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Cemetery Road
Marshall McEwan is one of the most successful journalists in Washington, DC. But his father is terminally ill, and he must return to his childhood home - a place he vowed he would never go back to.
Bienville, Mississippi, is no longer the city Marshall remembers. His family's 150-year-old newspaper is failing, and Jet Talal, the love of his youth, has married into the family of Max Matheson, one of a dozen powerful patriarchs who rule the town through the exclusive Bienville Poker Club. The city's only hope of economic salvation is a new, billion-dollar Chinese paper mill. But on the verge of the deal's consummation, two deaths rock Bienville to its core.
Joining forces with his former lover, Marshall begins digging for the truth. But he and Jet soon discover that the soil of Mississippi is a minefield where explosive secrets can be far more destructive than injustice.
Bienville, Mississippi, is no longer the city Marshall remembers. His family's 150-year-old newspaper is failing, and Jet Talal, the love of his youth, has married into the family of Max Matheson, one of a dozen powerful patriarchs who rule the town through the exclusive Bienville Poker Club. The city's only hope of economic salvation is a new, billion-dollar Chinese paper mill. But on the verge of the deal's consummation, two deaths rock Bienville to its core.
Joining forces with his former lover, Marshall begins digging for the truth. But he and Jet soon discover that the soil of Mississippi is a minefield where explosive secrets can be far more destructive than injustice.
590 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2019
About the author
Greg Iles
109 books6,850 followersGreg Iles has spent most of his life in Natchez, Mississippi. His first novel, Spandau
Phoenix, was the first of seventeen New York Times bestsellers. His Natchez
Burning trilogy continued the story of Penn Cage, the protagonist of The Quiet Game,
Turning Angel, and #1 New York Times bestseller The Devil’s Punchbowl. Iles’s novels have been made into films and published in more than thirty-five countries. He is a
member of the lit-rock group The Rock Bottom Remainders, lives in Natchez with his
wife, and has three children.
Phoenix, was the first of seventeen New York Times bestsellers. His Natchez
Burning trilogy continued the story of Penn Cage, the protagonist of The Quiet Game,
Turning Angel, and #1 New York Times bestseller The Devil’s Punchbowl. Iles’s novels have been made into films and published in more than thirty-five countries. He is a
member of the lit-rock group The Rock Bottom Remainders, lives in Natchez with his
wife, and has three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,459 reviews
August 8, 2020
Different, complex, twisting story, a perfect combination of a family drama and real events on Florida mystery! An absorbing crime story,grief, betrayal in Southern community!
April 17, 2019
This is a standalone thriller from Greg Iles, set in a small southern town, Bienville, in Mississippi with all the elements for a riveting read set in Trump's US, and all that entails. No-one here is free from flaws in this story of murder and twisted intrigues, least of all the protagonist, Marshall McEwan, estranged from his father, a Pulitizer prize winning journalist in the 1960s for his coverage of the Civil Rights movement. After 26 years away, Marshall returns to run the struggling newspaper Watchman, with his father suffering from terminal cancer, not expected to live long. Marshall too is an acclaimed journalist winning the Pulitzer, although that award was based on lies. He has a tragic background that haunts him, his gifted older brother, Adam, who eclipsed him growing up died in an accident, he has a failed marriage behind him and his young son drowned in a pool. We are provided with the details of these events in the narrative, along with how his friend, Paul Matheson, saved his life in Iraq, and Marshall's relationship with his childhood love, Jet Turner, now a lawyer, who he has never been able to forget. A Jet that is now married to Paul.
After Marshall's relationship with his father deteriorated after the death of his brother, Buck Ferris provided much need support to a traumatised Marshall, filling the gaping hole in his life. Ferris, an archaeologist, is found dead in the river, and Marshall is certain it is murder. Bienville is run by the Poker Club, a powerful cabal of rich white men, men who stand to profit enormously from the billion dollar Chinese paper mill being developed in the town. Ferris's activities threatened this development, and as it becomes clear that his murder is going to be covered up, a griefstricken Marshall is determined the truth behind Buck's murder is made public. He has no idea how far the Poker Club will go to ensure that this will never happen. Marshall's tangled personal life carries with it additional dangers in this story of friendship, morality, integrity, betrayal, secrets, double dealing, greed, dysfunctional families and a town that desperately needs the economic advantages of the Chinese paper mill.
Greg Iles is an expert when it comes to atmospherically evoking the murky world of a small southern town, where everybody knows everyone, with it's pivotal history in the Civil War, the class divisions between the rich, who load the dice when it comes to ensuring their personal wealth increases, and the poor, scrabbling to just survive. This is overlaid with the contemporary repercussions of Trump, his policies and the pernicious culture that he has engendered such as the rise of 'fake'news. Iles immerses the reader in the lives of a host of diverse characters, and a world where pragmatism trumps idealism and doing the right thing, encapsulated perfectly in the dilemmas that Marshall finds himself in. This is a wonderfully entertaining and compulsive read, which fans of Iles and other crime fiction and thriller readers are likely to enjoy. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
After Marshall's relationship with his father deteriorated after the death of his brother, Buck Ferris provided much need support to a traumatised Marshall, filling the gaping hole in his life. Ferris, an archaeologist, is found dead in the river, and Marshall is certain it is murder. Bienville is run by the Poker Club, a powerful cabal of rich white men, men who stand to profit enormously from the billion dollar Chinese paper mill being developed in the town. Ferris's activities threatened this development, and as it becomes clear that his murder is going to be covered up, a griefstricken Marshall is determined the truth behind Buck's murder is made public. He has no idea how far the Poker Club will go to ensure that this will never happen. Marshall's tangled personal life carries with it additional dangers in this story of friendship, morality, integrity, betrayal, secrets, double dealing, greed, dysfunctional families and a town that desperately needs the economic advantages of the Chinese paper mill.
Greg Iles is an expert when it comes to atmospherically evoking the murky world of a small southern town, where everybody knows everyone, with it's pivotal history in the Civil War, the class divisions between the rich, who load the dice when it comes to ensuring their personal wealth increases, and the poor, scrabbling to just survive. This is overlaid with the contemporary repercussions of Trump, his policies and the pernicious culture that he has engendered such as the rise of 'fake'news. Iles immerses the reader in the lives of a host of diverse characters, and a world where pragmatism trumps idealism and doing the right thing, encapsulated perfectly in the dilemmas that Marshall finds himself in. This is a wonderfully entertaining and compulsive read, which fans of Iles and other crime fiction and thriller readers are likely to enjoy. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
March 22, 2019
I am afraid my thoughts on the latest novel by Greg Iles will not be that praising as in the case of the Natchez Burning Trilogy …. I was really looking forward to reading Cemetery Road since the deep south of the United States holds some allure that I can’t resist. The allure is still there, however, the novel disappointed me with regard to the characters, their secrets and their psychological development. I am sorry but I did not find their actions and reactions believable ……. The idea of punishing culprits responsible for the murder of an archaeologist who tries to veto destroying a site of great historic value sounds excellent, alas, the execution is of rather poor quality ….. I did finish the book but it was like a little struggle on my side ……. Perhaps it was not THE moment for reading Cemetery Road …………. [one star is for the plot, adding one more for the setting, can't help myself.....]
June 3, 2019
Cemetery Road by Greg Iles is a 2019 William Morrow publication.
Small town corruption, family tragedies, betrayals, and murder-
In other words- quintessential Greg Iles.
In this standalone novel, award winning journalist, Marshall McEwan, returns home to Bienville, Mississippi to be closer to his parents after his estranged father is diagnosed with Parkinson’s. At least that’s what he tells himself. Deep in his heart, however, he acknowledges an ulterior motive- reuniting with his first love- a woman named Jet, who just happens to be married to his best friend.
But when Buck Ferris, a man who had a strong influence on Marshall, is found dead, Marshall is convinced foul play is at hand. But who would want to kill Buck and why?
Well, Buck may have made a discovery that could derail the proposed installation of a paper mill, which would breathe new life into the slowly dying town of Bienville. A lot is at stake, and the town’s powerful ‘Poker Club’ will make sure the Chinese investors aren’t scared off, which means Buck might have been collateral damage.
