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John Corey #1-3
The John Corey Collection: Plum Island, The Lion's Game, and Night Fall Omnibus
An omnibus of three Nelson DeMille novels featuring John Corey, a brilliant NYPD detective who becomes an FBI terrorist hunter.Plum Island Wounded NYPD homicide detective John Corey is convalescing in rural eastern Long Island when a young couple is killed. The victims were researchers at a site rumored to be a biological warfare center. Suddenly, a local double murder takes on shattering global implications-and thrusts Corey into a dangerous search for the secret of Plum Island.The Lion's Game At New York's JFK Airport, an American task force waits for a Libyan terrorist defector. When something goes horribly wrong, federal agent John Corey follows a trail of blood for his a foe with the cunning of a lion and the bloodlust of a man. To win a desperate game with no rules, Corey must invent a strategy that leaves no room for mistakes.Night Fall On a beach, a couple with a video camera record their love-making-and the explosion of TWA Flight 800. Now on the fifth anniversary of a blast that was blamed on mechanical failure, agent John Corey and his partner reopen the case. They will hunt for the crucial video-and race toward an elusive truth even more horrifying than the crash itself.
1426 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
260 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Nelson DeMille
260 books7,365 followersNelson Richard DeMille was an American author of action adventure and suspense novels. His novels include Plum Island, The Charm School, and The General's Daughter. DeMille also wrote under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt Ladner, Ellen Kay and Brad Matthews.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 10, 2022
Plum Island
The protagonist, John Corey, describes himself like this, "I'm an over-bearing, egocentric, and opinionated male chauvinist pig. That's my comfort zone." The convalescing/vacationing NYPD Homicide cop is all of that and more in this wonderful action-packed murder mystery which is set on the Long Island Sound and revolves around the mysterious Plum Island Animal Research Center. It's amazing to read this book, written in the late 90's and have the author describe a scenario involving a worldwide pandemic involving a virus like we just went through with COVID! You will love/hate Corey's character. He's as rough around the edges as they come, has a biting sense of humor, but also is an intuitive and smart old school detective. I enjoyed the ride. Now on to the "Lion's Game" .
The protagonist, John Corey, describes himself like this, "I'm an over-bearing, egocentric, and opinionated male chauvinist pig. That's my comfort zone." The convalescing/vacationing NYPD Homicide cop is all of that and more in this wonderful action-packed murder mystery which is set on the Long Island Sound and revolves around the mysterious Plum Island Animal Research Center. It's amazing to read this book, written in the late 90's and have the author describe a scenario involving a worldwide pandemic involving a virus like we just went through with COVID! You will love/hate Corey's character. He's as rough around the edges as they come, has a biting sense of humor, but also is an intuitive and smart old school detective. I enjoyed the ride. Now on to the "Lion's Game" .
June 5, 2025
Page Turner!
I had previously read Plum Island and The Lion’s Game, but decided it was time for a re-read to get ready for Night Fall. Detective John Corey has all of the grit you’d expect in a New York City Detective. This trilogy was one amazing story after the next, with great character development and good plot lines. I thoroughly enjoyed the series!
I had previously read Plum Island and The Lion’s Game, but decided it was time for a re-read to get ready for Night Fall. Detective John Corey has all of the grit you’d expect in a New York City Detective. This trilogy was one amazing story after the next, with great character development and good plot lines. I thoroughly enjoyed the series!
September 21, 2022
PLUM ISLAND
From the first page, I knew I was going to like John Corey. For a New York City homicide detective, he comes across as down to earth… damn near folksy, if anyone from the Big Apple can be called that. By the end of PLUM ISLAND, he was my hometown hero… I'm originally from the Big Apple, a place with its own peculiar charm.
Detective Corey is on medical leave after being shot three times. He is recuperating on Long Island's North Fork when two of his friends are murdered. Said friends are both scientists working at the top-secret government facility Plum Island Animal Disease Center. The island is thought to be an off the books site for the development of biological weapons. The biologists here work with some of earth's deadliest bacteria and viruses. There you have it… murder with a side of conspiracy that will get your heart pumping. Except for John Corey who likes his clues to make sense with clue 'A' pointing to 'B' and so forth.
The clues and theories surrounding the deaths of Tom and Judy Gordon run hot and cold as they point to one after another possibilities of motive and perpetrator. John Corey, roped into and then excluded from the investigation, keeps his thoughts on the matter mostly to himself. Suffice it to say, his hypotheses do not agree with the official investigation and rumors.
Before I finished reading PLUM ISLAND, I googled Plum Island Animal Disease Center and found that it is a fictitious place. Yes, there is a real Plum Island. It is a barrier island located off the northeast coast of Massachusetts, north of Cape Ann, and nowhere near Long Island. The realism evident in PLUM ISLAND equals that of the very real Three Mile Island incident in 1979.
As an avid reader, I can't believe that I am reading this book 43 years after its first publication in April 1979. I'm hooked, and I plan to read the entire John Corey series.
