The Devil's Punchbowl: A Novel [Hardcover]

Greg Iles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009

When he was a prosecuting attorney Penn Cage sent hardened killers to death row. But it is as mayor of his hometown, Natchez, Mississippi, that Penn will face his most dangerous enemy.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Bestseller Iles's stellar third suspense novel to feature Penn Cage (after Turning Angel) finds the former prosecutor and bestselling novelist serving as the mayor of Natchez, Miss., his hometown. Frustrated by his limited ability to change the system, Cage is plunged into a deadly duel of wits with some bad guys after a childhood friend, Tim Jessup, now a card dealer, alerts him to illegal dog fighting and sexual abuse connected with a floating casino. Before Jessup can deliver proof of his allegations, he's tortured and killed. Convinced Jessup managed to pass on the evidence to the mayor, Jessup's boss confronts and threatens Cage. Daniel Kelly, an old friend working for a private security organization, lends support, sneaking Cage's 11-year-old daughter out of town to safety. Iles brilliantly creates opportunities for his characters to demonstrate principle and courage, both on a large and small scale, making this much more than just an exciting read. (July)
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Review

Praise for previous Greg Iles novels 'A scorching read' John Grisham 'An incredible web of intrigue and suspense' Clive Cussler 'My favourite kind of novel!Ambitious in its scope and superbly satisfying in its execution, this story resonates long after the final page is turned' Dan Brown 'One of America's top new crime writers' Observer 'Iles is a great thriller writer' Independent --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; 1 edition (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743292510
• ISBN-13: 978-0743292511
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (143 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #480,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Greg Iles was born in 1960 in Germany where his father ran the US Embassy medical clinic during the height of the Cold War. After graduating from the University of Mississippi in 1983 he performed for several years with the rock band Frankly Scarlet and is currently member of the band The Rock Bottom Remainders. His first novel, Spandau Phoenix, a thriller about war criminal Rudolf Hess, was published in 1993 and became a New York Times bestseller. Iles went on to write ten bestselling novels, including Third Degree, True Evil, Turning Angel, Blood Memory, The Footprints of God, and 24 Hours (released by Sony Pictures as Trapped, with full screenwriting credit for Iles). He lives in Natchez, Mississippi.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A gripping thriller from Iles, perhaps a bit too long, July 20, 2009

By 

Bill Garrison (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Devil's Punchbowl: A Novel (Hardcover)

For many years, Greg Iles appealed to me as an author because each book was a totally unique experience. With THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL, Iles brings back crusading lawyer/writer/polician Penn Cage for his third appearance in a novel that tackles corruption in Natchez, the cost of doing the right thing, and the choices one must make. Although the story never draged, the novel seemed too long and the book lacked the typical internal struggles that have haunted the characters in other Iles novels.

Cage has been mayor for two years, and was instrumental in expanding the riverboat casino industry in the city. Cage is considering resigning to spend more time with his family when a childhood friend Tim Jessup tells Cage of some horrible evils and corruption occuring on one boat, the Magnolia Queen. Jessup offers evidence of prostitution and dog fighting and promises to get more if Cage is willing to help. Cage agrees, but Jessup is murdered the next night and then his entire family is threatened by the sauve Englishman Jonathan Sands. Sands wants the evidence Jessup took, or Cage's family could be in danger.

Cage is conflicted and doesn't know if he should fight Sands, or just look for the evidence, surrender it, and ignore Sands like every one else in the town. Of course, Cage decides to fight. He enlists the help of ex-girlfriend Caitlin Masters, who left town when he decided to run for mayor. He also has the services of Danny McDavvit, a pilot, Kelly, a ruthlessly efficient soldier, a ex-marine sniper and an old Texas Ranger. With his all star team in town to fight Sands, the action scenes are numerous and exciting.

The best parts of the book are the portrayal of the dog fighting culture. It is new and fresh and enlightening. Even at over 500 pages, the plot flows seamlessly. On the downside, the book went on forever. Cut out a few fights and you lose one hundred pages and still retain the power of the novel. In the author notes, Iles says he couldn't fit all he wanted into this novel, so look for another Penn Cage novel sometime next year.

58 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greg Iles returns to form, July 8, 2009

By 

mackattack9988 "mackattack9988" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Punchbowl: A Novel (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed a couple of the earliest Greg Iles' novels (Spandau Phoenix, Quiet Game) and found them to be uniquely suspenseful with great complexity. While still good and better than a lot of other new fiction, the last few books were not quite as good as the earlier ones, in my opinion. Iles took his time completing this one, and it shows. I would much rather wait for a more finely-tuned yarn than to get a lesser product on schedule or in a shorter time. Devil's Punchbowl was worth the wait. Penn Cage is the best character Iles has crafted, and he's back in this novel. Greg Iles is a great storyteller, but what makes his best novels special is how the story is unfolded and shaped and how much extra depth there is besides just the plot. It's so much more than a mere whodunit that is the model for so many other popular authors. Looking forward to the next one - keep them coming!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No Animals Were Harmed in the Making of this Novel, July 27, 2009

By 

T. Slaven (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Devil's Punchbowl: A Novel (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this novel. However...

The heroes were too superheroic. When they gathered, it was not so much the Seven Samurai as it was the X-Men.

The bad guys were too unabashedly villainous. Black hats, black hearts, not much character complexity.

Violence and sadistic sex were too prevalent and too salacious.

The story is about second tier, legalized casino gambling on the Mississippi. Easy money attracts the scum of the earth, camouflaged within regulatory loop holes, bringing with them purveyors of money laundering, prostitution, and other illegal activities: most notably, in this story, dog fighting. Their power in a small community looking to slow its economic decline is absolutely corrupting. At the casino, the house always wins. The devotees are always in debt. And when that happens, the house owns you and it is just a matter of time before the master calls on you to pay up, never on the square.

Penn Cage, the town's idealistic mayor, is frustrated. He sought elective office to help rebuild and remake the town where he grew up. But politics keeps getting in the way of progress, and he's looking longingly toward the end of his term. He's also looking longingly at media mogulette Caitlin Masters, the one who got away. She still owns the house across the street from his, and she still drops into town from time to time to oversee her interests in the local newspaper. But she's moved on. Or has she?

Against this backdrop, a childhood friend whose path through life has hit the skids seeks out Penn's help - to save the town from corruption. It seems the floating pleasure palace is a façade for unspeakably nefarious activities, and he has the goods on the evil doers. If only he can smuggle the evidence off the boat, things could be put right and he could earn redemption from a tragedy he caused long-ago. But the simple course is fraught with peril. Deaths occur, threats are made, vengeance is sought, and Penn is faced with a moral dilemma: save the town, or save those he loves?

A lot of storytelling capital is spent tying the activities in this sleepy Southern town to globalized crime syndicates. I'm not sure that's necessary, and I'm not sure it rings true. Purely local bad guys probably would have sufficed and fit better within the texture of the story. Exotic war dogs also stretch credulity. Michael Vick has raised the profile of this sinister, illegal blood sport to the point where upping the dramatic ante really isn't required.

As probably is apparent, I liked this story less than the two Penn Cage novels that preceded it: The Quiet Game and Turning Angel. Those, I think, were masterworks. The Devil's Punchbowl is well-conceived, but with some shortcomings in execution. Iles has promised another Penn Cage novel soon to follow. Let's hope it doesn't just tie up loose ends, but elevates the standard in a way that this book failed to accomplish.