As Marshall digs deeper into the circumstances of Buck’s death, the Poker Club members do what they do best- make threats, intimidate, bully, and blackmail, and maybe even murder, anyone who stands in their way- and Marshall and all his dark secrets is in their crosshairs.
Cemetery Road is not just a suspenseful thriller, with all its many twists and turns, and layers of deceptions. It is also a stellar piece of southern fiction, with Gothic elements that only the south can lay claim to.
The characters are flawed- every single one of them- some more than others, and Marshall, no saint himself, is forced to stare his demons in the face, to make eye contact with them, as everything he thought he knew wavers and fades like a mirage in the desert.
Under scrutiny is the moral compromises made in the name of capitalism, the mythology of our youth, the hope of recapturing a lost opportunity, while trying to do what is right for all concerned. For Marshall, it is more personal, perhaps, as he is also coping with deeply embedded grief and carrying a heavy burden of guilt bestowed upon him by his embittered father.
However, he is also trying to save his father's newspaper, cover his own butt, and protect the women he loves.
I often found myself on the edge of my seat, as Marshall survives one major event after another by the seat of his pants, and as the shock waves reverberate relentlessly. It was hard to put the book down for any length of time.
At the end of the day, Iles proves, yet again, his intimate knowledge of the old southern realities, still prevalent and still thriving. But, at the end of the day, his characters, though bruised and bleeding, may finally shake off the ghosts of the past, each in his or her own way, while southern style justice continues to work in the most mysterious of ways.
Small town corruption, family tragedies, betrayals, and murder-
In other words- quintessential Greg Iles.
In this standalone novel, award winning journalist, Marshall McEwan, returns home to Bienville, Mississippi to be closer to his parents after his estranged father is diagnosed with Parkinson’s. At least that’s what he tells himself. Deep in his heart, however, he acknowledges an ulterior motive- reuniting with his first love- a woman named Jet, who just happens to be married to his best friend.
But when Buck Ferris, a man who had a strong influence on Marshall, is found dead, Marshall is convinced foul play is at hand. But who would want to kill Buck and why?
Well, Buck may have made a discovery that could derail the proposed installation of a paper mill, which would breathe new life into the slowly dying town of Bienville. A lot is at stake, and the town’s powerful ‘Poker Club’ will make sure the Chinese investors aren’t scared off, which means Buck might have been collateral damage.
As Marshall digs deeper into the circumstances of Buck’s death, the Poker Club members do what they do best- make threats, intimidate, bully, and blackmail, and maybe even murder, anyone who stands in their way- and Marshall and all his dark secrets is in their crosshairs.
Cemetery Road is not just a suspenseful thriller, with all its many twists and turns, and layers of deceptions. It is also a stellar piece of southern fiction, with Gothic elements that only the south can lay claim to.
The characters are flawed- every single one of them- some more than others, and Marshall, no saint himself, is forced to stare his demons in the face, to make eye contact with them, as everything he thought he knew wavers and fades like a mirage in the desert.
Under scrutiny is the moral compromises made in the name of capitalism, the mythology of our youth, the hope of recapturing a lost opportunity, while trying to do what is right for all concerned. For Marshall, it is more personal, perhaps, as he is also coping with deeply embedded grief and carrying a heavy burden of guilt bestowed upon him by his embittered father.
However, he is also trying to save his father's newspaper, cover his own butt, and protect the women he loves.
I often found myself on the edge of my seat, as Marshall survives one major event after another by the seat of his pants, and as the shock waves reverberate relentlessly. It was hard to put the book down for any length of time.
At the end of the day, Iles proves, yet again, his intimate knowledge of the old southern realities, still prevalent and still thriving. But, at the end of the day, his characters, though bruised and bleeding, may finally shake off the ghosts of the past, each in his or her own way, while southern style justice continues to work in the most mysterious of ways.
April 19, 2019
4.5 Stars —This is the 10th book by Greg Iles I have read. Needless to say, if he wasn’t one of the best storytellers around, I wouldn’t have read 10 of his 16 novels. “Cemetery Road” is a stand alone book which doesn’t star Penn Cage, Iles’ most famous and well liked protagonists. It also doesn’t include one courtroom scene, which makes it different from most of Iles’ other books. However, despite these differences, this book does not disappoint. “Cemetery Road” tells its story through the eyes of Marshall McEwan, the publisher of a local newspaper. The book begins with McEwan’s good friend being murdered and McEwan taking a personal interest in attempting to solve the case. He is met with strong opposition from a group of community power brokers nicknamed “”The Poker Club” that basically run the town and everyone in it. The Poker Club has a special interest in this case and in keeping it unsolved (as it could disrupt a huge Chinese manufacturing plant from building and operating in the city, which would cost The Poker Club millions in profits). This combined with the storyline of turmoil in Marshall’s personal life (the result of him having an affair with a good friend’s wife) form the plot of this 608 page novel. As always, Iles does a great job of keeping the plot moving with so many twists and turns, I can’t remember them all. What makes Iles stand out among current authors, is that he writes long, character driven stories that are very well written, interesting and realistic. This book is no exception and was great from start to finish. It did not suffer from long, boring sections or chapters that many long books suffer. The critiques I have of this book mirror my critiques of Iles’ other books:1) too much unnecessary cursing by all of the characters; 2)it spends an inordinate amount of time condemning and ridiculing Christianity; 3) most of the his characters are stereotypes—either white, old-south, racist powerbrokers (think Boss Hogg) or uneducated black persons who are very hard workers at menial jobs and who are of the highest character. After 10 books, Iles needs to move on from his profanity and religious hang ups and expand his character base to include different new-South type characters. But great job on this one, and I hope to see Marshall McEwan in future Iles’ novels.
March 11, 2019
This is your usual Iles. A crusading and prize winning journalist returns to his small town Mississippi home to a less than functional family and barely functioning family newspaper. There is a murder which provides the impetus for the narrative. A cabal controls this town and nice men they are not. They are plenty of lies, deceit, betrayal and backstabbing. As I said, your usual Iles which is always entertaining.
May 7, 2019
4 Stars.
Complex, Twisty, Dark and Gritty.
“Cemetery Road” is a standalone novel by Greg Iles. It is a brilliant character driven novel about family, friendship, love and politics in a small Mississippi town.
Marshall McEwan is a reporter who returns to Bienville after a long absence. His father is ill and he has been tasked with taking over his dad’s ailing newspaper, The Watchman. Returning to Bienville is something he thought he’d never do - it holds too many bad memories for Marshall - the loss of his brother Adam, the breakdown of his relationship with his father and losing the love of his life Jet, to his former best friend Paul. Marshall’s life has been full of one tragedy after another and upon his return to Bienville, it happens again. Buck Ferris, a man who was like a father to Marshall is murdered and Marshall sets out to prove it, even though Buck’s death is made to look like an accident. It spells bad news for Marshall - as the most powerful men in Bienville known as “The Poker Club” will do whatever it takes to stop him from spilling their secrets. Turns out of course, that Marshall has a few secrets of his own, secrets that could hurt a lot of people, including his friends, his family and the love of his life and her husband.
What a brilliantly done, heart-pounding saga! What Greg Iles does best is his characterizations! He draws you into the lives of his characters and makes you care as if your own life depended on it. I was so invested in Marshall’s life while reading this novel, that I was cussing and stomping my feet! Jet?!?! I mean, really? Really?!? I detested her. With every fiber of my being!! I wanted to shake Marshall and tell him to wake up and smell the coffee (which, of course, he loved (so ok, he might be a smart boy after all, hee hee))! That said, all I will say is that when he loves, his friends..etc.,. his family, he loves fiercely. There was never a moment in this novel where I lost interest in the storyline (even though the book is over 600 pages), I was fully invested from the first to the last.
I must provide a disclaimer that there are a few parts of this story that are a bit depressing thus please be aware of that before you start reading. This novel also contains a few racy scenes for those of you who might feel the need to cover your eyes.
