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Mortal Fear (Mississippi Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Greg Iles (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 5,406 ratings
See all formats and editions
A man with a secret life risks everything to clear his name in this “ingenious suspense thriller”(The New York Times Book Review) from the bestselling author of the Penn Cage series.

By day, Harper Cole trades commodities from his isolated home in the Mississippi Delta. By night he leads quite a different life, serving as a systems operator for an exclusive, annonymous erotic online service that caters to the rich and famous. But now a stranger has penetrated the network's state-of-the-art security, brutally murdering six celebrated female clients.

Falsely accused of these horrible crimes, Harper realizes there's only one way to lure the elusive madman offline and into the open. But as he enacts his daring plan, Harper will put everything and everyone he holds dear directly in the path of a brilliant, unstoppable killer...
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 5
    Mississippi
  2. Print length
    564 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Berkley
  6. Publication date
    February 1, 1998
  7. Reading age
    18 years and up
  8. File size
    1077 KB
  9. Page Flip
    Enabled
  10. Word Wise
    Enabled
  11. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  12. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“An exuberant, relentlessly readable thriller with a high degree of stay-up-all night suspense.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The talented Iles uses rich first-person narration and clever plotting to tell a sizzler of a thriller.”—Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Greg Iles is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Penn Cage series. His novels have been made into films, translated into more than twenty languages, and published in more than thirty-five countries worldwide.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000OIZV5M
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (February 1, 1998)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 1998
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1077 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 564 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 5,406 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Jay O. Sanders

    Jay O. Sanders

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
  2. Greg Iles

    Greg Iles

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Greg Iles has spent most of his life in Natchez, Mississippi. His first novel, Spandau

    Phoenix, was the first of seventeen New York Times bestsellers. His Natchez

    Burning trilogy continued the story of Penn Cage, the protagonist of The Quiet Game,

    Turning Angel, and #1 New York Times bestseller The Devil’s Punchbowl. Iles’s novels

    have been made into films and published in more than thirty-five countries. He is a

    member of the lit-rock group The Rock Bottom Remainders, lives in Natchez with his

    wife, and has three children.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
5,406 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Tammy N
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2024
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This is first book I’ve read by Greg and it was really good. It’s not my typical genre, but I couldn’t put it down once I started. I’m really happy this the first of a series, and can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
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Amber Goleb
4.0 out of 5 stars Bizarre, suspenseful, and unique
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2020
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First off, let me say that if you don't have a strong stomach, this one probably isn't for you. This book is dark and graphic at times. It also will push through boundaries that some may not be able to handle.

I haven't come across a book like this yet. I'm still stuck in a fog over everything that happened in this book. Some parts had my jaw on the ground. I just didn't know what to think or how to feel. I'm sure that's what the author wanted from readers. There were many parts that left me a little stupefied. I felt like I was in a daze, in a good way.

I can't decide what to say and what not to say. This book has unusual sexual encounters, murder, bizarre characters and situations, some mystery, some over-the-top scenes, and a lot of suspense. I spent hours devouring the words on each page.

I will say there are a small handful of extra information that isn't needed for this story. Although I think that is true with many books, sometimes it can kill the mood in a book. That was the case for me. These few instances, these parts would have been better left out. They held no importance, just filler. Aside from that, I enjoyed this book. I plan to make my way through more of this author's books in the future.
32 people found this helpful
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Allison
5.0 out of 5 stars outstanding!
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2023
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The best book that I have read from Iles. Very gripping and suspenseful at every turn. Can’t wait to see what’s next!!
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Russell J. Sanders
3.0 out of 5 stars Great tale, far too long
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2021
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From his writing, it is obvious Greg Iles is an extremely intelligent man. He fills his novel Mortal Fear with classical references and historical allusions. Furthermore, he weaves a tale that includes a wealth of knowledge of computers and how they operate, plus medical procedures as well. All that makes for a complex story, a story of a serial killer who is stalking women via an online service designed for sexual gratification. Iles’s narrative is interesting, and it kept me reading to the very end. That being said, I truly wished for about two-hundred-fifty pages less of it. Classic novels often have pages numbered well past a thousand, and I’ve read many of them. These novels often were written in a pre-movie, pre-TV, era when readers wanted their stories to draw out, filling their days. Even as late as the 1990s, it was not uncommon to find a novel that was six hundred pages or more. So, since Mortal Fear was published in the late 1990s, I should not be grousing about its length. But this is a mystery novel, not some literary treatise. Mysteries should flow quickly, astounding us with twists and turns. I got quite bogged down by Iles and his extreme descriptions using those classical and historical allusions, his paragraph-long character descriptions telling metaphorically of what someone was wearing or what someone’s complexion looked like, and I particularly didn’t care for the computer lingo—although I admit that when the novel was written, perhaps readers needed to know more than computer-savvy readers know today. The characters in Mortal Fear are rich, the story is exciting and inviting, but oh how I wish it had been a much shorter, faster moving book.
4 people found this helpful
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vegasbill
5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner for Iles
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2020
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Greg Iles is one of my favorite authors so I thought I would search for one of his books I hadn't read. I discovered this whole series I hadn't read so I started with #1. Written in 1998 it contains computer speak of that era. I was impressed at how knowledgeable Iles was and his foresight into the world of as yet undiscovered social media and adult chat sites which have evolved into adult cam sites now.

