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The Quiet Game by Greg Iles
Blurb
When recently widowed Penn Cage leaves Houston with his young daughter and returns to his hometown seeking peace, he finds something very different. Natchez, Mississippi, is the jewel of the antebellum South, a city of old secrets and older money. Upon learning that his father is being blackmailed, Penn finds himself reopening the most highly charged murder case in the town's history, searching for the evidence that could bring down the judge who nearly destroyed his father years ago. As the town closes ranks against him, Penn is joined by Caitlin Masters, a young newspaper publisher, on a deadly quest to find answers to one of the darkest chapters of American history, a quest that pits them against the FBI, a band of brothers still fiercely guarding the tainted legacy of J. Edgar Hoover. But Penn's most dangerous journey must be made alone--into the abiding mystery of his own past, into the mind and heart of a woman he lost twenty years ago, and who still has the power to save or destroy him.
The story, the characters, and the setting, all reminded me of an early John Grisham novel. Large book this weighing in at 640 pages, what I would say is that it moves along at a good pace and there are no slow parts. There are 4 - 5 different story arcs that all end up tying in with each other as the story progresses. There are no huge leaps in logic which is nice, however, the hero makes some really dumb decisions that end up putting him in harm's way. Very questionable in some places.
One or two of the smaller arcs could be removed from the overall tale and it would have reduced the overall book size to a more sensible 450ish pages. Some of the conspiracy stuff could have been removed and the story wouldn't have suffered too much for it. At around the 75% stage in the book the story turned a bit iffy in my opinion and for another 80 or so pages went in directions I wasn't a huge fan of, and that reduced my rating from a must-read book to a better than average book.
That said the writing style is very good and you can tell it is by an established writer as opposed to some of the kindle unlimited books I have been reading lately, where the authors, albeit decent, are still learning their craft.
Reviews
1. It took me a little while to get into this book, and perhaps it is a little longer than needed, but Iles is a very good writer and spinner of tales and it was well worth sticking with it.
2. My first book by this author and I am not quite sure how to rate it.
Firstly it was far too long. I like long books but only when the length contributes to the narrative. This one was just padded and I did skim large parts of it. Then it had far too many and too violent deaths with apparently no repercussions. At times it seemed every character was getting bumped off without a policeman in sight. Or if there was one he was corrupt. Unrealistic. On the other hand, I found Penn Cage a very likable character and wanted to hear more about him. I felt that the author could have made a lot more of the courtroom scene and a bit less of being shot at and riding water rapids in an inflatable dinghy.
3. Mr. Iles has knocked one out of the park with this cracking, tightly-plotted thriller. Not a word is wasted in this slick crime novel - so there's none of that boring 'padding out' you find in so many novels these days. Not only is this a fast-paced and gripping read, but it's also intelligently put together.
4. What a great book. This is the first novel by Greg Iles that I have read, and it definitely won’t be the last. At one point during my reading, I thought “this could be the best book I have ever read”. The Quiet Game pulls you in from the start. The characters are well-drawn and you grow to like and understand the main man – Penn Cage. The history and atmosphere of Natchez, Mississippi is superbly conveyed by this native of the area. The storyline incorporates elements of a legal thriller, a crime thriller, romance, action-adventure, and family drama.
Price
£5.50 ebook, £9 paperback
If you liked the early John Grisham books then this will be right up your street and it's worth the money.
If you are not a fan of that particular genre but like a decent thriller then you still might want to give it a go.
It looks like it's number one in a series, I will keep an eye out for number two.
Blurb
When recently widowed Penn Cage leaves Houston with his young daughter and returns to his hometown seeking peace, he finds something very different. Natchez, Mississippi, is the jewel of the antebellum South, a city of old secrets and older money. Upon learning that his father is being blackmailed, Penn finds himself reopening the most highly charged murder case in the town's history, searching for the evidence that could bring down the judge who nearly destroyed his father years ago. As the town closes ranks against him, Penn is joined by Caitlin Masters, a young newspaper publisher, on a deadly quest to find answers to one of the darkest chapters of American history, a quest that pits them against the FBI, a band of brothers still fiercely guarding the tainted legacy of J. Edgar Hoover. But Penn's most dangerous journey must be made alone--into the abiding mystery of his own past, into the mind and heart of a woman he lost twenty years ago, and who still has the power to save or destroy him.
The story, the characters, and the setting, all reminded me of an early John Grisham novel. Large book this weighing in at 640 pages, what I would say is that it moves along at a good pace and there are no slow parts. There are 4 - 5 different story arcs that all end up tying in with each other as the story progresses. There are no huge leaps in logic which is nice, however, the hero makes some really dumb decisions that end up putting him in harm's way. Very questionable in some places.
One or two of the smaller arcs could be removed from the overall tale and it would have reduced the overall book size to a more sensible 450ish pages. Some of the conspiracy stuff could have been removed and the story wouldn't have suffered too much for it. At around the 75% stage in the book the story turned a bit iffy in my opinion and for another 80 or so pages went in directions I wasn't a huge fan of, and that reduced my rating from a must-read book to a better than average book.
That said the writing style is very good and you can tell it is by an established writer as opposed to some of the kindle unlimited books I have been reading lately, where the authors, albeit decent, are still learning their craft.
Reviews
1. It took me a little while to get into this book, and perhaps it is a little longer than needed, but Iles is a very good writer and spinner of tales and it was well worth sticking with it.
2. My first book by this author and I am not quite sure how to rate it.
Firstly it was far too long. I like long books but only when the length contributes to the narrative. This one was just padded and I did skim large parts of it. Then it had far too many and too violent deaths with apparently no repercussions. At times it seemed every character was getting bumped off without a policeman in sight. Or if there was one he was corrupt. Unrealistic. On the other hand, I found Penn Cage a very likable character and wanted to hear more about him. I felt that the author could have made a lot more of the courtroom scene and a bit less of being shot at and riding water rapids in an inflatable dinghy.
3. Mr. Iles has knocked one out of the park with this cracking, tightly-plotted thriller. Not a word is wasted in this slick crime novel - so there's none of that boring 'padding out' you find in so many novels these days. Not only is this a fast-paced and gripping read, but it's also intelligently put together.
4. What a great book. This is the first novel by Greg Iles that I have read, and it definitely won’t be the last. At one point during my reading, I thought “this could be the best book I have ever read”. The Quiet Game pulls you in from the start. The characters are well-drawn and you grow to like and understand the main man – Penn Cage. The history and atmosphere of Natchez, Mississippi is superbly conveyed by this native of the area. The storyline incorporates elements of a legal thriller, a crime thriller, romance, action-adventure, and family drama.
Price
£5.50 ebook, £9 paperback
If you liked the early John Grisham books then this will be right up your street and it's worth the money.
If you are not a fan of that particular genre but like a decent thriller then you still might want to give it a go.
It looks like it's number one in a series, I will keep an eye out for number two.
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