Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Signet (2000), 640 pages
Description
INTRODUCING PENN CAGE... From the author of Cemetery Road comes the first intelligent, gripping thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling Penn Cage series. Natchez, Mississippi. Jewel of the South. City of old money and older sins. And childhood home of Houston prosecutor Penn Cage. In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, this is where Penn has returned for solitude. This is where he hopes to find peace. What he discovers instead is his own family trapped in a mystery buried for thirty years but never forgotten--the town's darkest secret, now set to trap and destroy Penn as well.
User reviews
LibraryThing member jlcampbell05
Trying to cope with the recent death of his wife, Cage takes his 5-year-old daughter to Florida's Disney World, where the child sadly sees visions of her mother everywhere in the fantasy-filled environment. Wouldn't a trip to his parents' stately home in Natchez be more soothing for all concerned?
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Wrong, as it turns out--and before Cage can catch his breath, he's deeply involved in several dangerous matters. His father, a dedicated doctor, is being blackmailed for a past mistake in judgment, and a powerful judge (who just happens to be the father of Penn's high school sweetheart) has a nasty personal agenda of his own. Then there's the unsolved 1968 murder case of a black man, which Cage insists on reopening with the help of an attractive, ambitious newspaper publisher. Show Less
LibraryThing member CynDaVaz
I actually read this out of order - after the 2nd Penn Cage novel. I liked the 2nd one better, but this was still a great listen. Iles is a gifted storyteller.
LibraryThing member Squeex
WOW! That's the first thing to say about this absolutely gripping suspense/thriller novel. Penn Cage is a very popular author of legal thrillers after being a successful prosecuting attorney in Texas. He has come home to his hometown in Mississippi to help himself and his 4 year old daughter,
What he finds is his father under a shroud of blackmail and a 30 year old unsolved murder case that possibly involves the father of Penn's high school flame. This man, a wealthy and powerful judge, is a big deal in the city of Natchez, heck in the state of Mississippi and is virtually untouchable. But Penn feels compelled to solve this case and bring justice and closure to the family of the murdered man and possibly closure and justice to Penn's own family.
Each turn of the page (or new audiotape) brings a new layer to the crime, interweaving more lies and cover-ups from the past.
It's my first Greg Iles and it is definitely not going to be my last. I have a few MPBs by Greg Iles and they are going to make it to the top of the stack very soon. I will listen to more of these as I find them on RecordedBooks. These are the kind of audiobooks that make me want to sit in the parking lot or the driveway to find out what is going to happen. It is that tense and suspenseful.
Five Southern, steamy, dark suspense at its best beans....
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Annie, move on after the death of Sarah, Penn's wife and Annie's mother. What he finds is his father under a shroud of blackmail and a 30 year old unsolved murder case that possibly involves the father of Penn's high school flame. This man, a wealthy and powerful judge, is a big deal in the city of Natchez, heck in the state of Mississippi and is virtually untouchable. But Penn feels compelled to solve this case and bring justice and closure to the family of the murdered man and possibly closure and justice to Penn's own family.
Each turn of the page (or new audiotape) brings a new layer to the crime, interweaving more lies and cover-ups from the past.
It's my first Greg Iles and it is definitely not going to be my last. I have a few MPBs by Greg Iles and they are going to make it to the top of the stack very soon. I will listen to more of these as I find them on RecordedBooks. These are the kind of audiobooks that make me want to sit in the parking lot or the driveway to find out what is going to happen. It is that tense and suspenseful.
Five Southern, steamy, dark suspense at its best beans....
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LibraryThing member oldbookswine
Twists and turns in the past make this a page turning story. Penn Cage must find the truth fro a 1960's murder which includes the FBI and J.Eagar Hoover .
LibraryThing member eheleneb3
Hands down, the best thriller I’ve ever read. Better than John Grisham. This book made me a Greg Iles fan for life—whenever I need a little break from “real literature,” this is the kind of thing I want to read. Pure pleasure.
LibraryThing member Elphaba71
Fantastic, This is the second Greg Iles book I have read, & I was hooked from start to finish, a real gripping page turner with believable characters and a great plot which draws you in.
