THRILLER REVIEW: The Devil's Punchbowl - Grey Illes

BOOK BLURB:

The disturbing new thriller from the king of southern gothic. When he was a prosecuting attorney Penn Cage sent hardened killers to death row. But it is as mayor of his hometown - Natchez, Mississippi - that Penn will face his most dangerous threat. Urged by old friends to restore the town to its former glory, Penn has ridden into office on a tide of support for change. But in its quest for new jobs and fresh money, Natchez has turned to casino gambling. Five fantastical steamboats float on the river beside the old slave market like props from Gone With the Wind. But one boat isn't like the others. Rumour has it that the Magnolia Queen has found a way to pull the big players from Las Vegas. And with them comes an unquenchable taste for one thing: blood sport, and the dark vices that go with it. When a childhood friend of Penn's who brings him evidence of these crimes is brutally murdered, the full weight of Penn's failure to protect this city hits home. So begins his quest to find the men responsible. But it's a hunt he begins alone, for the local authorities have been corrupted by the money and power of his hidden enemy. With his family's life at stake, Penn realizes his only allies in his one-man war are those bound to him by blood or honour.


REVIEW:

If there’s one thing that can kill a novel after characterisation its pace. Whilst a great many authors out there seem to think that action, action, action is the way to go, an author who seeks to establish themselves knows that they have to have lulls to allow the reader to not only catch a breather but also to allow them to build up the crescendo for the next adrenaline fuelled sequence. That’s something that Greg Iles has done well in this novel. Not only does he keep it tight but for a novel of over 700 pages its something he does well. Add to this a principle character that you not only come to care about but one whose pain the reader can feel as the tale wends its merry way. It’s a great Thriller novel and one that clearly show’s an established background within the writing field. I’ll definitely seek out other novels by this author.