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The Devil's Punchbowl (Penn Cage #3)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 4,925 ratings · 567 reviews

From "New York Times" bestselling author Greg Iles comes his most electrifying thriller yet. "The Devil's Punchbowl" reveals a world of depravity, sex, violence, and the corruption of a Southern town.As a prosecuting attorney in Houston, Penn Cage sent hardened killers to death row. But it is as mayor of his hometown -- Natchez, Mississippi -- that Penn will face his most...more From "New York Times" bestselling author Greg Iles comes his most electrifying thriller yet. "The Devil's Punchbowl" reveals a world of depravity, sex, violence, and the corruption of a Southern town.As a prosecuting attorney in Houston, Penn Cage sent hardened killers to death row. But it is as mayor of his hometown -- Natchez, Mississippi -- that Penn will face his most dangerous threat. Urged by old friends to try to restore this fading jewel of the Old South, Penn has ridden into office on a tide of support for change. But in its quest for new jobs and fresh money, Natchez, like other Mississippi towns, has turned to casino gambling, and now five fantastical steamboats float on the river beside the old slave market at Natchez like props from "Gone With the Wind."

But one boat isn't like the others.

Rumor has it that the Magnolia Queen has found a way to pull the big players from Las Vegas to its Mississippi backwater. And with them -- on sleek private jets that slip in and out of town like whispers in the night -- come pro football players, rap stars, and international gamblers, all sharing an unquenchable taste for one thing: blood sport -- and the dark vices that go with it. When a childhood friend of Penn's who brings him evidence of these crimes is brutally murdered, the full weight of Penn's failure to protect his city hits home. So begins his quest to find the men responsible. But it's a hunt he begins alone, for the local authorities have been corrupted by the money and power of his hidden enemy. With his family's lives at stake, Penn realizes his only allies in his one-man war are those bound to him by blood or honor: Caitlin Masters, the lover Penn found in "The Quiet Can Game" and lost in "Turning Angel"Danny McDavitt, the heroic helicopter pilot from "Third Degree"Tom Cage, Penn's father and legendary local family physicianWalt Garrity, a retired Texas Ranger who served with Penn's father during the Korean War

Together they must defeat a sophisticated killer who has an almost preternatural ability to anticipate -- and counter -- their every move. Ultimately, victory will depend on a bold stroke that will leave one of Penn's allies dead -- and Natchez changed forever.

After appearing in two of Iles's most popular novels, Penn Cage makes his triumphant return as a brilliant, honorable, and courageous hero. Rich with Southern atmosphere and marked by one jaw-dropping plot turn after another, "The Devil's Punchbowl" confirms that Greg Iles is America's master of suspense.(less)

Hardcover, 580 pages

Published July 7th 2009 by Scribner (first published 1999)

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May 26, 2010 Tricia-Lynn Harter-Carter rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE -- michael vick supporters

I could not put this book down. I enjoyed everything about the story, however did become frustrated with Penn Cage.

Truly a recommended read for a Vick supporter. Read the dog fighting scenes, the logic and true character of a person who actually makes it part of their overall moral character and it truly will change, IMHO, your belief in "he's done his time and all is forgiven policy," when it comes to the brutailty that Vick obviously has deep within his gene pool. All is not forgiven or forgo...more

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Feb 12, 2013 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first time I have read anything by this author. I have to say he uses some neat metaphors and writes a thriller which moves well and has some of the great twists and turns.

The cover of this one fooled me. The cover shows some dice with an odd image on it, and I expected it would turn into some sort of an Indiana Jones expedition. I was shocked when it remained a normal thriller dealing with really bad guys and extreme violence, in this case the Devil's punchbowl was a reference to t...more This is the first time I have read anything by this author. I have to say he uses some neat metaphors and writes a thriller which moves well and has some of the great twists and turns.

The cover of this one fooled me. The cover shows some dice with an odd image on it, and I expected it would turn into some sort of an Indiana Jones expedition. I was shocked when it remained a normal thriller dealing with really bad guys and extreme violence, in this case the Devil's punchbowl was a reference to the name of a saloon on board a gambling barge based in Natchez Mississippi.