In case it hasn’t been made obvious throughout the years, Greg Iles is one of my favorite authors: I adore his writing style, his characterizations and the depths his characters go to, to get what they need and want. I eagerly await the next book hitting the shelves and this novel was no different! Admittedly, Penn Cage (from Greg Iles’ serial novels) is my favorite Iles’ character and I missed him something awful in this novel and I hope to see him again sometime soon. (Hint, hint!)
Thank you to Edelweiss, Harper Collins - William Morrow and Greg Iles for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Edelweiss, Goodreads and Amazon on 5.7.19.
Complex, Twisty, Dark and Gritty.
“Cemetery Road” is a standalone novel by Greg Iles. It is a brilliant character driven novel about family, friendship, love and politics in a small Mississippi town.
Marshall McEwan is a reporter who returns to Bienville after a long absence. His father is ill and he has been tasked with taking over his dad’s ailing newspaper, The Watchman. Returning to Bienville is something he thought he’d never do - it holds too many bad memories for Marshall - the loss of his brother Adam, the breakdown of his relationship with his father and losing the love of his life Jet, to his former best friend Paul. Marshall’s life has been full of one tragedy after another and upon his return to Bienville, it happens again. Buck Ferris, a man who was like a father to Marshall is murdered and Marshall sets out to prove it, even though Buck’s death is made to look like an accident. It spells bad news for Marshall - as the most powerful men in Bienville known as “The Poker Club” will do whatever it takes to stop him from spilling their secrets. Turns out of course, that Marshall has a few secrets of his own, secrets that could hurt a lot of people, including his friends, his family and the love of his life and her husband.
What a brilliantly done, heart-pounding saga! What Greg Iles does best is his characterizations! He draws you into the lives of his characters and makes you care as if your own life depended on it. I was so invested in Marshall’s life while reading this novel, that I was cussing and stomping my feet! Jet?!?! I mean, really? Really?!? I detested her. With every fiber of my being!! I wanted to shake Marshall and tell him to wake up and smell the coffee (which, of course, he loved (so ok, he might be a smart boy after all, hee hee))! That said, all I will say is that when he loves, his friends..etc.,. his family, he loves fiercely. There was never a moment in this novel where I lost interest in the storyline (even though the book is over 600 pages), I was fully invested from the first to the last.
I must provide a disclaimer that there are a few parts of this story that are a bit depressing thus please be aware of that before you start reading. This novel also contains a few racy scenes for those of you who might feel the need to cover your eyes.
In case it hasn’t been made obvious throughout the years, Greg Iles is one of my favorite authors: I adore his writing style, his characterizations and the depths his characters go to, to get what they need and want. I eagerly await the next book hitting the shelves and this novel was no different! Admittedly, Penn Cage (from Greg Iles’ serial novels) is my favorite Iles’ character and I missed him something awful in this novel and I hope to see him again sometime soon. (Hint, hint!)
Thank you to Edelweiss, Harper Collins - William Morrow and Greg Iles for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Edelweiss, Goodreads and Amazon on 5.7.19.
May 7, 2020
Cemetery Road is like a carnival ride … a carnival ride with plenty of drownings!
There was a moment where I swore that if one more person drowned I was going to scream! That being said, there are redeeming features within these pages. The writing is on point, and the author captured the essence of what a thriller should be with an edge-of-your-seat feeling throughout—despite the number of people who ended up in Davey Jones’ Locker. The main character, Marshall, is a bit of a douche; a likeable one, but a douche all the same. His character flaws made it difficult for me to fully engage with him. Thankfully, there was a plethora of supporting characters, most of whom I did love. And I have to give props to Greg Iles for the ending. He wrapped it up perfectly and, though there was no pretty bow, it felt real.
I didn’t see fireworks while reading this novel, but gave it a solid three and a half stars without reserve.
There was a moment where I swore that if one more person drowned I was going to scream! That being said, there are redeeming features within these pages. The writing is on point, and the author captured the essence of what a thriller should be with an edge-of-your-seat feeling throughout—despite the number of people who ended up in Davey Jones’ Locker. The main character, Marshall, is a bit of a douche; a likeable one, but a douche all the same. His character flaws made it difficult for me to fully engage with him. Thankfully, there was a plethora of supporting characters, most of whom I did love. And I have to give props to Greg Iles for the ending. He wrapped it up perfectly and, though there was no pretty bow, it felt real.
I didn’t see fireworks while reading this novel, but gave it a solid three and a half stars without reserve.
March 17, 2019
This book is fiction, but damn it, I know that what happens in this book happens in real life.
A group of men obtain riches and power. The more they have, the more they want. They die and pass everything to their sons and then their sons. Starting after the Civil War in Mississippi, this group of men has played a long game. They spread their arms wide and circle the pot of poker chips in the middle of the table and pull the pile to themselves. In Bienville, this group of men is known as the Poker Club. They are bankers, lawyers, oil men, casino owners, businessmen, doctors; they own the police and the judges. They’ve installed “their” U. S. Senator.
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority.” - John Dalberg-Acton, 1887
The Poker Club does provide for Bienville. They are bringing in a billion-dollar paper mill owned by the Chinese, and in exchange, the Chinese will have guaranteed favorable votes from the senator. Along with the mill comes a new interstate highway, a bridge across the Mississippi River, and all the nationally known restaurants, coffee shops, department stores, bookstores, movie theaters. You get the gist. Throw in a world-renown Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who comes home to tend to his dying estranged father, who is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and things get dicey for the Poker Club.
As with all Greg Iles’s books, this is a rambling, all-encompassing volume. I was completely taken in by his storytelling. There are some sexual references that might trigger some readers, so be forewarned.
A group of men obtain riches and power. The more they have, the more they want. They die and pass everything to their sons and then their sons. Starting after the Civil War in Mississippi, this group of men has played a long game. They spread their arms wide and circle the pot of poker chips in the middle of the table and pull the pile to themselves. In Bienville, this group of men is known as the Poker Club. They are bankers, lawyers, oil men, casino owners, businessmen, doctors; they own the police and the judges. They’ve installed “their” U. S. Senator.
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority.” - John Dalberg-Acton, 1887
The Poker Club does provide for Bienville. They are bringing in a billion-dollar paper mill owned by the Chinese, and in exchange, the Chinese will have guaranteed favorable votes from the senator. Along with the mill comes a new interstate highway, a bridge across the Mississippi River, and all the nationally known restaurants, coffee shops, department stores, bookstores, movie theaters. You get the gist. Throw in a world-renown Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who comes home to tend to his dying estranged father, who is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and things get dicey for the Poker Club.
As with all Greg Iles’s books, this is a rambling, all-encompassing volume. I was completely taken in by his storytelling. There are some sexual references that might trigger some readers, so be forewarned.
April 1, 2019
Multiple plot lines become sullied and muddled until the end. By then, it's hard to care much for the characters. 3 of 10 stars
March 19, 2019
Trump and capitalism bashing, PTSD, gay character, affairs, suicide, racist white old southern men, sex...in detail... mafia....check, check, check.....the list continues...all trendy topics thrown in for a rather pointless plot with unlikable characters. Would not recommend. Hang up the newspaper industry and write about something else. Seriously...twice in this story sex .... pubic hair and anal penetration.....play a plot role or twist. The author lost me on this. Is this the best he could do?
March 16, 2019
I usually really like this author, but this book was tough for me. I didn't care for any of the characters, hated what they were doing. As things went on things go messy, so very messy. About the time I started to like a character something would happen and I hated them again. By the end of the book I was just glad to be done and didn't really care if anyone found any happiness.
July 23, 2019
Having read 4 of Greg's books, "The Footprints of God" was the only one that lacked a family-driven theme. Brilliant at building momentum, adding plot twists when least expected, his storytelling is masterful. Opening with the murder of Buck Ferris, an old friend, the reader is immersed into the world of Marshall McEwan, a Pulitzer prize winning writer and journalist. Greg inserts the Poker Club as primary suspect, a group of high rolling, political manipulators about to cash in on a deal cut with the Chinese. Corruption abounds with innumerable parallels drawn to the Trump administration; Max Matheson is father of Marshall's best friend, Paul, and like Trump leads the Poker Club like a mafia don. Evil to a fault, he manipulates not only his son and family, but all those around him. Fast paced, twists and turns abound, the story is one worth reading for those that like page turners, and even for those who don't. Highly recommended.
