In this 8th book in the John Corey series, the first in seven years, John Corey is again out of work. Despite a resume which includes his accolade filled background as a former NYPD detective, his medals and honors like the wounds in the line of duty, his exemplary work for the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, a top security clearance, and the time spent on the Diplomatic Surveillance Group--not to mention that he is a former adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice--his latest alphabet agency job requests he never come back. An ex-girlfriend tells him about a PI firm eager to hire him. Unmoved, she sweetens the deal (which sets off Corey's detective radar--they broke up because he dumped her) by allowing him to stay in her house if he takes the job. Curiosity piqued, he signs on and quickly runs into problems. The killing of one of the firm's detectives has been disguised as a suicide and a prostitute connected to the firm is also dead. Related? Corey can never turn his back on a puzzling injustice and wastes no time digging into both closed cases.

Like most books in this series, The Maze again features Corey's politically incorrect humor and acerbic wit without a filter. Who wouldn't read a book with lines like these:

"You can't drink all day unless you start in the morning."

"the problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you’re finished."

"A single death is a tragedy; multiple deaths are a sanitation problem."

"Any chance of a reconciliation?” “Only if I won the lottery and got a frontal lobotomy.”

He is fearless in the pursuit of his goals, caring little for his own safety, always sure he can handle any problems he faces. To him, risk makes life interesting. The plot is quick, clever, and tricky, always challenging me to connect the dots and try to keep up. The story is told in first person which is about as close as a reader can get to the danger. One warning: This book's Corey is a throwback to the knuckle dragging era of chauvinistic males--or pretends to be. Get beyond that (which I did), you'll enjoy a spectacular read.

This latest book in the John Corey series is a real page turner. There are twists and turns in the plot that make the reading a lot of fun especially trying to figure out what this retired NYPD, FBI, etc agent is about. He takes a lot of risks and sometimes finds a way to turn lemons into lemonade.

This story takes Corey on a clandestine hunt for what may be a serial killer and leads him into all sorts of compromising situations. There is an actual maze that plays an important part in the story --exactly how--well you will have to read this very interesting book to find out how.

Definitely recommend it whether you have read any of the previous installments or not. It is a good one!!

The Maze by Nelson DeMille focuses on the exploits of John Corey, a retired NYPD homicide detective. It is inspired by and based on the still unsolved Gilgo Beach murders. While Corey tries to take a summer vacation on the beach, Corey’s former girlfriend Beth Penrose convinces him to become involved in a dangerous undercover operation. This operation is designed to determine the extent that the Suffolk County Police are responsible for the protection of a high-profile killer involved in the murders of nine women. In addition to the suspense and action, readers are treated to both Corey’s politically incorrect thoughts and his actual dialogue. The tension between what he thinks and what he says creates a bit of humor throughout the story. Corey is both impulsive and reflective in the risks he takes to conduct his investigation. Readers of The Maze are in for a lot of thrills and fast-paced action. I highly recommend this book to readers of past books written by Nelson DeMille as well as new readers.

I was given the opportunity to read The Maze, by Nelson DeMille, from NetGalley. I was very happy to respond “yes!” Although I thought the many quips made by the legendary John Corey were funny, and I basically liked the read, it was just tooooo long! Finally, after 80% into the story line, does the reader discover what the plan of attack is and the goal. Too long to wait and very repetitive. I would have liked to have more information regarding the outcome. The end is swift. When I saw the words, “The End,” on the final page, I was actually relieved, Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. Three stars because I like Nelson DeMIlle’s many prior writings and I know he put forth a lot of research.

I have been a Nelson DeMille fan for many years and was so very pleased to be able to get a “first read” of “The Maze”. Detective John Corey, once again, does not disappoint in this action driven book. I thought the book began a bit slowly as I reconnected with the glib detective and his way of “speaking”. Before long the pace picked up to a roar and the action rolled non-stop. Beth Penrose - homicide detective- makes another well timed and well planned appearance as a love interest once again. I developed a dislike for her controlling vibe in this book, but also knew that there was a plan behind it.

I know the area where this book takes place so it was a ramble down memory lane. Of course the book is loosely based on the fates of unsolved missing and murdered women who bodies were uncovered on Fire Island years ago. The plot,, as unlikely as it is, presents an almost believable story.

Well written Mr. DeMille! Thanks for another high octane read!

