William Morrow Signs Greg Iles to a Three Book Deal

Posted on June 11, 2013

William Morrow just picked up the rights to a new Penn Cage trilogy by Greg Iles, the #1 bestselling New York Times author. The first book is called Natchez Burning. It will hit bookshelves in May, 2014.

The trilogy opens with Penn Cage's father, Dr. Tom Cage, being accused of murdering his former nurse. The nurse's murder has links to a number of unsolved murders from the 1960s. The character of Dr. Tom Cage was based on the author's own father who recently died. Iles said he got the idea for the trilogy during his own long rehabilitation from a devastating car accident which left him in a coma for 8 days. He eventually recovered, but lost part of his right leg.

Iles explained in a statement, "My father has always been the heart of my Penn Cage novels. When he died during the writing of this book-and then I very nearly died myself-the thriller I was working on grew into something far more ambitious and profound. This story is an exploration of family, race murder, and what used to be called 'miscegenation' in the South. It became epic in scope, and I began to see the exciting and unusual potential of stretching the plot across three interlinked novels. In William Morrow, I found a publisher that shared my vision of what a 'thriller' could be once the conventional limits were removed. David Highfill edited some of my earlier novels, so in that way, it felt like coming home. He and the team at HarperCollins realized that this could be a groundbreaking opportunity to give readers not only something with visceral punch, but also a story that explores the darkest corners of America's past."

Liate Stehlik, Senior Vice President and Publisher of William Morrow, had this to say about acquiring Iles' new trilogy: "We are so excited to welcome a great talent like Greg Iles to our list. He has many longtime fans here at William Morrow = including myself = and we are eager to bring our passion and enthusiasm for Greg's books to the publication of this wonderful new trilogy."

His novels have been translated into more than twenty languages. His bestselling books include The Quiet Game, Turning Angel, and The Devil's Punchbowl. Iles is a member of Stephen King's literary band, The Rock Bottom Remainders.