March 5, 2019
A first rate journey into a small town’s corrupt power brokers and the length they will go to protect their pockets.
SUMMARY
Marshall McEwan vowed never to return to his hometown, Beinville Mississippi when he left at age eighteen. He moved to Washington D.C. and became an extremely successful and award-winning journalist. But now his father is now dying and his mother needs Marshall to help with the debt-ridden family newspaper, The Watchman.
Soon after Marshall’s return to Beinville, his boyhood mentor, Buck Ferris is found murdered at a soon-to-be construction site. The site is that of a new paper mill, a billion dollar economic investment by a group of Chinese investors, in a town on the brink of economic death. Buck had been looking for some 4,000 year old artifacts he believed to be at the site. Bienville is thrown into chaos with the threat of historic artifacts on the site, which would kill the deal. Marshall will stop at nothing to find Buck’s killer. His investigation brings him into conflict with the Poker Club, a corrupt group of Beinville’s power brokers, who will not let anyone stand in their way of lining their pockets.
Marshall’s high school sweetheart from over twenty years ago, Jet, still lives in Beinville and has married into the family of Max Matheson, patriarch of one of the families that rule the Poker Club. Paul Matheson, Max’s son, and Marshall’s best friend growing up, is now married to Jet. Paul, a Special Forces veteran, had saved Marshall’s life in Iraq and is now suffering from PTSD. Marshall and Paul’s relationship is complicated. Marshall adds to the complication when he renews a passionate affair with Jet that is bound to have major consequences.
Marshall is also suffering from several of his own issues. When they were teenagers, Marshall’s older brother Adam, a Bienville’s star athlete drowned while trying to swim across the Mississippi River on a night of reckless teenage cockiness, for which Marshall has always blamed himself. It is the reason he left Beinville immediately after high school. His father has always blamed Marshall for Adam’s death as well. Marshall’s return to Beinville was an opportunity for redemption and forgiveness.
REVIEW
Murder, corruption, secrets and complicated personal relationships form the elements of this epic tale of a town and it’s people struggling with economic viability. The story is suspenseful and intense and the bad guys are beyond bad. The writing is descriptive and evocative. I found myself totally caught up in the deceptions, greed, infidelities and grief of this small town drama, as well as Marshall’s efforts to do the right thing. The characters are well-drawn and richly flawed. CEMETERY ROAD is a first rate journey into a small town’s powerfully rich and greedy who will do and say anything necessary to protect their pockets. GREG Iles has created a perfect blend of characters, setting and story.
This was my first Greg Iles novel, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. He had me with the first lyrical paragraph of the book. “I never meant to kill my brother. I never set out hate my father. I never dreamed I would bury my own son. Nor could I have imagined that I would betray the childhood friend who save my life, or win a Pulitzer Prize for telling a lie.” And it just gets better from there. My favorite part was exploring Marshall’s emotionally wrenching relationship with his father. While the book was lengthy, I thoroughly enjoyed every single one of the 590 pages. Greg Iles lives in Natchez Mississippi and has written twelve bestselling novels, several of which have been made into films.
Thanks to LibraryThing, William Morrow and Greg Iles for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher William Morrow
Published March 5, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
SUMMARY
Marshall McEwan vowed never to return to his hometown, Beinville Mississippi when he left at age eighteen. He moved to Washington D.C. and became an extremely successful and award-winning journalist. But now his father is now dying and his mother needs Marshall to help with the debt-ridden family newspaper, The Watchman.
Soon after Marshall’s return to Beinville, his boyhood mentor, Buck Ferris is found murdered at a soon-to-be construction site. The site is that of a new paper mill, a billion dollar economic investment by a group of Chinese investors, in a town on the brink of economic death. Buck had been looking for some 4,000 year old artifacts he believed to be at the site. Bienville is thrown into chaos with the threat of historic artifacts on the site, which would kill the deal. Marshall will stop at nothing to find Buck’s killer. His investigation brings him into conflict with the Poker Club, a corrupt group of Beinville’s power brokers, who will not let anyone stand in their way of lining their pockets.
Marshall’s high school sweetheart from over twenty years ago, Jet, still lives in Beinville and has married into the family of Max Matheson, patriarch of one of the families that rule the Poker Club. Paul Matheson, Max’s son, and Marshall’s best friend growing up, is now married to Jet. Paul, a Special Forces veteran, had saved Marshall’s life in Iraq and is now suffering from PTSD. Marshall and Paul’s relationship is complicated. Marshall adds to the complication when he renews a passionate affair with Jet that is bound to have major consequences.
Marshall is also suffering from several of his own issues. When they were teenagers, Marshall’s older brother Adam, a Bienville’s star athlete drowned while trying to swim across the Mississippi River on a night of reckless teenage cockiness, for which Marshall has always blamed himself. It is the reason he left Beinville immediately after high school. His father has always blamed Marshall for Adam’s death as well. Marshall’s return to Beinville was an opportunity for redemption and forgiveness.
REVIEW
Murder, corruption, secrets and complicated personal relationships form the elements of this epic tale of a town and it’s people struggling with economic viability. The story is suspenseful and intense and the bad guys are beyond bad. The writing is descriptive and evocative. I found myself totally caught up in the deceptions, greed, infidelities and grief of this small town drama, as well as Marshall’s efforts to do the right thing. The characters are well-drawn and richly flawed. CEMETERY ROAD is a first rate journey into a small town’s powerfully rich and greedy who will do and say anything necessary to protect their pockets. GREG Iles has created a perfect blend of characters, setting and story.
This was my first Greg Iles novel, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. He had me with the first lyrical paragraph of the book. “I never meant to kill my brother. I never set out hate my father. I never dreamed I would bury my own son. Nor could I have imagined that I would betray the childhood friend who save my life, or win a Pulitzer Prize for telling a lie.” And it just gets better from there. My favorite part was exploring Marshall’s emotionally wrenching relationship with his father. While the book was lengthy, I thoroughly enjoyed every single one of the 590 pages. Greg Iles lives in Natchez Mississippi and has written twelve bestselling novels, several of which have been made into films.
Thanks to LibraryThing, William Morrow and Greg Iles for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher William Morrow
Published March 5, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
July 14, 2019
A Southern cesspool of murder, deceit, corruption and revenge.
After hearing everyone laud the Natchez trilogy by this author I decided to dip a toe in the waters of the Mississippi and give his standalone a try. And I can say I was riveted to this rather lengthy book, swept up by the current of secrets, power and politics. A hometown hero is murdered, native son who’s come home to help his ailing, alcoholic father soon runs afoul of a bunch of good ‘ole boys who run the town and call themselves The Poker Club and mayhem ensues. It’s a tangled web of lies and duplicity with the fate of a town hanging in the balance.
John Hart and Allan Eskens are two of my favorite authors in this genre and while Iles lacks Hart’s stylized prose or Eskens’ characterization, I would stack his storytelling style right there with the best of them. I can’t wait to start the Penn Cage series at the beginning (six books!) and once again be immersed in the deep waters of Iles’ South.
After hearing everyone laud the Natchez trilogy by this author I decided to dip a toe in the waters of the Mississippi and give his standalone a try. And I can say I was riveted to this rather lengthy book, swept up by the current of secrets, power and politics. A hometown hero is murdered, native son who’s come home to help his ailing, alcoholic father soon runs afoul of a bunch of good ‘ole boys who run the town and call themselves The Poker Club and mayhem ensues. It’s a tangled web of lies and duplicity with the fate of a town hanging in the balance.
John Hart and Allan Eskens are two of my favorite authors in this genre and while Iles lacks Hart’s stylized prose or Eskens’ characterization, I would stack his storytelling style right there with the best of them. I can’t wait to start the Penn Cage series at the beginning (six books!) and once again be immersed in the deep waters of Iles’ South.