The book involves Harper Cole, a successful commodities speculator who moonlights as a favor to a friend as a Systems Operator for an adult chat site. Harper's wife, Drewe, is a successful OBGYN. The story builds slowly as we learn about this couple, the intensity of their careers and their interactions with Drewe's family. By monitoring the chat site Harper realizes someone is murdering a number of female subscribers in brutal and grotesque ways. After being rebuffed by law enforcement, Harper feels a compulsion to try to track down and reveal who the murderer is. From here the plot builds in intensity and intrigue as the villain who is smoked out is truly brutal and quite insane. The plot grows complex as we are drawn into Harper and Drewe's personal lives which prove to be far from idyllic.

There's lots of suspense, kinky sex, murder, gore and bizarre behavior throughout the story. It races to a fast paced final one third of the book which will keep you glued to your favorite reading spot until you finish. I recommend this for anyone looking for a real thrill ride.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Rita DiPasquale
5.0 out of 5 stars Great novel.
Reviewed in Canada on April 27, 2024
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Fascinating and suspenseful plot about a serial killer who believes in the ends justifying the means. Interesting characters and computer knowledge. Very well written.
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liz
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in Australia on January 22, 2021
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Love all books from Greg Iles. This is a must read for all crime/thriller lovers.
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JudyB
5.0 out of 5 stars Greg Isles at his best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2014
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I am gobsmacked that this book was first published in 1997. I thought I had read all of Greg Isles' books and when I read this one I thought it was written recently. That just goes to show how masterfully Greig Isles can tell a story and how well he understands his subject. To think that something essentially about computers and technology written 17 years ago could still ring true today is amazing. That aside, this book is another very original story, wonderfully crafted and with great characters. I cannot say it better than some of the other reviewers, particularly Rachel Walker, so I won't even try. Suffice to say that if you like an intelligently written thriller with a complex and twisting plot which brings you to the edge of your seat - read this. Yes, it is pretty long and I can understand why someone who reads James Patterson might not like it. However, if you are someone who usually appreciates thought-provoking and intelligent thrillers you will love it as much as I did and you will certainly go on to read all this author's books and enjoy every one.
2 people found this helpful
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M. R. De Boer
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute roller coast read!
Reviewed in Germany on March 17, 2009
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This books hooks you from the very beginning until the very last sentence. Whenever I did not have the time to read, I would be thinking about the next moment I could steal.
It reads like a thrilling roller coaster ride and a very scary one at that!
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Docker
4.0 out of 5 stars インターネット上での息詰まる対決
Reviewed in Japan on December 30, 2004
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インターネット上の一種のアダルトサイトEROSで、厳重に管理されているはずの個人情報が漏れ、会員の女性が次々に殺される。サイトの管理者のHarperは、自ら危険を冒し、犯人をおびき出そうとインターネット上で策をめぐらすがーーー。インターネット上での情報流出、それに基づく犯罪という、まさにホットなテーマを扱ったサスペンスであり、コンピュータに精通する主人公と犯人の知恵比べ、心理戦が、終始緊迫感を与えてくれる。また、主人公と、その妻や彼女の家族との人間関係も、ストーリーに緊張感を与えており、ハイテクを扱った一種の心理サスペンスといった趣が感じられる。英語は比較的容易。
2 people found this helpful
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