I've been wracking my brain and wondering what, if anything, I've read by Nelson DeMille. I recognized the author's name immediately and that's one of the reasons I wanted to read this book. After reading it, I can't believe I've never read anything by this famous author. I truly enjoyed reading this - especially the John Corey character's humor. This grabbed me from page one and held me through to the end. Great character, great plot, great humor! Now I need to go back and read books 1 through 7.

Corey is a former NYPD homicide detective, and an ex Federal Agent. There are people who want him dead - including the CIA. He is legendary. Fired from his last job with the Feds, Corey is staying at his uncle's beachhouse and his second marriage is on the rocks. While there he meets up with an old girlfriend, Detective Beth Penrose, as well as his old friend Max. They convince John to apply for a job with a private investigative company. He gets suspicious during the interview that there's something going on in the company other than investigations. He confronts Beth and is convinced to infiltrate the company and try to find out what is going on and expose it.

There are definitely some offensive ideologies throughout the book, but fitting for the situation I think. The Corey character is a risk-taker who loves danger. He doesn't hesitate to make things happen and refuses to take things slow. This kept the book interesting and the tension building. The title is appropriate in more ways than one.

Thanks to Scribner through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on October 11, 2022.

I’m a big fan of some of DeMille’s earlier titles, especially his John Corey series, but I hadn’t liked the direction some of his later Corey books had taken—prioritizing action over mystery. Thus, I was intrigued to read that THE MAZE returns Corey to his roots solving murders on Long Island.

Sadly, THE MAZE fails to deliver on its potential. I was hoping that it would focus on the murders, and Corey would have to puzzle through a list of suspects. Instead, the novel centralizes Corey’s swashbuckling ways of confronting corruption. The plot offers few surprises, the characters’ actions are often implausible, and the narrative is frequently repetitious. Finally, Corey’s hallmark witty narrative still generates the occasional chuckle (for those not easily offended), but the entire conceit felt dated.

Unfortunately The Maze did not meet my expectations. The story was reasonably well paced but there was nothing to draw me in and keep me engaged. It was too predictable.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Scribner and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own..

Another one in the established series. Thrills and excitement abound.

The Maze is my first read by Nelson DeMille. I've been aware of the author but usually have gravitated to Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and other authors. I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, so here goes.

The Maze features John Corey who is a recurring character of DeMille's. He is a detective who doesn't like to follow the rules, and has had a stellar career but also been fired, sued, and is the target of terrorists due to work on an anti-terrorism group. In this novel Corey is working as a CI, a confidential informant to investigate a shady business known as Security Solutions Inc., and organization believed to be connected to the murders of several young prostitutes and at least two other individuals, one of whom worked at SSI.

As this was my first impression of Corey I'll just say he was *not* a likeable character. He is the narrator of the novel, and is involved with a great deal of dialogue with himself. He is sarcastic, drops a lot of F bombs (as do many other characters in the book), and thinks with his penis most of the time. I think he would turn off most female readers.

The Maze is actually one of these big hedge mazes that to me are more common in Europe than here in the US, although there are probably more than I'm aware of. The Maze becomes the place of the final showdown in the book; otherwise it is just a passing small town tourist attraction.

The plot is just so-so, and didn't really captivate me as it was just not believable. The book has some suspenseful moments, but mostly in the next to last chapter. Otherwise it slogs along with Corey undermining his CI contact, Detective Beth Penrose, who he is also bedding regularly throughout the book. I didn't feel there was much character development among the other characters, and that could have made things more interesting.

The Maze is ok. Good for escapism. But overall I doubt I will continue with any of John Corey's adventures in the future.

I have read several of Nelson DeMille books about John Corey and was excited to receive this one for a review. The beginning of the book was interesting. John is not working and his old partner, Beth, shows up and asks for help. The story was predictable and dragged. John’s thoughts went on and on and I got a little tired of them. It was okay but not as good as his previous books. If you love Mr. DeMille’s books you will liked this one.

So very glad to read another John Corey book. He has such a great sense of humor & this book is another page-turner. I don't remember him being so obsessed with sex, but the story was compelling.

John Corey is retired from the NYPD and a former federal agent who has worked in terrorism. He has left an indelible stamp on every job he’s held. Anyone who has worked with him can not easily dismiss his style or his sense of humor. With two marriages and many relationships behind him, he is reunited with a former lover when he finds himself visiting the North Fork of Long Island. Bored with life, he agrees to become an undercover C.I. in a private investigator business linked with local corrupt political and police figures. Revolving around the real-life unsolved murders of female sex workers found near Gilgo Beach whose cases still remain unsolved and the fictional murder of a female investigator and a male reporter, the initial findings seem to point to a “ labyrinth of corruption and deceit” as complex as the hedge maze next door. Nelson DeMille once again offers his readers a wild ride through the investigative skills of this particular character, somewhat questionable and always hair-raising. The parenthetical asides and sarcastic musings of Corey can be a bit distracting at times but it is typical DeMille who also enhances his storyline with unexpected twists.

