Greg Iles (1960–2025)

Having read "Natchez Burning" the first book in the trilogy, the second is equal if not better. Greg Iles' ability to weave multiple plots with strategically placed back story while expanding the main characters is extraordinary. Building momentum gradually, he adds a piece of the missing Kennedy assassination puzzle, and historical insights that broaden the scope. Additionally, he paints a vivid picture of the inhumane behavior of former Klansman, most of them frightening. As with any best show more selling author, the plot twists and quickening pace as the climax nears are executed with precision, the emotional elements bringing tears. He leaves the reader hanging, eager for the third book, "Mississippi Blood" Highly recommended for those who enjoy a suspenseful thriller with historic elements. show less

I finished this book three days after the author's death having struggled with its length and diverting subplots for several weeks. This is Greg Iles' final book and I'm fairly certain he knew it would be hence it was packed to the point of distraction. That said, this is an important - almost essential - book in understanding the poison currently coursing through the body of America, written by someone who lived in what may be its epicenter. Stripped of its Cassandra-voice, the book works show more well as a regular political thriller. show less

If you like psychological suspense and you're familiar with the Internet (of course you are; you're here, aren't you? ) you will eat this novel! Harper Cole runs EROS, an online sex chatroom service, and begins to suspect foul play when women customers begin to disappear from the service but haven't cancelled their expensive subscriptions. He discovers one of the women has been brutally murdered and suspects the killer is also an EROS client.

The dialogue is excellent, the storyline makes it show more almost impossible to put down, and the characters are well defined. And some of his descriptions of emotions and human nature were enough to make me stop and marvel at how good this guy is. show less

Popular author of legal thrillers Penn Cage returns with his four-year-old daughter to his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, following the death of his wife from cancer. Shortly after his return, he becomes intrigued with the 1968 Natchez murder case of Del Payton, not only because it involves a black man aspiring to obtain an employment position formerly given only to whites, but also because it is somehow tied to Leo Marston, a powerful former district attorney who once tried to destroy show more the medical career of Penn Cage’s father through a malpractice law suit.

Iles does it again! In The Quiet Game, the author has created a truly suspenseful story with fully fleshed-out characters that have thoughts and feelings beyond the plot of the story. Using a setting of Natchez, Mississippi, his own hometown, he gives readers a view of this Southern city complete with its picturesque beauty, its strengths, and its faults. The novel comes complete with two beautiful women, an adorable little girl, a loving family, racial tension, and devious villains. For the size of the novel, it succeeds very well in maintaining the momentum of its story. When, at first, the information Cage seeks to solve the murder case comes a bit easily, the reader is fooled into thinking the mystery will be readily solved. Then bullets start flying, a house burns down, and still the mystery remains. Tension continues to build, making for an absorbing, provocative read. show less