LibraryThing member porchsitter55
An excellent, fast paced thriller. One of Greg Iles best.
LibraryThing member sringle1202
Greg Iles is my favorite author. I love all of his books, especially the Penn Cage books. This is the original Penn Cage story and in this book, you meet him and his family and learn about their history in the town of Natchez Mississippi. You also learn about their town's dark past. I would
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recommend every Greg Iles book and this is no exception. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Very fine thriller. It's got almost all the ideal ingrediants and a captivating first person style to keep you engrossed.
Penn Cage, sucessful ex-lawyer turned novelist is struggling to vcope with life and a 4yr old daughter now that his wife has died of cancer. He decides to try and take a break
The first person present style is unusual but quite good - just ocassionally there are glitshes in tense, when Penn is reflecting on action he's just taken prior to becoming directly involved again. Some of the sex and romance is also occasionally clunky - Iles needs to decide if his characters are going to be clinical or coloquial with their bodypart names - Penn is frequently inconsistent. The only other minor grip is the child Annie. She's of vital importance to Penn in the first half of the book, but then we hear nothing about her for the rest. Overall there is a feel somewhat similar the Grisham's works. Certainly if you liek Grisham books you'll like this, but I think having read many of Grisham's works, this is considerably better.
The rest is excellent. Some convoluted twists that are reasonably explained, plenty of action, most it realistic enough. Some good characterisation and romantic tension between the various leads and a dramtic showdown. What more could you want from a thriller.
First I've read by this author, I'll be looking for some more.
Penn Cage, sucessful ex-lawyer turned novelist is struggling to vcope with life and a 4yr old daughter now that his wife has died of cancer. He decides to try and take a break
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with his parents in the Mississippi town of Nachez. A fairly normal, even slightly liberal southern american town. It's history pretty much forgotten, with everyone, black, white, college queen or laborer just getting on with life. However a chance remark by Penn to a pushy, pretty, newspaper 'publisher' soon sparks old tensions. Back in '68 an "uppity" black guy was carbombed, the FBI were even involved in the investigation, but no charges were ever bought, Penn offhandly remarks that his is a shame. Much to his surprise he's quickly warned off further investigation, but his proesecutor's instinct is nudging him, and torn between two women, he's left with little recourse but to repopen a 30yr feud.The first person present style is unusual but quite good - just ocassionally there are glitshes in tense, when Penn is reflecting on action he's just taken prior to becoming directly involved again. Some of the sex and romance is also occasionally clunky - Iles needs to decide if his characters are going to be clinical or coloquial with their bodypart names - Penn is frequently inconsistent. The only other minor grip is the child Annie. She's of vital importance to Penn in the first half of the book, but then we hear nothing about her for the rest. Overall there is a feel somewhat similar the Grisham's works. Certainly if you liek Grisham books you'll like this, but I think having read many of Grisham's works, this is considerably better.
The rest is excellent. Some convoluted twists that are reasonably explained, plenty of action, most it realistic enough. Some good characterisation and romantic tension between the various leads and a dramtic showdown. What more could you want from a thriller.
First I've read by this author, I'll be looking for some more.
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LibraryThing member PaulBerauer
Greg Iles has managed to create a fascinating mystery that delves into life in a small Southern town that struggles to come to grips with its own past while moving forward towards a better future. The plot follows former lawyer turned author Penn Cage as he returns to his childhood hometown with
Overall, Greg Iles has written a great story, though one whose ending was a little melodramatic and a bit of a let down considering the caliber of the plot. In addition, I found the writing style a little awkward at times, written largely in present tense, though sometimes shifting to past tense without warning. Conclusion? Great mystery but not one for the ages.
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his young daughter after the death of his wife. The trip quickly becomes more than he expects, as he quickly becomes pulled into a decades-old murder case. Penn's motives for getting involved in the case are as complex as the motives behind it, and the reader is kept guessing what will happen right until the end.Overall, Greg Iles has written a great story, though one whose ending was a little melodramatic and a bit of a let down considering the caliber of the plot. In addition, I found the writing style a little awkward at times, written largely in present tense, though sometimes shifting to past tense without warning. Conclusion? Great mystery but not one for the ages.
