Those who listen to this marvelous audiobook discover quickly that Bienville is not a sleepy Mississippi town. Rather, Scott Brick’s masterful narration highlights every nuance of Greg Iles’s captivating novel about Marshall McEwan, a Bienville native who left the town and became an award-winning journalist. When McEwan returns to care for his ailing father, he renews relationships with former lovers and others while also uncovering dark secrets about the Poker Club and others who control every aspect of the town. Brick’s ability to imbue the story’s characters with credible Southern accents is particularly effective. But it’s his perfect timing, coupled with the cadence of his delivery, that transforms this audiobook into a must-listen. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Cemetery Road: A Novel
Narrated by Scott Brick
Greg IlesUnabridged — 23 hours, 43 minutes
Cemetery Road: A Novel
Narrated by Scott Brick
Greg IlesUnabridged — 23 hours, 43 minutes
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Overview
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Natchez Burning trilogy returns with an electrifying tale of friendship, betrayal, and shattering secrets that threaten to destroy a small Mississippi town.
When Marshall McEwan left his hometown at age eighteen, he vowed never to return. The trauma that drove him away ultimately spurred him to become one of the most successful journalists in Washington D.C. But just as the political chaos in the nation's capital lifts him to new heights, Marshall is forced to return home in spite of his boyhood vow.
His father is dying, his mother is struggling to keep the family newspaper from failing, and the town is in the midst of an economic rebirth that might be built upon crimes that reach into the state capitol-and perhaps even to Washington. More disturbing still, Marshall's high school sweetheart, Jet, has married into the family of Max Matheson, patriarch of one of the families that rule Bienville through a shadow organization called the Bienville Poker Club.
When archeologist Buck McKibben is murdered at a construction site, Bienville is thrown into chaos. The ensuing homicide investigation is soon derailed by a second crime that rocks the community to its core. Power broker Max Matheson's wife has been shot dead in her own bed, and the only other person in it at the time was her husband, Max. Stranger still, Max demands that his daughter-on-law, Jet, defend him in court.
As a journalist, Marshall knows all too well how the corrosive power of money and politics can sabotage investigations. Without telling a soul, he joins forces with Jet, who has lived for fifteen years at the heart of Max Matheson's family, and begins digging into both murders. With Jet walking the dangerous road of an inside informer, they soon uncover a web of criminal schemes that undergird the town's recent success. But these crimes pale in comparison to the secret at the heart of the Matheson family. When those who have remained silent for years dare to speak to Marshall, pressure begins to build like water against a crumbling dam.
Marshall loses friends, family members, and finally even Jet, for no one in Bienville seems willing to endure the reckoning that the Poker Club has long deserved. And by the time Marshall grasps the long-buried truth, he would give almost anything not to have to face it.
Editorial Reviews
An ambitious stand-alone thriller that is both an absorbing crime story and an in-depth exploration of grief, betrayal and corruption… Iles’s latest calls to mind the late, great Southern novelist Pat Conroy. Like Conroy, Iles writes with passion, intensity and absolute commitment.” — Washington Post
“[A] page-turner [with] Iles’...intense scenes and dramatic emotions.” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Iles… has made Mississippi his own in the same way that James Lee Burke has claimed Cajun country and Michael Connelly has remapped contemporary Los Angeles… They will be talking about this one for a quite awhile.” — Booklist (starred review)
“It is impossible to turn away. It’s like binge-watching your favorite TV drama, and you don’t dare take your eyes off the screen for fear of missing out on another revelation. Cemetery Road is full of them.” — Bookreporter.com
“A sweeping tale of family dysfunction [and] sexually charged secrets.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“With a paralyzing twist that will leave you speechless, Iles has created a completely original and unforgettable tale.” — Iron Mountain Daily News
“Another shocking Iles ending.” — Clarion-Ledger
“A fast-paced book, a thrill ride of an epic.” — Valdosta Daily Times
“A thrilling, complicated path… [A] web of lies and intrigue… Give yourself some time [and] let yourself be absorbed.” — Quad City Times (Iowa)
“[Iles is] one of my go-to storytellers, someone whose books are excellent consistently and without exception… [A] spectacular story… Iles’s pace and tone are uniquely his own, and he opens to readers a world of insight wrapped in excellent crime fiction stories that enriches our lives immeasurably.” — Crime Spree Magazine