The hero, Penn Cage, is the mayor of Natchez, Mississippi. A childhood friend comes to him in secret and reveals scandalous behavior relaed to the gambling industy (shocker!) From there the story builds up a full head of steam and drives forward into extreme violence and danger. It turns out to be a decent quality thriller with a fairly satisfying conclusion, except for that tangential cliffhanger on the final page of the novel. Okay.. that was just plain stupid and gave me the impetus to downgrade my rating.

Another drawback, for me, was the constant switching of points of view that was signalled by the usage of italics for complete chapters which described action or scenes that Penn, the hero, was not involved in... The italicized font was really ridiculous and silly as any intelligent reader could see that the point of view was being switched. This helped the downgrade as well.

I also hate the feeling that I came in the middle of a series. For example, even though I started in the middle of the REACHER series by Lee Child, I never felt like I missed part of the story. I read most of them out of order and it was never a problem. Yet Isles tries to bring his readers up to date with this character and his many loves, etc. It was not done in a manner that made me feel brought up to date, but rather that I was missing something.

I didn't care for the mercenaries that Penn managed to bring in. Why would the mayor of a small town (though a former prosecutor, elsewhere) have access to these guys? The author shows us that the hero has a history with these guys, but I could never comprehend the real bond between them.

Then, there was a chapter where the author sought to educate us about the economic inequality of the south and how the economic lines follow racial lines and offers his own solutions. This is done in a chapter where Penn suggests he is going to resign because he has not accomplished his political goals. I tend to like it when an author uses a fiction story as a bully pulpit to make a point about social issues, but in this case, that particular scene fell flat on its face. It came across like an old episode of Quincy, where the coroner would preach about one of society's ills, interfering with the main story. That's exactly what happened.. That chapter was missing the hissing sound of the air brakes on a bus or a big truck, because it suddenly slowed the story down to a standstill much like a bus stopping at a railroad crossing.

Once the story got moving forward again, it picked up and was much more satisfying. But it had to get moving again.

Overall, a decent, well written book, with a few flaws.

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Jul 19, 2012 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and the suspense that Iles builds throughout the book; it is extremely hard to put down. The violence can be very graphic, but seemed to be a part of the story, not just gratuitously thrown in. Below is a brief summary of events.

A former prosecuting attorney, Penn Cage is the mayor of his hometown -- Natchez, Mississippi. Urged by old friends to try to restore this city of the Old South to its former glory, Penn has taken office with strong support from the townsp...more

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May 16, 2012 Carl Brush rated it 3 of 5 stars

Don’t know what I’m doing in my dotage. I downloaded these guys virtually one after the other and hardly put them down till they were finished. Greg Iles is a master of the page turner, leaving you at the end of the page aching to find out what’s on the next. And he creates nice characters and super situations. Each book has a little message or group of messages to deliver. Blood Memory is about child abuse and recovered memory; Turning Angel is about high school drugs and sex and how ignorant a...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Michael Tuggle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: thrillers

The third of the Penn Cage novels got a little bigger and less subtle than the two that came before it, but is still a great read with one of the best scenes of a bad guy getting it that you'll ever read.

(From B&N)
With his gift for crafting “a keep-you engaged- to-the-very-last-page thriller” (USA Today) at full throttle, Greg Iles brings back the unforgettable Penn Cage in this electrifying suspense masterpiece.
A new day has dawned . . . but the darkest evils live forever in the murky dept...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Jean rated it 5 of 5 stars

When Penn Cage agrees to meet a childhood friend, Tim Jessup, in the local cemetery after dark, he suspects that Tim might be bringing him news that he does not wish to hear. A lawyer in another life, Penn is now the mayor of his home town Natchez. In a bid for fresh money and new jobs for the flood ravaged Mississippi town he approved the establishment of a number of steamboat casinos on the river.
For some time there’s been whispered rumours of illegal goings on ,in particular on the Magnolia Q...more

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Sep 10, 2011 solaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a thriller, extremely readable and fast-paced. The characters were interesting-ish and the villain quite threatening - almost supernaturally so, in fact. So I decided to round up my 3.5 stars.

However, from the first italicized portion on, there was really an unforgivable excess of female abuse. Given that the main vices of the villain run on dog-fighting and sex, this is understandable. It's the glee of the descriptions as a strong, kind woman is abused and debased that chills me,...more This book was a thriller, extremely readable and fast-paced. The characters were interesting-ish and the villain quite threatening - almost supernaturally so, in fact. So I decided to round up my 3.5 stars.