July 15, 2023
I would like to thank Goodreads and the publisher for providing me a copy of Cemetery Road. Years ago I read Greg Iles WWII books and was blown away. Black Cross is one of the best books I’ve read. I was so grateful to win a copy of Cemetery Road through a Goodreads Giveaway reintroducing me to this amazingly talented author.
Greg Iles is an expert at writing extremely detailed, multilayered page turners. Cemetery Road has a diverse range of characters, secrets, and conspiracies. There is a lot of trauma and loss in Cemetery Road. There were many triggers in this book, so I did need to put it down and take a break because of its impact on me. It had nothing to do with the writing. The writing was brilliant. Triggers include: death of a child, death of a parent, death of spouse, adultery, divorce, torture, rape, and suicide.
There are so many aspects of Cemetery Road that I love. I love books that are set in the south and/or DC, books where rivers play a prominent presence in the story, family drama, aspects of Native American culture/history, newspapers/reporters, and shadow agencies/organizations. Cemetery Road will appeal to a vast number of readers. Some quotes that reflect the excellent writing and overall story line are:
“Corruption is a part of capitalism. It’s a by-product of the system. A necessary lubricant to make the machine work. Given human nature, I mean. Because that’s the motive force of capitalism: greed. It’s the most pragmatic system there is.”
“There’s no meaning to be found in tragedy. Only in our response to it. What we do matters, nothing else.”
“We’re all blind about some things. Different things for each of us. That’s what makes life so hard.”
I have already bought other books by Greg Iles and am adding them to my TBR pile. I strongly suggest giving this talented author a read. You won’t be disappointed.
Greg Iles is an expert at writing extremely detailed, multilayered page turners. Cemetery Road has a diverse range of characters, secrets, and conspiracies. There is a lot of trauma and loss in Cemetery Road. There were many triggers in this book, so I did need to put it down and take a break because of its impact on me. It had nothing to do with the writing. The writing was brilliant. Triggers include: death of a child, death of a parent, death of spouse, adultery, divorce, torture, rape, and suicide.
There are so many aspects of Cemetery Road that I love. I love books that are set in the south and/or DC, books where rivers play a prominent presence in the story, family drama, aspects of Native American culture/history, newspapers/reporters, and shadow agencies/organizations. Cemetery Road will appeal to a vast number of readers. Some quotes that reflect the excellent writing and overall story line are:
“Corruption is a part of capitalism. It’s a by-product of the system. A necessary lubricant to make the machine work. Given human nature, I mean. Because that’s the motive force of capitalism: greed. It’s the most pragmatic system there is.”
“There’s no meaning to be found in tragedy. Only in our response to it. What we do matters, nothing else.”
“We’re all blind about some things. Different things for each of us. That’s what makes life so hard.”
I have already bought other books by Greg Iles and am adding them to my TBR pile. I strongly suggest giving this talented author a read. You won’t be disappointed.
February 7, 2021
The rating is only for the writing. I did enjoy the initial half of the book for the story but later continued reading because of the writing alone. It was spectacular. The setting of the story is in a small town called Bienville. The characters were so life like, I believe I can find them if I take a trip to that place.
Marshall McEwan is a Pulitzer prize winning reporter at Washington. He returns back to his hometown to take care of his sick father who is on his deathbed. Things remain mostly the same at Bienville on his arrival. The town is still under the control and influence of a bunch of rich powerful old men who call themselves the Poker Club. The only major change is the arrival of a new paper mill which might provide employment and resurrect the life of this dying town.
However, Marshall's closest friend Buck who also was a father figure to him is found dead in the Mississippi river. On closer inspection on Buck's body, it looks like murder. There is also another incident of the death of a black teenager. This town is still holding on to its racist and misogynistic behaviour. These murders shake Marshall as he relives his worst childhood memories and he wants to be at the bottom of this mystery. What he doesn't realise is how dangerously close he is to his own death! These are not the first murders in this sleepy town, nor will they be the last.
This book had so many dimensions to it, I wondered where it might take me. Towards the end however it just focused on a few mildly interesting stuff and I didnt care much about the story. However the characters are breathtakingly realistic. I really enjoyed this book for the setting and the characters.
Marshall McEwan is a Pulitzer prize winning reporter at Washington. He returns back to his hometown to take care of his sick father who is on his deathbed. Things remain mostly the same at Bienville on his arrival. The town is still under the control and influence of a bunch of rich powerful old men who call themselves the Poker Club. The only major change is the arrival of a new paper mill which might provide employment and resurrect the life of this dying town.
However, Marshall's closest friend Buck who also was a father figure to him is found dead in the Mississippi river. On closer inspection on Buck's body, it looks like murder. There is also another incident of the death of a black teenager. This town is still holding on to its racist and misogynistic behaviour. These murders shake Marshall as he relives his worst childhood memories and he wants to be at the bottom of this mystery. What he doesn't realise is how dangerously close he is to his own death! These are not the first murders in this sleepy town, nor will they be the last.
This book had so many dimensions to it, I wondered where it might take me. Towards the end however it just focused on a few mildly interesting stuff and I didnt care much about the story. However the characters are breathtakingly realistic. I really enjoyed this book for the setting and the characters.
March 15, 2019
I have read and enjoyed all the other books by Greg Iles but... I was so disappointed by the intrusion of current politics in this one. I read fiction for a reason, to escape and I don't need an author's political opinion (left or right) when doing this! I can turn the TV on if I want that!
March 3, 2019
Ominous, pacey, and tragic!
Cemetery Road is a gritty, engrossing novel about life in Bienville, Mississippi, a small town struggling with socioeconomic depression, corruption, murder, scheming politicians, and powerful, rich, white businessmen with no scruples.
The prose is descriptive and tight. The characters are tormented, scarred, and complex. And the plot is a rollercoaster ride of twists, turns, deception, allegiances, revelations, greed, power, violence, infidelity, integrity, heartbreak, and grief.
Overall, I would have to say that Cemetery Road is a dark, meticulous, deliciously suspenseful thriller that’s classic Iles with its journalistic backdrop, long-buried secrets, southern mentality, and complicated familial dynamics.
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Cemetery Road is a gritty, engrossing novel about life in Bienville, Mississippi, a small town struggling with socioeconomic depression, corruption, murder, scheming politicians, and powerful, rich, white businessmen with no scruples.
The prose is descriptive and tight. The characters are tormented, scarred, and complex. And the plot is a rollercoaster ride of twists, turns, deception, allegiances, revelations, greed, power, violence, infidelity, integrity, heartbreak, and grief.
Overall, I would have to say that Cemetery Road is a dark, meticulous, deliciously suspenseful thriller that’s classic Iles with its journalistic backdrop, long-buried secrets, southern mentality, and complicated familial dynamics.
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2019
This is a well written novel by Greg Iles. Only problem is it is a crappy story. As others have said it is like there was a checklist to make sure all the nasties of life were included. But I have to say as in real life there are flowers in the patch of weeds. Buck, Quinn and Marshall's mom. Was there really anyone else to like?
May 18, 2024
When opening a novel by Greg Iles, I feel as if I'm sitting with an old friend. Here, again, is the "Mighty Mississippi" and a superb cast of characters; a convoluted page-turning thriller which delivers time after time.
March 19, 2019
March 12, 2019: Full review to come.
March 18, 2019: Okay, let's get into this.
This book kicks straight into gear. There is no "easing" into it, you jump straight into action from the very first pages.
And then you get hit with flashbacks. Multiple flashbacks. That get broken up to return to present day.
It pulled me out of the present story to tell me a different one and then I get pulled out of the new story to return to present day. I didn't like that. A flashback is already going to break up the flow of a story but to break it, multiple times, just threw the pacing way off. Especially since I knew the final outcome of two of the flashbacks, I was just learning the how.
There was a lot of crudeness (or "locker room" talk) towards women (and sex in general) that I felt was unnecessary and made me cringe. One line in particular had me squealing "EWWWW!" out loud. (And for that reason, and also because could be a spoiler, I'm not going to post it.)