“Natchez Burning is extraordinarily entertaining and fiendishly suspenseful. I defy you to start it and find a way to put it down; as long as it is, I wished it were longer.... This is an amazing work of popular fiction.” — Stephen King
“Natchez Burning is possibly his best yet . . . This epic story is electrifying from beginning to end, un-put-downable, a gripping read.” — Delta Magazine
“The first in a trilogy whose themes of race relations, Southern tradition, and the corrupting nature of power are expertly woven throughout a powerful story . . . Natchez Burning is perhaps the best thriller to come along in years. Memorable, intricate, and expertly crafted.” — Memphis Commercial Appeal
“The thriller of the year, of the decade even, is Natchez Burning... The first of a projected trilogy, Natchez Burning is Penn Cage’s fourth outing. But you don’t need to read its predecessors to be wholly consumed by this wonderful book. Buy, read, and marvel.” — The Times (London)
“Iles carries it off with style, intelligence and passion...The Bone Tree’ is filled with menace, betrayal, [and] unexpected plot twists. . . [and] is a very American epic-in-progress that leaves us waiting, none too patiently, for whatever revelations are still to come.” — Washington Post
“Absolutely compelling.… A beautifully constructed story [and] some extremely fine writing.” — Booklist (starred review) on The Bone Tree
“Richly plotted…[and] the action-packed narrative moves swiftly to a surprising and moving conclusion.” — Publishers Weekly on The Bone Tree
“It matches, or even outdoes, the first story in excitement and drama... Greg Iles has long been one of my favorite writers and he is certainly at his best with this series.” — Huffington Post on The Bone Tree
“Extraordinary. . . . ‘Great Expectations’ transplanted to an American South laced with comparably gothic overtones. . . . The Bone Tree establishes Iles as this generation’s William Faulkner.” — Providence Journal
“Best-selling author Iles superbly blends past and present in his swift and riveting story line.” — Library Journal (starred review) on The Bone Tree
“The second installment of his hard-boiled Natchez trilogy finds Iles’ hero Penn Cage on even swampier, and surely deadlier, ground than before.” — Kirkus Reviews on The Bone Tree
“Prepare to be surprised. Iles has always been an exceptional storyteller, and he has invested these volumes with an energy and sense of personal urgency that rarely, if ever, falter.” — Denver Post on Mississippi Blood
“A superb entertainment that is a work of power, distinction and high seriousness... also (a) prime example of what the thriller—and other forms of so-called ‘genre’ fiction—can accomplish when pushed beyond traditional limits.” — Washington Post on Mississippi Blood
“[The books] are page-turning entertainments with an edge of history and a deep understanding of race relations in the American South. . . . Mississippi Blood is packed with compelling characters. . . . Harrowing and spellbinding.” — Pittsburg Post-Gazette
“This trilogy is destined to become a classic of literary crime fiction.” — Booklist (starred review)
“[The] terrific conclusion to his Natchez Burning trilogy is a sweeping story that remains intimate… Relentless pacing keeps the story churning… The trial scenes are among the most exciting ever written in the genre.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Mississippi Blood
“There is a graphic beauty to Iles’ writing. He uses measured words to express voluminous stories. . . . He is a masterful storyteller!” — Huffington Post on Mississippi Blood
“From his opening line, Iles draws you back into Penn Cage’s deep South in this phenomenal trilogy’s final novel (after Natchez Burning; The Bone Tree). [A] heart-racing, enthralling thriller.” — Library Journal (starred review) on Mississippi Blood
“Iles draws his characters so well, and brings off scenes so deftly.” — Houston Chronicle on Mississippi Blood
“A fabulous story. . . . Love, betrayal, murder, sadness, racism, adultery, hatred and revenge, with a bit of history thrown in. . . . The conclusion to a phenomenal trilogy.” — Biloxi Sun Herald on Mississippi Blood
“In this dramatic conclusion to a stunning piece of work, Iles works suspense until the last second, making us question whether we’d be able to keep fighting if all the precious things in our lives were taken away.” — Southern Living on Misissippi Blood
“The Natchez trilogy is a sprawling plunge into some of the worst crimes of the civil-rights era.” — Knoxville News-Sentinel on Mississippi Blood
“This magnificent saga concludes in breathtaking fashion. . . . Tender and gripping.” — RT Book Reviews on Mississippi Blood
“Almost nobody works in crime fiction at this level-or this many levels-of psychological, social, and civic sharpness, and with this clarity as well as richness of style. And maintains fiendish levels of suspense.” — Sullivan County Democrat on Mississippi Blood
“Operatic in its reach, this is still essentially a tough crime procedural, with courtroom drama that is far more blistering than the John Grisham variety.” — Financial Times on Mississippi Blood
[A] page-turner [with] Iles’...intense scenes and dramatic emotions.
