The Book Case (Kindle Single) [Kindle Edition]

Nelson DeMille (Author)

Book Description

In this compact and delightful murder mystery, New York Times bestselling suspense novelist Nelson DeMille returns to one of his most beloved characters—the hard-boiled NYPD Detective John Corey. New York City bookstore owner Otis Parker is dead, killed by a falling bookcase. A tragic accident? Corey isn’t so sure. With deadpan humor and skeptical eye, the determined detective is on the case, and everyone who has the misfortune to be connected to Parker is a suspect—the failing mystery writer in town to sign books; the beautiful young wife, and the bookstore employee who appears to be more nervous than aggrieved. In his debut Kindle Single, DeMille deftly maneuvers through the twists and turns of this fast-moving story, delivering his legion of fans yet another gripping read.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Every bibliophile’s worst nightmare is played out in Nelson DeMille’s The Book Case when a bookstore owner is crushed to death by an unsecure bookcase. Detective John Corey is one of the only officers at the scene--a crime bookstore--who doesn’t believe the death was an accident. With his trademark sarcasm and direct narration, DeMille spins an engrossing short story that’s a must-read for any fan of detective Corey. The tone, with plenty of book-related humor and puns, fits the setting perfectly, and though the ending is relatively predictable, getting there is most of the fun. Detective Corey’s keen eye for detail and his creative ability to manipulate situations are on full, entertaining display as he separates "accidental" from "premeditated" and "innocent" from "guilty." --Malissa Kent

About the Author

A born-and-bred New Yorker, renowned author Nelson DeMille is a decorated Vietnam veteran and holds three honorary doctorates. His first major novel, By the Rivers of Babylon, is still in print, as are all his succeeding novels. DeMille has contributed to several successful films, including The General’s Daughter, Silent Madness, and Word of Honor. He is the author of the Joe Ryker Series, the John Sutter Series, and multiple stand-alone novels including Gold Coast and Word of Honor. He also co-authored the bestselling book Mayday with Thomas Block and has contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers. He has three children and lives on Long Island.

Product Details

• File Size: 214 KB
• Print Length: 54 pages
• Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (May 8, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007GBTB0Q
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #790 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Hard-Boiled
  • #5 in Kindle Store > Kindle Singles > Fiction
  • #83 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

315 of 326 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Detective John Corey in his NYPD days May 8, 2012

By J. Chambers TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Since I "discovered" Nelson DeMille many years ago, he's become one of my favorite authors, and I've read everything he's written. So of course I pre-ordered "The Book Case" when I saw it listed as a Kindle Single.

The short story (or novelette, if you like) features John Corey, a recurring character in several of DeMille's novels. While I didn't care too much for Corey in his first appearance in Plum Island, he's grown on me, with his quick-witted sense of humor and his dogged determination to solve a case. The story in "The Book Case" predates Plum Island, at a time when Corey was still a detective with the NYPD. That was well before he met (and later married) FBI agent Kate Mayfield, also one of my favorite DeMille characters.

In "The Book Case," Detective Corey is investigating the death of bookstore owner Otis Parker. Was it an accident or was it murder? The evidence, or actually some missing evidence, convinces Corey that foul play was involved. It looked like an inside job, and there was no shortage of possible suspects, but proving his theory could be tough, considering that the suspects all appeared to have their stories straight.

This is the same John Corey who became such a marvelous character in DeMille's novels, displaying the same deadpan humor and funny asides, and his natural deductive skills that make him a great cop. "The Book Case" was a very enjoyable story, and a delight to watch John Corey at work once again.

Hopefully this won't be the last we see of NYPD Detective John Corey.

90 of 102 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Wrong genre? May 9, 2012

By REM

Format:Kindle Edition

As a long time DeMille fan, I was thrilled that another Corey book was out. Unfortunately, that thrill was short-lived. Rather than the richly developed characters, plot and storyline DeMille presents to the reader in the rest of his novels, what we got was a poorly thought-out plot and with no development at all. The characters were flat and the plot was totally predictable. I won't even call this a poor effort...it is closer to "no effort". Perhaps DeMille should abandon the "Singles" genre and concentrate on what he does so well; novels with richly woven story lines complete with vivid characters and plot.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great value, unexpected bonus November 19, 2011

By Barry B. Hoskins

Format:Audible Audio Edition

I enjoyed this book immensely. It was a bonus since I didn't know it was coming, and since The Panther is delayed, it bridged the time gap between The Lion and the next book. Only two hours, but it was a good price. John Cory is such a smart ass (or maybe it is the author?).

