This is the eighth John Corey book in the series. The book has 46 chapters and a total of about 377 pages.

The story is told from John Corey’s first-person perspective, and right away you will have an idea of Corey’s personality within the first few pages. Corey’s character is clearly a throwback to a different time, and while I think it is possible to write a compelling character with these kinds of thoughts, it felt to me like the author was trying way too hard to force this “politically incorrect humor” into the story. To me it made Corey seem more like a teenager than a seasoned homicide detective, and since the entire story is filtered through this perspective, it is difficult to enjoy the book if you don’t love this character.

Personally, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this one. I didn’t love the idea of taking real life unsolved crimes and incorporating them into this questionable plot, as it felt somehow disrespectful to the victims and the real detectives that worked on those cases. There wasn’t a ton of action, or clever plot twists, and you have to deal with a main character that just seemed like a forced caricature. Ultimately, your enjoyment of this book will likely depend on how you respond to John Corey, and if you totally love him, then for you that might make up for everything else.

I love the Nelson DeMille writing style and John Corey is a great character. I laughed a lot, like I always do with DeMille. The non-verbal conversations are spot on. If you are a John Corey fan, this book will not disappoint. The only challenge I had with this one is the story was a bit bland and not really believable. If you are looking for a light and easy read, this does the trick but lacking any real substance, it may not be for everyone.

The Maze is book six in the John Corey series. This is my first book to read in this series. I might have had a different opinion if I had read the previous books, but I did not find this one interesting or even entertaining. Nor did I appreciate the many references to drinking or his love life. Sorry but this book was not for me.

When I saw that Nelson DeMille had a book on Net Galley I knew I had to request it I love John Corey and couldn’t wait to read it. John Cory is offered a job with Security Solutions and his initial reaction is a definite hard no. He told the head slime ball at the company he would think about it only because Max referred him and not because he was really going to think about it. Later that night however he set up to have drinks with Beth and true to form the relationship begins a new and she convinces him that he should be an investigator but should investigate Security Solutions he decides to do it but it seems the deeper he gets the closer to home the more desperate concluding the investigation becomes. Will he make it out alive and him can he protect those he cares about? I have enjoyed these books since Plum Island and I saw in another review. Wrote the reviewer said John Cory was a bit crass when he talked about women that he should change with the times but I think it’s great that the author stay true to the character because we are not seeing the public persona of John Corey we’re seeing him in his every day life dealing with the underground and I certainly enjoyed this book and felt like I was visiting an old friend. I can’t wait to see if there’s another book because I absolutely love these books and highly recommend it. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate most of my review.

I hate writing negative reviews. It’s a very rare book that receives a two-star or less review from me. And to Nelson DeMille of all people- he’s been a best-seller forever!

But I didn’t enjoy this book. The Maze’s protagonist John Corey is a caricature of the anti-hero. Self-obsessed, hard-drinking, sex-driven and smartassed. Those are things we bad-boy-loving readers usually go for, but this guy is so over-blown it's kinda embarrassing. Plus also, where’s the action?! I was 87% through the book before anyone pulled a gun. And ultimately the murders are not solved, only punished for. I’m sorry Mr. DeMille, I’m take a pass on any more John Corey books.

This is my first Nelson DeMille book, and (obviously) my first in this character's series. Unfortunately, it did not work for me.

I mean, within the first few chapters, we're already talking about all the enemies he has and his paranoia that everyone is out to get him. Reading that for over 400 pages was excessive. I think the character had potential, but he probably should have actually retired a few books ago.

It's been 7 years since the last John Corey book, Radiant Angel, but our low brow hero of the hour has not aged for the better. In THE MAZE, John joins a security company to ferret out corrupt and criminal individuals. Along the way, we are treated to John's ever sarcastic, often vulgar and obscene, opinions on life and mankind. I've always loved Nelson DeMille's books, this one I just enjoyed. I'll read the next one too,but I'll not give THE MAZE a place of honor in my bookcase.

If you've followed John Corey in Nelson DeMille's series about the headstrong crimefighter, you're in luck. "The Maze" is more than 300 pages of Corey at his best - sarcastic, single and ready for trouble. I recommend the audiobook so you get a sense of the protagonist's dry wit and naughtiness. No matter the media choice, be prepared for a twisted tale. You know where you think the plot is going, but with DeMille, you can never be sure. Corey is reunited with an old flame who just happened to save his life in an earlier novel. He and Beth make a good pair, even though honesty is a stretch of interpretation for them both. Their story moves a bit slow in places, but the outcome is a true DeMille production. Let's hope this isn't the last we hear of this two gun-toting lovers.

The Maze Review

This book had some of the Demille wit I’ve missed with the last book. Saying the name of the previous book still brings disgust to my mind on how far removed it was from what I came to expect from a Corey book.

The 8th John Corey book in the series continues the decline of quality that Radiant Angel started. The story starts out slowly; a lot, I mean A LOT, of talking that could have been condensed down from the 60% or so of the book that it occupied. Repetition could have been removed to streamline as well - the repeated mentions of Plum Island, Kate and Walsh, etc, which would have moved the story along quicker.

Once the action finally starts, around 70%, sadly, it’s somewhat predictable since the reader has the first 60% of the book to let the mind wander as the eyes glaze over. A complaint of mine would be that there’s no solid conclusion after all of the buildup of the story but without an epilogue, the book ended sooner so I shouldn’t complain too much.

In summary, this story was dull, flat and boring with over half of the book having limited action with little to entice the reader before rushing along to a neat finish that leaves the story hanging. This isn’t the same Demille that wrote the first six Corey books and I’m going to have to quit him if this continues. I wanted to DNF this one at 10% out of boredom and lack of interest but kept reading because it’s an ARC.

Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.

The author brings back John Corey from Plum Island in this book that focuses on a plot inspired the Gilgo Beach murders. The character, John Corey, is brought back into this plot by his ex-girlfriend Detective Beth Benrose after he was forced to retire from his last position as a federal agent. The book may appear to have a slow start to some, but if you haven’t read the sequels this will help the readers have the back history. I personally liked the book and love the John Corey series that started with Plum Island. I recommend the book and the author.

I’ve been a fan of Nelson DeMille’s work for a number of decades, but I must admit it’s been quite a few years since I last picked up one of his books. That being said, I couldn’t resist a new John Corey novel. Plum Island was the first of DeMille’s novels that I read so it was so cool to see the return of some familiar faces. The story is inspired by the real life/unsolved Gilgo Beach murders (aka the Long Island serial killer). It was so good to see John Corey back in action and in classic DeMille style, he weaves a complex tale full of twists and turns. I’d like to thank Scribner and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of The Maze.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-maze-nelson-demille/1137938568?ean=9781982185367&bvnotificationId=0ccf06b3-497c-11ed-9dbc-0ecef71c9621&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/219600122

Having heard good things about Nelson DeMille for years, I decided to give his work a try with this book. Maybe I started in the wrong place in the series, but unfortunately I’m not inclined to try any others. The problem is not that the protagonist, John Corey, is obnoxious, though that’s true; it’s that his compulsion to make an idiotic remark every five seconds just takes too long—and frankly makes the story boring. Even when the guy manages to deliver dialogue that isn’t flippant/rude/inappropriate, the text still drags needlessly, because now we get *both* versions: what he said, and an aside about what what he wanted to say but didn’t (usually because it would have compromised his chances with a woman). Instead of enjoying what was probably meant to be banter (though it was generally too mean-spirited or obnoxious to be amusing), I found myself wishing this jerk would just shut up and start solving a crime already.

10% of the way into the book, I was already having to force myself to plow ahead, because nothing showed any signs of happening. The one random thing that kept me going was that Corey happens to be reading a Nero Wolfe novel and makes references to it. Those old-school mysteries were fun, and I thought there might be entertainment value in seeing Corey react to Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin in The Rubber Band. In fact, his comments about the novels (unsurprisingly) seem limited to remarking that the title reminded him of the contents of his nightstand and observing that Nero Wolfe never seems to have sex. If Corey fancies himself an Archie Goodwin type, he’s very much mistaken. Archie Goodwin needles the cops and is often flippant, but he’s not actually a self-absorbed jerk. He manages to do productive things in between talking, and he even lasts more than 5 minutes without saying something moronic.

A third of the way through the book, there's been a lot of unnecessary talk and still no crime. By this point in a detective novel—especially if I’m putting up with an annoying narrator—I generally like the PI to have an actual case to solve and the investigation to be well underway. This story just takes too long to get going, and if you’re bored while waiting for a case to show up, you need someone better to hang out with than John Corey.

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for a digital advance review copy.

I’ve read a few of John Corey’s stories and really enjoy his internal dialogues, they are so much fun, sometimes crazy. The man thinks too highly of himself but is also aware of his weaknesses. His relationship with Beth was crazy, but that seems to be normal for him with women.

