Written by Greg Iles, Cemetery Road follows Marshall, a man who has lost everything and returned home to try and save his family’s dying newspaper. With the discovery of the local boy scout master and historian dead in the river, Marshall is forced to face his deamons with the river and in his personal life.
This is the first novel by Greg Iles I have ever read – as a stand alone novel, this is an excellent first to read – and he has an amazing way of creating a story that immerses you. His characters are real and so far from perfect, and that makes them compelling.
A dark novel, and not for the faint of heart when is comes to descriptions from how the murder occurred to Marshall’s love life, this isn’t a book for everyone.
Between Jet, Nadine, Paul, and Adam, the dead brother, the support cast is fabulous and I often wanted to read more about them. That’s a great thing in a novel. With an opening line of:
I never meant to kill my brother.
Greg Isels, Cemetery Road
the readers are compelled to know what does that mean. Without the death of Dr. Buck, I would be devouring this novel. But with that addition, the fact that his son died and that tore his marriage apart, and the addition of a secret lover, this novel has so much depth. Marshall is a character
Paul is an interesting cat whose character depiction changes as we learn more about him. Going from the best friend of his older brother, to a man with a very dark side despite saving his friends life, he was one of the more interesting characters. Jet, I did not like. Yes, she is beautiful, but she is also just… not the kind of person that brings good into your life. Or so it seems. Adam’s lack of presence is one of the biggest losses that is felt throughout the book. And Nadine? I adored her. From the first time we met her, I wanted them together.
This is a book with a lot to take in, and IT IS NOT FOR SMALL CHILDREN, OR ANYONE WHO CAN’T HANDLE CRASS LANGUAGE AND DESCRIPTIONS. There is that warning.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. The characters are great and the plot is interesting. It is definitely an adult novel and is very crass for that. I wouldn’t recommend it for someone looking for a wholesome novel, but if you want a gritty mystery, this is a good choice.