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LibraryThing member christinelstanley
I really enjoy the Penn Cage thrillers by Greg Iles and I think that The Quiet Game is my favourite.
LibraryThing member Amy_Webb
The basis of this story is excellent, however, Greg Iles spends WAY too much time giving mundane details. It leaves NOTHING to the imagination, this guy could spend 10 pages describing how someone folded their clothes, I mean really. The story was great and I don't mind long books as long as there
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is a point, but I can only handle so much description about the South! Show Less
LibraryThing member daddyofattyo
Very good, but not great, like 'True Evil'. The end was just a little unbelievable, a random charachter just happens to turn up with the critical evidence to convict the bad guy. The good thing is that it's an earlier work, and it seems that he got better and better - so I'll definetly be reading
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more of his books. Show Less
LibraryThing member SqueakyChu
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
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.
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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 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.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Penn Cage is a man coming to terms with the death of his wife trying to cope with his daughter's grief and his dual careers of lawyer and author. He decides after his latest case, one where he's sending a man to death for murder that he needs to give up being a lawyer and move on, and move back
A chance interview with a beautiful journalist lands him in a world of trouble and political intrigue that has a lot of repercussions.
I did enjoy the read, though occasionally the descriptions of Caitlin made me a bit uneasy, and very unprofessional of her too. Still it was kept me reading and turning the pages to see what would happen next.
I like the story, found it entertaining and look forward to more in this series.
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home for at least a while as he makes up his mind about the next steps for his life.A chance interview with a beautiful journalist lands him in a world of trouble and political intrigue that has a lot of repercussions.
I did enjoy the read, though occasionally the descriptions of Caitlin made me a bit uneasy, and very unprofessional of her too. Still it was kept me reading and turning the pages to see what would happen next.
I like the story, found it entertaining and look forward to more in this series.
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LibraryThing member dawnlovesbooks
wasn't very "thrilling" to me, but then again I am not a big reader of thrillers so that may be the problem!!! didn't finish!
LibraryThing member JudithDCollins
The Quiet Game (Penn Cage #1) by talented Greg Iles, delivers a stellar performance with another Southern Gothic suspense thriller with juicy details, violence, scandal, conspiracy, courtroom drama, a murder mystery, and race relations in the small town of Natchez, MS.
The Quiet Game opens, with
Penn discovers his father, a respected physician is being blackmailed by a Ray Presley, and meets intriguing sexy and beautiful, Caitlin Masters on a plane which later be finds out is a former ambitious former Boston publisher of The Natchez Examiner. (No time for grieving, now)
Caitlin and Penn (love this duo) find themselves working together in a trail of lies, a notorious race crime, the murder of Del Payton, and a black factory worker killed by a car bomb and helping Del’s widow, Althea Payton to re-investigate her husband’s murder. To make things interesting, there is much pressure and corruption and a conspiracy, with those dangerous players, protecting their past secrets and threatening those who want to uncover them, even involving the FBI.
The Payton murder case opens an old can of worms and intersects with the Cage family and the secrets of Livy Marsden, Penn’s former lover and Leo Marsden’s daughter, and of course, the former J. Edgar Hoover. (This is exciting stuff)! Forced to confront powerful Judge Leo Marston, who nearly destroyed his father in pursuing an unrelated, unfounded malpractice accusation decades before, Cage must also face Marston's daughter, Livy, his old high school sweetheart, (scandalous), who tries to persuade Cage to let things remain as is.
From the witty southern humor to the violence from Natchez to the Colorado Mountains, this legal thriller, will keep you turning well into the night to learn the fate of those involved.
An engrossing novel which can only be told by Iles, as he tackles all sorts of moral issues to protect his family, leading to redemption. I agree with the other reviews, the novel is edgy, and written brilliantly, for a satisfying thriller! Read them all – you will not be disappointed! Tom Stechschulte, narrator of the audiobook, delivered an outstanding performance!
Since I started with Iles latest, Natchez Burning #4 (5 Stars), I jumped back to #1 in the series, to The Quiet Game, as was intrigued and wanted to learn more about the characters (these two are my favorites in the series, thus far)!
