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Group Read - The Bone Tree Wed Chapters 1-17 spoilers welcome
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The introduction finds FBI Agent John Kaiser breaking into the Natchez Examiners computers; he feels he can't wait to see if Caitlin will share Henry Sexton's notes, decades of notes with his research regarding the Double Eagles, murderers, criminals, conspirators and current police corruptions. Henry left the hospital, seeking the murderersChapter one
Penn and Caitlin are out of the inferno of Brody Royal's lake house, but Henry and Sleepy Johnston did not make it. What will they tell the police, how to explain and stay alive afterwards. Katy Royal, Randall Reagan, the players from the last book resurface in memory - how do they explain why they were they kidnapped. Most of the evidence was burned. What do they explain? Pookie Wilson murdered at the Bone Tree? Viola Turner still suspected to have been murdered by Tom Cage so they have to be cautious. Tell about the guns that were possibly used to kill RFK and MLK? Who to trust?
As I listen to the first CD the horrors of the ending of the last book are returning to memory, we are left with the questions about Tom Cage's whereabouts and prior involvement with the Double Eagles, and sadness at the loss of Henry and Sleepy.
Chapters 2-9 short summaryChapter 2 Tom Cage's recap
Chapter 3 Sonny and Snake Knox's recap
Chapter 4 Penn Cage and Sheriff Walker
Chapter 5 Caitlin working on rewriting the newspaper for the next day. Who to trust, there is still a mole.
Chapter 6 Forrest Knox how to stop any investigation that might touch his family or organization post Katrina plans for New Orleans power.Get rid of state police Colonel MacKiever
Chapter 7 Penn and FBI Kaiser catch up, Kaiser knows much more about Forrest Knox - from Vietnam LLRT days and Post Katrina New Orleans. Knox crony Captain Ozan tries to take over the investigations from sheriff Dennis
Chapter 8 Kaiser shuts down Ozan, but may not stop the meth raid Penn plans with the sheriff.
Chapter 9 Ozan breaks the news to Forrest that Kaiser isn't going to be a pushover this time.
The pace and intensity of the last book has picked right back up. I may wish for some calm domestic scenes, but that isn't where we left off, or where this story is headed. I can be annoyed with the "playing loose with the truth" attitude with Kaiser (FBI), and hope it won't come back to bite them.
The various points of view chapter by chapter have us gaining recaps of prior events from different viewpoints. The result is a bit of a timeline muddle. I wonder if the story will flow a bit more linearly now that we are breaking new ground.
Chapters 10-17 short summaryChapter 10 Tom Cage on the run with a dead body and a kidnapped assassin in the back of the truck. Advice from Walt, try to deal with Forrest, bargain for life
Chapter 11 Penn and Kaiser discuss what they know, Kaiser explains how the Double Eagles were first formed. Penn is still determined to do the Meth bust against common sense and Kaiser's wishes.
Chapter 12 Caitlin is back at the Examiner and planning for the next edition
Chapter 13 Forrest and Ozan meet and discuss how to get rid of their enemies, and pin it on Sonny and Snake. What will Billy Knox do?
Chapter 14 Walt meets with MacKiever in Baton Rouge and discovers MacKiever is in deep trouble (framed with kiddy porn and prostitutes) Walt is not giving up on finding dirt on Forrest.
Chapter 15 Forrest at the hunting camp learns of Tom Cage's proposal, will hold off killing Tom, for now, not Walt
Chapter 16 Penn at "home" with Annie and Mom, Peggy. Peggy has unflinching faith in her husband and tries to convince Penn. She reveals a Carlos Marcello connection to Tom, and the Golden Eagles.
Chapter 17 Tom is finally able to rest, safe in the Mississippi home of his friend Quintin Avery with the help of Peggy's brother.
This segment finishes up Wednesday with Tom and Penn separately all but passing out with exhaustion. Caitlin pushing through the loss of strength to get the newspaper out. Almost all of the players have sorted themselves out, where will they interact next?
Ann, you are right that this is going to be no cozy. The book starts at a dead run and doesn't let up! I am amazed that Penn and Caitlin don't pass out in a dead faint, as much as they've been through, yet they keep going. It's inhuman!Ann wrote: "The pace and intensity of the last book has picked right back up. I may wish for some calm domestic scenes, but that isn't where we left off, or where this story is headed. I can be annoyed with th..."
Ann, Iles has done a very skillful job of getting us caught up. I thought I might need to go back to the previous spoiler threads of our group read of Natchez Burning, but that was hardly necessary.Ann wrote: "The various points of view chapter by chapter have us gaining recaps of prior events from different viewpoints. The result is a bit of a timeline muddle. I wonder if the story will flow a bit more ..."
Something makes me think that Peggy is far more aware of her husband's past than we are being led to believe. I remember being dismayed while reading NB at all Tom's history that he has presumably been hiding from Peggy, it makes her seem like a weak helpmate, but now I'm starting to think otherwise. it is just like Iles to keep some things buried and spring them later in the book.Ann wrote: "Peggy has unflinching faith in her husband and tries to convince Penn. She reveals a Carlos Marcello connection to Tom, and the Golden Eagles...."
I am still wondering who the traitor or traitors are at the Examiner. I can't get that scene out of my mind where Caitlin is being lured outside of the building and when she turns to retreat the door is being shut behind her by someone in the building. Chilling! And either that person or someone else has wiped the files of Henry's moleskins from the computer. Another chilling moment was when we observe this happening while Kaiser is trying to hack in. I was appalled that he was doing this, but on second thought I'd rather he be successful than have the files disappear.
Carol: I agree, the scene of the kidnapping outside the newspaper was and is chilling. All of the characters are in danger no matter where they are, and the moles and informants working with the Knoxs could be anyone and anywhere. I was particularly upset that Henry's journals were hacked and lost. All that work, the details, the secrets. Things like that drive me batty.
Ann wrote: "As I listen to the first CD the horrors of the ending of the last book are returning to memory, we are left with the questions about Tom Cage's whereabouts and prior involvement with the Double Eag..."i was worried i wouldn't remember what the ending of the last book was. iles did a really nice job refreshing the story, without retelling the whole story.
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "I am still wondering who the traitor or traitors are at the Examiner. I can't get that scene out of my mind where Caitlin is being lured outside of the building and when she turns to retreat the d..."i am wondering that , too. hope we find out before too long.
Sherry: Good toy see you are reading the book, I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts as you go along. The book starts out with a bang, refreshing our memories and reminding us that Caitlin and Penn have a lot of people around them that they can't trust. Not a comfortable place to be.
Enjoy the read, Sherry! I agree that Iles did a good job slowing unfolding the details of the previous book for those of us who read it a while ago and might have forgotten (like me). it didn't take long to get re-immersed in the story.
The first to post could please summarize this segment to guide the discussion.