Iles… has made Mississippi his own in the same way that James Lee Burke has claimed Cajun country and Michael Connelly has remapped contemporary Los Angeles… They will be talking about this one for a quite awhile.
An ambitious stand-alone thriller that is both an absorbing crime story and an in-depth exploration of grief, betrayal and corruption… Iles’s latest calls to mind the late, great Southern novelist Pat Conroy. Like Conroy, Iles writes with passion, intensity and absolute commitment.
It is impossible to turn away. It’s like binge-watching your favorite TV drama, and you don’t dare take your eyes off the screen for fear of missing out on another revelation. Cemetery Road is full of them.
A fast-paced book, a thrill ride of an epic.
A thrilling, complicated path… [A] web of lies and intrigue… Give yourself some time [and] let yourself be absorbed.
With a paralyzing twist that will leave you speechless, Iles has created a completely original and unforgettable tale.
[Iles is] one of my go-to storytellers, someone whose books are excellent consistently and without exception… [A] spectacular story… Iles’s pace and tone are uniquely his own, and he opens to readers a world of insight wrapped in excellent crime fiction stories that enriches our lives immeasurably.
Another shocking Iles ending.
A superb entertainment that is a work of power, distinction and high seriousness... also (a) prime example of what the thriller—and other forms of so-called ‘genre’ fiction—can accomplish when pushed beyond traditional limits.
The Natchez trilogy is a sprawling plunge into some of the worst crimes of the civil-rights era.
Natchez Burning is possibly his best yet . . . This epic story is electrifying from beginning to end, un-put-downable, a gripping read.
The thriller of the year, of the decade even, is Natchez Burning... The first of a projected trilogy, Natchez Burning is Penn Cage’s fourth outing. But you don’t need to read its predecessors to be wholly consumed by this wonderful book. Buy, read, and marvel.
There is a graphic beauty to Iles’ writing. He uses measured words to express voluminous stories. . . . He is a masterful storyteller!
Prepare to be surprised. Iles has always been an exceptional storyteller, and he has invested these volumes with an energy and sense of personal urgency that rarely, if ever, falter.
This magnificent saga concludes in breathtaking fashion. . . . Tender and gripping.
Extraordinary. . . . ‘Great Expectations’ transplanted to an American South laced with comparably gothic overtones. . . . The Bone Tree establishes Iles as this generation’s William Faulkner.
It matches, or even outdoes, the first story in excitement and drama... Greg Iles has long been one of my favorite writers and he is certainly at his best with this series.
Absolutely compelling.… A beautifully constructed story [and] some extremely fine writing.
Natchez Burning is extraordinarily entertaining and fiendishly suspenseful. I defy you to start it and find a way to put it down; as long as it is, I wished it were longer.... This is an amazing work of popular fiction.
The first in a trilogy whose themes of race relations, Southern tradition, and the corrupting nature of power are expertly woven throughout a powerful story . . . Natchez Burning is perhaps the best thriller to come along in years. Memorable, intricate, and expertly crafted.
