True Evil: A Novel
by Greg Iles
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Book Summary Information
Author: Greg IlesEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-09-25
ISBN: 1416524533
Number of pages: 672
Publisher: Pocket Books
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Book Reviews of True Evil: A Novel
Book Review: Until Death Do Us Part
Summary: 4 Stars
Sometimes I like Greg Iles and sometimes I don't.
His protagonists either win me over immediately or seem too two dimensional for serious consideration. His character Harper Cole ("Mortal Fear") engaged me from the get-go with his all too familiar upper class Southern-fried sensibilities hiding a lifestyle replete with enough secrets to make Tennessee Williams' psychologically complicated world seem tame by comparison. On the other hand while the plotline involving Jordan Glass from "Dead Sleep" intrigues, Iles works a little too hard to make this Über-girl photojournalist believable in terms of her ability to outthink a trained team of FBI agents and withstand the heat of a murder investigation where probability points to her being the next mark.
In "True Evil" Iles hits a double bulls-eye, writing a near perfect thriller with an emotionally charged plotline starring two engaging characters, FBI agent Alex Morse and doctor/target Chris Shepard. Both these creations realistically utilize wit and skepticism to puzzle out the moves and motives of a truly evil toxicologist (Dr. Tarver) and a wily money/power driven divorce lawyer (Andrew Rush). After convincing wealthy clientele of the financial benefits of keeping both halves of the marital spreadsheet, this dastardly duo goes about the grisly business of introducing the unwanted spouses to retroviruses that either induces a natural death caused by stroke or initiates a lethal untraceable cancer where no one in authority is the wiser.
That is until Agent Morse's sister dies a sudden horrific death and Alex prompted by her sister's deathbed disclosure that her husband was responsible for her incumbent demise discovers that her brother-in-law sought divorce advise from Rush. Alex's investigation of Rush leads her to the next victim, Natchez, Mississippi doctor, Chris Shepard who refuses to believe that his wife of two years is unhappy let alone plotting his murder by lethal injection. Believe me, Iles method of alternating the third person narrative from the perspectives of Alex, Chris, Tarver and Rush keep the story moving at the levels of adrenaline attributed to NASCAR drivers. Particularly fascinating was Chris's moment of reveleation---too late, of course, but nonetheless poignant in its sobriety.
For me, Iles' use of the Southern landscape----Southeastern Louisiana and Mississippi---satisfies greatly. Understanding the places and being able to visualize them in my mind imbues this well-told tale with vibrant local color that can only enhance Iles' ability as a storyteller. Better yet is his keen grasp on the mindsets of the many social echelons that populate the Mississippi hunting clubs, tent revival churches and upper-crust sub-divisions of picturesque Natchez. The internal discussion within Tarver's brain disclosing this character's pessimistic prediction of the ultimate showdown between China and the United States illustrates his ability to get beneath the surface of the more quirky Southern persona. Kudos, Mr. Iles.
Bottom line: "True Evil" makes a true believer out of me. Contending only with "Mortal Fear" as his best written and plotted suspense novel, Iles resurrects himself in my eyes after his so-so attempt at Frankensteinian philosophical lit in "Footprints of God." I deducted a star only because the climatic scene with Tarver is so Hollywood dramatic I felt as if I were skimming over an overabundance of action words just to get to the more cerebral denouement. Recommended to all lovers of suspense who appreciate good characterization interspersed with cutting edge medical technology themes.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"
Summary of True Evil: A Novel
True evil has a face you know and a voice you trust....
A Southern doctor is pulled into a terrifying ring of murderous secrets -- in this powerhouse thriller from New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles
Dr. Chris Shepard has never seen his new patient before. But the attractive young woman with the scarred face knows him all too well. An FBI agent working undercover, Alex Morse has come to Dr. Shepard's office in Natchez, Mississippi, to unmask a killer. A local divorce attorney has a cluster of clients whose spouses have all died under mysterious circumstances. Agent Morse's own brother-in-law was one of those clients, and now her beloved sister is dead. Then comes Morse's bombshell: Dr. Shepard's own beautiful wife consulted this lawyer one week ago, a visit Shepard knew nothing about. Will he help Alex Morse catch a killer? Or is he the next one to fall victim to a deadly trap of sex, lies, and murder?
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