Nelson DeMille and John Corey did not disappoint! The snide asides and sarcastic humor partnered with romance and nonstop action makes this read a winner. The action and suspense make The Maze hard to put down. As John Corey states, "What is there to live for if no one wants to kill you?" As a word of advise keep your eye on the quotes as there is an unspoken aside in almost every line.
From start to finish humor is delivered through mockery, ridicule, and a cynical view of both the heroes and villains keeping you laughing and guessing all the characters next move. Reading another John Corey novel is like slipping on your favorite beat up pair of shoes.
“The air smelled of wildflowers and fresh earth, the sky was blue, and there wasn’t a sound except the birds singing in the trees. A day like this makes me want to squeeze off nine rounds.”

This was my first detective John Corey novel and I had a hard time getting into it. It was well written, but I just couldn't get involved in the story.

The Maze
by Nelson DeMille

This is my favorite author. Of all time. I have seven of his books, spanning twenty years that I treasure and re-read often. His main character of this story, John Corey, is one I instantly loved and connected with as I live on Long Island. '

'The Maze' had me a little thrown off though. Written in the first person narrative (as were all the John Corey books) I kept getting confused with the snarky comments he kept making and had to look back to see if he was still 'speaking' or just 'thinking' it. I know it's the character's (John Corey's) personality, and I do love his ways but it was a bit distracting for me multiple times throughout the story as I was going along at a great pace.

I will always read Nelson DeMille. Anything and everything. So yeah, this one was a bit of a struggle but I appreciate the opportunity to read an advance copy from from my favorite author and his publisher.

This storyline was fabulous. Based on a true life crime and turned into fiction I kept trying to put names I knew into this story. I look forward to publication day.

Another good book by Mr. DeMille! If you like mysteries with humor you will love this book. There are several “laugh out load” moments! It’s an easy read and I can’t wait until his next one comes out.

I was drawn in by the first sentence. The main character quickly left me cold. I skimmed over the rest hopping it would get better. It didn't.

I would like to thank Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I did not feel that this was one of DeMilles better John Corey books.

I’ve read all of Nelson DeMille’s books and have always enjoyed John Corey’s quick wit and sarcastic ways. Sadly, The Maze was a huge disappointment. The entire story was so predictable that it was laughable. It felt like there were two stories presented that were barely related to one another, the Fire Island (Really Gilgo Beach) murders and a corrupt legal system facilitated by local Private Investigators..

This book didn’t know what it wanted to be.

While I thank NetGalley for the advanced copy, this wasn’t good.

I really enjoyed this John Corey novel. I love DeMille’s style of writing, with the narrative provided by John Corey using his “outside voice” and John using his “inside voice” which is snarky and very funny. For those of us that love great detectives and their stories, this provides a big treat.

John is involved in an accidental role as a CI in a case being pursued by his former, and renewed, girlfriend Beth Penrose, a detective in New York’s Suffolk County. As a CI he penetrates a PI Agency,,which seems to be involved in major coverups, possibly including a group of murdered prostitutes, reminiscent of the Gilgo Beach bodies,

This novel moves quickly with memorable characters. The writing is superb and I couldn’t put it down. The author connects the dots to prior novels which makes this easier to read. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a great detective story, narrated by a funny and charismatic detective.

Thank you Netgalley, for this really great read.

I was very happy to get an advanced copy of Nelson Demille's latest novel "The Maze". I have read everything that Nelson Demille has written and I'm a big John Corey fan. "The Maze" was another five star read and John Corey readers will not be disappointed in this funny and thrilling adventure.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of the last seat installment in the John Corey series.

I have long been a fan of Nelson DeMille and his John Corey novels in particular. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t cut if for me. It relied too heavily on John Corey’s ever so sunny demeanor, and crass inner monologue to extend a novella or short story sized plot into a nearly 500 page book.

John Corey is bored. He is staying at his Uncle’s home near the Hamptons while recuperating from being shot three times, is between marriages (though not divorced from his most recent wife) and at loose ends. He is offered an opportunity to become part of a PI team from the area by his former girlfriend and another friend who is a local Police Chief. He really isn’t interested in the employment opportunity but agrees to meet with the head of the Agency, another ex-cop. He reluctantly agrees to the offer after learning about a series of unsolved murders of prostitutes, cops and miscellaneous others in the area. It is obvious that the Agency is iffy and all the ex-cops running it are dirty. John joins up and takes it from there. He is wisecracking, tough and an old fashioned protagonist. He also spends as much or more time thinking with his little head as a teenager might. But it is action filled fun reading and a quick read for anyone who enjoys the genre. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC for an honest review.