However, from the first italicized portion on, there was really an unforgivable excess of female abuse. Given that the main vices of the villain run on dog-fighting and sex, this is understandable. It's the glee of the descriptions as a strong, kind woman is abused and debased that chills me, as well as the lack of repudiation of such objectification.

Let me explain the plot first. Penn Cage is mayor of his small, Southern town and unsuccessfully trying to clean up the corruption. A friend warns him that there is more going on with their riverside gambling business, but, predictably, he is killed and his girlfriend kidnapped before they can do anything besides warn Penn. Jonathan Sands turns up to threaten Penn with his dog, Penn calls in reinforcements, and the plot continues from there.

In a book that should be full of action and thrills, about half of it is devoted to exactly how torture of a single vulnerable woman goes. Yes, I am aware that rape and sexual slavery exist. I realize that the treatment shown in this book does exist, and perhaps not as far away as I hope. But when so much of The Devil's Punchbowl is devoted towards describing it, it starts looking less moral condemnation and more gratuitous sexual thrills. Sands' girlfriend, Jiao, describes most mens' attitude towards women as similar to the way they feel about fighting dogs: they spend money for the pretty ones, settle for those of medium attractiveness, and treat the ugly ones like slaves. Greg Iles does not repudiate this opinion, as even Penn Cage's girlfriend sits silent at Jiao's belief. And in the scenes with women, he makes them out to be exactly that - objects, no more valuable than dogs. Whether he condemns this practice or not, the story makes it appear that Penn Cage is a lone good man, and that practically all other men, were they given the choice, would choose to abuse women rather than treat them as equals.(less)

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Jul 16, 2011 James Thane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense

Former Houston prosecutor Penn Cage is now the disillusioned mayor of his home town, Natchez, Mississippi. Cage never failed at anything in his life until now, and he took the office promising to bridge the divisions in the town which is losing jobs along with its best and brightest young people who are moving away in search of better opportunities elsewhere. Penn hoped to put Natchez on the track to a better future by reinvigorating the public education system and encouraging white parents who...more Former Houston prosecutor Penn Cage is now the disillusioned mayor of his home town, Natchez, Mississippi. Cage never failed at anything in his life until now, and he took the office promising to bridge the divisions in the town which is losing jobs along with its best and brightest young people who are moving away in search of better opportunities elsewhere. Penn hoped to put Natchez on the track to a better future by reinvigorating the public education system and encouraging white parents who have fled the public schools to return their children to the public schools so that black and white students would be educated together, thus building the base of a new and better city.

Sadly, the problem has proven to be much more difficult and intractable than Penn imagined and his one accomplishment has been to clear the way for a luxurious new gambling boat, the Magnolia Queen, to come to town. The boat has generated jobs and badly needed revenue for the ailing city. But then Tim Jessup, one of Penn's childhood friends who works aboard the Queen shows Penn evidence suggesting that the gambling aboard the boat is a cover for sinister and repellant activities.

Shortly thereafter, Jessup is murdered and Penn finds himself locked in mortal combat with two hardcore villains who are determined to protect the gambling boat's secrets and their own fortunes. They will stop at nothing to do so, including threatening Penn's daughter, mother and father to make him back off and surrender the evidence they believe Jessup has given to Penn.

In this middle of all of this, Penn's old lover, Caitlin Masters, returns to Natchez, complicating both the widowed Penn's life and the complex problems he now faces. Not surprisingly, Cage refuses to roll over and surrender to the evil that threatens to envelope his city. The result is a roller coaster ride, with lots of unexpected twists and turns. Iles is a master of the psychological suspense novel and The Devil's Punchbowl is an excellent example of his work.

A word of warning: This engrossing book is not for the faint of heart. It contains a considerable amount of very graphic violence directed both against human beings and animals.(less)

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Apr 16, 2011 Cheryl rated it 2 of 5 stars

I gotta say, I'm disappointed Mr. Iles. I usually love his books. I like his writing style and his stories. The Devil's Punchbowl is the exception. Most of the action felt forced. Penn Cage was making decisions that made not sense. It was almost as if he had one third of a story and just wrote random filler.

