Southern Man by Greg Iles

Penn Cage #7

961 Pages, Paperback

23cm x 15cm (C-Format / TPB)

PUBLISHED 2024

Goodreads Rating: 4.13 * 5,035 ratings * 697 reviews

Genres: Historical Fiction * Thriller * Mystery * Suspense * Contemporary

Fifteen years have passed since the tumultuous events chronicled in the Natchez Burning trilogy, and Penn Cage finds himself in solitude. The majority of his loved ones have passed away, his former allies have disappeared, and he harbors a dark secret that isolates him from society. However, Penn's seclusion is shattered when a violent altercation at a rap festival in Mississippi erupts into a horrific mass shooting, leaving his daughter Annie on the brink of death.

In the aftermath of the chaos that engulfs the cities of Natchez and Bienville, historic plantation homes continue to go up in flames, and a radical Black group claims responsibility for the deadly attacks, citing them as acts of long-awaited justice. Fear and uncertainty grip the once peaceful tourist communities, pushing them dangerously close to the brink of a racial conflict.

What initially appeared to be a localized disturbance in the lead-up to the 2024 Presidential election quickly escalates to a national crisis with the sudden rise of Robert E. Lee White, a revered Southern war hero who emerges as a third-party candidate. Known as "the Tik-Tok Man" and backed by a mysterious Mississippi billionaire, Bobby White captivates the public with his military exploits, launching an unprecedented bid for the White House reminiscent of H. Ross Perot's historic campaign.