The Devil's Punchbowl : A Novel

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Penn Cage series and the Natchez Burning trilogy comes ';a steamy, swampy tale of international nastiness' (Kirkus Reviews) in an electrifying thriller that reveals a world of depravity, sex, violence, and corruption in a Southern town.

Penn Cage was elected mayor of Natchez, Mississippithe hometown he returned to after the death of his wifeon a tide of support for change. But two years into his term, casino gambling has proved a sure bet for bringing in new jobs and fresh money to this fading jewel of the Old South. But deep inside the Magnolia Queen, a fantastical repurposed steamboat, a depraved hidden world draws high-stakes players with money to burn on their unquenchable taste for blood sport and the dark vices that go with it.

When a childhood friend hands him blood-chilling evidence, Penn must beat the odds tracking a sophisticated killer who counters his every move, placing those nearest to himincluding his young daughter, his renowned physician father, and a lover from the pastin grave danger, and all at the risk of jeopardizing forever the town he loves.

With his gift for crafting ';a keep-you-engaged-to-the-very-last-page thriller' (USA TODAY) at full throttle, Greg Iles brings back Penn Cagethe sharply honed, unforgettable hero from his most popular novelsin this electrifying suspense masterpiece.