photo by Ben Hillyer

Greg Iles’ newest novel set in Natchez

By Jennifer Edwards (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Sunday, June 28, 2009

Penn Cage isn’t listed in the Natchez phone book, but over the years Cage has become an active member of Natchez society — at least in several books by Natchez author Greg Iles.

Cage appears again in Iles latest book “The Devil’s Punchbowl,” which like several of his earlier books is set in Natchez.

The book is set to be released July 7.

Natchez readers got an early glimpse at the book when Iles sponsored a book signing at Trinity Episcopal Day School Saturday. A portion of the money raised at the event was donated to the school to continue developing the school’s academics.

“I always tell people it was my Trinity English teachers that made me a novelist, from sixth-grade onward,” Iles said in an e-mail conversation. “I want to repay that debt in the most effective way I can, and that’s by helping the graduates of the next 10 years.”

In the latest novel, Cage has been elected mayor of Natchez but finds himself wondering if he is actually up for the job.

During his campaign, Cage promised waves of change for the city, but now with an influx of casinos in his river city, Cage is dealing with more than just finding money and jobs.

Rumors of organized dog fighting aboard one of the five casinos now dotting the riverfront and the murder of one of his closest friends, have Cage searching for justice without the help of local authorities.

The Cage that appears is “The Devil’s Punchbowl” has evolved as a person and is not the same character readers have encountered in the past, Iles said.

“He’s learned that it’s a lot easier to talk about changing things than it is to actually change them,” Iles said. “He may seem weaker and less sure of himself than in past books, but that’s because he’s learned some painful truths about people, including himself”

Cage, even the new version of him, is a fictional character, Iles said. He said despite the fact that several of his books are set in Natchez, the characters in them come directly from his imagination. They are not based on people he has encountered in Natchez or elsewhere.

“Everyone thinks they know who each character is in every Natchez book, but the funny thing is, people in Vicksburg and Oxford and Jackson think they know the same things — and it’s some person from their town, or a different person from Natchez or someone else altogether,” Iles said. “People from Charleston or Atlanta know the exact same types, because human nature is limited that way.

“The characters I create are probably more me than they are anyone else.”

The Natchez Iles depicts is both similar and dramatically different than the Natchez Iles lives in today, he said.

When originally formulating the plot of his latest book, Iles said he was expecting there to be three casinos operating in Natchez, but with only one open now, that part of the book is unexpectantly different from actual Natchez.

“When it comes to my portrayal of Natchez in general, some things about the book are accurate and some things are intentionally not,” Iles said.

One aspect of his latest novel, that Iles calls a complete fabrication is the connection of gambling and dog fighting in Natchez.

During the process of developing the plot for and writing “The Devil’s Punchbowl” Iles said he was stunned to learn the extent at which it happens in every city and state. But Iles said the situation as it appears in his book, is not reality in Natchez.

Iles said in “The Devil’s Punchbowl,” he was playing around with ideas on how Mississippi casinos could attract high-rollers like the ones that frequent Las Vegas casinos if owners “had no moral scruples.”

“A basic rule of human nature is the answer,” Iles said. “People want what they can’t have, and they’ll go a long way to get what they can’t get elsewhere.”

But parts of Natchez that appear in the book do come straight from Iles interpretation of Natchez. He said the book tackles the subject of education in Natchez and reflects his own personal opinions.

“My discussion of the education situation in Natchez may bother some people, but frankly it’s something that has always bothered me, and something that has hampered our development for many years,” he said.