The Quiet Game - reading_fox's review
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1reading_fox
the quiet game my review
Very fine thriller. It's got almost all the ideal ingrediants and a captivating first person style to keep you engrossed.
Penn Cage, sucessful ex-lawyer turned novelist is struggling to vcope with life and a 4yr old daughter now that his wife has died of cancer. He decides to try and take a break with his parents in the Mississippi town of Nachez. A fairly normal, even slightly liberal southern american town. It's history pretty much forgotten, with everyone, black, white, college queen or laborer just getting on with life. However a chance remark by Penn to a pushy, pretty, newspaper 'publisher' soon sparks old tensions. Back in '68 an "uppity" black guy was carbombed, the FBI were even involved in the investigation, but no charges were ever bought, Penn offhandly remarks that his is a shame. Much to his surprise he's quickly warned off further investigation, but his proesecutor's instinct is nudging him, and torn between two women, he's left with little recourse but to repopen a 30yr feud.
The first person present style is unusual but quite good - just ocassionally there are glitshes in tense, when Penn is reflecting on action he's just taken prior to becoming directly involved again. Some of the sex and romance is also occasionally clunky - Iles needs to decide if his characters are going to be clinical or coloquial with their bodypart names - Penn is frequently inconsistent. The only other minor grip is the child Annie. She's of vital importance to Penn in the first half of the book, but then we hear nothing about her for the rest. Overall there is a feel somewhat similar the Grisham's works. Certainly if you liek Grisham books you'll like this, but I think having read many of Grisham's works, this is considerably better.
The rest is excellent. Some convoluted twists that are reasonably explained, plenty of action, most it realistic enough. Some good characterisation and romantic tension between the various leads and a dramtic showdown. What more could you want from a thriller.
First I've read by this author, I'll be looking for some more.
Discussion welcome
Very fine thriller. It's got almost all the ideal ingrediants and a captivating first person style to keep you engrossed.
Penn Cage, sucessful ex-lawyer turned novelist is struggling to vcope with life and a 4yr old daughter now that his wife has died of cancer. He decides to try and take a break with his parents in the Mississippi town of Nachez. A fairly normal, even slightly liberal southern american town. It's history pretty much forgotten, with everyone, black, white, college queen or laborer just getting on with life. However a chance remark by Penn to a pushy, pretty, newspaper 'publisher' soon sparks old tensions. Back in '68 an "uppity" black guy was carbombed, the FBI were even involved in the investigation, but no charges were ever bought, Penn offhandly remarks that his is a shame. Much to his surprise he's quickly warned off further investigation, but his proesecutor's instinct is nudging him, and torn between two women, he's left with little recourse but to repopen a 30yr feud.
The first person present style is unusual but quite good - just ocassionally there are glitshes in tense, when Penn is reflecting on action he's just taken prior to becoming directly involved again. Some of the sex and romance is also occasionally clunky - Iles needs to decide if his characters are going to be clinical or coloquial with their bodypart names - Penn is frequently inconsistent. The only other minor grip is the child Annie. She's of vital importance to Penn in the first half of the book, but then we hear nothing about her for the rest. Overall there is a feel somewhat similar the Grisham's works. Certainly if you liek Grisham books you'll like this, but I think having read many of Grisham's works, this is considerably better.
The rest is excellent. Some convoluted twists that are reasonably explained, plenty of action, most it realistic enough. Some good characterisation and romantic tension between the various leads and a dramtic showdown. What more could you want from a thriller.
First I've read by this author, I'll be looking for some more.
Discussion welcome
