What an absolutely epic story. I’ve folllowed Penn Cage from the start and Greg Iles is a writer that somehow continually ups the ante. Past and present woven together with effortless ease to make for a powder keg of a plot that will blow your socks off!

A senseless shooting at a music festival is the start of civil unrest. A polarising right-wing would-be presidential candidate with a secret motivation is gaining traction. An apparently black domestic terrorist group are setting fire to plantation houses. Penn Cage is coping with disability, grief and is now watching his beloved home state falling apart. In order to save life as he knows it, Penn is being thrust into the fire again.
I really like Iles writing as he manages to make quiet brutal populist thriller material into beautifully written literature! This is a huge book but I savoured every page. The key is that Iles makes the reader think about America in a more reflective way and that is so great.

I've read almost all of Greg Iles's books and enjoyed them giving each 4 or 5 stars. This latest novel is a great read with twists aplenty that Penn Cage fans wont be able to resist. However, I felt it was too long at almost 1,000 pages and I would have preferred it pared back a bit and/or split into two volumes. Nevertheless, I'm a fan of Mr Iles and Penn Cage so I rounded up my 3.5 stars to 4.

This is a massive book physically as it is over 900 pages long. Emotionally, it is huge, as it deals with suffering, death, revenge, remorse and corruption with relentless intensity. Politically it is intensely topical as it deals with the prospect of a Donald Trump second term as POTUS, and the mood of the voters who put him into the White House in the first place. Historically, it is deeply challenging, as it looks at the legacy of over two centuries of prejudice and cruelty in the southern states of America.

The title refers to a 1970 song by Neil Young where he excoriates the archetypal redneck southern male. The song may (or may not) have triggered a musical duel with Lynrd Skynrd, when their response was Sweet Home Alabama. The novel features Mississippi lawyer, politician and author, Penn Cage, who appeared in previous Greg Iles novels *****


The back story here is complex, but in a rather large nutshell:
Penn Cage, has an obscure terminal cancer which is slowly killing his octogenarian mother.
Cage lost a leg beneath the knee in a road accident.
He is a civil liberties campaigner.
Dr Tom Cage, Penn’s father, a much respected physician, wrongly imprisoned, died in prison riot at Parchman Farm penitentiary.
Cage is a widower. His wife died of cancer and, much, later, his fiancée was murdered.
He has a twenty-something daughter called Annie, also a liberal minded lawyer.

The early narrative darts back and forth between current events and the days following Dr Tom Cage’s death in the prison riot. The reasons for Tom’s incarceration are complex, but Greg Iles spells it out with great clarity. Present day couldn’t be much more topical. Donald Trump is gathering momentum for a second bid for the presidency, but the almost unthinkable has happened. A charismatic war veteran called Robert Lee White is aiming to be the first independent candidate since Ross Perot in 1992, and he has a huge following via his Tik Tok videos and a very popular radio show. He came to national prominence when he led a special forces team searching for a notorious Taliban leader. They found him, and White administered the coup de Grace.

Present day. As Bobby White hones his media profile for TV audiences, he receives a boost. Attending a largely black music festival, he heroically rescues Annie Cage and several others, mostly black youngsters, who have serious bullet wounds after white Sheriff’s deputies open fire on the crowd after a shooting incident. However, Bobby White’s pitch for POTUS has a serious problem. He lacks the prerequisite adoring wife and clutch of tousle-haired children. Why? I can only direct you to the coded words at the end of many a Times obituary - “He never married.”

The deaths at the music festival have serious repercussions. Within days, a treasured pre Civil War mansion is burned to the ground. and there is a calling card from The Bastard Sons of The South, apparently a militant BLM organisation. Penn Cage, as a white man, is thrust onto the horns of a dilemma. He is white with serious influence in political circles, but he is also widely respected with the black community, both for his own integrity, and the legacy of his late father. Can he prevent a bloodbath, as the calls for revenge lead to a disastrous polarisation on the streets between black and white factions?

