Recommended by Jo, Ellen and Connie.

Connie's review: Penn Cage, former prosecutor and now mayor of Natchez, Mississippi is drawn into 40-year-old secrets when his beloved physician father is accused of murder. As Penn fights to clear him, his father refuses to answer questions or defend himself, leaving Penn to wonder how well he really knows his father.

Natchez Burning by Greg Iles is daunting in story, scope and size. Although it’s the first in a trilogy, I didn’t feel like I was left dangling at the end of the book. I can’t help thinking that it must really be hard for an author to face up to the violent and racist past of his hometown. Like so many southern cities, the charm, tradition and antebellum culture have been preserved while the fight for civil rights has continued for decades.

A complicated father-son relationship, a suspenseful mystery, strong characters and a riveting historical context add up to a story I couldn’t put down.

Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Snatchez%20burning%20iles__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl