrillers (especially, trilogies) - you will LOVE this book!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Natchez Burning

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!