I really enjoyed the book "The Maze." I love the character of John Corey and have read many books with him as the main character. I love his sarcastic humor. I found this book to be very intriguing, however, I wish there was more information given on the actual murders. I thought it was a very interesting glimpse behind the scenes of corrupt law enforcement officials. I might even re-read it once it comes out in hardcover. Definitely would recommend this book to anyone who likes crime mysteries.

I've read (and enjoyed!) all of Nelson DeMille's books. But to be 100% honest, I'm in love with John Corey! I was so happy to have another visit with John in The Maze. John never disappoints. Corey reminds us, "you can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning". Lots of action and some edge of your seat moments in The Maze. I want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an early copy to review.

Another great read from Nelson DeMille. Like many others, based in the metro NYC area but focused on Long Island this time. John Corey is moving on to the next chapter of his career, the feds kicked him out, the NYC department of police moved him out earlier, and the CIA really doesn’t want to know him. The book goes back to Plum Island and one of the earliest books of DeMille. He rekindles a love interest, his maybe wife tries to renter the picture, and there is a lot of corruption in eastern Long Island. Lots of fun, lots of excitement, and lots of the typical John Corey BS. Which is always fun to read.

Nelson DeMille The Maze

A Review



The Maze, due out October 11, 2022, is the eighth installment of Nelson DeMille’s John Corey series. Following Corey, an NYPD detective, now retired after a career-ending injury, and similarly retired as a federal agent from the Diplomatic Surveillance Group, the book starts with the oversized character at loose ends, positive he has angered enough people to ensure he needs to watch his back. And this is the way Corey likes things. He is addicted to action and danger, among other things. A visit with his friend, the local chief of police, gets him involved with an old flame, Detective Beth Penrose, and a cold case of serial murders, along with the suspicious death of one of Beth’s colleagues.

The book quickly progresses into a maze of dangers, all skirting closely to the very people Corey needs to trust to get to the truth. But he does not seem to mind getting close to the killer or killers, which is why he takes the job to infiltrate the organization at the very crux of the mystery.

This is the first book from the series that I have read. The plot is engaging and well-timed. The writing is tight. The only major failing of the book is the outdated caricatures of the main characters. Corey is that hard-boiled detective of old, who loves booze, brawls, and "broads.” Corey's commentary about female characters is ridiculously offensive. If that were the only issue of that kind, however, we could simply chalk it up to Corey being Corey—it is not cute, but some might find him redeeming, in some way. The problem is that all the women in the novel are Sirens, in one way or another, to Corey’s Odysseus. Distracting at best. Deadly at worst. And all use sex as a way of achieving their own ends.

Read this for the expert handling of the action. But be warned. You are likely to be left with a sour taste in your mouth by the irredeemable characters.

My fondness for Nelson DeMille is never more apparent than when I'm reading one of his John Corey novels, the shit-eating grin and bursts of laughter give it away. There's absolutely nothing that I dislike about Corey, he's the ultimate smart-ass, with an almost suicidal disregard for his own personal safety and a firm grasp on his moral compass, he doesn't always follow it but he knows precisely where the line is. The crap Corey gets himself into is truly amazing, and the angels watching over him definitely have their work cut out for them. He's a wise-ass and a pain but he's one hell of a cop and if I turn up murdered one day, I want Corey to find whoever did it. The hallmark of a great writer is when the book shuts out everything else and makes you focus solely on what's on the page, and DeMille isn't just a great writer, he's a master craftsman, and thankfully his craft is creating incredible tales. As much as I enjoy DeMille's work, I wish he wrote nothing but John Corey books, and I buy his books immediately with the sincere hope to find a new Corey novel in my hands but know that I'm in for a pleasurable time irregardless of who the main character will be. If this is your first forey into John Corey's world you're in for a treat and one hell of a ride, and I would suggest that you start with his first novel Plum Island, to get the fullest effect of the scope of DeMille's talent. I'm now awaiting the next tome to come from the desk of DeMille, I'm certain that it probably won't be a John Corey book, but that I'll enjoy it nonetheless; I probably just won't laugh as loud or as often.

I was very disappointed in this book. I’ve read all of Mr. DeMille’s John Corey books but either I’m getting old or his schtick is. There isn’t much of a plot to this book. The first 40% is basically a wise crack laced recap with a lot of crass sexual innuendo. Double entendres are fun for a while but the endless barrage of them losses it’s appeal quickly. Maybe the Corey character just feels out of date nowadays, but there isn’t much else to the book. By the end, supposed major plot points weren’t really resolved, I’d been so excited to get an early copy of this but it was a real let down.

