Turning Angel: A Novel
by Greg Iles
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Book Summary Information
Author: Greg IlesEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-12-27
ISBN: 0743234715
Number of pages: 512
Publisher: Scribner
Book Reviews of Turning Angel: A Novel
Book Review: "What you see isn't always the reality."
Summary: 3 Stars
Greg Iles's new book, "Turning Angel," deals with the legal and emotional problems of Drew Elliott, a handsome doctor who is married and has a young son, Tim. Against his better judgment, Drew falls in love with a high school senior, Kate Townsend, and the two have an affair. When Kate's body is found washed up in St. Catherine's Creek, the residents of Natchez, Mississippi go into shock. Kate had been the town's golden girl, both a star tennis player and a brilliant student who was headed for Harvard. Now, the townspeople are looking to crucify whoever murdered this lovely young woman.
Coming to Drew's aid is his childhood friend, Penn Cage, an attorney turned writer. Although Penn has his doubts about Drew's wisdom in getting physically involved with a teenager, he cannot believe in his heart that Drew is a murderer. Unfortunately, Shad Johnson, the black prosecutor in Natchez, wants to convict Elliott of killing Kate to boost his own political ambitions, and Johnson is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his aims. Penn enlists the help of a veteran black attorney named Quentin Avery to defend Drew, but the case looks hopeless from the outset. There is more than enough circumstantial evidence to send the doctor to death row.
Greg Iles is a talented author who has a strong sense of time and place. Natchez, Mississippi and its close-knit community come to life in this novel, and Penn Cage is a lively and engaging protagonist. Penn is courageous, introspective, savvy, and willing to risk his life and reputation to help a friend in need. He is a lonely widower who has an off and on relationship with a journalist, and he is a devoted father to his little girl, Annie. So far, so good.
"Turning Angel" gets into trouble when Iles introduces a host of subplots and minor characters to muddy the waters. This book features shootouts, drug dealers, explosions, hostage taking, blackmail, and a far-fetched conclusion. Penn even encourages his daughter's baby sitter, Mia, to risk her life by acting as his unofficial investigator. At five hundred pages, the book is bloated with endless dialogue and extraneous scenes that lessen the suspense rather than heighten it. In thrillers, streamlining the plot rather than padding it with multiple red herrings often makes for more believability. There was a good story here trying to emerge, but Iles buried it under layers of melodrama.
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