My Hot New Relationship

I'm sleeping with a new man. Because my parents might read this, let me be a little more specific -- I'm sleeping with his books. My hot new relationship is with the books written by Greg Iles. We -- the books and I -- take baths together, curl up on the couch during thunderstorms, we've even traveled together. Clearly this means we get along pretty well.

For those who like fast-moving thriller/mysteries, these are can't-put-downable books. The ones I've read all basically take place in Natchez, Mississippi. As an avowed Yankee, the deep South has always been a curiosity to me. And these books seem to really paint a picture of the region and the people and issues that occupy it.

So far, I've burned through Dead Sleep, Turning Angel, The Quiet Game and Sleep No More. They all have twists and turns -- but stay totally believable. I'm going to say my favorite so far -- the one I recommend most quickly -- was Turning Angel. It was the first one I read and the one that got me hooked on Mr. Iles.

In the book, a popular high school student named Kate is found dead near the Mississippi River. Penn Cage, an attorney-turned-author, gets a call from an old friend with some pretty big secrets -- and it's off to the races. Every so often in his books, Iles touches on a taboo -- not in a sensational way, but in a way where you can understand how something not-so-right might happen. In this one, it is about high school girls and much older men. It gets a little steamy, but not tawdry.

All in all -- it'll get you through more than one crappy date.