I liked the background of the unsolved murders and the three sort of friends coming together to investigate the criminal behavior of the people at the PI business. The cast of crooked cops and politicians seemed pretty extreme, but there were always the questions of who were involved and to what extent. The thing that always draws me in is Corey’s attitudes about himself and the women in his life, plus the danger that he seems to find impossible to resist. He almost seems to have a death wish, but somehow seems to survive every time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance e-copy of “The Maze, a John Corey Novel”, by Nelson DeMille and to Scribner, Simon & Schuster, Inc. This is my honest review.

Nelson Demille is back with arguably his best character John Corey. Nelson has such a unique way of writing a thriller. Sarcasm and humor is mixed in so well with the thriller and mystery parts of the book. Readers who have awaited a new John Corey novel will not be disappointed. Loved this book and I hope he continues bringing him back for future novels. Highly recommended!

This is the eighth in the John Corey series. Since Nelson DeMille is such a popular, best selling author and I hadn’t read any of his books since Plum Island, the first John Corey installment, I wanted to read The Maze.

John Corey is retired from the NYPD due to being wounded in action and has worked for several federal agencies since. Now relaxing at his uncle’s house on the north shore of Long Island, he is approached by a former girlfriend and the local chief of police, a longtime friend, and encouraged to take a job with a private investigation firm. He wants no part of the job, but realizes there must be something more to this request and takes the position on a temporary basis to investigate just what is going on. Is this agency tied to the deaths of at least nine prostitutes in the area? And just what are some of the local police and politicians doing attending lewd “Thirsty Thursday” events at the agency?

I was really put off by the main character. Told from a first person POV, John does have a very funny, sarcastic sense of humor, but his misogynist, adolescent behavior and remarks made him insufferable. Oh, and he thinks he is the gods gift to women. The story dragged. It took to almost the halfway point for the plot to be revealed and nearly to the end for anything to really occur. A lot of time was spent with endless talk about what he was going to do and only in the last chapter did the reader see some action, albeit a bit unrealistic. There really wasn’t much of a mystery and it wasn’t fully resolved.

The title of Nelson DeMille’s latest thriller, “The Maze,” refers to a life-size tourist attraction on a strawberry farm next to the headquarters of the detective agency where much of the book’s action takes place. It could also refer to the book, which has about ten pages of genuine excitement in the last few chapters. However, the “good stuff” is well hidden inside 400 pages of bloated, confusing, repetitive, unfunny prose that seems more like the product of a mediocre creative writing student than an acclaimed best-selling author.

“The Maze” is the latest in a series of novels featuring John Corey, an ex-New York City cop who has also worked for various government agencies in his career. As the book opens, Corey is unemployed and living in his uncle’s house on Long Island, unsure of his next career move. At the urging of an ex-girlfriend, Corey takes a position at Security Solutions, a local detective agency. He soon discovers that the agency is involved in all sorts of illegal activity and then tries to find incriminating evidence in the firm’s records that will land its investigators behind bars.

In earlier Corey novels, the agent was pitted against various infamous international terrorists, so an undercover assignment to put away some crooked PIs is a big letdown for Corey and a disappointment for readers. The book has little action until the last few chapters. It also has little mystery or suspense. Corey figures out pretty quickly what the bad guys are up to. A hint, it involves inviting various local politicians to the agency’s weekly “Thirsty Thursday” parties, where the entertainment includes assorted strippers and hookers.

What “The Maze” has is an inordinate amount of repetition and padding. DeMille’s reputation probably caused his editors to restrain themselves. However, a good, ruthless editor could have red-penciled this 400-page novel down to a decent 50-page novelette. Instead, DeMille gives readers a confusing account of Corey’s backstory, including describing his former jobs, wives, and girlfriends. Those who have read the earlier Corey books will find this material boring. Those who haven’t will probably find it confusing. Further, very little of this material has any relevance to the plot. Similarly, when Corey first interviews with Security Solutions, he has almost no intention of taking a job there. He makes that point via asides to the readers. Then, he makes the same point again. And a few pages later, he makes the same point yet again.

