The Lion

He’s back -- and on game!

And by “he” I mean both John Corey (former NYPD and current loose-cannon contract agent on the federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force), and Nelson DeMille (author extraordinaire of political suspense and hilarity, whose last couple of books started to worry me about the extraordinaire part).

DeMille’s 16th book, fifth in his John Corey series, is a post-9/11 sequel to The Lion’s Game. Here it’s 2003 New York City and Asad Khalil is back to finish his revenge against the 1986 military attack on Libya that killed his mother and siblings. And to finish John Corey.

But that’s enough said about the plot ... which, whether it’s terrorism, conspiracy or the KGB, really isn’t the reason I read DeMille. I read show more him for his smart-ass, alpha-male-with-tender-underbelly protagonists. And while a few sections here are by necessity in the third-person perspective of other characters, they thankfully aren't the long stretches like in Wild Fire. Instead, the majority is first-person Corey, narrating more of a police procedural than rollicking thriller, and that slower pace lets us revel in the Corey persona. Also making their usual cameos are the good guys of New York’s Finest; the bungling FBI; and the evil CIA. And a caution: there are brief scenes of graphic violence.

DeMille gives enough background for readers new to the series to enjoy this work (and I recommend that they then read the earlier books, particularly Plum Island -- first and still the best). The novel’s pacing is good, its length is great (it’s not repetitious or bloated like The Gate House) -- and its final four sentences are perfection.

(Review based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher.) show less

Written ten years after The Lion’s Game, but set only 3 years after 9/11, Asad Khalil (the Lion) comes back to take care of unfinished business. In the previous book, Asad came to the USA to kill the plane crew that bombed Libya in 1986. Now he intends to kill the remaining living crew member as well as the law enforcement team that tried to catch him before. Given the personal nature of his return, he had to get support and funding from somewhere or someone. That mystery underwriter demanded an immense follow up to 9/11. So the Lion decides to take out John Corey, the lead cop who tried to take him down in the previous book, by first killing John’s wife during a terrifying skydive and then torturing and murdering John as part of show more his plan of mass destruction. As previously this is a nonstop thriller. My only very big gripe is a lengthy chapter from Asad’s point of view in which all action stopped. And in the audiobook, the narrator reads this chapter with a voice that sounds like a preacher. It’s extremely disconcerting. Other than that, this is an excellent follow-up to The Lion’s Game. It ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, but googling about the next book in the series resolves any outstanding questions. I’d read the next book, too, but it’s set in Yemen and I’m not quite ready to go there yet. show less

DeMille does it again. John Corey is such a fantastic character. There's not many writers who can make me laugh as much as DeMille when he writes Corey. In some ways, Corey reminds me of Greg House (from Fox's "House M.D."). Just a great smartass, but a good guy underneath. The good news about "The Lion" is that you don't need to have read the previous Lion books (although you should).

Here, Asad Khalil returns to cause more pain and suffering to those American airmen who bombed his home in Libya back in '86. But he's also got a bone to pick with Corey and Corey's wife, Kate Mayfield, who thwarted his actions three years earlier.

The humor really carries this book, I think. Because, thinking back now, I can't recall a tremendous amount show more of action. But DeMille does create some good tension by making us wait (along with Corey) for that final confrontation with The Lion.

If you're looking for an easy read, and a character you can really enjoy (for both his view of current world situations...warning, Corey's not PC...and his views of the FBI, CIA, and NYPD), most of DeMille's John Corey books are great. "The Lion" is no different. show less

This is one of those stories where the evil guy spends years (three in this case) training and planning a terrorist/revenge attack while the "hero" spends the time drinking and being a wise ass.

The evil guy then executes the plan with superman like abilities: killing skilled adversaries and getting things done with out any roadblocks. The 'hero" continues to wisecrack and drink. The only ability the hero seems to have is an uncanny sixth sense that puts him in the right spot at the right time. This is very convenient if you are a thriller author.

In the end it comes down to a knife battle between the highly trained, superman-ish villian, and the wise cracking, beer drinking, thriller-author-helpful clairvoyant hero. Don't bother to show more read. The hero wins.

Nelson Demille, I am calling you out. I LOVED Cathedral, The Charm School, The Lion's Game, Night Fall, Plum Island, Up Country, and Word of Honor. What is up with crap like The Lion, and the other clunkers, Spencerville, The Talbot Odyssey, Wild Fire, and The Gate House? show less

Maybe the best Corey of them all. Lacks the strategic chess match feel of Lion's Game but has a more base and violent undertone running throughout, which is definitely realized at the end. Parts of the plot were entirely predictable and I think more treatment could have been given to one of the role characters at the end, but in all this is a solid read (listen in my case).

John Corey is one of those characters, like Harry Bosch, that I simply cannot get enough of. This has the feel, however, of a "close to the end of the line" story. I hope not. If DeMille can keep his (and Corey's) juices flowing this series has a long future. Let's hope he does.

As I said, I listen via Audible.com. Scott Brick is a master at interpretation and gets a show more five on this one only because six is not available. show less

Wise cracking John Corey is back and he is about to face an old foe. Nelson DeMille always provides a good story that has a lot of thrills and twists. Along with that is the sarcasm and dry humor of John Corey form NYPD and current federal task force agent. The Lion, is the name of the Libyan terrorist that was the main villian in The 'Lion's Game' is back and he has a new kill list. The list is to finish some old business (from The Lion's Game) and pursue a new agenda. This new agenda includes John Corey who had the gall to stop The Lion last time.

The setting and the story are centered around NY City and leads to the fated confrontation between Corey and The Lion. The rollercoaster ride through the story is good and I recommend the show more series to fans of police/thrillers. show less

John Corey is back and better than ever.
In this latest thriller Nelson takes us back and re-introduces us to The Lion who in reality is international terrorist Asad Khalil who is on a personal jihad to avenge the killing of his family by the US military in 1986 which was interrupted the last time he tried it by none other than John Corey and Kate Mayfield. Well now things are a little different John and Kate have married, the US post 9/11 has a tighter rein on terrorist infiltrating our borders. Or do we.
The Lion is a heart racing, pulse pounding thriller, just as you’d expect from the master himself Nelson DeMille, and believe me he will not disappoint you. His plots are always timely and very controversial and this one is no show more different. He’s not afraid to take on the heavy hitting topics of the day and turn them into action adventure novels. His storytelling is unequaled in his genre, he knows how to keep a readers interest and keep the pages turning long after lights out until the end. His characters are always entertaining, but in my humble opinion there is none better then the combination of John Corey and Kate Mayfield where he mixes the irreverent, smart aleck and insubordinate John Corey with the ultra professionalism of Kate Mayfield, who I may say in the several years of marriage with John has unfortunately for her superiors and fortunately for we readers rubbed off on her, which only makes her a much more humanly flawed character. His co-stars in the novel, most of who we’ve met previously are an intricate part of the telling of his tale, especially the villain The Lion, who is so far above any other villain out there that there’s just no comparison, the extent of his evilness will appall you and make you shudder in your shoes and break out in goose bumps. But have no fear because one of the things I love about Mr. DeMille is his love of country and that good will crush evil, maybe not every time but often enough to give us hope, so that even as dark as his novels can get he always gives us a ray of light at the end.
This is an instant best seller and right now is #9 on the New York Times best seller list. Pick this one, you will not be sorry you did. show less