A childhood friend of Penn Cage, Tim, asks for a secret mid-night meeting. He shows Penn pictures of a mutilated dog and a young girl fourteen year old girl in a compromising position, and n...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense-thriller

Not for the squeamish.

I am a fan of Greg Iles and his writing style. My first venture in the Iles was Turning Angel, and from there I went backwards to Cage #1.
The plot of Punchbowl is crowded with complex characters. The author pushes the limits of suspension of disbelief with a chilling plot line involving the Department of Homeland Security and the prosecution of an international criminal enterprise. The book is filled with graphic details of torture, murder, rape, and other evils including k...more

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Aug 06, 2010 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, mystery

Penn Cage is in the middle of his term as mayor of Natchez, Mississippi and is starting to realize that the turn around of this once grand city may be beyond his capabilities. Illustrating that point is his late night meeting with childhood friend, Tim Jessup. Bringing with him stories of prostitution, dog fighting, money lanundering, and other unspeakable evils, Tim enlists Penn's assistance in ridding Natchez of the evil hiding behind its riverboat casinos.

When agreeing to help Tim, Cage had...more

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Jul 01, 2010 Sue marked it as to-read · review of another edition

[close:] “The poster boy of southern gothic thrillers” (Kirkus review) delivers a powerful and unforgettable reading experience with The Devil’s Punchbowl, and he marks the return of Penn Cage, the popular protagonist of The Quiet Game and Turning Angel. The Devil’s Punchbowl refers to a deep pit near the river in Natchez, Mississippi. Not only have outlaws dumped numerous murder victims there, but there is also a long-standing rumor that it is where Jean Lafitte buried his treasure. This is a d...more [close:] “The poster boy of southern gothic thrillers” (Kirkus review) delivers a powerful and unforgettable reading experience with The Devil’s Punchbowl, and he marks the return of Penn Cage, the popular protagonist of The Quiet Game and Turning Angel. The Devil’s Punchbowl refers to a deep pit near the river in Natchez, Mississippi. Not only have outlaws dumped numerous murder victims there, but there is also a long-standing rumor that it is where Jean Lafitte buried his treasure. This is a dangerous place, a kudzu-strangled, snake- rat- and armadillo-infested hole so deep that the bottom can’t be seen. Against this backdrop, Iles plunges the reader into a mix of murder, racial tension, double-crosses, illicit sex…and all of the ensuing violent consequences.
Rich with Southern atmosphere and plenty of page-turning intrigues, The Devil’s Punchbowl is further proof that Iles is today’s unparalleled master of the suspense novel.
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2 Words that describe the book: Suspenseful thriller

3 Settings where it took place or characters you met:

1. Setting: Natchez, Mississippi, modern times
2. Penn Cage—A former DA and now mayor of his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn returns for another thriller, accompanied by Caitlin Masters (his beautiful newspaper reporter ex-girlfriend) and other characters we've met in previous Penn Cage books. (This book can stand-alone but does reference previous books at times.)
3. Jonathan Sands—The local head of a riverboat gambling operation (which has brought corruption to Natchez since its arrival), Sands is a ruthless and chameleon-like bad guy who seems to have his fingers in quite a few pies, including dogfighting and prostitution. Plus he seems to have "friends in high places" who seem willing to protect him despite his corrupt and violent behavior.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

1. I liked how Iles keeps the story moving. This particular book was 577 pages (!), but it moves along at a good clip, and the plot is always branching off into some new area.
2. I liked revisiting the characters and locations that Iles have written about in previous books. This is the third Penn Cage book he's written, and he even incorporates a character (Danny McDavitt) from one of his previous Natchez-based books that didn't feature Penn Cage.
3. Greg Iles is one of my "go to" thriller writers, along with Nelson DeMille. Although he used to mix it up a bit more at the start of his writing career, lately he's focused on Natchez and Penn Cage. I think I've read every book he's written, and he is one of the few fiction writers that Mr. Jenners will read regularly. He comes out with a book every few years, and we always pick them up.
4. I liked knowing that there will be another Penn Cage book on the horizon based on the ending of this book, which ends with a bit of a cliffhanger for Cage's personal life.

