John Corey

John Corey is the protagonist of Nelson DeMille's thriller series — a former NYPD homicide detective who survived being shot in the line of duty, then joined the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, then found himself working for various government intelligence agencies in the aftermath of 9/11. DeMille writes Corey with a voice that is consistently, deliberately, often infuriatingly sarcastic — irreverent about authority, politically incorrect by any measure, and completely confident in his own judgment even when it conflicts with everyone else's.

Corey's voice is DeMille's greatest creation — the first-person narration is so specific and so consistent that readers who enjoy it find the books compulsively readable, and readers who find his manner grating cannot get past the first pages. His self-aware humor about the absurdities of the intelligence and law enforcement world gives the thrillers their specific flavor within the post-9/11 genre.

The series engages seriously with counterterrorism and its institutional realities — DeMille is one of the more politically thoughtful writers in the American thriller genre — while wrapping the analysis in Corey's comedy and the plotting demands of the thriller form.

Begin with Plum Island (1997) and read in order.