Almost nobody works in crime fiction at this level-or this many levels-of psychological, social, and civic sharpness, and with this clarity as well as richness of style. And maintains fiendish levels of suspense.
A fabulous story. . . . Love, betrayal, murder, sadness, racism, adultery, hatred and revenge, with a bit of history thrown in. . . . The conclusion to a phenomenal trilogy.
Operatic in its reach, this is still essentially a tough crime procedural, with courtroom drama that is far more blistering than the John Grisham variety.
In this dramatic conclusion to a stunning piece of work, Iles works suspense until the last second, making us question whether we’d be able to keep fighting if all the precious things in our lives were taken away.
Iles draws his characters so well, and brings off scenes so deftly.
[The books] are page-turning entertainments with an edge of history and a deep understanding of race relations in the American South. . . . Mississippi Blood is packed with compelling characters. . . . Harrowing and spellbinding.
Iles carries it off with style, intelligence and passion...The Bone Tree’ is filled with menace, betrayal, [and] unexpected plot twists. . . [and] is a very American epic-in-progress that leaves us waiting, none too patiently, for whatever revelations are still to come.
Absolutely compelling.… A beautifully constructed story [and] some extremely fine writing.
Natchez Burning is extraordinarily entertaining and fiendishly suspenseful. I defy you to start it and find a way to put it down; as long as it is, I wished it were longer.... This is an amazing work of popular fiction.
The Natchez trilogy is a sprawling plunge into some of the worst crimes of the civil-rights era.
An ambitious stand-alone thriller that is both an absorbing crime story and an in-depth exploration of grief, betrayal and corruption… Iles’s latest calls to mind the late, great Southern novelist Pat Conroy. Like Conroy, Iles writes with passion, intensity and absolute commitment.
This trilogy is destined to become a classic of literary crime fiction.
Iles… has made Mississippi his own in the same way that James Lee Burke has claimed Cajun country and Michael Connelly has remapped contemporary Los Angeles… They will be talking about this one for a quite awhile.
A fabulous story. . . . Love, betrayal, murder, sadness, racism, adultery, hatred and revenge, with a bit of history thrown in. . . . The conclusion to a phenomenal trilogy.
There is a graphic beauty to Iles’ writing. He uses measured words to express voluminous stories. . . . He is a masterful storyteller!
Absolutely compelling.… A beautifully constructed story [and] some extremely fine writing.
In this dramatic conclusion to a stunning piece of work, Iles works suspense until the last second, making us question whether we’d be able to keep fighting if all the precious things in our lives were taken away.
Prepare to be surprised. Iles has always been an exceptional storyteller, and he has invested these volumes with an energy and sense of personal urgency that rarely, if ever, falter.
The thriller of the year, of the decade even, is Natchez Burning... The first of a projected trilogy, Natchez Burning is Penn Cage’s fourth outing. But you don’t need to read its predecessors to be wholly consumed by this wonderful book. Buy, read, and marvel.
Natchez Burning is possibly his best yet . . . This epic story is electrifying from beginning to end, un-put-downable, a gripping read.
[The books] are page-turning entertainments with an edge of history and a deep understanding of race relations in the American South. . . . Mississippi Blood is packed with compelling characters. . . . Harrowing and spellbinding.
With a paralyzing twist that will leave you speechless, Iles has created a completely original and unforgettable tale.
This magnificent saga concludes in breathtaking fashion. . . . Tender and gripping.
A thrilling, complicated path… [A] web of lies and intrigue… Give yourself some time [and] let yourself be absorbed.
A fast-paced book, a thrill ride of an epic.
A superb entertainment that is a work of power, distinction and high seriousness... also (a) prime example of what the thriller—and other forms of so-called ‘genre’ fiction—can accomplish when pushed beyond traditional limits.
The first in a trilogy whose themes of race relations, Southern tradition, and the corrupting nature of power are expertly woven throughout a powerful story . . . Natchez Burning is perhaps the best thriller to come along in years. Memorable, intricate, and expertly crafted.
