Mississippi Blood

Mississippi Blood concludes a trilogy within a series, following Natchez Burning and The Bone Tree. Listeners unfamiliar with the two earlier titles should read or listen to them in sequence as the characters and plots actually form a single, compelling thriller set in the South from the 1960s to the present. Central to this portion of the tale is Penn Cage's reaction to Dr. Tom Cage's trial for the murder of Viola Turner, an African American nurse Tom once employed. Penn and his daughter Annie are still in mortal danger from the menace of KKK radicals, the Double Eagles and their leader "Snake" Knox. The suspenseful activity (murder, mayhem, pursuit) is superb, and the conclusion is quite satisfying. Since Penn has narrowly escaped death and witnessed or committed murder several times, his irate, overly sensitive reactions to details of his father's defense may seem a bit much. Narrator Scott Brick's characterizations are excellent—consistent and emotional.