In regards to the main story plot, while I have no doubt that rich, old, white men do control many, many things, this book was just unbelievable to me. The utter mayhem that these men, this Poker Club, bring is just not realistic. In small doses, sure, I think they can get away with murder, sleeping with every woman, bribing law enforcement/judges, etc. But the way it is described in this book is just ridiculous. These men control every aspect of this town and no one does anything about it. I just don't buy it.
The time line for this book is confusing. I seriously think the entire book, all 600 pages of it, took place in the span of one week or less.
And every other page was some big, shocking revelation. The hits did not stop coming.
I can see why some people would enjoy that and it would keep them engaged to see what would happen next. For me, it made me sigh in frustration and close the book because there is no way that someone who is airlifted to the hospital, placed in ICU with multiple skull fractures, then gets up, checks out, drives hours away to try to murder people. Other than because "Story." It seemed like that was the only way to explain why, or how, these characters did these things.
I will say, one touching moment in the book was the conversation between Marshall and his dad. I really enjoyed that scene, even if it did feel a bit convenient.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy this. It was struggle to get through. I knew I had to read it but I really didn't want to and it was just a chore for me.
March 18, 2019: Okay, let's get into this.
This book kicks straight into gear. There is no "easing" into it, you jump straight into action from the very first pages.
And then you get hit with flashbacks. Multiple flashbacks. That get broken up to return to present day.
It pulled me out of the present story to tell me a different one and then I get pulled out of the new story to return to present day. I didn't like that. A flashback is already going to break up the flow of a story but to break it, multiple times, just threw the pacing way off. Especially since I knew the final outcome of two of the flashbacks, I was just learning the how.
There was a lot of crudeness (or "locker room" talk) towards women (and sex in general) that I felt was unnecessary and made me cringe. One line in particular had me squealing "EWWWW!" out loud. (And for that reason, and also because could be a spoiler, I'm not going to post it.)
In regards to the main story plot, while I have no doubt that rich, old, white men do control many, many things, this book was just unbelievable to me. The utter mayhem that these men, this Poker Club, bring is just not realistic. In small doses, sure, I think they can get away with murder, sleeping with every woman, bribing law enforcement/judges, etc. But the way it is described in this book is just ridiculous. These men control every aspect of this town and no one does anything about it. I just don't buy it.
The time line for this book is confusing. I seriously think the entire book, all 600 pages of it, took place in the span of one week or less.
And every other page was some big, shocking revelation. The hits did not stop coming.
I can see why some people would enjoy that and it would keep them engaged to see what would happen next. For me, it made me sigh in frustration and close the book because there is no way that someone who is airlifted to the hospital, placed in ICU with multiple skull fractures, then gets up, checks out, drives hours away to try to murder people. Other than because "Story." It seemed like that was the only way to explain why, or how, these characters did these things.
I will say, one touching moment in the book was the conversation between Marshall and his dad. I really enjoyed that scene, even if it did feel a bit convenient.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy this. It was struggle to get through. I knew I had to read it but I really didn't want to and it was just a chore for me.
March 12, 2019
Greg Illes writes thrilling, complex stories set in the deep south of the United States. There are lovely antebellum mansions surrounded by fragrant flower gardens, but he explores the rotten core of these towns, which may contain corruption, murder, racism and injustice. This is a long book of 608 pages, but his compelling previous Natchez Burning trilogy contained 804, 814 and 707 pages without unnecessary filler, and I felt they could have gripped my attention even longer.
In Cemetery Road, the protagonist and narrator, Marshall McEwan arrives home to Bienville, Mississippi. He left home at age 18 and vowed never to return. The reason was apparent hate and blame on the part of his estranged father. Now his father is dying and a newspaper run by the family for 150 years is on the brink of failure. Marshall has a renowned journalist in Washington, D.C. He has risen to the top of his field both as a reporter and TV commentator.
In a stunning opening, Marshall describes the type of person he considers himself:
“ I never meant to kill my brother. I never set out to hate my father. I never dreamed I would bury my own son. Nor could I have imagined I would betray my childhood friend who saved my life or win a Pulitzer Prize for telling a lie.
All these things I have done, but most people I know would call me an honourable man.....I try to be a good man, and most of the time, I believe I succeed.”
This introspective self-image may be shattered during a series of events which take place in less than a week.
This is a story which explores themes of friendship, betrayal, forbidden sexual liaisons, grief, shame, corruption, murder, evil, greed and injustice in this small southern town.
Bienville is on the verge of economic prosperity, unlike nearby towns and cities which are in decline. The town is ruled by a group of extremely wealthy and ruthless old white men, called the Poker Club. They have secured the town’s future by obtaining a billion-dollar Chinese paper mill, and the clearing of the land site for the new development is underway.
Shortly after his return home, Marshall’s former father figure, scoutmaster, and archaeologist, has been murdered while digging on the construction site for the new paper mill. Marshall vows to bring the killer to justice which brings into conflict with the powerful Poker Club. He discovers how wealth and political interference can undermine justice.
To complicate his personal life is his childhood love Jet, who is a lawyer and has married into the family of Max Matheson. Her husband, Paul, was Marshall’s good friend from school days and while in Special Forces saved Marshall’s life when on assignment in Iraq. The marriage is shaky, as her husband suffers from PTSD, and is drinking and over medicating. They have a son.
Max, the father-in-law is one of the leading patriarchs in the Poker Club. Jet and Marshall begin a passionate and dangerous affair, meeting in secret. Max’s wife is shot to death while in bed with Max. They were the only two people in the home. Was it murder or suicide?
Weighing heavily on Marshall’s mind as he uncovers some truths about the murders and the underlying corruption pervading all levels of the town, is how much to publish. Does he put his own life, the lives of his loved ones in jeopardy, and must he sacrifice his integrity to expose the truth? To do so, may destroy the new factory along with impending jobs and related infrastructure.
Recommended. An enthralling, twisted, complicated thriller, with an easy to follow plot. The characters are well developed, some sympathetic but flawed, and some who personify evil. 4.5 stars
In Cemetery Road, the protagonist and narrator, Marshall McEwan arrives home to Bienville, Mississippi. He left home at age 18 and vowed never to return. The reason was apparent hate and blame on the part of his estranged father. Now his father is dying and a newspaper run by the family for 150 years is on the brink of failure. Marshall has a renowned journalist in Washington, D.C. He has risen to the top of his field both as a reporter and TV commentator.
In a stunning opening, Marshall describes the type of person he considers himself:
“ I never meant to kill my brother. I never set out to hate my father. I never dreamed I would bury my own son. Nor could I have imagined I would betray my childhood friend who saved my life or win a Pulitzer Prize for telling a lie.
All these things I have done, but most people I know would call me an honourable man.....I try to be a good man, and most of the time, I believe I succeed.”
This introspective self-image may be shattered during a series of events which take place in less than a week.
This is a story which explores themes of friendship, betrayal, forbidden sexual liaisons, grief, shame, corruption, murder, evil, greed and injustice in this small southern town.
Bienville is on the verge of economic prosperity, unlike nearby towns and cities which are in decline. The town is ruled by a group of extremely wealthy and ruthless old white men, called the Poker Club. They have secured the town’s future by obtaining a billion-dollar Chinese paper mill, and the clearing of the land site for the new development is underway.
Shortly after his return home, Marshall’s former father figure, scoutmaster, and archaeologist, has been murdered while digging on the construction site for the new paper mill. Marshall vows to bring the killer to justice which brings into conflict with the powerful Poker Club. He discovers how wealth and political interference can undermine justice.
To complicate his personal life is his childhood love Jet, who is a lawyer and has married into the family of Max Matheson. Her husband, Paul, was Marshall’s good friend from school days and while in Special Forces saved Marshall’s life when on assignment in Iraq. The marriage is shaky, as her husband suffers from PTSD, and is drinking and over medicating. They have a son.
Max, the father-in-law is one of the leading patriarchs in the Poker Club. Jet and Marshall begin a passionate and dangerous affair, meeting in secret. Max’s wife is shot to death while in bed with Max. They were the only two people in the home. Was it murder or suicide?
Weighing heavily on Marshall’s mind as he uncovers some truths about the murders and the underlying corruption pervading all levels of the town, is how much to publish. Does he put his own life, the lives of his loved ones in jeopardy, and must he sacrifice his integrity to expose the truth? To do so, may destroy the new factory along with impending jobs and related infrastructure.
