Southern Man: Penn Cage Book 7
Southern Man Pen Cage Book 7 by Greg Iles
976 Pages
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: May 28, 2024
Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Racism, Racial Violence, Political, Conspiracy Theories
Radio show host, Robert E. Lee “Bobby: White is a conservative considering running for president. In 2008, he was honored for killing a high-ranking terrorist in Afghanistan. He lost his right arm in the process. His Tik Tok videos are the cause to his rise in popularity.
It has been 18 years since the Natchez Burning trilogy with Dr. Tom Cage’s trial and the violence after Hurricane Katrina. Penn’s mother is 83 years old and dying from cancer. His daughter, Annie, is 28 and working in the legal field with Doris Avery, the wife of Quentin Avery, the famous defense attorney.
Dr. Tom Cage died in a prison riot 11 years ago. He saved the life of Martine, a French documentary film maker. Annie and Martine are attending a peaceful concert when the sheriff’s open fire. Many are killed and wounded. Kendrick Washington, a war veteran was performing his version of Neil Young’s song Southern Man. After he is wounded, he becomes the face of the movement. This makes him a target to Bobby White. Historic homes are being burned. No one knows who is behind the arson. Both sides of the protestors are blaming each other.
Penn is also dealing with health issues. He has moved to Bienville, an incorporated city near Natchez. He tries to get to the bottom of the issues but is not as young as he used to be and faces challenges along the way.
The story has a slow but detailed pace. The characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. There is also first-hand accounts of Romulus, a Black man during the Civil War. The theme of this book is timely with the current political and civil unrest with the Black Lives Matter movement and police investigations.