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 3.5 stars. Like I said, Iles writes a decent thriller, and if you're in the market for a well-done, not too gruesome story with an author who has a decent backlog of books, Iles is the writer for you. This isn't great literature by any means, but it is a great candy bar book to occupy the time when you're between "heavier" books.(less)

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Mar 25, 2010 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

2 Words that describe the book: Suspenseful thriller

3 Settings where it took place or characters you met:

1. Setting: Natchez, Mississippi, modern times
2. Penn Cage—A former DA and now mayor of his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn returns for another thriller, accompanied by Caitlin Masters (his beautiful newspaper reporter ex-girlfriend) and other characters we've met in previous Penn Cage books. (This book can stand-alone but does reference previous books at times.)
3. Jonathan Sands—The l...more 2 Words that describe the book: Suspenseful thriller

3 Settings where it took place or characters you met:

1. Setting: Natchez, Mississippi, modern times
2. Penn Cage—A former DA and now mayor of his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn returns for another thriller, accompanied by Caitlin Masters (his beautiful newspaper reporter ex-girlfriend) and other characters we've met in previous Penn Cage books. (This book can stand-alone but does reference previous books at times.)
3. Jonathan Sands—The local head of a riverboat gambling operation (which has brought corruption to Natchez since its arrival), Sands is a ruthless and chameleon-like bad guy who seems to have his fingers in quite a few pies, including dogfighting and prostitution. Plus he seems to have "friends in high places" who seem willing to protect him despite his corrupt and violent behavior.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

1. I liked how Iles keeps the story moving. This particular book was 577 pages (!), but it moves along at a good clip, and the plot is always branching off into some new area.
2. I liked revisiting the characters and locations that Iles have written about in previous books. This is the third Penn Cage book he's written, and he even incorporates a character (Danny McDavitt) from one of his previous Natchez-based books that didn't feature Penn Cage.
3. Greg Iles is one of my "go to" thriller writers, along with Nelson DeMille. Although he used to mix it up a bit more at the start of his writing career, lately he's focused on Natchez and Penn Cage. I think I've read every book he's written, and he is one of the few fiction writers that Mr. Jenners will read regularly. He comes out with a book every few years, and we always pick them up.
4. I liked knowing that there will be another Penn Cage book on the horizon based on the ending of this book, which ends with a bit of a cliffhanger for Cage's personal life.

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 3.5 stars. Like I said, Iles writes a decent thriller, and if you're in the market for a well-done, not too gruesome story with an author who has a decent backlog of books, Iles is the writer for you. This isn't great literature by any means, but it is a great candy bar book to occupy the time when you're between "heavier" books.(less)

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Feb 22, 2010 T. Edmund rated it 2 of 5 stars

First of all I almost put the rating down to two stars, because while Punchbowl isn't is bad as some books I've read, it's 550 page length was extra-painful to get through.

Whats wrong with The Devil's Punchbowl? It suffers from a severe case of average-ness and a major overdose of waffling. For at least the first 100 pages we're blugoened with the daily life and thoughts of Penn Cage, town mayor (IMO mayor's of small town don't make compelling protaganists)

The plot is neither melodramatic enou...more

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Jan 27, 2010 Robyn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Grossly disappointed in this latest from Iles. I usually enjoy his books about character, Penn Cage. But this one did not work for me. Mainly, I think I was unable to suspend belief in common sense long enough to appreciate the plot. Case in point, most of Iles' books about Penn Cage feature a character named Daniel Kelly, a former Delta commando now working as a private security contractor. Kelly is tough, former military, and amazing well-connected. He acts as a "go to" guy who helps Cage out...more

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Oct 06, 2009 Richard rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Any action fan with a strong stomach.

Recommended to Richard by: I try to read all Mr. Iles work.

Greg Iles takes us back to Natchez, MS for a tale about total evil infecting the city from a new riverboat casino. Using common stereotypes of the US South to great effect, parts of this book are so disturbing it is hard to read...that is, hard not to skip over the violence and depravity.

