Mississippi Blood: The Natchez Burning Trilogy (Penn Cage, 6)

5 Stars (I’d give it more if I could)!! Mississippi Blood. It is over. This is it. The end. How can that be? I am at a loss, yet I am amazed and stunned. Mississippi Blood and the entire Natchez Burning Trilogy is a masterpiece. “Mississippi Blood is Different. … There’s Strength in it too. Strength that’s been beat but not Broke. That’s Mississippi Blood.” Like I said, this is it for Penn Cage. There is nothing left. And in his life he has endured a lot. More than most. He has lost almost everything. His family is under attack by Snake Knox and Double Eagles and he is under armed guard. Every Second of Every Day. Penn fears for his daughter, Annie’s safety. And even the FBI can’t keep them safe. Penn’s father Dr. Tom Cage is on trial for murder and doesn’t even want his son’s assistance. Quinton Avery, the most reputable attorney in the State, is his father’s attorney and both are keeping Penn out of the loop. Dr. Cage is self-destructing. And no one knows why. Not even Quinton. And Penn’s half-brother, Lincoln Turner, is hell-bent on destroying the Cages. As the trial moves forward, more buried secrets come to light. Yet the past never stays in the past. Even though the Double Eagles want it to and will harm whoever they have to, in order to try and keep it there. Race relations still run rampant here and the violence exists all too often. Yet Penn is resilient. And his family means the world to him. Thus Penn does what any son would do. Find people who can help his father, regardless of the consequences. Luckily for him, he gets some help, in the form of Serenity Butler, a famous writer and former army officer, who steps in to help him battle the Double Eagles, as does his old friend Rusty. In Mississippi Blood, Penn learns some more hard truths about his family and his friends. Most of which he doesn’t like. Some of which surprises the heck out of him. And us too, if I’m being perfectly honest. Sometimes however, he finds that there is still goodness in people. And Strength too. Mississippi Blood. Penn Cage desperately wants to believe in his father. He wants to believe in truth and in justice. In family. But in this trilogy, those ideals are shaken to the core. This trilogy leaves nothing on the table. It takes every single emotion from you. I don’t know how Greg Iles does it. This trilogy is complex yet simple. The books are bold.. so many interwoven storylines that meld together so well. With characters you loved. And characters you loved to hate. I love Penn Cage.. he’s like a friend who I’ve known for over ten years and have had coffee with and Tom Cage is like my dad, who has broken my heart a thousand times over. These are character you live with. Greg Iles makes you feel what they feel. When they suffer you suffer. I cried so many times reading these books.. Sometimes sobbing, and sometimes just releasing small tears. Sometimes smiling with wonderment at these characters who I know. With every cell. Every nerve ending. I admit that these books aren’t for the faint of heart. There is violence, there is defilement, there are assassinations and murder. But there is also the love, laughter and loyalty. And “Strength that’s been beat but not Broke.” In short, this trilogy has it all. They are suspenseful. They are masterful. There is never a dull moment, nor is there ever a moment when my attention drifted or the storyline dulled. The Natchez Burning Trilogy (Natchez Burning, The Bone Tree and Mississippi Blood) is brilliant. Like I said, It is Greg Iles at his most incredible, his most talented. It doesn’t get better than this. He is one of the best authors I have ever encountered in my lifetime and this trilogy/series is the best I have ever read. It is a masterpiece. *This Trilogy can be read without having read any of the other Penn Cage novels and if you haven’t read any books by Greg Iles, I IMPLORE you to do so. Start with Natchez Burning. Yes the trilogy is long. Yes it will take time. But it is worth your investment. Trust me. My favorite characters in the Trilogy (in no particular order) include but are not limited to Penn Cage; Caitlin Masters; Sleepy Johnson; Henry Sexton; Albert Norris; Serenity Butler; Quinton Avery; Annie Cage; and Tom Cage. You guys rocked. Each and every one of you for different reasons. Thank you Greg Iles for giving the readers this most incredible gift. I loved each and every second of it. Thank you also for persevering. Published on Goodreads and Amazon on 4/7/17.

