The Devil's Punchbowl: A Novel
by Greg Iles
|
List Price: Our Price: $0.96 You Save: $26.03 (96%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Devil's Punchbowl: A Novel
Book Review: Great book!
Summary: 5 Stars
Probably the best book I've read all year and I've read many books this year.
What I like about Greg Iles is that he has kept improving his writing skills when other authors who have become famous have put out rubbish. This is not only the best book I've read this year, but also I think the best book he's written so far. He's come a long way since Spandau Phoenix.
What I like:
1) The basics: the book is well written and easy to read. Even though I last read about Penn Cage and Natchez more than a year ago, it was easy to get back into. The author didn't try to start chapters in the middle of an action, which some others too, and things were well explained and uncomplicated.
2) I liked the plot. With so many books being written, it seems like that every author is trying to outdo themselves or others in fantastic plots but this plot was believable. OK, so this book did have "super" dogs and a boogie man from China, but it's not as bad as some of the others I've read!
3) Mechanics. I am also glad that Iles did not resort to fantastic situations or multiple twists to keep his readers interested, or should I say that I was interested in spite of the lack of multiple twists or fantastic situations, and it was a relief that he didn't have to resort to them. However, Iles did have to resort to the super buddy character (Daniel Kelly) who gets our protagonists out of all trouble. I've always said that I don't like the super buddy characters since authors can always use them to get the protagonist out of a corner instead of using creative writing to get them out of tight spots.
I judge books how good they are if they can keep me past bedtime and I'm glad to say this book was one of them. I highly recommend it.
Book Review: Couldn't put it down
Summary: 5 Stars
Just finished it last night!
I am a huge fan of Greg Iles, have read every book and now I just pick them up, don't even see what the book is about because I just know it is written well, with passion and much reality. I wasn't thrilled to read a book that had to do with dogfighting, I am an animal lover and really try to keep myself sheltered from the horrors of this world. But, I could not put this book down - I was up way to late every night devouring each page.
I agree with the other reviewers about the graphic violence and details, I had to skip over a little here and there - however, I believe that it is an unfortunate reality with regards to the subject matter - these things go hand in hand and the people who do this have to be far worse that Iles portrays. I am sure that if compared to reality, we got the PG version.
I liked that the book was longer, felt it was important to get more details and properly finish the story. I actually didn't want it to end.
I love Penn and was so glad to see that there will be another book coming to continue his story! I enjoyed all the characters and was really excited when Penn got Shad! Then somewhat disappointed that Sands lived - I really wanted him to die in a much harsher fashion than Quinn. Interesting that I am in a small town in Southern California, mom, housewife, small business owner and I am completely sheltered for the most part from violence and crimes - but I felt passionatly about the deaths of the bad guys and how they had to die in order for me to go on with MY life! That is testimony to the Author - my heart was pounding at times and crying others.
I can't wait for the next novel!
Book Review: Sometimes too rough to stomach but a page turner
Summary: 4 Stars
I found this book to be a page turner. Since it was my first Iles book, I was unfamilar with the characters but that is not a hinderance to understanding the plot. A big time writer turned small (sort of) town mayor, Penn Cage is enlisted by a high school buddy to try to right a wrong being perpetrated by evil doers in the Mississippi riverboat gambling industry. He finds more than gambling and prostitution. A world wide web of mayhem is going on. The friend is brutally murdered and Penn takes it upon himself, along with other characters from the other books, to solve the death of his friend. Some of these "help mates" are not needed to move the plot. The character of the Texas Ranger, Walt Garrity, goes absolutely no where except as a plot device once he's out of the picture. He could have used the Chinese temptress, Jaio. There is also stereotyping of women i.e the Linda Church character who is the prostitute (even though she says she never took money) with a heart of gold and the always successful, strong, can do anything take charge, female reporter, Caitlin, who just happens to be Page's old paramour. The sex scenes, while hard to read, were tolerable. It was the scenes and discussions of the dog fighting, that frankly, I had to page through. One reviewer said that women may have a hard time with the book because of the sex. I say anyone who loves animals will have a hard time with these scenes. The author could be using these scenes as somewhat of a "hey, folks, you may think this doesn't go on but it does" cautionary tale. I looked up Bully Kuttas. You're not getting away from those things. I found, at times, I was gripping the book so hard, my fingers were tense. Now that's the true sign of a page turner.Book Review: This is Greg Iles' Best Novel in Quite Some Time
Summary: 5 Stars
I really enjoy the work of Greg Iles, who is probably the most underrated thriller writer in the business. When he's in top form, with books like BLACK CROSS, THE QUIET GAME, 24 HOURS and DEAD SLEEP, there is nobody better.
THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL is a comeback of sorts for Iles, whose last few books have been mild disappointments. With this novel, Iles returns to his most likable character, lawyer Penn Cage from THE QUIET GAME, who is now Mayor of his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi. The plot deals with a cat-and-mouse game that Cage is forced to play with some sadistic thugs who run the local riverboat casino. The result is an exciting nailbiter of a story.
Iles took two years to write THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL, and it shows in the execution. All the novel's characters are well developed, and its plot is well layered and continuously suspenseful. Iles writes in a melodramatic style, but his books have an intense narrative power that few thrillers possess. As I rushed through this novel, I felt completely absorbed by it, and by the ending literally felt depleted.
It should be noted that THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL has more than a fair amount of brutal violence, including violence against women and animals. There are several harrowing scenes that will require a strong stomach. Personally, I felt that Iles handled the violence in a manner that was non-exploitative. Still, I would not recommend this novel to readers who are easily offended by such graphic content.
Overall, THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL a great suspense work, one of the best thrillers I've read in 2009. Iles is going to write a sequel that is due out next year, and I can't wait to read it.
Book Review: A worthwhile read....
Summary: 5 Stars
Just when I was bemoaning the fact that there was nothing I was interested in reading, I found The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles. This Iles book is my first and now I have a whole body of work to catch up on; one of the dangers, and benefits, of reading an author for the first time.
The story in The Devil's Punchbowl is pretty straightforward. Natchez, Mississippi is a town that has seen better times. Like many places in America, the once golden American dream seems to have passed on, leaving a mere shell of its form self behind. Penn Cage is elected Mayor of Natchez on a now-a-days common platform of economic recovery. Before Penn can get really started, a childhood friend, Tim Jessup, tells Penn of some not so savory activity on the casino river boats operating from the old slave market. Tim is murdered before he can deliver proof of this accusation, however. Those who operate these activities assume that Jessup did deliver proof to Cage and warn him off. The setting is there and the rest of the book is a thrilling "mind" ride for the reader. Very well done!
Since I haven't read any of Iles other novels, a comparison to other authors is dangerous, but what the heck. Iles The Devil's Punchbowl is very reminiscent of the early works of James Lee Burke, at least to me. Burke's stories such as Neon Rain, Black Cherry Blues, or even Dixie City Jam come to mind. Iles is perhaps less gritty than Burke, and Cage isn't as earthy as Dave Robicheaux, but the story elements and plotting seem to be similar.
I highly recommend. This is a great beach read.
Peace to all.