Blood Memory

This book kept me reading from the very start and just kept getting better each chapter. Loved it!

Greg Iles is one of my favorite authors. His last two books have really disappointed me though. 'Sleep No More' was about souls switching bodies, and 'Footprints Of God' was just a boring Dan Brown rip-off. So when I heard the plot for 'Blood Memory' I was a bit leary. A thriller about child abuse? Iles actually pulls it off though. Blood Memory is the best book I've read this year. It is more than just a thriller, it reads like "To Kill A Mockingbird'. A fantastic portrait of life in the south. Iles characters jump off the page like they are real people living in Natchez, Mississippi right now. Buy this book, you will not regret it.

Blood Memory ranks right up there with the best of Greg Iles' novels to date, such as The Quiet Game and Mortal Fear. He is really talented at weaving complicated suspense with interesting characters, and in this book he returns to the Mississippi setting he knows so well. There are even appearances from characters and a storyline from two of his previous books, so that's a little extra fun for readers familiar with his work. What makes Iles' books even more appealing is the range of topics that he explores. Each book is a well-written suspense tale, and Blood Memory is no exception. I think it's his best book by far since The Quiet Game. The topical subject matter of Blood Memory is a troubling reality. While the basic plot idea of vengeance in this arena has been tried by other authors, Iles tells a more powerful story across the spectrum of predator and prey. This book really has a lot going for it: classic Iles suspense, detailed forensics, strong female characters, and vivid storytelling. Not only is it a hard book to put down, it's also one that will be hard to forget.

This reviewer is not one who like a child in class tells you the plot of a novel - you are mature enough to read the plot line when you are contemplating the book to buy. What I want to tell you is why you should choose this book, or any Greg Iles books. He not only chooses diverse subjects for each books, but almost all of his books have a lyric quality in his writing, that makes layers upon layers as you read - there is beauty in his style that is magic. I can quote passages from his earlier works, and not many can say they do that with other authors. I sent a 'fan letter' to Iles and he was gracious and I was impressed. I call him our generation's Faulkner, because he not only knows the South, but knows how to portray it not in black and white, but how it weaves its spell into the plot of the novel. If you have not read Mortal Fear and The Quiet Game, they are definite must haves. The others are excellent, but have varying impact on the reader. Blood Memory stands out among his excellent works - and is worth the wait we fans had to endure. Usually his works come out in September, and we had some time to wait this time, but it is worth it. This is a man who has a gift. Read the plot above, or others' reviews that read like a book review in school, although the book's subject is serious. What I am here to tell you is WHY to buy a book. It hits you on many levels and makes you think as well as experience. And that makes the difference between a good writer and a great one.