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Penn Cage Books In Order

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Publication Order of Penn Cage Books

The Quiet Game (1999)Description / Buy at Amazon
Turning Angel (2005)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Devil's Punchbowl (2009)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Death Factory (2014)Description / Buy at Amazon
Natchez Burning (2014)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Bone Tree (2015)Description / Buy at Amazon
Mississippi Blood (2017)Description / Buy at Amazon
Southern Man (2024)Description / Buy at Amazon

Penn Cage was once a prosecuting attorney in Texas. Sarah, his wife, died seven months ago; leaving Penn to raise their four year old daughter by himself. He also used to be the mayor his hometown Natchez, Mississippi and is a popular author.

The “Penn Cage” novels by Greg Iles are investigative crime fiction. There are also some short stories that make up the series. In some of Iles’s novels, he (and other characters related to him) is the star of certain novels, but also has minor roles in other novels that are set in Natchez, Mississippi. These novels are “Sleep No More” and “True Evil”.

After a near death experience car crash in 2011, Iles spent his recovery time writing three novels that feature Penn Cage.

These novels feature some of the main Southern themes, honor, quest for justice, racial violence, hypocrisy, and family.

“The Quiet Game” is the first book in the “Penn Cage” novels which came out in 1999. When we first see Penn, he is with his daughter, Annie at Disney World. Later, he takes her to Natchez, Mississippi, where his parents are, so that they can relax after Sarah’s death. While he is home, he gets involved in a murder case that took place three decades ago., and finds out that his father is being blackmailed. He finds out some secrets about the town, and reunites with people he has not seen for awhile. His father is also a doctor.

Fans of the novel found the novel to be riveting and inhabited by well drawn characters and a brilliant plot that really kept things moving. There were supreme twists that make it hard to recover from, and they come right before you have had a chance to get over the previous one. Some found things to be very believeable and was all logical. He describes things that hit close to home and the characters in his novels are more alive than some other authors writing today. Some found that they wanted to get their hands on more works from this author, either about this character or anything else that he had written.

Some readers did not like how padded the novel was, saying that some parts were skimable or even skipable. Some found things to be simply too predictable, and was a little long winded in some areas that took away from how enjoyable the book could have and should have been. There were readers who found that the novel to be a paint by the numbers read that had every mystery novel cliché out there thrown in.

“Turning Angel” is the second book in the “Penn Cage” novels that came out in 2005. Penn Cage returns in this novel. After solving a very dangerous case, Penn has decided to stick around the place that he grew up to raise his daughter somewhere safe. He soon realizes that nowhere is really all that safe. This is due to the fact that Kate Townsend, a student, is found naked and dead near the Mississippi River. One of his friends, Drew, wants his counsel pretty badly, and tells him something that is pretty damming for him. Penn is going to do all he can to help his best friend, but it will not be easy.

Fans of the novel found that they put things off so that they could read this book and finish most of it. They could not help but flip the pages throughout to figure out what was going to happen next. Some found that the novel is not your average read, but takes things to a whole other level. Some find that he can write, and tell a great story; even if it does not adhere to the strict formula of writing a mystery or thriller novel. Some found the novel to be very realistic and to be full of all the things that make for a good mystery novel (danger, discoveries, and danger).

Some readers did not like the affair that a seventeen year old has with a much much older man who is well over twice her age. Some found that to even put it in a book means that Iles fantasizes about that sort of thing. Some found that this novel was too long, and that they skipped parts that were not vital. Some felt that the novel depicts men poorly, and does not have enough redeeming qualities.

“The Devil’s Punchbowl” is the third novel in the “Penn Cage” series which came out in 2009. While Penn Cage is mayor of Natchez, Mississippi, he will face his biggest challenge. As mayor, he was elected to change the town and restore things to make things better in the small old town. The town is overrun with a lot of casinos and there are also five steamboats that float the river near where the slave market used to be way back when. The Magnolia Queen stands out from the rest as it pulls in big gamblers from Vegas, as well as famous people, and other gamblers from other countries. It does not just end with simple gambling on card games. But blood sports too. A person that was friends with Penn brings him evidence of what is going on, and later winds up dead.

Fans of the novel enjoyed reading the novel and found that the villain was one of the best and well written antagonist ever to be written about in a book. Some found they really enjoy reading about this character who is a strong man that stands up for himself and fights for what is right. Some found that the Iles writes stories and does not pull punches in his content; he takes you right into the thick of things and shows you the nasty, dirty, and graphic events that show how bad the world can be at times.

Some readers did not like the content in the novel and found they were revolted by it. They felt a little lied to about what was in it. Some found that the novel was just an average read, without a whole lot to get revved up about.

Book Series In Order » Characters » Penn Cage

One Response to “Penn Cage”

  1. Carol M Wright: 2 years ago

    I can’t get enough of Penn Cage. Greg Iles writes many inconvenient truths which is why I love this series. I hope that he follows up with another novel.

    Reply

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