The Lion's Game

Rating:
Summary: Like it a lot, but still kvetching
Review: I read The Lion's Game in print and am listening to Scott Brick's fabulous narration, so that tells you I liked it enough to re-"read", especially the character of John Corey. This is a really fun read and I recommend it highly but only gave it four stars because I found a few things incredible or awkward.

(Spoiler here).

After 2 hours of radio silence, one rescue guy is sent in to check the 747 and all 200+ passengers on board, and concludes they're all dead? Okay, so this was written in the more halcyon pre-9/11 days, but I feel this is where DeMille slips. The Dracula analogy was excellent but you can't transplant Victorian innocence wholesale into 21st century alertness, especially with all the references to the first WTC bombing this book contains. However, I think his use of the disconnect between various agencies was very realistic. I also love the recurring theme throughout almost all his books of the CIA guy with at best questionable character and at worst, evil motives.

Second, goodbye Beth Penrose, hello Kate Mayfield, lover du jour. Reading how in love John Corey was with Beth in Plum Island, it felt jerky for him to relegate Beth to phone and e-mail in favor of Kate. It's weird how he goes from ambivalence to being engaged to Kate, although I like her character as I like all DeMille's female characters. They can be quirky, erratic, and powerful, but never boring. His word-count for the women may be low, but they are always central to the plot. Lastly, the plot did not justify 900-odd pages and could have been greatly enhanced with some judicious editing.

Aside from that I loved it, but not enough to be stopped in pleasurable astonishment at some of his references or just bask in the awed afterglow created by other of his books like The Gold Coast, Spencerville or Word of Honor. I have come to expect a lot of Mr. DeMille because he delivers in spades and is one of my top 5 favorite authors. So you may think this critique is hindsight or nitpicking, but it's not. Nelson DeMille is so talented, he can take the criticism.

The really bad news is, I only have MayDay left to read...maybe I can find some out-of-print Jack Cannon, or just wait until Night Fall.


Rating:
Summary: My first, and last, Nelson DeMille book...
Review: I saw this on the bargain book shelf, had heard of Nelson DeMille, and decided to find out for myself what was behind his popularity. The description of the book sounded interesting. And the book was interesting in the beginning, or at least OK. Around page 200 John Corey enters the picture. And brings with him one annoying line after another. Every word out of his mouth is a 'zinger' and I guess he's supposed to be witty, but he just got on my nerves and I didn't find one thing he said funny. After a few pages of this character I did something I've only done once or twice in my life - closed the book, returned it to the store, and got my money back.