This time, our hero, Penn Cage is the Mayor at the midpoint of his term and questioning the wisdom of staying in office, Natchez, or even the South. How his team defends the virtue, and lives of the populace of...more

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May 07, 2010 Cara St.Hilaire rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book actually doesn't grab you from the first page. It lifts its fingers and slowly motions for you to come closer. Once you have gotten to the last sentences in Chapter 1, you are in deep and there is no return as you experience all of the gritty, testosterone driven atrocities that can be put in one book. I read this book voraciously--I stayed up way too late, I ate with my fork in one hand and book in the other, and found myself even reading a few lines while at traffic lights. It was so...more This book actually doesn't grab you from the first page. It lifts its fingers and slowly motions for you to come closer. Once you have gotten to the last sentences in Chapter 1, you are in deep and there is no return as you experience all of the gritty, testosterone driven atrocities that can be put in one book. I read this book voraciously--I stayed up way too late, I ate with my fork in one hand and book in the other, and found myself even reading a few lines while at traffic lights. It was so intense that I found myself squirming in my seat with anxiety.

One reviewer mentioned that it is too long and to some extent, I might agree with that a little. However, I wouldn't change a thing because the writing contains details that set the characters, locations, and moods so perfectly. The author wasn't afraid to use raw language to depict just how monstrous and criminal the "bad" guys were. He wasn't afraid to write about things that are completely horrific without sugar coating them. If his book were a movie - you'd see every last uncomfortable detail rather than cut to a different scene to ease the viewer.

The main character is captivating because he is a small town guy that just wants to be surrounded by peace but can't ever find it because Iles puts him smack in the middle of all that is dark in Natchez. The book is a race through time while Penn protects his family and loved ones while trying to bring down an evil empire that he accidentally helped succeed.

The most disturbing thing to me was the dog fighting. I am an animal lovin' vegetarian and as soon as it started getting into that (and facing the realization that this stuff really happens), I had a hard time with it. The fact that the characters were so opposed to this brutality (risked their lives for it, in fact) did help, but it didn't take some of the graphic images out of my mind (and they lingered for days).

If you love suspense, it really doesn't get any better than this. You must read this book.
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Dec 28, 2011 Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a difficult book to read, not because of the authors writing, but rather because of the themes and subtexts that are the core of the story. Unspeakable horror and pain are inflicted for no more reason than inflicting pain for the sake of pain and satisfying a blood lust for purposes of “entertainment”. The pain and horror comes in many shades in this book - tortured painful rape, murder without feeling or conscience and disguised as “sport”. The basest human depravities are displayed fro...more This is a difficult book to read, not because of the authors writing, but rather because of the themes and subtexts that are the core of the story. Unspeakable horror and pain are inflicted for no more reason than inflicting pain for the sake of pain and satisfying a blood lust for purposes of “entertainment”. The pain and horror comes in many shades in this book - tortured painful rape, murder without feeling or conscience and disguised as “sport”. The basest human depravities are displayed front and center and Mr. Iles reminds us that all of humankind is a guilty participant here. The types of cruelties here cross all social and ethnic lines. There are those among us regardless of nationality, race or social standing that are capable of descending to the darkest depths that only man is capable of committing. The comparisons to Michael Vicks are obvious and front and center in your mind as you rip through this story. Society, government and our legal system are all on trial her. Through the pictures and story telling of Mr. Iles we are reminded that our system is far from perfect and just and at times lacking in sufficient punishment to fir the crime.

As difficult as the subject matters are it’s the skill of the author that keeps you from crossing over that invisible threshold from shock and dismay to disgust. In the hands of lesser authors the story would have been rendered from a mystery thriller to a graphic nausea. You know early on who the bad guys but your hate and hope for a “one bullet” solution builds as you get to know them throughout the whole of the story.

While I’m a big Greg Iles fan I wouldn’t rate this as his best book. The Quiet Game was a much better book. There are a couple of weaknesses here in that the ending is no big surprise – the good guys win out, the heroes and heroines and ensure the continuation of the series. At over 700 hundred pages there are characters introduced that really don’t add to the story, times where situations are revisited from the eyes of different characters and there is a lot of self introspection that seem to take up unnecessary real estate.

With all that said I found myself reluctantly putting the book down only in order to get a couple hours sleep before getting up for work.
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Sep 15, 2009 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, thriller, murder-mystery

Iles writes on such a variety of topics that you never quite know what to expect from him. I liked this book, but I must admit that I am more enamored of his books that have stronger overtones of moral dilemmas. I like the character Penn Cage (this is the third book he is in), but I prefer Iles' standalone novels. To appreciate this book, I think it helps to have read the previous two that feature Cage.