The conflict is not just between black and white people. America has a bewildering number of layers of law enforcement. At the apex is the FBI. Their remit extends across the nation, irrespective of state boundaries. Then we have Sheriffs, appointed by vote. They and their deputies rule the roost over large state subdivisions, known as Counties. Large towns and cities will have their own independent police departments. Last, but by no means least, are the National Guard. They are volunteers, but basically members of the armed forces, and will usually have access to military standard weapons and vehicles. In Southern Man, each one of these agencies come head to head in the streets of Natchez, while the barge-trains and freighters battle against the Mississippi current, beneath the cliff top where thousands of black peace protestors stare in the muzzles of National Guard issue AR-15 rifles.

There is a substantive second story which emerges at different times in the novel. Penn Cage’s mother has been researching her family history, and has pretty much completed it. What it reveals is that Cage and his daughter are descendants of a woman who was the product of a union between a slave owner and one his female slaves. This document allows Greg Iles to explain the complex and often contradictory relationships between slaves (before and after emancipation), and their owners. He also makes the point that the members of the victorious Union army were all too often nothing like liberating saviours.

Cage’s declining health make him rather like Tennyson’s Ulysses:

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

With an increasing sense of frustration, he tries to get to the bottom of who seems to be manipulating the perilous situation on the streets, as rival groups - militant Black activists, peaceful protesters, far right militias, City police and Sheriff’s Deputies edge ever nearer to a cataclysmic explosion of violence.

Greg Iles just doesn’t take sides. He is scathing and abrasive about everything to do with the concept of The South. He has little truck with historians like the late Shelby Foote, who, memorably, appeared several times in Ken Burns’ magisterial documentary The Civil War, and attempted to explain that a typical Southern Man of the Confederate era was not always a brutal redneck bent on raping and brutalising black people.

In several ways, Penn Cage mirrors the real life author.

Both lost part of a limb in a road accident.
Both had fathers who were doctors.
Both had mothers who died of cancer.
Both have a rare form of cancer.

This is a brilliant novel, for sure, which rolls a rock away, and exposes all manner of nasty creatures scurrying away from the light. Is there any room for nuance in the north v south controversy? Greg Iles doesn’t think so, and his superb writing underscores his argument. Me? I am on the fence, not because I approved of the concept of slavery, or the horrors meted out to its victims, but because when you severely punish a nation - which the South thought it was - there are unintended consequences, as The Treaty of Versailles proved in 1919. Post Appomattox 1865, a long lasting sense of grievance was born, and it has yet to die of old age. So-called White Guilt looms large in the novel, as my occasional visits to North Carolina suggest to me that it does in real life.

Aside from the politics, Iles has written a powerful and gripping book in which, despite their number, the pages fly by. The descriptions of the simmering tensions between the communities are breathtaking and apocalyptic. I only hope that in the months to come, they remain fictional. if they play out in real life, there will be a second War Between The States, and America will suffer grievously.

No lack of suspense, drama and action from the start! Readng this story from an English reader’s perspective it was difficult to fully comprehend the racial prejudices both past and present but Greg Isles certainly gave an incredibly vivid account which made for an unforgettable page turner! A list of all the acronyms involved would have been useful as unless you’re American most of them were unidentifiable! Whilst appreciating the need to relate the history behind Romulus and Cassiope unfortunately it also upset the flow of the unfolding drama. However, I found one particular exchange between Penn and Bobby fascinating - Penn asks Bobby what makes him tick, what his political ambitions are? A superb piece of writing! Unputdownable! If I lived in Mississippi I would make reading this compulsory in all schools!

Southern Man by Greg Iles is the seventh Penn Cage book. There is a lot to say about American politics in this book but not in a preachy way, as racial tension gets ramped up in this excellent thriller.

Southern Man is the seventh Penn Cage novel by Greg Iles. An epic book but to understand the history of the characters and what has happened in the past, which is brought up quite a bit in the book I would either start at the first book or read the Natchez trilogy before reading Southern Man. I would also include pre-reading the excellent Cemetery Road, a standalone novel whose characters are incorporated into Southern Man.
Without giving the story away the book is set with a local celebrity former war hero/radio host looking to run as an independent for the Presidency of the United States and doing whatever he can to promote his cause,amidst a background of racial tension as a number of antebellum mansion are burnt and the local sherrif's department has fired indiscriminately at a music festival killing a number of people.. Penn Cage is central in trying to stop the racial tensions from boiling over and keeping the Govenor and Sheriff from implementing martial law in the state.
At well over 900 pages it is a long and well researched novel that I have thoroughly enjoyed. I can highly recommend the book. It is dark and violent at times but that makes the story realistic.