Recommended. An enthralling, twisted, complicated thriller, with an easy to follow plot. The characters are well developed, some sympathetic but flawed, and some who personify evil. 4.5 stars
March 21, 2019
OK, this one is hard for me. I'm a big fan of Mr. Iles work. Unfortunately, this one to me felt like a very poorly masked and extremely shallow description of his political views wrapped around a reasonably good story. I listened to the book from Audible and there were many times were I just flat paused the audio, rewinded and said "no". I truly do not mind different political views in the books I read. In fact, I often enjoy them, but I enjoy them when they are thought provoking and offer an explanation for a different perspective than my own. This book wasn't that. Things would just be stated as fact and glossed right over as if every idiot reading the book would agree. The impact on me was the book felt fake. If this only occurred in a couple of passages then it wouldn't have bothered me, but somehow Mr. Iles weaved every stereotypical evil that is dreamed up about one side of the political spectrum into a single work of fiction. It was juvenile in its simplicity and I expect better. Either stay away from politics or actually put some effort into digging a bit deeper. Such superficial statements do nothing but turn me off from your work. Again, I truly don't mind a different view, but take the step to allow me to believe that you've logically considered your stance and aren't just regurgitating the party line that is helping to divide the country.
April 27, 2019
Like his Penn Cage series, this is classic Greg Iles: the main character is a writer, it is set in a small Southern city (Bienville), with a plot combining long-buried secrets, southern culture, complicated family dynamics, and nasty politics. Bienville is struggling with socioeconomic depression, corruption, murder, scheming politicians, and powerful, rich, white businessmen with no scruples (the Poker Club.)
Winner of a Pulitzer Prize for a war story, Marshall McEwen returns to Bienville to help his mother with his ailing father, who owns the local newspaper. Marshall is living dangerously though, sleeping with Jet, the wife of a boyhood rival, a former black ops contractor, and son of a town scion. Terrible (depressing) things have happened to both Marshall and Jet in the past, damaging both of them. Things really collapsing when the murder of Marshall's mentor threatens the construction of a Chinese manufacturing facility. The Poker Club and Marshall spend much of the book making and breaking arrangements to allow the deal to proceed based on reparations.
Once I got over the really depressing stuff, I enjoyed the story more, but the accelerating violence and number of dead bodies was a little extreme. Iles remains a favorite of mine.
Winner of a Pulitzer Prize for a war story, Marshall McEwen returns to Bienville to help his mother with his ailing father, who owns the local newspaper. Marshall is living dangerously though, sleeping with Jet, the wife of a boyhood rival, a former black ops contractor, and son of a town scion. Terrible (depressing) things have happened to both Marshall and Jet in the past, damaging both of them. Things really collapsing when the murder of Marshall's mentor threatens the construction of a Chinese manufacturing facility. The Poker Club and Marshall spend much of the book making and breaking arrangements to allow the deal to proceed based on reparations.
Once I got over the really depressing stuff, I enjoyed the story more, but the accelerating violence and number of dead bodies was a little extreme. Iles remains a favorite of mine.
March 29, 2019
This book is about a man who has returned back home to the South because his father is dying. While being back home, his mentor is killed because he believes a new construction site use to be a Native American dwelling and this discovery would put a halt to the construction.
Greg Iles is one of the few authors that I make sure I read the newly released book right away. Other authors I can wait until I come around to it. The author has an amazing gift of weaving so many concepts together into one book and that is the case with this offering. In this one we explore unexpected loss of loved ones, political graft, love triangles, and a major conspiracy. All of these are put together without missing a beat. Even with all these concepts that isn't even the main concept of exploration in this book. That would be the choices we make whether we are forced into them or not and how we live with their consequences. These consequences could lead into heartache and pain and that is the result we have to bear.
The reason I could not give this five stars is that this book did remind me of the Penn Cage series that this author has written. That series has recently ended so this coincidence seemed a little too convenient. The other reason is the characters including our "hero" of the story. Besides a side character of Nadine, I did not like any of them. This was the result of their choices which is a selling point of this novel. Choices whether forced or not don't always make the person shine in a positive light.
Once again Greg Iles has written a terrific thriller that has so much than just action and thrill. He has the ability to capture the reader quickly and not let go for the whole ride and this book accomplishes that. I kept on wondering what would happen next as the twists and turns came out of nowhere and there was no way I could predict them.
Greg Iles is one of the few authors that I make sure I read the newly released book right away. Other authors I can wait until I come around to it. The author has an amazing gift of weaving so many concepts together into one book and that is the case with this offering. In this one we explore unexpected loss of loved ones, political graft, love triangles, and a major conspiracy. All of these are put together without missing a beat. Even with all these concepts that isn't even the main concept of exploration in this book. That would be the choices we make whether we are forced into them or not and how we live with their consequences. These consequences could lead into heartache and pain and that is the result we have to bear.
The reason I could not give this five stars is that this book did remind me of the Penn Cage series that this author has written. That series has recently ended so this coincidence seemed a little too convenient. The other reason is the characters including our "hero" of the story. Besides a side character of Nadine, I did not like any of them. This was the result of their choices which is a selling point of this novel. Choices whether forced or not don't always make the person shine in a positive light.
Once again Greg Iles has written a terrific thriller that has so much than just action and thrill. He has the ability to capture the reader quickly and not let go for the whole ride and this book accomplishes that. I kept on wondering what would happen next as the twists and turns came out of nowhere and there was no way I could predict them.
March 29, 2019
The good: The story starts off strongly. Greg Iles is a master at engaging the reader from the starting line.
The bad: It doesn’t take very long for the characters to morph into roles of complete predictability.
The good: There’s some beautiful and thoughtful passages just like the Iles of old. But not many.
The bad: Cliché and one-dimensional characters and situations muddy up the flow.
The good: Um, yeah, that’s pretty much it.
Conclusion: Iles – in my opinion, clearly phoned this one in. It pains me to say that, but it is what it is. And what it is seems to be a very successful author not terribly concerned with his latest offering knowing full well that he’d still sell a jillion copies based on his name. Sorry, Charlie, but it’s the truth. This book is WAY below what he’s delivered in the past. What’s sad is that those of us who have read his work over the years know that he is capable of both originality and passion on the written page. Greg Iles could write 800-900 pages and keep you turning them well into the night. Not with this one though. No, this one will put you down for the count after the first 100 or so. Perhaps next time.
The bad: It doesn’t take very long for the characters to morph into roles of complete predictability.
The good: There’s some beautiful and thoughtful passages just like the Iles of old. But not many.
The bad: Cliché and one-dimensional characters and situations muddy up the flow.
The good: Um, yeah, that’s pretty much it.
Conclusion: Iles – in my opinion, clearly phoned this one in. It pains me to say that, but it is what it is. And what it is seems to be a very successful author not terribly concerned with his latest offering knowing full well that he’d still sell a jillion copies based on his name. Sorry, Charlie, but it’s the truth. This book is WAY below what he’s delivered in the past. What’s sad is that those of us who have read his work over the years know that he is capable of both originality and passion on the written page. Greg Iles could write 800-900 pages and keep you turning them well into the night. Not with this one though. No, this one will put you down for the count after the first 100 or so. Perhaps next time.
August 28, 2020
A 600-page tome! A male-centric read that was very much the traditional action/adventure genre.
Marshall McEwan returns to run the family newspaper in Bienville, Mississippi. Early in the story, childhood mentor Buck McKibben is murdered and the adventures go from there.
Throw in Marshall’s teenage sweetheart, Jet, and the complications are a plenty. Jet, of course, has married into the powerful Mathieson family, with FIL Max chairing the Bienville Poker Club (who are up to all sorts of skullduggery).
If you tick all these boxes: ab epically long read filled with adventure , misadventure, crime, discrimination, conspiracy, dysfunction, secrets, with an overlay of Southern charm, this is the big read for you!
Marshall McEwan returns to run the family newspaper in Bienville, Mississippi. Early in the story, childhood mentor Buck McKibben is murdered and the adventures go from there.