I've been an avid reader for over 60 years now, collecting thousands of (primarily) hard cover books written by authors who have impressed me with their story-telling skills, their intelligent plots and sub-plots, their cast of (usually unique) supporting characters, their ability to paint vivid pictures to help immerse me in their stories, their artful presentation of surprising (and sometimes shocking) twists and turns that cause me to reassess and reorganize my thoughts, and the clever use of words and phrases that can cause me to laugh out loud or shed an occasional tear. And it should be easy to see from my first long sentence that my use of "run on" sentences will always prevent me from being a writer. There are actually very few authors whom I have read (and collected) each and every one of their books. Greg Iles is one of them, along with Dennis Lehane, Stephen King, and James Lee Burke. I have enjoyed the works of several other authors over the years and then stopped reading/collecting them because they kept repeating the same formula (which became stale), their characters remained stagnant and failed to grow, or the impact they were once able to shock and surprise you with had disappeared from their writing. It was obvious in a few cases that "ghost writers" had stepped in and continued with their story lines when they were no longer able to write, which simply affirmed the use of formula writing. Greg Iles doesn't stand still. He continues to provide intelligent and well-researched stories that are grounded in the history of the Deep South. He doesn't paint a pretty picture with southern ladies and gentlemen, antebellum mansions, garden parties, and good-old-boy politicians. Instead Mr.Iles talks about the problems of the Deep South; the history of slavery, the Ku Klux Klan, the inequality of races, miscegenation, and various hold-outs of people who keep a grip on the old ways even today. His writing is gritty and realistic, impressive and depressing at the same time, and allows his readers to really understand what has happened over the past 150 years. He presents these historic events with passion and insight, excusing few for their actions and holding many accountable for perpetuating barbaric practices. After having passed through many generations, it is surprising that so many people continue to discriminate against those who were granted freedom from their owners so long ago. Mr. Iles writing periodically points out the places where water fountains had signs on them stating "Whites Only", back doors to stores had empty spaces on them where signs once read "Colored Entrance", and inhumane prisons often held minor offenders for the rest of their lives. It is not a pretty picture but instead points out the realities of racism that others would just as soon forget. It is ugly, it is brutal, and it is amazing that so few managed to take advantage of so many for such a long time. This particular book is not for the faint of heart. No punches are pulled, no words are minced, no stone goes unturned. Be prepared, be warned, and expect to learn some historical truths without any sugar-coating. , This is easily a stand-alone novel not requiring the reading of the previous two books in the trilogy. HOWEVER, you will miss two powerful novels that set the stage for the end of this book -- and I wouldn't want you to miss any of its impact.

I debated whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. I liked the previous two books ( 4 1/2 stars) and couldn't wait to read this one, the last of the 3. I've also enjoyed reading most of Iles' other books. Like the two in the trilogy before it I was ready to give this one 4 to 4 1/2 stars also while reading the book. However, the ending was too abrupt especially considering that this was the end of a trilogy. I'll just say that after having had invested all the time I did in reading this trilogy that I thought the ending was something like: oh, we are out of time, let's cut it off, we don't need to explain this or that or what happened to so and so. Or if we stop here maybe we could even sell one more book relating to the other 3 even though we have told the reader this is the 3rd of 3 books in the series. Don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed all 3 of the books, including this one. Mr. Iles has given the reader a good sense of how things are and have been in a place like Natchez during the last 60 years. Another 50 pages or more details in the epilogue would have made the ending much more interesting to me. I would warn the prospective buyer of this book to not try to read this book as a stand alone. You really need to read the other two books, in order, first.

Can’t wait to read this third part of the trilogy. The first two books were such an engaging read. Greg Iles is one of my favorite authors.

I did not like the ending as it left too many unanswered questions. However the trilogy was a great read. Book 2 (The Bone Tree) was the best.

