The Devil's Punchbowl

By: Greg Iles

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 23 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

As a prosecutor in Houston, Penn Cage sent killers to death row. But as mayor of his hometown - Natchez, Mississippi - Penn will face his most dangerous threat. Urged by old friends to try to restore this fading jewel of the Old South, Penn has ridden into office on a tide of support for change. But in its quest for new jobs and fresh money, Natchez has turned to casino gambling, and now five steamboats float on the river beside the old slave market, like props from Gone With the Wind.

But one boat isn't like the others.

Rumor has it that the Magnolia Queen has found a way to pull the big players from Las Vegas to its Mississippi backwater. And with them - on sleek private jets that slip in and out of town like whispers in the night - come pro football players, rap stars, and international gamblers, all sharing an unquenchable taste for one thing: blood sport - and the dark vices that go with it. When a childhood friend of Penn's who brings him evidence of these crimes is brutally murdered, he begins a quest to find the men responsible. But the local authorities have been corrupted by the money and power of his hidden enemy and, with his family's lives at stake, Penn realizes his only allies are those bound to him by blood or honor.

Together they must defeat a killer who has an almost preternatural ability to anticipate - and counter - their every move. Ultimately, victory will depend on a bold stroke that will leave one of Penn's allies dead - and Natchez changed forever.

©2009 Greg Iles (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Great story

I found this book to be a page turner. A little tough to read at times due to the violence, but overall a great thrill ride. Highly recommended. The narration is par excellence!!!

Another Good One in the Series

I have enjoyed reading all of Greg Iles books in this series that takes place in Mississippi. Unfortunately I have read them out of order but that hasn't been a big issue but I was a bit upset at the fact that they weren't even listed as a series. The person who recommended these books told me they were a trilogy...........but I will be reading the sixth book soon. LOL So much for the trilogy.

Dick Hill is a wonderful reader, accent and all. The story is pretty non-stop action so I was hooked from the get-go.

HOWEVER, the spoiler may have been that the audio was so low on this book that I strained to hear a lot of it and contacted Audible and was told they would refer it to their sound people. I am painting while I listen to books and normally have the book sitting right across from me so I can hear it. I found myself using my earphones more often than not and even then, it was difficult to hear in places. Hence, my three star rating.

Story good; narration / sound quality not so much

What did you love best about The Devil's Punchbowl?

I love Greg Iles' books. I enjoy all of them.

What did you like best about this story?

Penn Cage

What three words best describe Dick Hill’s performance?

shoulda been better

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What has Penn Cage gotten into this time?

Any additional comments?

Sound quality not good - have to continually fine tune to hear ... sometimes talk so low can't hear anything, next thing it's too loud. Not a pleasant, easy listen. Greg Iles deserves better.

another great one

author and narrator were fabulous as usual
great mix of suspense, action, history and the south. loved loved loved it.

Difficult to hear at times

Great book, awesome story. The narrator did better on the last one. When speaking for women or quiet, even at full volume, I could not hear it.

Great story but painful performance

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I've listed to the last three books by Greg Iles and the stories have all be top notch but the narration has gone down hill after the first book. Dick Hill's performance in the second book was better than this book. His accent is so much more pronounced and at times difficult to understand. It would be nice if they would bring back Tom Stechschulte as the reader. if you have a hard time with thick accents you'll have a hard time with this book.

Great story but not narration!

I couldn't stop listening to this novel. A great story. That being said I will never buy another book narrated by Dick Hill. I had to use noise cancelling headphones to listen because he is so monotone it was hard to understand what he was saying . I tried to use Bluetooth in the car but that didn't help. This is the second book I've listened to with his narration . From now on I will double check before I buy.

Reader Spoils good story

Good author and series, but had to force myself to keep listening. The reader's voice levels and inflections made it very difficult to understand. This will be my last Dick Hill purchase.

Great Story - Terrible Narration

My fourth Greg Iles book - great story - kept me interested until the end, Narration was terrible - between the overdone southern accent and barely murmuring some character's voice's - I had to keep reversing and replaying conversations to understand the words. If it had not been such an interesting story - I would have quit halfway through.

fun story

great addition to the series. I enjoyed the darker aspects of the criminal element and the way I felt reading about the things that happened. Unfortunately I found the production to be less than stellar. If I turn my headphones to a good listening level, I find it very difficult to hear the women and almost impossible to hear the whispered conversations. If I turn the volume up loud enough to be able to hear those details, the rest of the story is too loud.