I Would Rather Be Reading

Greg Iles is one of my favorite authors. Therefore, I was quite excited to dive into his latest book: True Evil. I was not disappointed. It is probably my favorite Iles book since Mortal Fear.

The basic premise of True Evil is that a divorce attorney is providing a service to the super wealthy in which, instead of divorcing their spouse, the doctor arranges for the spouse to be murdered. The twist is that the spouse in murdered by causing her (or in some cases him) succumb to cancer or a stroke. By ensuring that the spouse dies from a disease such as cancer, no one suspects that the spouse has been murdered.

Alex Morse, an FBI agent with a series of personal problems, discovers this plot after her sister tells her that the stroke she suffered was caused by her husband. Alex becomes convinced that, Chris Shepard, a doctor in Mississippi, is the next target of the murdering divorce lawyer.

Given the far fetched nature of the allegations, Alex is unable to convince anyone to believe her that the deaths she has identified are murders. Iles does an excellent job in the first half of the book of keeping the reader unsure as to whether Dr. Shepard’s wife actually is trying to kill him.

The second half of the book takes off as Morse and Shepard begin to learn more about the murder plots and as the attorney and his partner become more paranoid and begin plotting their escapes.

The final third of the book contains some great action scenes as well as just enough twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. One of my favorite scenes occurs near in the end of the book in which the lawyer’s wife chooses to exact revenge rather than save herself.

If you like thrillers or have liked other books by Greg Iles, then you should check out this book.