Throw in Marshall’s teenage sweetheart, Jet, and the complications are a plenty. Jet, of course, has married into the powerful Mathieson family, with FIL Max chairing the Bienville Poker Club (who are up to all sorts of skullduggery).
If you tick all these boxes: ab epically long read filled with adventure , misadventure, crime, discrimination, conspiracy, dysfunction, secrets, with an overlay of Southern charm, this is the big read for you!
April 24, 2019
This review is for the audio version of “Cemetery Road”, by Greg Illes, narrated by Scott Brick and published by HarperAudio.
Audio: 4 stars Scott Brick is a renowned narrator, with too many novels under his belt to mention, however he was recognizable to me because of his work in Michael Crichton’s Dragon Teeth. Brick has a distinctly recognizable voice, built up from many years of acting and narrating, that is both clear and expressive. He narrates the entire novel (quite a WHOPPER, too) , and although this novel is primarily told from one perspective, Mr. Brick also makes the transition into a few other voice characters as well, most of them Southern, and three of them female. He was a good fit for this novel although I found that he kept the same voice tone and intonation for all of the characters, which made differentiation difficult in some situations. Overall, the strong and experienced voice narration of Mr. Brick adds the right amount of Southern charm to this novel.
Story: 4 stars Greg Illes is the author of the Natchez Burning (or Penn Cage) series, the Southern stories that are part family drama, part crime, part who-dunnit. And this novel is no different.
Marshall McEwan is now a successful reporter in Washington, D.C, a place he ended up years ago when he left his hick hometown behind him for good. Now, he must return to the town he left behind, Bienville, Mississippi, to help his estranged, yet ailing, father. Back in Bienville, Marshall becomes quickly immersed in the recent drama surrounding the local “Bienville Poker Club”, a group of highly manipulative and stupidly wealthy old men who have played a part in controlling most of the city’s inner workings for many years. When Marshall’s long time mentor and friend turns up dead, and the Bienville club seems to be at the centre, Marshall puts his life and his career on the line trying to unmask the most powerful men in all of Bienville.
The story starts with a murder, and a really cool excavation involving Native bones and weapons, and then turns into an investigation against the excessively rich and powerful. Set in Bienville, Mississippi (which, translated to English, literally means “Good City”) , with a large cast of characters, “Cemetery Road” is a very lengthy tome about power, family and one’s moral code, and has that recognizable Illes’ charm.
Marshall was a great character, albeit very naïve he was charming and level-headed. Right from the beginning, we are introduced to his lover, Jet, a woman he has a history with from back in middle school, the two of them perpetually caught in a star-crossed-lovers scenario. I DETESTED the character of Jet. I don’t know if this was Illes’ intention but she was grating, narcissistic, exceptionally selfish and exploitive. The only redeeming quality she had was that she was the mother to young Kevin, and he wasn’t featured enough in the book to give me any solace. She complained the entire novel about how hard it was to be married to her super rich and powerful husband (whom she married because he was super rich and powerful) , but yet was sleeping with Marshall on the side, controlling his life from every angle. She must have been either ethereally gorgeous, or Marshall and Jet’s husband Paul were immature and deviant.
Jet aside, the novel was told well. It started right off the hop, with the excavation of bones and murder of Buck, and continued to weave a tale of mystery and intrigue right up until the very end. Illes goes back and forth, taunting a reader with his storyline, pulling the rug out from under you right when you think you have it all figured out. When it finally ends it is a relief (as mentioned, the story is lengthy. The audio version alone had 19 discs) but it is also satisfying. I have not yet found anything comparable to Illes Southern charm writing style, and it is always delightful when I finally get the chance to read a new work of his.
Highly recommended if you have the time, “Cemetery Road” is a dark and twisty tale of the underbellies of society, and the manipulations pulled by those hiding in the background.
Audio: 4 stars Scott Brick is a renowned narrator, with too many novels under his belt to mention, however he was recognizable to me because of his work in Michael Crichton’s Dragon Teeth. Brick has a distinctly recognizable voice, built up from many years of acting and narrating, that is both clear and expressive. He narrates the entire novel (quite a WHOPPER, too) , and although this novel is primarily told from one perspective, Mr. Brick also makes the transition into a few other voice characters as well, most of them Southern, and three of them female. He was a good fit for this novel although I found that he kept the same voice tone and intonation for all of the characters, which made differentiation difficult in some situations. Overall, the strong and experienced voice narration of Mr. Brick adds the right amount of Southern charm to this novel.
Story: 4 stars Greg Illes is the author of the Natchez Burning (or Penn Cage) series, the Southern stories that are part family drama, part crime, part who-dunnit. And this novel is no different.
Marshall McEwan is now a successful reporter in Washington, D.C, a place he ended up years ago when he left his hick hometown behind him for good. Now, he must return to the town he left behind, Bienville, Mississippi, to help his estranged, yet ailing, father. Back in Bienville, Marshall becomes quickly immersed in the recent drama surrounding the local “Bienville Poker Club”, a group of highly manipulative and stupidly wealthy old men who have played a part in controlling most of the city’s inner workings for many years. When Marshall’s long time mentor and friend turns up dead, and the Bienville club seems to be at the centre, Marshall puts his life and his career on the line trying to unmask the most powerful men in all of Bienville.
The story starts with a murder, and a really cool excavation involving Native bones and weapons, and then turns into an investigation against the excessively rich and powerful. Set in Bienville, Mississippi (which, translated to English, literally means “Good City”) , with a large cast of characters, “Cemetery Road” is a very lengthy tome about power, family and one’s moral code, and has that recognizable Illes’ charm.
Marshall was a great character, albeit very naïve he was charming and level-headed. Right from the beginning, we are introduced to his lover, Jet, a woman he has a history with from back in middle school, the two of them perpetually caught in a star-crossed-lovers scenario. I DETESTED the character of Jet. I don’t know if this was Illes’ intention but she was grating, narcissistic, exceptionally selfish and exploitive. The only redeeming quality she had was that she was the mother to young Kevin, and he wasn’t featured enough in the book to give me any solace. She complained the entire novel about how hard it was to be married to her super rich and powerful husband (whom she married because he was super rich and powerful) , but yet was sleeping with Marshall on the side, controlling his life from every angle. She must have been either ethereally gorgeous, or Marshall and Jet’s husband Paul were immature and deviant.
Jet aside, the novel was told well. It started right off the hop, with the excavation of bones and murder of Buck, and continued to weave a tale of mystery and intrigue right up until the very end. Illes goes back and forth, taunting a reader with his storyline, pulling the rug out from under you right when you think you have it all figured out. When it finally ends it is a relief (as mentioned, the story is lengthy. The audio version alone had 19 discs) but it is also satisfying. I have not yet found anything comparable to Illes Southern charm writing style, and it is always delightful when I finally get the chance to read a new work of his.
Highly recommended if you have the time, “Cemetery Road” is a dark and twisty tale of the underbellies of society, and the manipulations pulled by those hiding in the background.
March 24, 2019
Edit: I shared my feedback with the author and he was not open to it, trying to insult me in response. Just another liberal “elite” (if he can call himself that) using his medium to push political views that can’t hear an alternative to “you’re so wonderful”. Sorry Iles, this millennial will not submit to the movement of the masses.
Extremely disappointed with this book. I couldn’t finish it. The insertion of the authors personal politics was a HUGE turnoff. I didn’t buy this book for political views. The writing style was worse than his prior, dragging thoughts out past their necessity. Furthermore, I was born and raised in Mississippi. For an author that writes so many novels about the state, it would be nice to get details CORRECT. Lots of room for improvement but I will not be wasting the money on a future purchase.
Extremely disappointed with this book. I couldn’t finish it. The insertion of the authors personal politics was a HUGE turnoff. I didn’t buy this book for political views. The writing style was worse than his prior, dragging thoughts out past their necessity. Furthermore, I was born and raised in Mississippi. For an author that writes so many novels about the state, it would be nice to get details CORRECT. Lots of room for improvement but I will not be wasting the money on a future purchase.
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