The Maze by Nelson DeMille – 4 Stars
Publisher: Scribner
ISBN: 9781501101786

Don’t you love DeMille’s wit? He is again at peak performance if this alone could captivate your interest for over 445 pages. But, for us, a good thing repeated constantly and so consistently for even 100 pages becomes too much. Then, when at 50%, John Corey has still not committed to a PI job and his girl friend Beth, yes, same Beth as Plum Island, continues to delay the reason why she wants him to take the job; the story begins to suffer with useless dialogue – same great wit, but at this point already dragging on. Well, there is no acceleration. You’re still waiting on the why he should take the job, then when he does, why he still doesn’t know the real reason why he is there. Good thing John Corey is so bright and has already discovered the whys. Yet, even that doesn’t speed up the story and his lingering around the Farmhouse, where he now works, is described in minute detail as was most things (way too much of this). For what reason we asked? By the time you get to 80-90% the story finally gets to what you already assumed and we still haven’t learned why the book is named “The Maze.” We’ll stop here and not spoil the ending with details. Let us just mention that Rich was so disappointed with the length of the book and the way delays were utilized when explanations earlier would have progressed the story forward faster without boring you – He started to skip pages half way through and never missed anything and never had to go back to read the missed pages. We liked the storyline and characters. Other readers might like everyday gossip and conversation to all depths and enjoy the book more than we did. DeMille still has good ideas. This one just dragged on.


Reviewers: Rich and Nancy

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I love John Corey. I love that he is a smart ass. I love that he is conflicted. I love that he says little things under his breath. DeMille got this right AGAIN. This is the 8th in the series. You don’t need to read all of the previous books, but it would help. DeMille lets us know some of the things that have happened to our hero, but not everything. If you are a feminist, you may find this a bit offensive. John Corey is not politically correct and that is why we love him. Buy this book for your favorite person, buy one for yourself and ENJOY!

I rate this book 3.5 stars rounded up. It is rather long, at 448 pages, and full of wisecracks/stream of consciousness thoughts from John Corey, ex NYPD detective, ex Joint Terrorism Task Force and ex Diplomatic Security Agent. His friends Sylvester Maxwell, Southold, Long Island Police chief and Detective Beth Penrose of the Suffolk County Homicide Squad, ask him to go to work for Security Solutions, a private detective agency. They don't tell him until after he is hired that they suspect the company is involved in several murders.
I found the wisecracks and stream of consciousness lines to be distracting after a while. Her has a tangled love life and past, with 2 wives, 1 divorced and the other about to divorce. He also had a past relationship with Beth and that ended poorly. This is book 8 in the series and those incidents were probably explained in previous books, which I have not read.
One warning: There is a graphic description of oral sex in 1 scene. He does solve the case. I found this book to be a page turner, finishing it in 2 days.
Two quotes: John on his parents: "My parents are now in God's waiting room--Florida---..."
John's outlook on life: "The world doesn't try to screw you; the world is indifferent to you. But people try to screw you, and people need to know when they picked the wrong guy to screw. And that's me."
Thanks to Scribner for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.

“The Maze,” by Nelson DeMille (ISBN 9781250247162), publication date 11 October 2022, is a complex and irreverent detective tale that earns two stars.

The protagonist is John Corey, late of NYPD, FBI, and other Federal alphabet soup agencies, who is now in the midst of an enforced retirement, is soaking up the rays (and alcohol) on his uncle’s Long Island estate. He is married (though not for long), and he has a girlfriend (a local homicide detective), a female coworker (a “friend with benefits”) and a hooker (entertainment procured by his boss) who keep him busy.

The story revolves around a central theme of sexual encounters, which diminishes the literary result. There are glimpses of humor in the main character’s private thoughts (thoughts we often may have), which did occasionally leave me laughing out loud.

His detective girlfriend recruits him to go undercover as a consultant to an unscrupulous private investigation firm suspected of orchestrating the murders of nine woman and more. His misadventures and misjudgments belie his reputation as an effective detective. In short, Corey’s character is a caricature of a talented and courageous detective due to deep-seated problems.

Sincere thanks to the publisher, Scribner for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible

This is the first book I have ready by DeMille, and while I found the story very well written, I was often tossed out of the story narrative due to the characters' personal behaviors toward each other. I've liked a villain as a protagonist before, but this is the first time I have really just not liked anyone in the story. They all are using each other and their behavior leaves me really not caring what happens in the end. I would read another book by this author as the story itself was excellent, but not another with this set of characters.

John Corey is at his usual smart-ass-best self. The setup is a bit slow but takes off eventually and enjoyably ramps up to an incredibly awesome finish. I highly recommend this book if you're a Nelson DeMille fan, and it's a must-read if your love John Corey and his always-a-pain-in-the-ass antics.

I have enjoyed many of DeMille's novels and remember liking the character John Corey. He's a combination of Jack Reacher and Detective Frank Mackey (Dublin Murder Squad by Tana French) with a heavy side of sarcasm.

That said, I enjoyed the first two John Corey novels Plum Island and The Lion's Game much more than this one. The macho stuff was way over the top and I found myself ready to skim to get to the mystery. If you haven't read any of this series before please don't start with this one as you need background and character development.

Basic plot is about murdered prostitutes and how Corey gets involved - again. He investigates dirty cops and has a teenaged inner dialogue about women (Ugh), mental scenarios where he is as agile and badass as he was in his youth. If you aren't a John Corey fan already I'd give it a pass. Plum Island was great so you could make the exception there!