“I will do those things which make me happy today and which I can also live with ten years from now.” ― Greg Iles, The Quiet Game
The Quiet Game opens, with
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Penn Cage a prosecuting attorney turned bestselling novelist, (yummy) returns to his hometown of Natchez, MS with his four-year-old daughter, to recover from the tragedy of his wife’s death from cancer. He finds himself caught in his own past, his dad’s past, both which comes with dark secrets and risk to his family.Penn discovers his father, a respected physician is being blackmailed by a Ray Presley, and meets intriguing sexy and beautiful, Caitlin Masters on a plane which later be finds out is a former ambitious former Boston publisher of The Natchez Examiner. (No time for grieving, now)
Caitlin and Penn (love this duo) find themselves working together in a trail of lies, a notorious race crime, the murder of Del Payton, and a black factory worker killed by a car bomb and helping Del’s widow, Althea Payton to re-investigate her husband’s murder. To make things interesting, there is much pressure and corruption and a conspiracy, with those dangerous players, protecting their past secrets and threatening those who want to uncover them, even involving the FBI.
The Payton murder case opens an old can of worms and intersects with the Cage family and the secrets of Livy Marsden, Penn’s former lover and Leo Marsden’s daughter, and of course, the former J. Edgar Hoover. (This is exciting stuff)! Forced to confront powerful Judge Leo Marston, who nearly destroyed his father in pursuing an unrelated, unfounded malpractice accusation decades before, Cage must also face Marston's daughter, Livy, his old high school sweetheart, (scandalous), who tries to persuade Cage to let things remain as is.
From the witty southern humor to the violence from Natchez to the Colorado Mountains, this legal thriller, will keep you turning well into the night to learn the fate of those involved.
An engrossing novel which can only be told by Iles, as he tackles all sorts of moral issues to protect his family, leading to redemption. I agree with the other reviews, the novel is edgy, and written brilliantly, for a satisfying thriller! Read them all – you will not be disappointed! Tom Stechschulte, narrator of the audiobook, delivered an outstanding performance!
Since I started with Iles latest, Natchez Burning #4 (5 Stars), I jumped back to #1 in the series, to The Quiet Game, as was intrigued and wanted to learn more about the characters (these two are my favorites in the series, thus far)!
“I will do those things which make me happy today and which I can also live with ten years from now.” ― Greg Iles, The Quiet Game
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LibraryThing member hemlokgang
An excellent novel, set in Natchez, Mississippi. The past event is resurrected in the form of an unsolved murder. Resurrected along with the investigation are memories of Civil Rights crimes, racism, old boy networks, and secrets kept for decades. The action in this story is fast-paced, gripping,
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intense and the characters are memorable. Just a darn good read! Show Less
LibraryThing member gogglemiss
Very enjoyable read.
Considering what Penn Cage went through, being shot at, his house burnt to the ground and FBI on his back, I am really amazed that he survived, and made it to the courtroom.
The finale was rather rushed with a lot of loose ends, but it was tense, thrilling with diverse characters.
Considering what Penn Cage went through, being shot at, his house burnt to the ground and FBI on his back, I am really amazed that he survived, and made it to the courtroom.
The finale was rather rushed with a lot of loose ends, but it was tense, thrilling with diverse characters.
LibraryThing member VashonJim
Penn Cage makes a return to his hometown of Natchez, Miss., where much trouble awaits. A real page-turner.
LibraryThing member klburnside
I don't remember the last time I read a legal thriller, but it was probably some John Grisham book I read in high school. I wouldn't necessarily have chosen to read this book, but it was for a book club. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it. It was no great literary masterpiece, but it is
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nice to read a book once in a while that doesn't have flowery prose, deep life lessons, or characters you especially love. This book is all plot, straightforward and simple. A nice change. Show Less
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Following his wife’s death, Penn Cage returns to his parental home in Natchez so that he and his little girl, Annie, can begin to heal. He’s been a successful prosecuting attorney in Houston for several years, and is also a best-selling author, so his arrival in town has reporters calling for
This is a fast-paced mystery thriller with more than its share of action and violence. Threats are hurled about at every turn, bombs are set off, high-powered weapons employed, and people are killed; the body count is HIGH. There are two additional, somewhat related, storylines as well – Cage’s father is being blackmailed, and the brother of a man Cage sent to the death chamber has vowed revenge.
