Greg Iles is a master of tension. I think I start all his book reviews with that compliment. This book matches Dead Sleep and Third Degree tense moment for tense moment but adds the disturbing note that much of the depicted violence actually took place. Natchez Burning began this trilogy followed by the Bone Tree. The story continues in this, the final book. Be warned, it is hazardous to develop any attachment to a character as they may not survive.
Although repetitious, I'm old enough to recall civil rights violence. This book deals with the KKK, a splinter group of the KKK, the Double Eagles; a crazed boot strap millionaire; a crusading journalist and a family with a troubled past. If that is not enough to pique your interest then you apparently have little or no imagination. Snake Knox, Wilma Deen and Alois, Snake’s illegitimate son along with a demented, drug dealing motorcycle gang flesh out the villains of this third book. Of course a vengeance seeking DA and a crooked Sherriff play their parts as well.
All three of these books were hard to read. History is sometimes very painful. As troubled as our current climate is regarding race, it has been worse. That was hard to read and to realize the depravity that was novelized was reality based.
Iles does a good job winding up the trilogy. He also shows some parallels between father and son(s) in the Cage family. As an aside, Iles certainly has great respect for the violence that can be perpetrated by elderly folks, male, female and good and bad.
Iles writes an extremely powerful story.
I strongly recommend.
web site: http://www.gregiles.com/
This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.
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