I chose this ARC because of the synopsis, The claim that it was based and inspired by actual and still unsolved murders was a hook I couldn't ignore. Even knowing it was the 8th book in a series didn't discourage me. At first the irreverent, humor and unuttered wisecracks were amusing and the characters backgrounds though slow moving were necessary to familiarize a new reader with John Corey and his playmates. Long before chapter 8 they got to be tedious, repetitive and a waste of my time. I'd put it down for a day or two and pick it back up only to put it down again But because I made a commitment to read the book I kept trying and honestly, it wasn't bad, but neither was it captivating. Even if had read the earlier books, and knew all about John Corey, Beth Penrose and the others, I would have found the first 15 chapters boring.
That's all I've managed to this point. I have no desire to finish this book. I have no problem setting aside a book I'm not enjoying and I definitely am not enjoying this one.

In book #8 of DeMille’s John Corey series, the brash, irreverent Corey considers coming out of retirement to work for a security agency. Considering his illustrious career, this seems like a big step backward, until he discovers that the agency is really a cover for a clandestine gentleman’s club. Plus, the club is believed to be connected to a string of murdered women discovered in the area. And, many of its regular customers are very high-ranking public officials. Corey just can’t say no to a juicy case like this one. DeMille’s writing style is funny, wisecracking and refreshingly blunt. John Corey’s hilarious, non-PC inner monologue alone is worth the read. But the intricate plot, loaded with suspense, shady characters, and a busload of bad guys, make this story impossible to put down. I’ve just barely finished book #8 and I’m already well into John Corey’s previous high-stakes escapades. Wow, what a ride!

Thank you for the complimentary copy of The Maze by Nelson DeMille. I love a book full of adventure with twists and turns. I also love the smart aleck insight to John Corey’s thoughts through the entire book. I chuckled so many times. I loved the story line and the entanglement of all the characters. It was a little too easy to see what was coming and I wish that had not been the case. With that said j still wanted to read it and see what happened. Thank you for the opportunity.

Nelson DeMille is one of my favorite authors, and John Corey is one of my favorite of his characters. Corey is retired from all sorts of government agencies, from law enforcement to those national alphabet agencies. He is experienced in solving mysteries and crimes. He is also a little paranoid that some of those crimes he helped solve will come back to haunt him. In this one, a lovely female detective finds him and invites him to be her guest for a few weeks. He accepts not just her bed and breakfast but a challenge to help solve a mystery that may be part of a local criminal ring. John takes on the woman and the mystery and finds himself in the middle of a maze of intrigue. Loved the book, and always enjoy revisiting with John Corey and his humor. Thanks to #TheMaze#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What a special opportunity to be selected to read an early copy by such a legendary author! Even though this is one of a long running series, I’m embarrassed to admit I haven’t read all the previous. It was easy to read on it’s own, when I could contain the snickers and chuckles. I may have to go back and read earlier instalments just to see how John Corey managed to acquire so many X’s. He is apparently quite the ladies man.
Separated from his current wife and career, John left NY City for his uncle’s summer house on Long Island. Some of his previous assignments left some ruffled feathers, the Russians want to assassinate him. One of his lovers, Detective Beth Penrose, resurfaces inviting him to move in with her for the summer. She has A hidden agenda.
The premise of this story is an investigation involving a missing woman along with recent and older homicides, which may all be connected. It turns into an elaborate off-book undercover op pulled together by Beth and a team of other law enforcement individuals. She seduces John into a web of deceit, blackmail and corruption. The extent of bribery and criminal activity might jeopardize John’s new employment as a consultant with Security Solutions private investigation agency. He has some new and former friends there. He just needs to figure out who he can trust and who’s about to set him up or double-cross him. The players in this high stakes scheme run the gamut in several law enforcement agencies and political types.
It was a fun read enriched with some great humor and one-liners. John Corey talks in his own head a lot which amused me. The overall plot was full of the type of action you expect in a sting operation and an easy read with a ‘maze’ of wrong turns and danger at every corner. This author earns a spot on my must-read list, highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of “The Maze, a John Corey Novel”, by Nelson DeMille and to Scribner, Simon & Schuster, Inc. these are my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

Thank you, NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly, I usually love Nelson DeMille books, especially the ones with John Corey as the main character. This book, however, was a disappointment. It started off as interesting, I enjoyed the first third of the book. Then there was the constant repetition of what is going to transpire. It dragged and the climax at the end of the book, was not particularly exciting, and a bit predictable. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars just because I enjoy the John Corey character. If you are a DeMille fan, read it and cast your own opinion, but don't expect the caliber of the book as his earlier ones.