The Devil's Punchbowl: A Novel
by Greg Iles
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Book Reviews of The Devil's Punchbowl: A Novel
Book Review: Another Penn Cage thriller!
Summary: 5 Stars
Greg Iles is such a great suspense writer that he's one of a handful of authors whose books I preorder, since he's never disappointed. Penn Cage has developed into Greg Iles' greatest character, and "Devil's Punchbowl" is as good as any of his Natchez, Mississippi books. The bad guys are REALLY bad in this one. Former IRA members Sands and Quinn are easily the most dangerous characters that Penn Cage has run into. They torture and kill without mercy, not just for business, they enjoy it.
As much as I enjoyed "Devil's Punchbowl," I had to discourage my wife from reading it, as much as she has loved every Greg Iles' book. My wife is one of those people who can't sleep after reading a really intense book, and the torture scenes in this book are intense enough, especially for a woman, to keep her awake and screaming for a year!
If you're okay with incredibly intense, suspenseful, violent imagery, don't miss "Devil's Punchbowl." My comments are not meant as criticism, since I enjoyed the book very much, but Iles' has outdone himself in ratcheting up the tension in this one!
Jim Chambers, author of "Recollections: A Baby Boomer's Memories of the Fabulous Fifties."
Book Review: Evil flourishes when good men do nothing.
Summary: 5 Stars
Greg Iles's latest novel, "The Devil's Punchbowl" is, as my father used
to say, "A corker!", though in my dad's Yankee accent, it came out more
as "A Cawwwkuh." No matter, either pronunciation is an apt description for this huge, and hugely addicting, book. I began it yesterday afternoon, got very little sleep, and, reluctantly, finished it this morning. I have been reading Mr.Iles's novels for many years, and this one packed a
one-two punch that went straight to my heart, via my soul and my conscience. Penn Cage was a character with whom I fell in love way back
in "The Quiet Game", and herein lies part of Mr.Iles's genius : his
characters alone could carry a mediocre plotline, but they don't have to.
Instead, Iles comes up with this complex war between the bad guys and the good guys, twisting, turning, sometimes making the reader gasp. He shows us the cowardice of the allegedly intrepid, as well as the surpising strength and generosity springing from those upon whom we might look down
as craven. This is a wonderful novel. It ended too soon.
Book Review: 4 1/2 Compelling Stars
Summary: 4 Stars
See story summaries above.
Okay, after reading the first hundred pages or so I was getting a little worried about what's to come. Needless to say, I think that was just a warmup to the speed and terror this novel turned into. I mean, holy cow, I couldn't put it down after page 100. The characters, the settings, the topical plotting with the dog fights, all of it just came together in a well rounded, terror filled thriller. Ex Delta force soldier Kelly, is still one of my favorite Bad arses.
I very much look forward to the next Penn Cage novel, because you know one's a coming.
From inside: If physicists want to develop a time machine, they should explore fear. Fear dilates and compresses time without limit. For desperate people awaiting rescue, every instant stretches into unendurable agony; for those awaiting death by cancer, the earth spins relentlessly, shortening the days until they pass like fanned pages in a book. Trapped in our bodies, perception is all, and the engine of perception is hunger for life.
Book Review: he was used to be good, but
Summary: 2 Stars
not anymore. i've tried to pick up this book and read it twice, but simply couldn't deal with the wordy sentences and unlikely scenario and had to drop it again in the middle of it. cops didn't recognize the mayor? the mayor was such a lame duck who won the election and became the mayor and the loser of the election was the district attorney, more powerful than the mayor. then why don didn't campaign for being the district attorney instead of running for the mayor? how come a small city got a powerful district attorney yet at the same time, with a powerless mayor? this symbolic mayor in this book completely turned me off. so many and so much blah, blah and blah that has turned the once and originally very interesting series into a unbearable reading experience. it seems that his "3rd degree" burn up his muse completely. i couldn't believe that people would still senselessly enjoy this sequel. not me, 'cause life is short and i just don't want to be shortened further by this book and this author. the curtain has fallen permanently.Book Review: Anyone else notice the change from the excerpt at the end of Third Degree?
Summary: 5 Stars
First a brief review. While I thought Third Degree was a little long and slow, this novel is a worthy successor to A Quiet Game and Turning Angel. It is NOT too long nor is it too violent. The subject matter is violent in its nature, and that is what Mr. Iles has chosen to write about.
For the commenter who thought it should be about 300 pages long: Contact Reader's Digest and see if they still publish Condensed Versions! What is this, Short Attention Span Theater?
SPOILER ALERT!! If you haven't read (or at least started) The Devil's Punchbowl, you might want to read this later!
At the end of the paperback edition of Third Degree, there was an excerpt from Punchbowl. It was the chapter where Penn meets with Tim in the cemetary. At the end of the excerpt, Penn is attacked by a "policeman" (maybe he is/maybe not). This attack is omitted in the hardback edition of Punchbowl. WHAT HAPPENED?