The Lion

by Nelson DeMille

Grand Central Publishing

June, 2010


I am happy to be reviewing a prerelease copy of this new Nelson DeMille thriller. No spoilers here. John Corey, the ex NYPD homicide detective who now works for the Federal anti terrorism task force is the main character. This is DeMille’s fifth John Corey novel (Plum Island, Lion’s Game, Night Fall and Wild Fire). You do not have to read these novels to enjoy this one although DeMille does make references to events in those earlier books.

This story is set in NYC thirteen months post the 9/11 attacks. Corey is working alongside his wife Kate Mayfield an FBI agent. In a terrifying, suspenseful scene involving a skydiving trip, they encounter the Libyan terrorist Asad Khalil. DeMille presents the motivations of both Corey and Khalil; unusual for this type of thriller you can actually understand the roots of Khalil’s terrorism. Events move along quickly following the initial meeting. The action is centered in the metro New York area and exploits the difficulties the federal/state/local agencies have had cooperating and sharing intelligence information. Corey stands above the bureaucracy and has a singular focus on bringing down the terrorist. The characters in this novel are engaging, funny and sharply drawn. Corey is non-stop with the wisecracks, I find them funny and occasionally laugh out loud funny but I can see how some readers might be annoyed by the frequency of these comments. I think you either like the Corey character or you don’t.

This is a top-notch action thriller. Differing from some of DeMille’s earlier novels, this one is tight and well edited coming in at around 400 pages.  The novel gathers in the reader with a strong opening, the plot is well organized and believable, the ending a little abrupt.  I think DeMille fans will be pleased with this installment in the John Corey series and no doubt staying up late to finish this thriller.