Lots of evil men in this book and a backdrop of the South along with a fast paced plot make f...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Sheena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I couldn't put down Greg Iles "The Devils Punchbowl." I've just started reading the Penn Cage novels. This book wasn't hard to follow, having not read the first two books. The Devils Punchbowl was a fast paced suspense novel, with many intense events throughout this book. This book is not for the squeamish. It's a fast paced page turner filled with rape, dogfighting, legal bureaucracy with a web of deceit and betrayal. There is a love story woven throughout the book, but its not the focal point...more

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Feb 21, 2010 Nancy marked it as to-read

Shelves: crime-drama

As a prosecutor in Houston, Penn Cage sent killers to death row. But as mayor of his hometown - Natchez, Mississippi - Penn will face his most dangerous threat. Urged by old friends to try to restore this fading jewel of the Old South, Penn has ridden into office on a tide of support for change. But in its quest for new jobs and fresh money, Natchez has turned to casino gambling, and now five steamboats float on the river beside the old slave market, like props from Gone With the Wind.

But one bo...more

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Sep 16, 2009 Caitlin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

This is a book about dogfighting & the other blood sports that surround it. You know the ones - drugs, human trafficking - the list goes on & on.

When Michael Vick was convicted for dogfighting & sent to prison for 23 months, many people wanted to minimize the offense. Some argued that God has given us dominion over animals so Vick's actions were inconsequential. People that are involved in dogfighting don't just pit their dogs against one another to fight to the death for a ravenous...more This is a book about dogfighting & the other blood sports that surround it. You know the ones - drugs, human trafficking - the list goes on & on.

When Michael Vick was convicted for dogfighting & sent to prison for 23 months, many people wanted to minimize the offense. Some argued that God has given us dominion over animals so Vick's actions were inconsequential. People that are involved in dogfighting don't just pit their dogs against one another to fight to the death for a ravenous crowd exploiting the love of human beings that has been bred into these most domesticated of species. They also torture & kill these dogs for poor performance, including electrocuting them, starving them to death, or just beating them to death. They use bait animals, obtained from shelters or stolen from people's yards, to test a dog's fighting instinct. The list of cruel behaviors also goes on & on. It's very hard for me to believe that a loving God would support the overtly cruel treatment of animals.

Penn Cage, a recurring character in Greg Iles' novels, returns - this time as Mayor of Natchez, MS. A childhood friend who works on one of the casino boats brings him pictures that show dogfighting & various kinds of sexual cruelty to underaged girls - acts that are being facilitated & sponsored by the casino. This novel is the story of Mr. Cage & his friends & allies trying to stop these actions from continuing to poison their town.

Unlike his other thrillers, Greg Iles casts a wide net here - much of the action is global & plays out on a national security stage. I think his books are better when they deal with more local events & players, but this is a good thriller. Penn Cage can be a self-righteous martyr, but as this novel progresses those tendencies become minimized in the face of the utter depravity that our heroes (& heroines) are up against.

This book is filled with graphic violence - against animals, against women, against men - these are equal opportunity offenders. If you are squeamish about this sort of thing, this may not be the book for you. The violence is not gratuitous or entertaining. It is integral to the plot that Mr. Iles has built & it moves the story along. It also gave me a lot to think about with regard to bloodsport & its place in our culture.

A good well-written page-turner, although somewhat less successful than some of Iles' other books. As an argument for how awful the reality of dogfighting is, however, this scores a 15 on a 1 to 10 scale. That may or may not be what you want from a thriller, but I'm glad I read it.(less)

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May 29, 2011 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 of 5 stars
This third Penn Cage novel went on a bit too long. By the end, I decided that I really didn't like any of the main characters and I was tired of the story. Penn, formerly a DA and author, and now the ersatz mayor of Natchez, Mississippi -- his childhood home -- and Caitlin Masters, his former girlfriend reporter who has returned home for unknown reasons, team up again in a sordid story of gambling, prostitution, dog fighting and corruption at the riverboat casinos.