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book Case May 12, 2012

By BettyLou

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've read about ten of Nelson DeMille's books, and have loved everyone of them. "The Book Case" is another story showing his extreme wit, and mastery of the mystery genre. He will have me on the edge of my seat, and then with his unique humor have me laughing out loud. He is my absolute favorite author. This book, though short, is every bit as intriguing, interesting, and humorous as all his other books. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to all my friends, as I have done with all his other books that I have read.

The story begins with an apparent accident that is proven to be more than meets the eye by DeMille's detective John Corey. The way he weaves the story through mystery and humor will keep anyone interested to the end. I loved it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars John Corey is back December 30, 2011

By AK

Format:Audible Audio Edition

A Surprise Christmas gift and a real winner ! Great plot and it works superbly. John Corey fans will be very happy he can be so amusing even in a short story. Scott Brick brilliant in audio version again.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Read Short Story. Nothing Else. May 14, 2012

By Leonard S. Joesten

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Just an easy to read short story. Nothing more. I read it in a weekend. But not a good whodoneit. The story is very simple. The plot is simple. The entire story takes place one day in a book store. Anybody could figure out the murderers. The detective is no genius. The author's writing style makes the story move fast to get to the end. I was glad when it was over so I could move on to another book.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Could have been better May 22, 2012

By Diana Pinard

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was not a well written DeMille book. It sounds like a book that DeMille wrote when he first started writing before he polished up his style. The Kindle version is not well done- lines are cut off or repeated on the next page. Very annoying. I am glad it's a short story because if this was a full book, I would ask for a refund. I love DeMille and especially the character John Corey but this one is not well done. I will think twice before buying another single book like this. I certainly will not pre-order it like I did this one.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars A WASTE OF MONEY May 8, 2012

By James R. Tindall

Format:Kindle Edition

I love Nelson DeMille's fiction. He has incredible range and a wonderful sense of humor, but this short story is not worthy of his name. It would get, at best, a C- in a non-accredited Community College English course.

Mr. DeMille's readers deserve better, and he is capable of so much more. This story is so dreadfully lame that it has to be about "gettin' some that Kindle money."

Spend your $2 on cup of Starbucks instead.

More About the Author

I was born in New York City in 1943. My father was a Canadian, serving at that time with the American Navy, and my mother was a Brooklyn native, trying to figure out how to grow a Victory Garden for the war effort.

My family moved to Elmont, Long Island, New York in 1947 where my father was a house builder, and my mother was a homemaker raising four boys.
I attended Elmont public schools, played football, ran track, and was on the wrestling team. I graduated Elmont Memorial High School in 1962 and spent the summer at the beach.

I attended Hofstra University, but left before graduation to join the Army in 1966. I served three years in the United States Army as an infantry lieutenant and spent one year in Vietnam as a platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division. You'll see that I used this experience in my novels "Word of Honor" and "Up Country."

After the end of my military service, I returned to Hofstra where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. I married and had two children, Lauren and Alex, and eventually divorced.

I held a series of good and bad jobs between 1970 and 1974, and in that year, for some reason I can't remember, I decided to be a writer. My first books were paperback originals, New York City police detective novels, thankfully all out of print and hard to find.

In 1978, I published my first major novel, "By the Rivers of Babylon," which was a commercial and critical success. Since then, I've written fourteen other novels and had a good time creating my characters John Corey, Ben Tyson (played by Don Johnson in the TNT movie of "Word of Honor"), foxy Emma Whitestone, Paul Brenner (played by John Travolta in the Paramount movie of "The General's Daughter"), sexy Susan Sutter, the never-say-die CIA officer Ted Nash, and my favorite villain, Asad Khalil, a misunderstood Libyan terrorist with unresolved childhood issues.

I am a member of The Authors Guild, the Mystery Writers of America (past President), American Mensa (thank God I don't have to retake that test), and I hold three honorary doctorate degrees (thank God I didn't have to study for them) from Hofstra University, Long Island University, and Dowling College.
I'm married to the love of my life, Sandy Dillingham, whom I met while I was on a publicity tour in Denver. We have a son, James, two years old, and he's keeping me young.

There's more about me on my website. Thanks for reading about me here, and I hope you enjoy my novels.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#46 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#51 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

#58 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#59 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers

#66 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#46 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#51 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

#58 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#59 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers

#66 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary