I did not finish this novel, I found the subject ie KKK very difficult to read about. It is however well written

Fathers and their sons and historical acts. Should a son hero worship their father and forgive his sins?
Especially when murder is involved.
A time of Southern USA segregation and the KKK.
4th in a series that continues the issues raised from the racial hatreds and violence and feuds into yet further novels, so don't expect a final conclusion.

This is an exquisite, epic tale set in the American South. Mississippi author Greg Iles’ storytelling is like the river that gives his home state its name. His prose has a powerful flow, is fed by a diverse array of streams, and is full of dangerous undercurrents and nasty snags beneath a seemingly calm surface. A sprawling thriller stuffed with flawed people, complex relationships, and issues contemporary and ancient. An ambitious, challenging tale that glistens like a moonlit river. Fittingly it began a marvellous trilogy. One of the finest crime series of the past decade.

The sins of the past never die…

Raised in Natchez, Mississippi, former prosecuting attorney Penn Cage learned all he knows of honour and duty from his father, Dr. Tom Cage.

But now Tom stands accused of murdering on African-American nurse with whom he worked in the 1960s, when racist violence was at its peak.

As he hunts for the truth, Penn uncovers a long-buried secret that could place his family in mortal danger- a conspiracy of greed and murder connected to a vicious sect of the KKK.

Up against the most powerful men in the state, Penn faces an impossible choice: does a man of honour choose his father or justice?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure about this at first but I am so glad I continued with it. It has a good pace and actually forms that start of a trilogy. Though it is long at 800 pages, it really doesn't feel like it is dragging - the added dimension of racial tensions in America's Deep South keep this moving along really well. Easily imaginable as a TV series.

A very long book that took a few attempts to get into. Not really my style but a good read nonetheless.

Nachez burning by Greg Iles.
Raised in Natchez, Mississippi, former prosecuting attorney Penn Cage learned all he knows of honour and duty from his father, Dr. Tom Cage.

But now Tom stands accused of murdering on African-American nurse with whom he worked in the 1960s, when racist violence was at its peak.

As he hunts for the truth, Penn uncovers a long-buried secret that could place his family in mortal danger- a conspiracy of greed and murder connected to a vicious sect of the KKK.

Up against the most powerful men in the state, Penn faces an impossible choice: does a man of honour choose his father or justice?

A very good read with likeable characters.  Warning! This is a big book. Took me a while to read.  3*.

An extraordinary book by most excellent writer, Grey Iles. The story is of a eminent and respected doctor, accused of murdering his elderly patient as an act of kindness, and saved by his devoted son. Iles weaves this compelling story into the fabric of post-segregation, KKK and the the closed culture of small town life in the deep south with compassion and empathy, covering the still sensitive topic of prosecuting such crimes many decades after the fact. An outstanding book.

This is the first Greg Iles book I have read and the 4th book Penn Cage book, so I am definitely going to have to put that right and read the rest! Having said that this appears to be the first in a trilogy so I look forward to reading the rest the next two books first!

This is a big book and a great thriller, I loved it and a full 5 stars from me for this one.

I enjoyed this book so much that I have now purchased all other books in the series. Only 2 more books to go!! Loved the characters, the background, everything. Can’t wait to get started on the Bone Tree. Greg Iles you have a new fan!!

Normally I would be completely put off by seeing this is the 4th Penn Cage thriller as I have a bit if a thing about starting things at the beginning.
'Natchez Burning' is the first in a new trilogy featuring mayor Penn Cage but it is a straight forward to jump into the story.
It is not easy reading,the descriptions of racism,hate crimes and white supremacists are uncomfortable and terrifying. The story is perfectly paced and I love the character of Penn Cage who investigates whether his doctor father was responsible for the death of his coloured former nurse. Was it murder or assisted suicide? What is the link with the dying Double Eagle member who is turning to Penn and revealing what deaths this group was involved in and the murder that haunted Penn for decades?
What is justice and how will it beat be served?
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would definitely read more by this writer.

Not my kind of book, too much violence and bad language and a part of American history that I really don't like. It really spoils a book for me.