THE LION'S GAME
First and foremost, do read the author's introduction to THE LION'S GAME. It is inciteful and will put you in the right frame of mind as a post-9/11 reader. Yes, the book is about international terrorism. Yes, the book takes place in New York City. Beyond that, the story unfolds as do all good thrillers.
THE LION'S GAME is part thriller and part historical fiction. Reading the account of the United States bombing of Gadhafi’s Al Azziziyah residence, on April 15, 1986, from the point of view of 16-year old Asad Khalil side by side with that of the pilots and gunners in the air, is a chilling reminder of the bloody reality of war. Around the history, Nelson DeMille has created a cogent account of the cat and mouse battle that is international terrorism. Reading this in 2020 only emphasizes that the Americans have put all their eggs in the international basket while ignoring home grown factions.
Law enforcement agencies may be tasked with upholding the law and catching the bad guys; however, each agency operates on its own CYA agenda that precludes actually working together to achieve a specific goal. John Corey's personal ruminations make this perfectly clear. This unwritten policy doesn't begin to cover the Corey's who dance to their own drummer… in today's parlance… who think outside of the box… yet, without the freethinkers, it would seem that no progress would be made.
There were two lines in the book that stood out. First, "The bad actors were putting on a tragedy, but we weren’t going to give them free advertising." This struck me as good advice to the talking heads in the media today that have obsessed for the past seven years over one very bad actor with an overly loud megaphone. And, the second was "There is no law against terrorism in America." I had to google that one. At the time THE LION'S GAME was published (2000) it does appear to be true. We didn’t get PUBLIC LAW 107–56—OCT. 26, 200, AKA The Patriot Act until after 9/11/2001.
As an eclectic reader - fiction, non-fiction, speculative fiction - it is easy for me to latch onto the speculative in almost anything I read. In non-fiction, it may be described as a sixth sense or gut feeling and be mentioned almost dismissively. In fiction (and particularly in speculative fiction) it can be anything from ESP to precognition referred to as a twinkling or the shine. In any event, I am enamored of John Corey's "X-Files" references.
NIGHT FALL
Nelson DeMille has written a thriller that deserves no spoilers, and I won't give you any. TWA Flight 800 happened. A civilian airliner, bound for Rome, exploded in midair, off the coast of Long Island, on July 17, 1996. Poetic license says the flight in NIGHT FALL is Paris bound. That's what you do with a work of fiction based on an actual event. 230 people lost their lives.
Five years later, John Corey attends a memorial service for those lost with his wife, Kate Mayfield. This sets off a clandestine investigation into the accident. As in the book, there were questions and conspiracy theories surrounding the crash. John Corey does what he does best with his usual NYPD style. He does his job and asks for forgiveness only if (or when) necessary.
Using TWA 800 as the backdrop, the ensuing story has it all. There is suspense and retribution; there are angels, and there are demons. It is a microcosm of the world in which we live. The build-up is to a perfect ending that will leave you in tears.
And, Nelson DeMille knows how to properly use the word 'who.'
From the first page, I knew I was going to like John Corey. For a New York City homicide detective, he comes across as down to earth… damn near folksy, if anyone from the Big Apple can be called that. By the end of PLUM ISLAND, he was my hometown hero… I'm originally from the Big Apple, a place with its own peculiar charm.
Detective Corey is on medical leave after being shot three times. He is recuperating on Long Island's North Fork when two of his friends are murdered. Said friends are both scientists working at the top-secret government facility Plum Island Animal Disease Center. The island is thought to be an off the books site for the development of biological weapons. The biologists here work with some of earth's deadliest bacteria and viruses. There you have it… murder with a side of conspiracy that will get your heart pumping. Except for John Corey who likes his clues to make sense with clue 'A' pointing to 'B' and so forth.
The clues and theories surrounding the deaths of Tom and Judy Gordon run hot and cold as they point to one after another possibilities of motive and perpetrator. John Corey, roped into and then excluded from the investigation, keeps his thoughts on the matter mostly to himself. Suffice it to say, his hypotheses do not agree with the official investigation and rumors.
Before I finished reading PLUM ISLAND, I googled Plum Island Animal Disease Center and found that it is a fictitious place. Yes, there is a real Plum Island. It is a barrier island located off the northeast coast of Massachusetts, north of Cape Ann, and nowhere near Long Island. The realism evident in PLUM ISLAND equals that of the very real Three Mile Island incident in 1979.
As an avid reader, I can't believe that I am reading this book 43 years after its first publication in April 1979. I'm hooked, and I plan to read the entire John Corey series.
THE LION'S GAME
First and foremost, do read the author's introduction to THE LION'S GAME. It is inciteful and will put you in the right frame of mind as a post-9/11 reader. Yes, the book is about international terrorism. Yes, the book takes place in New York City. Beyond that, the story unfolds as do all good thrillers.