Iles kept the tension high and kept me turning pages, but I felt the entire conspiracy was way too convoluted and unnecessarily complicated. The two side stories added little to the main plot; they mostly just padded the page count. There are disturbing (to me, at least) lapses in judgment and lack of integrity shown by Penn Cage, who is described frequently as morally upright. He commits more than one felony, justifying his actions by his moral outrage and desire to defend his family (and/or protect someone he loves). Really? This kind of character flaw is hard for me to overlook.
I’ll give Iles credit though for writing some of the “best” smarmy, oily, power-hungry villains to be found between book covers. I wanted to strangle them myself and almost all of them got what they deserved.
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interviews. He agrees and mentions a never-solved, decades-old, civil-rights murder in the course of their meeting. That mention fans the flames of racial unrest, and a sinister conspiracy of power mongers in both Mississippi and Washington D.C. This is a fast-paced mystery thriller with more than its share of action and violence. Threats are hurled about at every turn, bombs are set off, high-powered weapons employed, and people are killed; the body count is HIGH. There are two additional, somewhat related, storylines as well – Cage’s father is being blackmailed, and the brother of a man Cage sent to the death chamber has vowed revenge.
Iles kept the tension high and kept me turning pages, but I felt the entire conspiracy was way too convoluted and unnecessarily complicated. The two side stories added little to the main plot; they mostly just padded the page count. There are disturbing (to me, at least) lapses in judgment and lack of integrity shown by Penn Cage, who is described frequently as morally upright. He commits more than one felony, justifying his actions by his moral outrage and desire to defend his family (and/or protect someone he loves). Really? This kind of character flaw is hard for me to overlook.
I’ll give Iles credit though for writing some of the “best” smarmy, oily, power-hungry villains to be found between book covers. I wanted to strangle them myself and almost all of them got what they deserved.
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LibraryThing member CatherineBurkeHines
I confess to a prejudice against white authors using deep south black dialect for black characters. I know it is illogical, but there you go. That said, I enjoyed this book enough to move on to the next book in the series. Plus, he's in “The Rock Bottom Remainders," so he has to be good, right?
LibraryThing member AbbyR
Reminds me of really good John Grisham. Set in Mississippi, this is the story of a young widower who moves back home to Mississippi with his young daughter, then puts his whole family in danger when he begins to try to right a 30-year-old wrong. Really good book.
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
Trying to cope with the recent death of his wife, Mississippi lawyer/author Penn Cage takes his young daughter back to Natchez so his parents can help them deal with the loss. He's barely back in town when he finds himself drawn into an unsolved, racially motivated murder. Cage wants to find out
I read this book many years ago and recently found an old copy and decided to give it a re-read. I loved Iles' first three books but I've just never warmed that much to the Penn Cage series. I thought in this particular case he went a little too far on some of his plot twists and his characters needed a little more development. You can't argue with his knowledge of Natchez which was richly atmospheric. I did enjoy the story and may pick up the some of the others now that I've reacquainted myself with Penn and Caitlin.
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who murdered Del Payton, a black man murdered in a car bomb explosion in 1968. The story is made more complex by a mayor's race in which the black candidate wants the case hushed up until after the election so it will not polarize the community and hurt his chances for election. Making it even more volatile is Caitlin Masters, a newspaper reporter who sees her opportunity to win a Pulitzer prize if she can write the story with enough sensationalism. The pressures build, the unexpected develops, and issues from the past get in the way. Penn's personal life intertwines with history in a fascinating story and he gradually uncovers an intricate conspiracy that reaches up to the highest levels of the FBI. I read this book many years ago and recently found an old copy and decided to give it a re-read. I loved Iles' first three books but I've just never warmed that much to the Penn Cage series. I thought in this particular case he went a little too far on some of his plot twists and his characters needed a little more development. You can't argue with his knowledge of Natchez which was richly atmospheric. I did enjoy the story and may pick up the some of the others now that I've reacquainted myself with Penn and Caitlin.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1999
Physical description
640 p.; 4.25 inches
ISBN
0451180429 / 9780451180421