This was one of the most compelling books I have read. The bigotry and hatred of one human being towards another jumped from the pages and grabbed you around the throat. Sections of the graphic violence were gut wrenching. The characters were so real and my empathy towards Penn fluctuated throughout the book as his flawed character was exposed. A thoroughly enlightening read that has stayed with me since I finished reading it.

I found this a gripping read. A bit of a difficult read as it covers prejudice but a good read nevertheless. Reading this has encouraged me to read more from Greg Iles.

Although a lengthy book, I was fascinated with the characters and found it compulsive reading.

The Penn Cage books by Greg Iles are a cracking series.

I've just finished reading the last 3 volumes, The Natchez Trilogy, which build to a superb climax.  The series is based around Penn Cage, a lawyer in Natchez, Mississippi, uncovering the racial history of the south, the dark past of his home town and some secrets within his own family. 

This is pacy, dark, tense reading and difficult to put down. If you like James Lee Burke (one of my top favourites) then you will enjoy this series. It's worth starting at the beginning.

I haven't read anything by Greg Iles but I've heard of this book and was pleased to receive a review copy from the publisher, via Netgalley. It's a wordy read; almost 800pp and part way through, I felt it started to lose pace.

The story has a very constrained time line, basically three days. Numerous thought provoking themes are explored including racism, gang rape, corruption, familial relationships and loyalty. It's ambitious and sometimes it almost seems to be running away unchecked. It's complex in terms of number of characters, plots and sub plots and there's a lot of reinforcement by way of repetition. This breaks the pace and along with my indifference to the central protagonist, Penn Cage, it's not a novel I loved. As the first of a trilogy, I'm not sure whether I'll be looking out for the next installment.

Reading a pre-release of Natchez Burning on my old Kindle didn't immediately give away what a lengthy novel it was. The title wasn't too alluring either although I'm sure when it's released in book form the graphics will go some way to explain the content. It's a clever title though, with more than one meaning. Moans over, it was incredible! Never has a novel of this length held me as riveted as this one. The content is strong meat without doubt, not for the faint hearted. Some interesting concepts too about what drives people to such cruelty, although nothing could explain Brody's sadistic tendencies other than being a psychopath. Caitlin's knowledge of astronomy gave rise to a marvellous retort with her description of injustice and using some alliteration to make her point. If it was ever possible then Natchez Burning would score more than the five stars available.

A great story, I just wished I had read the previous books first. I now want to go back and read them all. A suspenseful and extraordinarily written southern novel.

Greg Iles hardly needs more commendations but this tough and authentic. novel of a rogue ex-kkk group in the pay of a local thuggish rich guy, at war with the police and the FBI , exposure pending from daughter of a local soft-hearted doctor with a secret is thick with menace and violence... the. complex weave of character - black and white, trying to survive amidst deep unrelenting racism and misogyny - with a complex and driven plot, is astounding, ambitious and skillful. But it's a tough read, not for the faint-hearted.

A fantastic author.
Greg Iles tells an amazing story. When I first requested this from NetGalley I did not realise that it was such a huge book nor the first one in a trilogy. I took a little while to get to grips with the style of writing and then no holds were barred. The plot is incredibly complex, with many facets, but the intrigue surrounding the main story ensured that I just had to keep on reading at every opportunity. It was a period in History that I knew very little about and hence have spent a fair amount of time researching the given facts. I liken this author to James Mitchener, Edward Rutherfurd and also C. J. Sansom who all also write a story based upon historical facts but weave into the facts a story to capture the reader’s interest. This book is based upon the KKK and the civil unrest in the 1960’s, there is repetition throughout the book however it is used to emphasise points for clarity and I think the story would suffer if this was removed. Greg Iles handles extreme racial politics in an emotional manner that brings so much understanding to that period. He also introduces some thoughts into the Katrina Hurricane which gave a very different insight into how the emotions were running at that period and how the white government officials were playing a racial political game.
I felt sad that there was no real ending to the book, however it does mean that I will have to read the other two books to find out what does happen to Dr Cage – what a clever author is all I can say !
To anyone who wants to read Greg Iles books, this is Book 4 however you do not need to read the first three as this starts a completely new story for Penn Cage it is a stand alone trilogy.