What did you think of the ending of Natchez?

I found the last 50 pages to be overly violent-the scenes in Royal's basement dragged on unnecessarily. I thought the concept of Henry Sexton and Sleepy Johnson getting downstairs and saving Penn and his Fiancé (she was my least favorite character) not plausible. I also thought that Henry walking into the flame-thrower was over the top.

Finally the last chapter with Tom Cage alone, severely injured and able to overtake his two young attackers really unbelievable. The soliloquy about Thomas Jefferson was also overly long and unnecessary.

I won't read the second book. I want to find out what happens in the Voila murder but I don't want to plow through another 800 pages to do so.

Wow--I agree with Susan. Someone asked me about the book when I finished it, I said that I found some of the parts "cheesy." I like incidents to be at least somewhat believable. I must agree that I too am not terribly interested in reading the next two books of the trilogy.

I thought it was fitting. I intend to read the next 2 books of the trilogy. I don't know why I have heard of Greg Iles before now. He kept me interested and turning pages as fast as I could read.

I thought it was a little unbelievable how the injured characters took on a "super hero" role to beat the bad guys. The ending did leave me intrigued and I will read the next book.

The ending left me wanting more. I can't wait to read the books.

It felt contrived to me. Almost as if all the violence not written about earlier had to be written before the end of the book.
Overall, Natchez was an interesting story but it was much too long! It needed to be edited to a couple of hundred less pages. Not sure why the author found it necessary to go on and on and repeat many of the details. It could have been tighter and more interesting with less repetition.

I agree with SusanC that some of the last pages were not believable, but this is fiction and can accept that. I was not happy with some of the things that happened at the end, I think it ended in the best way possible. I also agree that it was too long, some things could have been condensed.

I agree with Nancyh as far as the end of the book. Knowing there would be another book made me less unhappy about all of the loose ends that were not tied up at the end. I am looking forward to reading the next one even if it's another 700 pages!

I find it difficult to read the comments by some of the posters asking for a shorter version because they found some of the ideas repeated. I hate to break the news to you but the same event told from different characters will take on a different flavor. It's called reality.If you want every story tied up with a pretty bow, go read a nursery rhyme, not a novel set in the deep South years before you were born. Life back then was tough on all the characters involved and that is what Greg Iles tried to show us.

Although I was disappointed that more was not resolved, I realize that as the beginning of a trilogy, part of the novel's "job" or more precisely stated the author's job, is to leave the reader wanting to read the next volume to answer some of the unanswered questions. There was some excess violence in the last 50 or so pages to be sure, and I was upset by Henry's death, as he was a character I liked. I was even more upset by the destruction of so many of the records Henry had gathered, but that part rang very true to me (that those involved would want the documentation destroyed). I will be reading "The Bone Tree" soon.

I agree with many of the statements that have already been written.
I generally enjoyed the book and was completely hooked by the story and the history,but I do think the book would have benefitted from some editing.
I was disappointed, after reading 800 pages that we did not have more answers at the end.

I enjoyed the superhero aspect of the ending - if I want reality, I won't read historic fiction. Sometimes you need the over the top resolution to give us something other than the ordinary to strive for. I was left with questions and want to see the resolutions, so that means I am in for the next 2 books. But I do agree with other readers - the fiancé was over the top whiney. There were times I wanted to slap Penn and tell him, "you can do better!" Hopefuly someone will advise Mr. Iles on maturing the character to show intelligence in ways other than flashing green eyes.

The ending made me want to read the next books. I loved the fact that left me wanting more- that is the sign of a great book.