The author’s penchant for repetition is especially clear in the constant attempts to inject humor into the story. I haven’t read any earlier Corey novels, but according to the blurb for “The Maze,” the character is renowned for his irreverent, wisecracking humor. This novel is full of these wisecracks. Usually, they take the form of Corey saying something he doesn’t mean, followed at once by a comment to readers about how he really feels. Very few of these comments and observations are funny the first time Corey makes them. None of them are funny the fourth or fifth time readers hear them. Further, several Corey wisecracks involve crude, sexist comments about the book’s female characters. This sort of humor harkens back to the Mickey Spillane novels of the 1950s and is entirely out of place in a book published in 2022 (and presumably taking place about the same time).

One subplot in the novel involves a fictional version of the notorious (and still unsolved) Gilgo Beach killings on Long Island in 2010. In “The Maze,” a similar string of killings may be connected to the goings on at Security Solutions. While this storyline has intriguing possibilities, it’s essentially just another marketing tool for the novel. The author mentions the killings a couple of times, but then drops the storyline. By the end of the book, readers still won’t have a clear idea of how that storyline was resolved, if at all.

I’ve read several of Nelson DeMille’s earlier novels that were taut, suspenseful thrillers. That DeMille touch is mainly absent in “The Maze.” The book’s various plot twists are easy for experienced genre readers to guess. John Corey isn’t a very interesting protagonist, and the villains are standard thriller thugs. The novel’s only excitement occurs in an unusual chase through the tourist maze. Those twenty pages reminded me of the author’s earlier, better work. But readers have to endure too much monotonous padding to get there. DeMille fans and thriller fans should avoid wasting their time finding their way through “The Maze.”

I received an ARC of this book. This book has everything...a little romance, lots of twists and a complex mystery. Great main character in an action-packed story.

Considering how much I have read over the last 16 years, it is a bit surprising that this is my first Nelson DeMille novel. Equally surprising is that he is published by one of my favorite publishing houses.

John Corey ia a retired homicide detective of the NYPD. He is somewhat crass and irreverent. He also has a laundry list of ex wives and girlfriends, which isn't entirely shocking given his propensity for being obnoxious and driven by his philandering ways.

The Maze is based on the actual and still unsolved Gilgo Beach murders. That makes for an interesting backdrop for a riveting story that is aptly named. There are twists and turns throughout the story.

I was a little off-put by the character and being in his head, exposed to his thoughts. Having said that, I do look forward to going back and taking the journey of reading the other books in the John Corey series.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me an ARC of The Maze in exchange for my thoughts and opinions.

John Corey returns with all of his sarcastic humor and arrogance. He is former NYPD, ATF and has worked with a number of other law enforcement positions. Now retired, he is invited to join a firm of private investigators. While he has no intention of taking the position, he is encouraged by his former and once again current lover, Beth Penrose, a homicide detective. It does not take much to realize that there is a motive for this encouragement. A former employee supposedly committed suicide after investigating the disappearance of a missing call girl. She had discussed her investigation with the wrong person within the firm and Beth believes that her death was really a homicide. As an employee, There is also a possible connection to several other murders. Corey is to investigate the firm and it’s owner for criminal conspiracy. The firm can also be tied to political and police corruption, posing some danger for Corey.

While I have been a fan of Nelson DeMille for some time, I had some trouble with The Maze. It is written from Corey’s perspective. His observations are constantly centered on female anatomy and his thoughts are often crass. While there were some moments of humor, they were overshadowed by his sexist statements. Times have changed since John Corey first appeared, but he has not. I would hesitate to recommend this to anyone who is easily offended. I would like to thank NetGalley and Scribner for making this book available for my review.

I was given an ARC of The Maze by Nelson DeMille in exchange for my review. Thanks to NetGalley, Scribner and the author for the ARC and the opportunity.

Good old John Corey is back on the street hanging at his uncle's house on Long Island. Unemployed and looking for another chance to get back in the game. Well an old flame comes back into his life and she and her associates set John down the path of working for a PI firm which turns out to be shady.

Corey knows he is being suggested for this position but he ultimately doesn't care -- he is an action junkie and loves going after bad guys even when he is at great risk. So John starts learning about the PI firm and its employees. Red flags flying everywhere. So Corey decides he is going to kick things up a notch, go rogue and get things resolved ASAP.

Corey is one of those guys who thinks he is the smartest guy in the room and continues to think that even after learning he isn't. You know what they say about the plans of mice and men .... Anyway, I digress.

In the end, Corey prompts action which results in some, but not nearly all, of the wrongdoers being brought to justice (of a sort). Corey is his characteristic wise ass self which is fine by me.

Really enjoyed The Maze and recommend it for your entertainment.

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