I waited a long time for this third installment of the Penn Cage trilogy...and wow-was it worth the wait! I received the book on the day of its release and only finished it over the weekend. It is formidable in length, nearly 700 pages, but that shouldn't scare away any Iles fans as the previous two were lengthy as well. I surely could have devoured it as I had done with the previous two...but knowing that this was the last I the series I took my time with it. I enjoy Iles' ability to weave the rich and at times, the dark and sordid history of Mississippi with a truly captivating fictional story. Mississippi Blood is released at a time where the "heart" of the issues in the book seem to reach out and feel the current pulse of our nation. As with the previous two books of the trilogy, Penn, Doc, and his family are such well developed characters that they feel like they could be part of your own family. The contempt you feel for the remaining Knox clan and their new group of "friends" is nothing short of paralyzing. The introduction of Serenity helps bring Penn back to life emotionally. The more you learn about Viola and her life after leaving Natchez makes your heart ache for a woman who was in love with a man at the wrong time in history. The trial is a page turner and the twists and turns in the book will make you want to stay up all night and finish it....but take your time and enjoy it ..like a fine bottle of wine! A fantastic and well thought out finish to a great trilogy! My only hope of getting any more of this story will be to see it on the silver screen! Mr. Iles....anything you can do to make that happen would be greatly appreciated!

Mississippi Blood the best of the three. Now on to other Iles books. Finished his Mississippi series, anyone have recommendations for his next read

Spoiler alerts! I began reading the reviews today after I finished the book last night...hoping I suppose for a bit more insight into what devoted readers feel about this work. As a whole the Natchez Burning trilogy has been one of the most enjoyable things I have ever read....I give it 5 stars without any doubt. The plot of this series and its characters are both amazing and well presented for the most part. The first two books painted a very vivid picture and contained story-lines, settings, and characters that absolutely hooked me. Mississippi Blood promised to be the conclusion to all of the lingering questions. While I enjoyed this book greatly, I exit the theater a bit underwhelmed, still needing important questions answered. For example, the JFK assassination angle that was so interesting in The Bone Tree (and Natchez Burning to an extent) was all but left to wither away and die in Mississippi Blood. So many important questions and events ended with a whimper in this final book in my opinion. In many ways it feels like too many important topics and story lines were rushed to a conclusion....like Iles just wanted to get it over with. I thought The Bone Tree was done well and it ended with a satisfying (sad, but still satisfying) experience in terms of entertainment....the death of Caitlin at the mystical Bone Tree itself, the titanic battle between Forrest and Penn at mysterious Valhalla, the meat to the JFK angle, etc. Mississippi Blood promised to be the epic conclusion to a classic Southern style Greek tragedy.....instead it is just a conclusion....not epic, and not really classic. Characters like Keisha and her brothers disappeared with little or no explanation. Most especially Serenity Butler played an important role for the majority of Mississippi Blood but silently exited the stage in a way that does not agree with the power of her character. Even the death of Snake Knox was lackluster compared to that of Forrest, Brody, Henry, Alois, (and even Frank)...especially given the huge role he played in this series....plus I kept waiting for him to not really be dead....how he 'died' was circumstantial, requiring you to draw that conclusion. The possible angel of conclusion offered by Wilma Deen was briefly introduced, then promptly yanked away....the potential for any remaining Double Eagles to confess their sins went away without conclusion. The work of Kaiser continues on into the mist without any real knowledge to the reader of where it is going. The audio tape that Lincoln had featuring Snake, Viola, and Sonny also disappeared...yes, he said he was going to destroy it without the million dollars, but did he? After getting to know Lincoln better toward the end, I highly doubt that he destroyed it, but again....the question remains. What of the VK? Which biker died in the shack at the end? What happened to Toons, Lars, etc.? The brief letter from Billy Knox at the end was a bit odd...not really fitting into the murderous rampage type of capabilities that the Knox clan was known for over 2000 previously written pages in this trilogy. Sheriff Billy Byrd simply being taken into custody over the course of a few postscript sentences is vastly underwhelming given his level of deceit in the trilogy as a whole. Tom Cage still sits in prison despite being not-guilty (we think he is not guilty anyway)....that question about who REALLY killed Viola (what this entire trilogy was based upon) was not really answered without any doubt. Was it Peggy? Was it Lincoln? Was it Snake? Sonny? Too many important questions have been allowed to linger...which is somewhat shameful. I would not have had any complaints if this novel were 800-1000 pages long.....if that is what it took to truly wrap things up. As it stands now, I understand it is over, but I do not have the sense of closure I wanted when I opened this book for the first time in late March. Perhaps another Penn Cage story awaits us...I don't know. What I do know is that I still have important questions remaining and that is not how a trilogy of this magnitude is supposed to end.