THE LION'S GAME is part thriller and part historical fiction. Reading the account of the United States bombing of Gadhafi’s Al Azziziyah residence, on April 15, 1986, from the point of view of 16-year old Asad Khalil side by side with that of the pilots and gunners in the air, is a chilling reminder of the bloody reality of war. Around the history, Nelson DeMille has created a cogent account of the cat and mouse battle that is international terrorism. Reading this in 2020 only emphasizes that the Americans have put all their eggs in the international basket while ignoring home grown factions.
Law enforcement agencies may be tasked with upholding the law and catching the bad guys; however, each agency operates on its own CYA agenda that precludes actually working together to achieve a specific goal. John Corey's personal ruminations make this perfectly clear. This unwritten policy doesn't begin to cover the Corey's who dance to their own drummer… in today's parlance… who think outside of the box… yet, without the freethinkers, it would seem that no progress would be made.
There were two lines in the book that stood out. First, "The bad actors were putting on a tragedy, but we weren’t going to give them free advertising." This struck me as good advice to the talking heads in the media today that have obsessed for the past seven years over one very bad actor with an overly loud megaphone. And, the second was "There is no law against terrorism in America." I had to google that one. At the time THE LION'S GAME was published (2000) it does appear to be true. We didn’t get PUBLIC LAW 107–56—OCT. 26, 200, AKA The Patriot Act until after 9/11/2001.
As an eclectic reader - fiction, non-fiction, speculative fiction - it is easy for me to latch onto the speculative in almost anything I read. In non-fiction, it may be described as a sixth sense or gut feeling and be mentioned almost dismissively. In fiction (and particularly in speculative fiction) it can be anything from ESP to precognition referred to as a twinkling or the shine. In any event, I am enamored of John Corey's "X-Files" references.
NIGHT FALL
Nelson DeMille has written a thriller that deserves no spoilers, and I won't give you any. TWA Flight 800 happened. A civilian airliner, bound for Rome, exploded in midair, off the coast of Long Island, on July 17, 1996. Poetic license says the flight in NIGHT FALL is Paris bound. That's what you do with a work of fiction based on an actual event. 230 people lost their lives.
Five years later, John Corey attends a memorial service for those lost with his wife, Kate Mayfield. This sets off a clandestine investigation into the accident. As in the book, there were questions and conspiracy theories surrounding the crash. John Corey does what he does best with his usual NYPD style. He does his job and asks for forgiveness only if (or when) necessary.
Using TWA 800 as the backdrop, the ensuing story has it all. There is suspense and retribution; there are angels, and there are demons. It is a microcosm of the world in which we live. The build-up is to a perfect ending that will leave you in tears.
And, Nelson DeMille knows how to properly use the word 'who.'
November 28, 2025
Mr. DeMille writes 3detailed stories
All 3 of these stories are connected by the characters, but could be stand alone! John Corey is a great character and so are the others! It is well worth the time to read these together because the it fits as one long story! You like the good guys and dislike the bad! Read and enjoy!
All 3 of these stories are connected by the characters, but could be stand alone! John Corey is a great character and so are the others! It is well worth the time to read these together because the it fits as one long story! You like the good guys and dislike the bad! Read and enjoy!
May 4, 2020
Another DeMille masterpiece
I was entranced again by the smart aleck that is John Corey and the masterful tale spin by DeMille. I am currently re-reading all of his outstanding books.
Enjoy
I was entranced again by the smart aleck that is John Corey and the masterful tale spin by DeMille. I am currently re-reading all of his outstanding books.
Enjoy
July 4, 2023
sorry, Plum Island Not for Me
This main character is just a snarky a-hole and I can’t read another word. It might turn out to be a really good story, but I don’t have the patience for John Corey.
This main character is just a snarky a-hole and I can’t read another word. It might turn out to be a really good story, but I don’t have the patience for John Corey.
June 19, 2024
The John Corey Collection (Nelson DeMille)
A fabulous trilogy by Nelson DeMille of NYPD Detective John Corey solving a series of crimes with wit, humor and great skill. A lot of sleepless nights and a desire for more. A great read… take the leap.
A fabulous trilogy by Nelson DeMille of NYPD Detective John Corey solving a series of crimes with wit, humor and great skill. A lot of sleepless nights and a desire for more. A great read… take the leap.
August 14, 2022
Night Fall is 4-1/2 stars
October 25, 2022
First two books were great. Thrilling. Third was a drag and a let down.
May 5, 2021
I had already read these three books when they first came out but it had been awhile and and it I was offered as a collection I bought it and starting reading and reading and reading. When I receive a book by this author it is a wow ride to be sure. I just finished reading the third book and I had to remember to breathe again. I love all of the characters, especially John Corey. He is very smart and funny and so New York I just love it. These books are very powerful. I grew up in New York and on Long Island and these stories were memories from my past and I am sure a lot of other readers felt the same way. I am so glad I reread these books. They are just that good. Nelson DeMille also brings a lot of history into his stories so it makes for a great read. This author is one of the best!
March 2, 2024
Liked the lab information, not a fan of pirate treasure hunt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews