It’s been a long wait, but fans of Nelson DeMille’s hero John Corey will finally see the beloved character return sometime next summer in The Maze.
Corey, who’s starred in seven novels already, was last seen in DeMille’s 2015 thriller, Radiant Angel. Since then, the famed author has been busy releasing a standalone thriller, The Cuban Affair (2017), and kicking off a new series that he co-authored with his son, The Deserter (2019). Going back to Corey’s universe is something fans have long been asking for, so his return to the genre will be a welcomed addition whenever DeMille’s next thriller hits bookstores, which I’m told should be sometime in June—though that could change. Interestingly, the story for The Maze will, quite literally, take Corey right back to the very place he was first seen in Plum Island, the book that first introduced the character almost exactly 25 years ago.
Check out the full plot details below.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille returns with his best thriller yet featuring former homicide detective John Corey who is called out of retirement to investigate a string of searing, grisly murders that take place a little too close to home.
In his dazzling #1 bestseller, Plum Island, Nelson DeMille introduced you to NYPD Homicide Detective John Corey, who we first meet sitting on the back porch of his uncle’s waterfront estate on Long Island, convalescing from wounds incurred in the line of duty. A visit from the local Chief of Police results in the legendary Detective Corey becoming involved in the investigation of the murders of a married couple who were scientists at the top-secret biological research facility on Plum Island.
Fast forward through six bestselling John Corey novels and The Maze opens with Corey on the same porch, but now in forced retirement from his last job as a Federal Agent with the Diplomatic Surveillance Group. Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former lover in Plum Island, Detective Beth Penrose, appears with a job offer, Corey has to once again make some decisions about his stalled career—and about reuniting with Beth Penrose.
Inspired by, and based on the actual and still unsolved Gilgo Beach murders, The Maze takes you on a dangerous hunt for an apparent serial killer who has murdered nine—and maybe more—prostitutes and hidden their bodies in the thick undergrowth on a lonely stretch of beach.
As Corey digs deeper into this case, which has made national news, he comes to suspect that the failure of the local police to solve this sensational case may not be a result of their inexperience and incompetence—it may be something else. Something more sinister.
The Maze features John Corey’s politically incorrect humor, matched by his brilliant and unorthodox investigative skills along with the surprising and shocking plot twists that are the trademark of the #1 New York Times bestselling author, Nelson DeMille.
Nelson DeMille is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one novels, six of which were #1 New York Times bestsellers. His novels include The Deserter (written with Alex DeMille), The Cuban Affair, Word of Honor, Plum Island, The Charm School, The Gold Coast, and The General’s Daughter, which was made into a major motion picture, starring John Travolta and Madeleine Stowe. He has written short stories, book reviews, and articles for magazines and newspapers. Nelson DeMille is a combat-decorated US Army veteran, a member of Mensa, Poets & Writers, and the Authors Guild, and past president of the Mystery Writers of America. He is also a member of the International Thriller Writers, who honored him as 2015 ThrillerMaster of the Year. He lives on Long Island with his family.
Fans looking to pre-order The Maze well ahead of its highly-anticipated release can now do so here.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and pens a monthly thriller column for CrimeReads. Additionally, he co-hosts ThrillerTalk, a new podcast with K.J. Howe. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He currently lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and their six children.