Product Description: Nelson DeMille's narrative engine is one of the best in the business, and it chugs away in grand style in this story of buried treasure and biological warfare on a tiny spit of land off Long Island. As told by a wry, wounded New York City detective who is drafted to explore a couple of murders, Plum Island is a rich pudding of flavorful (if familiar) ingredients, including a ferocious storm at sea. Other DeMille epics in paperback include By the Rivers of Babylon, The General's Daughter, The Gold Coast, Spencerville, and Word of Honor.
Amazon.com: Nelson DeMille's narrative engine is one of the best in the business, and it chugs away in grand style in this story of buried treasure and biological warfare on a tiny spit of land off Long Island. As told by a wry, wounded New York City detective who is drafted to explore a couple of murders, Plum Island is a rich pudding of flavorful (if familiar) ingredients, including a ferocious storm at sea. Other DeMille epics in paperback include By the Rivers of Babylon, The General's Daughter, The Gold Coast, Spencerville, and Word of Honor.
Part 1 of the LION'S GAME Unintentionally, I always seem to read novels out of their proper sequence. PLUM ISLAND lays out the character development for NIGHT FALL, WILD FIRE and THE LION'S GAME (my favorite). Unlike other authors, DeMille does a good job of composing a series of novels that can be coherently read out of sequence.
DeMille lays out the chauvinistic but likable character John Corey. In the preface, DeMille notes that feminist readers like the Corey character despite his overt chauvinism. The women in these novels are brighter than and as adventurous as Corey. He treats them as equals; so he is redeemed - somehow.
Unlike his later novels, within PLUM ISLAND, DeMille doesn't let the reader know the thoughts of the main characters. In this novel, the strategy works. There are 4 paths the storyline could follow. Since the reader is not invited into the mind of Corey, a great deal of suspends is injected. On the other hand, once the reader learns Corey's hypothesis, PLUM ISLAND becomes anticlimactic. However, the story peaks once again during the chase. The reader will immediately realize that DeMille has no qualms of killing off leading characters - even smart, attractive, girl friends can be killed. If she survives, the reader will not know until chapter 37 (second to last chapter).
DeMille is well-known for his one-lines. My favorite comes from PLUM ISLAND on page 1. John Corey notes, "In occurred to me that the problem of doing nothing is not knowing when you're finished."
Witty and Fun Mystery I really enjoyed the character of John Corey. Good old fashioned mystery along with some modern intrigue and pirate tales. Demille is certainly a very talented writer. My favorite Demille book is The Charm School, but this one is very solid.
Sand in your hot dog with this beach read This is a how-dunnit, rather than a who-dunnit.
How does John Corey, a convalescing NYC homicide detective, get away with assaulting the head of security for Plum Island without getting arrested? How does he get away with breaking and entering, wholesale destruction of private property, including antiques, and grand theft of a Formula 303 speedboat?
How does John Corey, whose sexist wisecracks fill every page, get the two female characters to fall for him? How does he have any friends at all, much less the loyal partner in NY who is looking out for his interests?
Oddly enough, this is an engaging book. You may not like the smarmy lead, you may not like the fact that the one charming character is killed, but this is a scenic book. To me, it's all about the tip of Long Island, land of vinyards and potato fields, pirate lore and viral research. As a summer read, it works, but you won't mistake it for literature.
Neat, twisty thriller This book was recommended to me by a co-worker, who is coincidentally from New York. One of New York's finest, John Corey, is convalescing at his uncle's place on Long Island when his two neighbors (who are research biologists) are shot dead. Corey becomes involved when his friend Max offers him $1 to help with the case. The book is wordy but the dialogue is crisp and the twisty plot chugs along like a train. I would definitely seek out this author's other books.
A Little Silly, but Highly Entertaining I really enjoy reading Nelson DeMille, who is tremendously gifted in writing books that are both funny and highly suspenseful. PLUM ISLAND is a nice showcase for DeMille's talents.
PLUM ISLAND is the first book to feature John Corey, a NYPD homicide detective who DeMille has written about in three subsequent novels. Corey is the ultimate wise-acre, a bit like David Addison from the old TV show MOONLIGHTING. If you like your dialogue funny and snappy and filled with sexual innuendo, this book will easily meet your requirements. But if you dislike smart alecks in general, you may find Corey a difficult main character to root for.
The plot of PLUM ISLAND, involving biological warfare and pirate's treasure, is kind of absurd, but was interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. As some other reviewers have commented, this book is written in a long-winded style, especially at the beginning. For example, DeMille spends over a hundred pages describing a lengthy tour of a biological research facility, when maybe thirty would have sufficed. Still, DeMille keeps things entertaining for the most part, although I think this book could have been at least a hundred pages shorter.
Overall, PLUM ISLAND is a fun book, and DeMille is definitely a writer you should try if you like your thrillers with a heavy dose of humor. If you've never read DeMille before, I recommend either this book or THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER.
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