Greg Iles, True Evil

True Evil

Greg Iles

Scribner, December 2006, $25.95, 528 pp.

ISBN 0743292498

FBI agent Alex Morse is at the University Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi listening to her dying sister tell her that her husband killed her and she wants Alex to take care of her son Jamie. At first Alex doesn't believe her, but after investigating without the approval of the agency; she believes that lawyer Andrew Ruskk has had the spouses of several of his richest clients die in the last couple of years.

She believes the lawyer has found a doctor to induce cancer in a victim, so they can make a fortune from customers wanting to get rid of their spouse, but who don't want to pay the cost of a divorce. Circumstantial evidence says that Natchez, Mississippi Dr. Chris Shepard is the next victim. When she tells Chris her theory, he doesn't believe his wife Thora wants him dead. However, the evidence mounts up, proving she has repeatedly lied to him, and is even having an affair. Now in a race against time, Alex must find the evidence to convince the Bureau that she was right all along, otherwise another innocent man will die.

Greg Iles is one of the better suspense authors writing today, and TRUE EVIL is one of his best works to date. The action starts on the very first page, and never slows down, even after the climax. The characters are well developed, and readers will empathize with the victims and heroes. The scary sad part of this thriller is the premise is very believable, at least in Mr. Iles' hands.