Natchez Burning

A Novel

By: Greg Iles

Narrated by: David Ledoux

Length: 35 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Raised in the historic southern splendor of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned all he knows of honor and duty from his father, Dr. Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor has been accused of murdering Viola Turner, the African-American nurse with whom he worked in the dark days of the 1960s. Penn is determined to save his father, but Tom, stubbornly invoking doctor-patient privilege, refuses to even speak in his own defense.

Penn's quest for the truth sends him deep into his father's past, where a sexually charged secret lies waiting to tear their family apart. This long-buried sin is only a single thread in a conspiracy of greed and murder involving the vicious Double Eagles, an offshoot of the KKK. Penn is forced to confront the most wrenching dilemma of his life: Does a man of honor choose his father or the truth?

Drenched in southern atmosphere, Natchez Burning marks the brilliant return of a genuine American master of suspense. Tense, disturbing, and filled with electrifying plot twists, this novel commences the most explosive and ambitious story Greg Iles has ever written.

©2014 Greg Iles (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers

Narrator missed the mark here

Where does Natchez Burning rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really liked the plot and as a ebook or print book I would have put this as one of my top books this year. My issue was with narration. I actually was shocked that they would cast someone sounded like a stereotypical black man in this time. I thought it was insensitive and creepy because of the storyline to do so. Until I realized that this was a white man with a horrible idea of what southerners sound like.

This book was one of those that I couldn't stop listening to and thought it was overall well written. I just kept laughing and reminding myself to ignore the horrible 'accent'.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me angry because although just a book it made me realize how little time has past since that time and we still have more progress that needs to be made. It made me aware of how easily things like that could have happened.

Any additional comments?

Although the narrator was not great at all (I thought that they had cast a black man from the deep, deep, deep south) I still thought it was worth it. I couldnt wait to hear where the story was going. I do think that the plot got confusing at times, who was responsible for what, and that should have been addressed by the editors.

where is penn cage?

Would you consider the audio edition of Natchez Burning to be better than the print version?

after discovering these books, i had to read/listen to all of them...everything was going great until this book? I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU CHANGED NARRATERS? I am sure this narrator is a good person, but he is no penn cage? i cant get into the audiobook because of the way he talks! I want to hear that southern draw again...when you start a series you should keep the same person through the whole series...Thats my opinion anyway...I would have loved this book much better if it had the origional narrator!

Would you be willing to try another one of David Ledoux’s performances?

sure as long as he isnt penn cage!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

yes it made me very angry!

Any additional comments?

the change of narrators has ruined this series for me!

The ending could have been better I thought. I

What did you love best about Natchez Burning?

I enjoyed the entire book except the ending.

Have you listened to any of David Ledoux’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

In the beginning yes.

Any additional comments?

The ending could have been more dramatic. I thought his other books had much better endings than Natchez Burning, and I have listened to all of his books.

Greg Iles has done it again!

Absolutely scary. The scary part is that it is absolutely based in truth. That sort of hatred was, unfortunately, more common than any who were not there would believe. I was a child of the South in the 1960's and I remember the inequality. I once got in trouble for loaning a "colored" my gym shorts. I never gave it a second thought. This book is brutally honest and even though the characters are fictitious, the horrors are real. Read the whole book. Don't skip any of it. I am forever changed and grateful that Greg brought darkness into the light. This is indeed, a major work of fiction and destined to be a classic.

Never another book with this narrator

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The plot had good basics, but was way over complicated. As a result, there were many stories that weren't tied up, and too many characters to keep track of.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The 60s aspect was interesting, as I remember living through it. The least interesting was that the story had utterly no realism.

Would you be willing to try another one of David Ledoux’s performances?

Nope, never, ever.

Could you see Natchez Burning being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Nope.

Any additional comments?

I'd liked others of Iles books, but I think with this one he may have jumped the shark.

Loooonnggg w/terrible narration

I would have preferred to read this book. The narrator, as noted by many others, was beyond awful. The story could have been shortened in half. I've read other Greg Illes books and they are beginning to all run together. This one has interesting twists and turns and the ending (when it finally comes) is well done. Only 3 stars......

When a narrator ruins a book

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I never finished listening to it.

What didn’t you like about David Ledoux’s performance?

Ledoux ruined this book for me by exaggerating his pronunciation of words, using a range of tones that made statements sound artificial and reading at such a slow pace that I grew impatient.

Bad reader

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Very annoying to have to adjust the volume constantly because of the reader. He did not do a good job with different voices. Sometimes during a conversation, I could not tell who was who.

I liked this book well enough - until I realized that this was Penn Cage #5. I can't imagine listening to another story about Penn and Kaityn. I found it very annoying that the book leaves many plot lines still dangling. I guess that is because we are waiting for Penn Cage #6.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Natchez Burning?

Character development. But then again, I did not know this was book five of a series.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Terrible reader. Could not tell voices apart.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

"Performed by"

This is a riveting story and extremely well written. "Performed by" - Never were words truer. David Ledoux is fabulous.

Well worth the time for this long novel!

Where does Natchez Burning rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top five for sure.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Loved hating the bad guys.

What about David Ledoux’s performance did you like?

His performance was masterful. He mastered the local dialect without overdoing it like most do when it comes to southern accents.