Another excellent addition to the already awesome Penn Cage series. This epic novel (over 900 pages) sees racial tensions reach boiling point when innocent people are shot at a rap concert and one of those hurt is Penn’s daughter Annie. But that is just the start and as the stakes get higher and the body count rises, Greg Iles,, pulls it all together with the expertise of a chess grandmaster. A stunning achievement and the best in the series. A must read.

A stunning topical tale of Penn Cage further down the road from his previous adventures. A study of attitudes that haven’t changed since the Civil War in Mississippi a present day revolution is brewing with the collusion of old monied families and a presidential candidate with extreme views. The treatment of the black population is still rooted in the slavery times of days gone by with corrupt law officers and militant groups still living in the confederate past. The Cage family history forms a core part of the story interspersed with violent scenes as the tension builds. A long tale but never less than worthwhile with hints of present day issues regarding Trump and co.

I can't praise this novel highly enough. It is extremely topical and a frightening example of how powerful, but wrong-minded, groups can manipulate circumstances, social media for their own ends. 'Southern Man' also gives an overview of Mississippi history and politics from the US Civil War to now, and how, sadly, certain attitudes have not changed. It is a continuation of Penn Cage's story some years after the events of 'Mississippi Blood', and is just a thrilling, frightening and real as all the previous books. A real page-turner it is extremely well-written with fully-rounded characters.

With many thanks to NetGalley and Hemlock Press for an ARC>

Wow. After reading The Natchez Burning Trilogy a few years ago I thought Greg Iles had peaked. Surely reaching such a high standard again just wasn't possible but I could not have been more wrong.
Penn Cage is well and truly back. Set in current day America Penn Cage goes head to head with Robert E Lee a loved and respected war hero known as the Tik Tok Man and his financial supporter - billionaire Bobby White. Robert E Lee is running for president and riding a tidal wave of support. Penn Cage has nothing to lose and throws everything he can in an attempt to expose the real reason they want Robert E Lee as president. It's gripping, heart wrenching and absolutely captivating. I just inhaled this book, I couldn't get it enough.
Greg has the very rare ability to really bring his characters and their personalities to life. You're on this journey with them and you share their emotions and pain.
Living in Natchez for most of his life he'll understand the motivations behind racism and is able to articulate that in a sensitive manner and he handles that incredibly well.
In summary I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I started to read this, excited as I’d been a big fan of the earlier Penn Cage novels by Greg Iles. They were well constructed and exciting thrillers set in the South of the USA.
The Natchez Burning trilogy was excellent and I was disappointed when I got to the end of the series.
I don’t know what it was about this one, maybe because I’m English and I just couldn’t get into the politics of Southern Man, maybe it was because the politics really slowed down the narrative, maybe I really didn’t care about the characters but I got to about a third of the way through and I just had to give up. I was forcing myself to pick up the book and that is not a good sign, particularly in a book running to 900 pages.
I’m sure many readers will love the novel, but I did not. It was quite depressing both in subject matter and even the character of Penn himself was not the same as the one I remembered from the earlier trilogy.
When I read a thriller I just don’t want to read about the author’s politics and what is actually happening in the world today. I read for escapism and I was not getting it with this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

Southern Man is the new Penn Cage novel following on from the brilliant Natchez Burning trilogy. After an incident at a black music festival in Mississippi when the police response leads to a number of deaths the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense and on the brink of eruption. Old antebellum plantation homes built in the days of salve labour are burnt down in events claimed by a previously unknown black radical group. The situation goes downhill from here.
I have read and enjoyed the books in the Natchez Trilogy and Southern Man follows on in the same style (although it is also a free-standing novel in its own right). It is a long book and I felt that some of the historical background was rather complex and perhaps could have been shortened a little but I can understand that Greg Iles had a lot to say and wanted to include it all.
All in all this is an excellent novel and probably Greg's magnum opus to date.

