‘A first-rate political thriller…. an unflinching look at the frightening rise of fascism and Trumpism.’ John Grisham

‘Greg Iles is one of America’s great storytellers. His books are page-turners with real literary resonance. Southern Man is the latest and the best’ Stephen King

A senseless tragedy

When a brawl at a rap festival triggers a bloody mass shooting in Mississippi, Penn Cage finds himself in a country on the brink of eruption. As the stunned cities of Natchez and Bienville reel, antebellum plantation homes are being torched and the deadly attacks are claimed by a Black radical group as historic acts of justice. Panic quickly sweeps through the communities, driving the prosperous Southern towns inexorably toward a race war.

A rising star

But what might have been only a regional sideshow of the 2024 Presidential election explodes into national prominence, thanks to the stunning ascent of Robert E. Lee White on social media, a Southern war hero funded by an eccentric Mississippi billionaire, who seizes the public imagination as a third-party candidate.

A country ready to implode

As his hometown devolves into chaos, Penn Cage tears into Bobby White’s pursuit of the Presidency and ultimately risks a second Civil War to try to expose its motivation to the world, before the America of our Constitution slides into the abyss.

'A blistering masterpiece that is both relevant and impactful.' Real Book Spy

‘Readers undaunted by the Proustian length of Iles’ sprawling epic will find crime writing of a rare order… As much a trenchant state-of-the-nation novel as a mesmeric page-turner' Financial Times

Praise for Greg Iles:

‘Exceptional … literary crime fiction at its finest – fluent, intelligent, high-octane and yet with deep moral purpose … Unputdownable’ The Times

‘A cracking courtroom drama … a compelling read’ Sun

‘Epic … operatic in its reach … with courtroom drama that is far more blistering than the John Grisham variety’ Financial Times

“The thriller of the year, of the decade even’ The Times

‘Iles is a phenomenal thriller writer’ Independent on Sunday

‘His thrillers grip from start to finish’ Sunday Telegraph

‘Terrific, engrossing’ Sunday Times

‘A tale that is both riveting in detail and amazing in its sheer scope’ Sun

‘Exciting, moving and inspirational’ Metro

‘Often seen as a John Grisham imitator, Iles clearly outperforms the master of the Deep South thriller in this angry yet engrossing novel’ Sunday Times

‘Extraordinarily entertaining and fiendishly suspenseful. I defy you to start it and find a way to put it down …This is an amazing work of popular fiction’ STEPHEN KING

‘A scorching read’ John Grisham

‘An incredible web of intrigue and suspense’ Clive Cussler

‘My favourite kind of novel … Ambitious in its scope and superbly satisfying in its execution’ Dan Brown

Greg Iles spent most of his youth in Natchez, Mississippi. His first novel, Spandau Phoenix, was the first of thirteen New York Times bestsellers and his new trilogy continues the story of Penn Cage, protagonist of The Quiet Game, Turning Angel, and #1 New York Times bestseller The Devil's Punchbowl. Iles' novels have been made into films and published in more than thirty-five countries.