Plum Island by Nelson
DeMille was originally published in 1997 by Grand Central Publishing. The
book’s 20th anniversary was observed with a new edition including a
foreword by the author in which he explains that Plum Island was planned
to be a stand-alone thriller, as all of his books had been to that point.
However, the startling success of the novel with its wisecracking hero John
Corey – 16 to 20 weeks on bestseller lists – made his agent urge him to write a
sequel. So he did, with similar success. John Corey has now appeared in eight
books, the latest released in 2022.
We have seen
the likes of John Corey before: Highly capable homicide detective, beloved by
his friends, irresistible to women, a perpetual thorn in the side of his
superiors. But he is interesting enough to follow for 600 (!) pages, even if I
scanned the section on managing a small boat in a raging storm. I am not a
sailing enthusiast.
Corey was
severely injured in a shootout and is now on medical convalescent leave from
the New York Police Department. Staying in his uncle’s house on the north shore
of Long Island, past the worst of his recovery, he is enjoying a summer of
inactivity. The local police chief asks him for assistance in investigating the
murders of two of Corey’s new acquaintances, Tom and Judy Gordon. The Gordons
were found dead on the front porch of their home by a neighbor. Shocked and
distressed, Corey agrees.
A surprised
robber was the obvious answer but the scene didn’t add up. The Gordons were
both senior scientists working in the highly classified government animal
disease center of Plum Island, a sliver of land just off the coast of Long
Island. The investigating officers were inclined to believe the Gordons were
smuggling vaccines or other biomedical samples to sell and were killed in a
falling out with their buyer.
Corey’s
police experience made him look in an altogether different direction: the
combination of water, unexplained affluence, and access to medical
paraphernalia spelled drugs to him. His smart mouth and arrogance annoyed the
other law enforcement personnel and his tactless persistence upset some of the
local dignitaries who resented his big-city approach. The local police chief
soon regretted bringing him in to the case and tried to send him on his way.
Corey continued to investigate on his own.
DeMille can
write. He offers a quantity of data about a number of subjects, woven into a
cohesive narrative that does not read like a research paper, incorporating some
really good action sequences along the way. DeMille can also tell a story, even
when elements of that story are not new. That is a sign of a true craftsman,
just like the ability to take a week’s worth of leftovers and turn them into a
wonderful meal is the sign of a true cook.
As old as the
book is, it has few references to technology which would otherwise date it. And
the references to a plague-causing bacteria or virus are all too reminiscent of
the recent Covid outbreak. A bit long for those of us with limited time to
read, although I found the book compelling once I started it. Recommended for
fans of contemporary thrillers. Followers of the Virgil Flowers series by John
Sandford will especially want to take a look.
·
Publisher: Grand Central
Publishing; Reissue edition (January 27, 2015)
·
Language: English
·
Paperback: 608 pages
·
ISBN-10: 145558178X
·
ISBN-13: 978-1455581788
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3R3hz2n
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2024
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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