Plum Island (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Nelson DeMille (Author) "Have a seat, Chief..." (more)
Key Phrases: aluminum chest, treasure trove laws, biohazard gear, Plum Island, Fredric Tobin, Chief Maxwell (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Nelson DeMille's narrative engine is one of the best in the business, and it chugs away in grand style in this story of buried treasure and biological warfare on a tiny spit of land off Long Island. As told by a wry, wounded New York City detective who is drafted to explore a couple of murders, Plum Island is a rich pudding of flavorful (if familiar) ingredients, including a ferocious storm at sea. Other DeMille epics in paperback include By the Rivers of Babylon, The General's Daughter, The Gold Coast, Spencerville, and Word of Honor. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

While investigating the murder of a young Long Island couple, an NYPD detective is stunned to find that they may have been involved in dealing genetically altered viruses. A 500,000-copy first printing.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446605409
• ISBN-13: 978-0446605403
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (351 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #259,565 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Follow John Corey into the Mysteries of Long Island, March 1, 2000

By	David Savage (Holliston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This is the first DeMille book I have read and I loved it. I have subsequently read "The Gold Coast" and "The Charm School" both of which I enjoyed but not as much as I enjoyed reading Plum Island.

First of all, the setting. DeMille describes a charming east Long Island that I never paid much attention to (I travel through Orient Point a half a dozen times a year). We receive an interesting portrayal of the quaint villages, the local flavor, and the snotty wine growers. DeMille also gives the reader a dose of the history of the area describing the early times when pirate landed on its shores. Then there is Plum Island itself which I will gaze at more closely now each time I pass it on the ferry.

The characters are well developed. John Corey, the lead character, is this off-duty detective who gets caught up in this mystery. He's brash, sometimes rude, prefers a good beer to a vintage glass of wine and is very likeable. The other characters, including the minor ones, are defined enough to feel like you know them.

The plot. I won't give anything away. ..just a good mystery that leads you down a few different directions.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Novel, Corey is a Trip!!, January 23, 2002

By	K. Palmer (Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Plum Island is my third Nelson DeMille book and like the previous two I've read (Gold Coast and Charm School), it's a little long winded, probably 100 pages longer than it needed to be, but the primary character, John Corey is his best character to date. I agree with other reviewers that he is arrogant, but he is pretty funny with his sarcasm, which makes him tolerable when the story drags.

The storyline, which deals with the murder of employees of Plum Island, where work is done with hazardous materials (including anthrax) is obviously very timely today. It makes a lot more sense today than in 1997 when this book was first published. You get to learn a little about this stuff, so DeMille's research doesn't go to waste here.

I found fault with DeMille's decision to let Corey figure out who the criminal was midway through the book and then spending the rest of the book showing how he gets this person. It would have been nice if he threw in a plot twist somewhere later to shake things up and add some suspense, but it's a good book that will lead me to read The Lion's Game (another Corey book) in the future.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I thought this book was great., August 18, 2001

By	D. Rizzo (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've read all the DeMille I can get my hands on, and this one was one of my favorites. It's the first book in a set of two, The Lion's Game as its companion book (and which is a smidge better than this one, even!).

I like DeMille because at his best, his characters are smart and sassy, and the stories are cohesive, with serious subject matter presented with a touch of the absurd; the seriousness doesn't become so grave so as to obliterate any enjoyment of the story or his use of words. This story exemplifies exactly what I mean... once you begin reading, it's like riding over rapids. The water just rushes on, makes you laugh, and occasionally you stop, startled, when something bumps a bit more than you expected.

In this particular story, our main character (NYC investigator Paul Corey) is recovering on Long Island from some gunshot wounds, and he gets involved in the local double homicide of two scientists who work on Plum Island, a contagious disease research center right off of the coast. Of course, Paul is (in his own mind at least) smarter and savvier than any of the local yokels, even the pretty detective Beth Penrose, who's in charge of the investigation (although properly, she's not local, either).

The fact that the scientists worked with some of the most lethal pathogens on earth rises all sorts of speculation that they were being evil and subversive to assist some less-friendly nation with the wiping out of the human race, but Corey in all his infinite and dubious wisdom, uncovers an alternative theory that's much less lethal -- at least for greater mankind -- but all the more intriguing for those who love history and treasure hunts.

I enjoyed this book. Most voracious readers would, too.