Pann has to call...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Edwin rated it 5 of 5 stars

We now know Penn Cage very well, and we never really expected that he would be a very good Mayor of Natchez because he is an iconoclast despite being a native of the city and knowing that such independence will never endear himself to the denizens of his city. After all, politicians are not independent thinkers and only act on behalf of their wealthiest patrons. Cage always does his own thing and that is why we love him. Iles creates real drama and horrific images of pain and suffering with his...more

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Jan 11, 2010 Stacey rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first Greg Iles book that I have read, and I was not very impressed. There are a number of things that I did not like about this book. The author goes to great lengths to describe "bad guys" as being the worst evil that book's main character has ever come up against, but I never really feel that the hero is in any real danger. The aforementioned "evil" in the book pertains to organized crime, gambling, dog fighting, and prostitution. The latter two are described in nauseating detail...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Mom rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Jan 29, 2012 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars

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This exciting thriller is not easy to put down!! The plot is fast paced and the characters, heroes and villains, are well developed. Natchez, Mississippi is not the town it once was, nor is it the town that it seems to be. River boats, housing gambling establishments, are lining the river’s shore, with nods of approval from the government (state and local). Law enforcement officers are aware of the under-current of violence which is bringing this town back to life but many heads turn away to all...more

This exciting thriller is not easy to put down!! The plot is fast paced and the characters, heroes and villains, are well developed. Natchez, Mississippi is not the town it once was, nor is it the town that it seems to be. River boats, housing gambling establishments, are lining the river’s shore, with nods of approval from the government (state and local). Law enforcement officers are aware of the under-current of violence which is bringing this town back to life but many heads turn away to allow the money to keep rolling in. Our hero, Penn Cage is a widowed lawyer, turned writer, turned mayor, who has returned home to raise his daughter. He wants to support and help return this old river -side town to its glory days. He is a wee bit naive wanting to see change in many areas, and is 2 years into his 4 year term. When an old friend, with ties to the under belly of the town, is murdered, while trying to give him information about how bad things really are in town, Penn decides it time to take the blinders off. Things go from bad to worse and everyone he turns to for help appears to have their own agendas. Things get very ugly, very fast, involving huge organizations like the Chinese mafia and the FBI. With no one in power that he can trust, and with the lives of his family and old girlfriend threatened, Penn calls in support from outside of town. This book has it all, but it is not for the faint of heart. Gambling at its worst, vicious dog fights,(dog on dog and dog on man) prostitution, rape, kidnapping, murder, mans’ cruelty to man, and mans’ cruelty to animals are brought to life. The story is told in present time. We know what the hero is thinking and when he is present in the action taking place. The font changes when the other characters are thinking or talking and when the hero is not in the scene.
Over and above all of what goes on in the story, if you are of a mind to get philosophical, you can muse over this question: Just how far have we really come from the caveman days?
I enjoyed this book and give it 5 stars.
(less)

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Jun 22, 2010 Sherri aka SDMomChef rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was more like 3.5 stars. Greg Iles' books are akin to extreme suspense movies. There are times when I can't read fast enough to find out how the main characters can outwit the very intelligent and cruel "bad guys". Definitely not books to read late at night, but fun books for distraction.

The Devil's Punchbowl did not disappoint. The book continues with characters in his earlier books, but I don't think you need to read the first two books in the series to pick up this novel. The premise of...more

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Jul 24, 2009 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Greg Iles so I was hugely thrilled when I saw his new novel at the library the other day! As all his others before, I was intrigued and couldn't put the book down. However, I will say that as much as I like the character of Penn Cage, this book felt like a bit of a stretch for me. Like a movie that's had too many sequels. And I hope that, especially after the fantastical nationwide elementals of this novel, that Penn Cage will exit while interest in him is still good.

Lots of research wen...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Robyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVE this entire Mississippi series -- read them in order, starting with the Quiet Game and then Turning Angel, then Devil's Punchbowl. It's a fantastic series of books, with elements of family drama, legal thriller, Southern gothic. It's exciting, a great portrait of a small town in the deep South, with threads of racial tension, mystery, and a series of family and town secrets unfolding over the course of the series. I CANNOT understand why these aren't huge bestsellers. There's only one cav...more

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About Greg Iles

Greg Iles was born in Germany in 1960. He grew up in Natchez, Mississippi, and graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1983. He was active in a band called "Frankly Scarlet", but quit after realizing that the touring lifestyle was not conducive with his family life. Once no longer busy with the band, he turned his attention to writing.

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“When everything is at risk, good judgment, not haste, makes the difference between life and death. Panic is the enemy.” — 5 people liked it

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The Devil's Punchbowl (Penn Cage #3)

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