The Devil's Punchbowl: A Novel
by Greg Iles
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Book Reviews of The Devil's Punchbowl: A Novel
Book Review: Not up to Iles standards. Too long and too contrived.
Summary: 3 Stars
I have been a huge fan of Greg Iles. But in his latest effort he comes up short. The book is too lengthy, too contrived in many areas and has gaps that are difficult to bridge. The novel deals with gambling, dog fighting, prostitution and terrorism. Seem like a lot to cover in one novel? It did for me. Protagonist, Penn Cage, now mayor of his home town is contacted by a childhood friend who leads the Mayor into a much too complicated tale of intrigue that paints a sordid picture of life in the South. The book was twice as long as it needed to be, had more characters than were necessary and led the reader down too many blind paths. I give it three stars only because I like Iles so much. But he let me down on this one.Book Review: This guy can write
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read all of Iles books. He remains one of my favorite writers. No rehash of the plots here. He always creats charters your are interested in and would to meet. The tension builds as your read on. I become so interested in the story line and characters It's hard for me to put the book down. He weaves the plots throughtout the book giving you bits and pieces of their character traits and personalty. I fine myself identifying with the main charaters and trying to think of what I would do in the same curcumstances. The flavor, culture and people carry you to their destinations. He envelopes you without your knowing it. The suspense conintually builds and always to an unexpected ending. I recommend this book to anyone.Book Review: Oh, Greg, please take care of those ever shifting verb tenses.
Summary: 3 Stars
I've just recently discovered Greg Iles. Unfortunately for me, they don't appear on my library shelf in the order in which they were written (sorry Amazon, I usually buy non-fiction only). His male characters are nicely developed as are some of his female characters. I wish he had done a better job with his Mother and daughter, Annie, in Devil's Punchbowl. There is a lot of action and the good guys usually win. What drives me crazy is his inappropriate changing of verb tenses. He does this within a sentence, within a paragraph, within a thought. I notice that he offers no appreciation to an editor. I suggest he find one that can help him with this failing. It would improve the flow of his novels greatly.Book Review: But wait.... there's more
Summary: 5 Stars
For those who felt like the book was too wordy and didn't tie up all the loose ends... well, there is a reason for that. From the 'acklowledgements' at the end of the book, this is only part 1. I for one don't mind the suspense and can't wait for the sequel. Do you really think he'd end it with Penn's dad having a heart attack and wanting to do a deathbed confession for this to simply be the end? I'm pretty sure this isn't the last we've seen of Sands.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the 3 Penn Cage novels. Iles has faltered with stuff like 'Sleep No More' but I think he's found his stride once again.
Was I the only one who had a scary dream about a white Bully Kutta?
Book Review: Listening to Greg Iles on book tapes can be hazardous!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am in the car a lot and listen to book tapes. I found that Devil's Punchbowl was so engrossing that I had to be extremely careful driving as there were times I wanted to punch out Sands and Quinn. I found myself talking to them, sometimes screaming at them. I couldn't wait to get into the car the next day to start another disc. There were other times when I would sit in our driveway listening, not wanting to turn off the radio. Dick Hill did a masterful job keeping all the characters straight, no wonder he was named a Voice of the Century. Prior to listening to Punchbowl, I listened to True Evil. I think I will take a rest from Iles for a while - my emotions are at the breaking point.