Publication date October 11, 2022 by Scribner. Genre: General Fiction Adult, Mystery and Thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book. I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

A hilarious book, featuring John Corey at his best. I received an ARC of this upcoming novel from NetGalley.

Former NYPD detective (among other things) John Corey returns to infiltrate under cover (or so he thinks) a private detective agency on Long Island (New York). The PI agency is a center for corruption and murder, with the corruption extending to law enforcement authorities and politicians all over Long Island.

As usual with John Corey, women are involved. He is induced to take on this mission by a female police officer who he moves in with. And he gets involved with the receptionist at the PI agency. John Corey is the ultimate smartass and wise guy and the one-liners never stop in this highly entertaining novel.

One of the best books I will read all year. And the funniest, without a doubt.

Retired NYPD Det. John Corey is back in The Maze, as he becomes involved in an investigation into corrupt cops and politicians on Long Island. This was my first foray into the world of author Nelson DeMille, and probably not the ideal place to start, as there’s quite a backstory to the main character, and I felt like I had some catching up to do. There’s a lot of lockerroom humor, sometimes a little over the top, and the book gets repetitive, but it’s an entertaining, breezy read with a sarcastic bite and plenty of humorous dialogue. I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nelson DeMille returns with his best thriller yet featuring former homicide detective John Corey who is called out of retirement to investigate a string of searing, grisly murders that take place a little too close to home. Corey is now in forced retirement and is asked by his former lover in Plum Island, Detective Beth Penrose, to help search for a serial killer who has murdered nine prostitutes and hidden their bodies in the thick undergrowth on a lonely stretch of beach.
This is my first John Corey book. I am enjoying John Corey's dry sarcastic humor which gives the book an extra boost. The book seems to be inspired and based on the unsolved Gilgo Beach murders. I want to go back and read the other books in the series. I found all the characters to be interesting and the plot action is such that it kept me reading until the very end of the book. I would highly recommend The Maze and find that if you like mystery thrillers, then you will love this book. I would like to thank NetGalley and Scribner for a copy for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for this preview!

DeMille is always one of my go to writers. It's been a while since we've had a new John Corey, and he's back- more sarcastic than ever! This book was originally supposed to come out just after the pandemic started- I had it on pre-order and was eagerly awaiting. Delay, then change of publishing date, and here we are, two years after the promise of more John Corey.

DeMille does a good job recapping John's professional and romantic history for readers who haven't read the series, or for those without all the pieces fresh in their brain. This book comes out of the gate very predictable with where the story will go- and unfortunately takes about half of the book to get there. Once we get to the main part of the story, the book begins to pick up and the rest moves fast. The ending is wrapped up rather quickly, but leaves you hanging for another sequel. Overall, this is not the best John Corey book, but still entertaining, and nice to be back in John's world. I was glad to get a break from terrorists- he's back in the homeland no longer with the ATTF, so that is a good change. A solid entry to the series, if you are already friends with John Corey, but not the place to start if you aren't. So many of DeMille's works leave your heart racing and stay in your brain for a long time. Go to those first. (Charm School, Word of Honor, Gold Cost, Plum Island, on and on)

The Maze was indeed a maze of multiple complicated characters with lots of twists and mysterious friends and family members.
The most interesting storyline is of Gran living in the local nursing home, in which one by one are being killed.
Nelson DeMille has described living in an upscale nursing home exciting, , but the story line moved too slowly and had to many characters for me to stay interested in them all.

The Maze is the next of Nelson DeMille's John Corey series. I have read a few others of DeMille's novels and I found this one did not live up to others for me. The actual meat of this story felt very thin and didn't hold up to the number of pages in the book. This book could have been 200 pages shorter and still told the story. I also still struggle after multiple novels to relate to Corey and the other characters in this novel were even harder to relate to.

Steve runs a private investigation firm with numerous private investigators. Many of his investigations appear to be corrupt. Beth Penrose hires retired NYPD detective John Corey to gain access to the records. Steve has a “Thirsty Thursday” party to entertain local politicians, prospective clients and powerbrokers living in the Hamptons. Food, alcohol, and naked dancers are present each week for entertainment and social convenience. Beth is trying to solve 9 previous murders called the Fire Island murders and hopes John can help find answers. I enjoyed the intrigue into who did what, who knew what, and could anyone be trusted? There are numerous sexual encounters among the cast of characters. I would have preferred to have less X-rated descriptions of the encounters. The book moves quickly and keeps the reader guessing. This is well-written and exciting.

Once again, Nelson DeMille hits it out of the park. I admit, I'm a huge John Corey fan and have been hooked since reading Plum Island, but Corey keeps getting better. I'm thrilled that another in this series is coming. I was given an advance copy of this novel by NetGalley but the review is all my own. Keep writing Nelson.