Greg Iles, best selling author of the Natchez Burning trilogy and Cemetery Road, zeroes in on the the contemporary state of the US, a polarised and divided nation where the issue of race is at its heart. I am not going to lie this is a long read at 976 pages, which may put off some readers, but I would strongly urge you to pick up the latest harrowing Penn Cage offering where the explosive present threatens to eclipse the tragedy and horrors of the past. Cage is a shadow of the man he used to be, his mother, Peggy, is dying after having researched the family's past, where nothing is as he believes, challenging his sense of identity and his understanding of and links with the historical genocidal Southern slave plantations. He has lost so many, and he is keeping secret his cancer, including from his daughter, Annie, a civil rights lawyer.

However, he has no choice but ro once again be thrust into the terrors that unfold, initially triggered by forces of law enforcement's senseless shootings that results in the Mission Hill Massacre at a hip hop concert, leaving a black community enraged as time and time again America demonstrates that Black lives absolutely do not matter. This is followed by the burning of old Southern antebellum homes, apparently by a radical black group, tossing incendiary fuel that, as might have be forseen, with the inevitable white panic that follows. A race war, death, and deadly anarchy is all but guaranteed, but is this all a case of false flag acts, are there more sinister, manipulative, and powerful ruthless forces of hatred, greed, and deranged political ambition driving what is happening?

With those close to him and his family being targeted, and the unexpected news from bookstore owner, Nadine, Cage has no choice but to look below the surface of the chillingly disturbing escalation of the seemingly random events, there is nothing he won't do to secure the future of his family, even if it kills him. Iles poignantly invests Cage with many of his real life circumstances, such as suffering from cancer himself, and he is to be applauded for signposting and illuminating the consequences of the pitiful state of the US today, with the upcoming presidential elections, and exploring the truth and complexities of American history and the personal ramifications it can have. I cannot recommend this highly enough! A must read. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

OMG. What an incredible book and one that reveals so much about the author, his state of health and fears and concerns about the politics and racial history of his country.

This is a long, long book which takes time and effort on the part of the reader but please stay with it and you will be richly rewarded. It is exciting with incredible action scenes but far more importantly you really get inside the head of the main characters particularly Penn Cage and his daughter Annie and the aspiring and amoral politician/president./psychopath Bobby White.

The writing is terse and spare with not a word wasted and you are soon drawn in and mesmerised by the audacity of the plot which is being launched against the stability of the state and the a plan to elect a third party candidate to the presidency.

This is a book for those who want to lean more about the history of slavery and racism in the South, the deep instability and racial tension that currently exists and of course, the state of mind of an immensely talented author for whom we can only send our hopes and prayers for a full recovery.

This is his magnum opus and a must read.

Thank you Mr Iles.

A hard-hitting and controversial read.

More than fifteen years have passed since the events of the Natchez Burning trilogy, and Penn Cage has not had it easy. His wife is dead, his mother dying. He lost a leg in a car accident and he's been diagnosed with cancer. No longer the mayor of Natchez, he's now back working as an attorney. To please his now grown-up daughter, Penn attends a rap festival. Unfortunately this soon turns into a bloody mass shooting in which his daughter is shot and his girlfriend killed.

And with that, Cage is drawn into a story of racial hatred, riots, and political manoeuvrings. Soon, homes are being razed to the ground, more shootings and lynchings take place, and in-between a Black racial supremacy group is pushing the cities of Natchez and Bienville towards a race war. This is all set against the background of the 2024 Presidential elections and a Black candidate who is ready to rise to prominence, whatever the cost.

This is a big book - over 900 pages, and it's hard-going. Nothing new for Greg Iles, but "Southern Man" is particularly hard going. The book is going to divide readers - long-time fans who like to see current events integrated into their reading will lap it up. Those of us who prefer to be entertained and not distracted by real-world events, and not have the author's clear opinions writ large on the page will probably relegate the book to the DNF pile. Iles has never been afraid to address issues others consider too controversial, but sometimes social commentary simply gets in the way of a good story. Character development in this book is not what it was in the earlier Natchez books. Cage is not that man he was, reflecting the events that have taken place in the author's real life. And while its good to follow him as he seeks meaning in his life, it's sad to see what he has become.

Conversely, Annie, Penn’s daughter and herself an attorney, shines brightly as she refuses to take the easy road and pushes to do do what is right.

This is a powerful story, pulling in many issues which affect America and its citizens right now. There's already a number of glowing reviews for "Southern Man", so clearly it's going to be another bestseller - but I suspect many long-time fans will decide to leave Penn where he was.