This book was very slow in the beginning but once it picked up I really enjoyed it. I will definitely recommend it.

Another John Corey book filled with witty repartee, both with himself and his audience. I put this the the books as another who done it, where there are bad guys, and real bad guys. Recommend this to all your friends it’s worth their time.

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the eARC.
I have to admit I didn't read many Nelson DeMille books in the past many years, but was glad I read this one.
John Corey is not a 'woke' character, which was a welcome relief. He's actually not that nice and that's putting it nicely...an enormous ego, macho, with a huge politically incorrect attitude towards women, he leads with his groin leaving behind many ex-wife and girlfriends. That said, his thinking and musings are hilarious and at times quite clever and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
A really enjoyable read for me, I definitely recommend it.

Review of eGalley

John Corey, unemployed and decamped to Uncle Harry’s house in Mattituck, reluctantly interviews for a Private Investigator position with Security Solutions, a firm where most of the investigators are former police officers. It isn’t long before John puts all the pieces together and realizes that both Beth Penrose [a detective with the Suffolk County Homicide Squad] and Sylvester Maxwell [Southold Police Chief, better known as Max] have lured him into being a confidential informant as they try to get the goods on all the goings-on within the firm.

This, in his opinion, isn’t too bad because really he’s all about the action. But soon John will have more action than he might have wished for as he exposes corruption [both political and police], criminal actions, and murders.

What will happen if someone discovers John snooping for evidence?

=========

Although this book is the eighth in the John Corey series, it works well as a stand-alone. The story is supported by a strong sense of place, a complex mystery, and familiar characters . . . John Corey, who first appeared in DeMille’s “Plum Island” some twenty-five years ago, is still his smart-alecky, self-deprecating self, still collecting wives, ex-wives, and girlfriends.

In a story inspired by the true-life Gilgo Beach murders, Corey’s investigation leads him to believe that solving the murders of the nine women has less to do with inexperienced [or inept] investigators and more to do with something much more sinister.

While Corey makes a plethora of politically incorrect comments [just the way he always has], the plot twists and turns, suspense builds, and our intrepid hero dishes out the sarcasm along with a bit of humor, all leading to a not-to-be-missed convergence of good versus bad.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Scribner and NetGalley
#TheMaze #NetGalley

Another great John Corey book!
Loosely based on the Gilgo beach prostitute murders. John Corey goes undercover for his ex lover Detective Beth Penrose at Security Solutions to investigate the members of the agency. This book is full of humor and suspense and kept me up at night reading.
Thanks NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

Good book, I enjoyed reading it. John Corey, in my mind ranks up there with Stone Barrington and Butch Karp as legendary characters. While the story is good, it's more about Corey's view of the situation. Some interesting plot surprises and it did come together in the end. I am looking forward to his next work.

Nelson DeMille has always been one of my favorite authors and I was super excited to find out that he had a new book coming out to add to his John Corey series. This one is #8. When I think of Nelson DeMille novels I immediately think of suspense and acerbic wit and this book has a lot of both.

John Corey is lured out of retirement by a previous love interest and into a new job as a private investigator for a security firm. Acting as a new employee, but secretly working as a CI (confidential informant), John ratchets up the risk factor using good investigative work to reveal political and police corruption, expose criminal activity and solve murders along the way. The narrative has a slow build, but when the action took over it put my stomach in knots and made my pulse race with feelings of tension and anticipation.

I would recommend this book for adults only due to its explicit subject matter and sexual content. However, John Corey fans are in for some excitement and entertainment.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book for my enjoyment and review.

My first read by Nelson DeMille. I like the fact that he catches the reader up on the past shenanigans of John Corey. By 27% way through the book, not much had happened. DeMille has stuffed this book full of Corey's inner thoughts, a writerly device I do not care for. The book would be 1/2 as long and wouldn't insult the readers intelligence to figure out what is coming. Frankly Corey is a horny, unlikeable ex NYPD cop, FBI, special agent, etc now working as a PI.

I won't be reading his other books but thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Saved me money.

This is perhaps the third or fourth John Corey novel I've read, but the first in many years. Although now technically retired, thankfully he hasn't hated much. Smart-ass, alpha male, know-it-all, either you love him or you grudgingly accept him. His unsaid thoughts are actually pretty funny.

This is a pretty standard Nelson DeMille offering, full of adult themes. I enjoyed it, and will hopefully read the next installment.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.