Almost nobody works in crime fiction at this level-or this many levels-of psychological, social, and civic sharpness, and with this clarity as well as richness of style. And maintains fiendish levels of suspense.
Iles draws his characters so well, and brings off scenes so deftly.
Extraordinary. . . . ‘Great Expectations’ transplanted to an American South laced with comparably gothic overtones. . . . The Bone Tree establishes Iles as this generation’s William Faulkner.
Iles carries it off with style, intelligence and passion...The Bone Tree’ is filled with menace, betrayal, [and] unexpected plot twists. . . [and] is a very American epic-in-progress that leaves us waiting, none too patiently, for whatever revelations are still to come.
Another shocking Iles ending.
[A] page-turner [with] Iles’...intense scenes and dramatic emotions.
Operatic in its reach, this is still essentially a tough crime procedural, with courtroom drama that is far more blistering than the John Grisham variety.
It matches, or even outdoes, the first story in excitement and drama... Greg Iles has long been one of my favorite writers and he is certainly at his best with this series.
[Iles is] one of my go-to storytellers, someone whose books are excellent consistently and without exception… [A] spectacular story… Iles’s pace and tone are uniquely his own, and he opens to readers a world of insight wrapped in excellent crime fiction stories that enriches our lives immeasurably.
Almost nobody works in crime fiction at this level-or this many levels-of psychological, social, and civic sharpness, and with this clarity as well as richness of style. And maintains fiendish levels of suspense.
Simply put, this is Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County for the “Breaking Bad” generation: life’s rich pageant, delivered unharnessed and uncensored by a writer at the peak of his powers who is mad as hell, and just as heartbroken.
Natchez Burning excels as a contemporary thriller.... Utterly—and chillingly—believable. Epic.
This beautifully written novel represents some of the author’s finest work...we eagerly await volume two.
Obliterates the artificial distinction between genre and literary fiction with passion, grace and considerable style. This is Greg Iles at his formidable best. It’s good to have him back.
Flat-out terrific.... It brings to mind Thomas Wolfe and William Faulkner, even while its cagey plot and restless energy keeps you flying through the pages. Greg Iles is back and truly better than ever.
Every single page of Natchez Burning is a cliffhanger that will keep you devouring just one more chapter before you put it down to eat, work, or go to bed.... This ambitious, unique novel is the perfect marriage of a history lesson and a thriller.
Terrific . . . Often seen as a John Grisham imitator, Iles clearly outperforms the master of the Deep South thriller in this angry yet engrossing novel. Compared to Grisham’s recent, thematically similar Sycamore Row, Natchez Burning is far richer in characterization and less reliant on stagey revelations.
Imagine William Faulkner and Stieg Larsson had a love child. Natchez Burning combines the pace of Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo with a Faulkneresque, bone-deep knowledge of Mississippi in all its beauty and racial torment.
A whopping tale, filled with enough cliff-hanging crises for an old summer-long movie-serial. Yet there are still enough unresolved matters at the end of Natchez Burning for two already-promised sequels.
If you only read one thriller this year, make it Greg Iles’ Natchez Burning. A barnburner of a book . . . a sure-to-be bestseller [that] is southern suspense at its finest.
This beautifully written novel represents some of the author’s finest work...we eagerly await volume two.
It is rare when a book as impactful and daring as Natchez Burning appears . . . Its intriguing plot demands to be read from beginning to end . . . It is compelling reading that awes [and] entertains at the same time.
Those who listen to this marvelous audiobook discover quickly that Bienville is not a sleepy Mississippi town. Rather, Scott Brick’s masterful narration highlights every nuance of Greg Iles’s captivating novel about Marshall McEwan, a Bienville native who left the town and became an award-winning journalist. When McEwan returns to care for his ailing father, he renews relationships with former lovers and others while also uncovering dark secrets about the Poker Club and others who control every aspect of the town. Brick’s ability to imbue the story’s characters with credible Southern accents is particularly effective. But it’s his perfect timing, coupled with the cadence of his delivery, that transforms this audiobook into a must-listen. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940173456106 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 03/05/2019 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 975,457 |
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