The Lion

GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING

Written by Nelson DeMille

Copyright © 2010 by Nelson DeMille

In this sequel to The Lion's Game - The Lion, written by Nelson DeMille, has former NYPD homicide detective John Corey of the Anti-Terrorist Task Force being pursued by the wanted Libyan terrorist "The Lion."

As part of the John Corey series, this is a serious thriller, with typical witty asides from John Corey. There are several times I wonder how Corey's FBI Special Agent wife Kate puts up with him. Since terrorist Asad Khalil "The Lion" had escaped without a trace in a previous book, The Lion's Game, Khalil returns several years later to take care of unfinished business - get revenge on Corey and Kate for their interference in his last terrorist killing spree.

Leaving behind a series of bodies, both of civilian and Agents bodies in both Khalil's mission and in Khalil's revenge, Cory is determined to get Khalil - especially as Khalil has made his revenge personal.

It is interesting to see the contrast of the difference between Khalil's Libyan culture background and our American culture background. While you understand Khalil's motivation, even Khalil is extreme as far as his people is concerned.

Pancho 
All people smile in the same language.

UP COUNTRY

WARNER BOOKS EDITION

Written by Nelson DeMille

Copyright © 2002 by Nelson DeMille

Cover design by Jackie Merri Meyer
Cover illustration by Stanislaw Fernandez
Hand lettering by Tony Russo



In Up Country, a sequel to Nelson DeMille's The General's Daughter, Paul Brenner, who resigned from the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigation Division, is called back into service in Washington D.C. by his former commanding officer - who wants Brenner to conduct an investigation into a homicide that occurred 30 years ago during the Vietnam War. Vietnam veteran Brenner reluctantly returns to Vietnam in the middle of the Tet new year celebration - and meets ex patriot Susan Weber, a possible CIA agent. Brenner and Susan then journey through Vietnam searching for the witness to this 30 year-old mystery.

While there is the story of the homicide investigation, most of the book seems like an autobiography of Demille's experience as a U.S. Army lieutenant during the Vietnam War. Brenner revisits his former battle sites and bases in the country as the country celebrates the week-long Tet celebration. Brenner tells Susan of his experiences at these sites to her, the horror of the fighting of the U.S. troops and the Viet Cong, as Brenner searches for a witness who used to be an enemy. You see the contrast of Brenner's and the Americans western influence on Vietnam as a new market, despite the holiday frame of mind of Tet. You also see the conservative Asian Vietnamese culture and the politics as evidenced by the repeated investigated interviews by the Vietnamese cop Colonel Mang against Brenner - who resents the American involvement that resulted from the Cold War military conflict, so Brenner suffers from Mang's resentment. Even if the country prospers from the western tourism of Vietnam, Mang is quite resentful. While the ending of the book was not exactly satisfying to me, the ending does reflect the political attitude of the end of the conflict back in 1975.

Brenner's relationship with Susan is interesting, because you are never really sure if Susan is really interested in Brenner as a lover - or if she is ready to betray him and kill Brenner as part of Susan being a CIA operative. Certainly Brenner is ambivalent to Susan as he is always wondering about Susan's feelings, as well as wondering about his relationship with his girlfriend who is still back in the States.

Paramount Pictures had bought the rights to Up Country with John Travolta reprising his role as Paul Brenner. We will see if the movie will go into production and come out.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Wild Fire

Vision
Hachette Book Group USA

Written by Nelson DeMille

Copyright © 2006 by Nelson DeMille



In Wild Fire, part of the John Corey series, Detective John Corey investigates the death of a fellow Anti-Terrorist Task Force agent who was investigating the Custer Hill Club in the middle of the woods - and finds out a horrible Mid-Eastern American plot concerning nuclear weapons just after 9/11.

This is a typical smart ass John Corey thriller - where the running gag in this book is about bears, especially since Cory is a city person. The stakes get higher and higher as John and his FBI agent wife Kate discover more and more about the sinister plot with the nuclear weapons - and America's automatic response to a domestic nuclear strike called "Wild Fire." Wild Fire is based on a rumored actual Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) retaliation response of the U.S. military's nuclear arsenal concerning a hostile first strike use of weapons of mass destruction against America, the result of which would basically mean the annihilation of both sides if it happens. The plot all originates from a mountain hunting lodge club - a club whose members include high-level members of the U.S. government.

When they first describe the nuclear threat to John and Kate, I kept thinking they would explain something like the wargame scene in the movie Wargames, where all the nuclear missiles from the various nuclear pacts launched at each other. That was a scary scene, just thinking about the implications. Since one of the targets in Wild Fire was Los Angeles, I can imagine how scary it would be like if the Wild Fire scenario was intentionally initiated in my hometown.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.