Nelson DeMille

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Nelson DeMille
ND with Photo Credit.jpg
DeMille in 2017
BornNelson Richard DeMille
(1943-08-23) August 23, 1943 (age 79)
Jamaica, Queens, New York [1]
Pen name
  • Jack Cannon
  • Kurt Ladner
  • Brad Matthews
  • Ellen Kay
OccupationNovelist
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Hofstra University
Genre
Notable works
  • The John Corey series
  • The John Sutter series
  • The Paul Brenner series
SpouseSandy DeMille
Children3
Website
www.nelsondemille.net

Nelson Richard DeMille (born August 23, 1943) is an American author of action adventure and suspense novels. His novels include Plum Island , The Charm School , and The Gold Coast . DeMille has also written under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt Ladner, Ellen Kay and Brad Matthews.

Contents

Biography

DeMille was born in New York City on August 23, 1943. He moved as a child with his family to Long Island. He attended Elmont Memorial High School where he played football and ran track.

After spending three years at Hofstra University, he joined the Army and attended Officer Candidate School. He was a First Lieutenant in the United States Army (1966–69) and saw action as an infantry platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division in Vietnam. He was decorated with the Air Medal, Bronze Star, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge.

DeMille returned to the States and went back to Hofstra University, where he received his degree in political science and history. He has three children, Lauren, Alexander, and James. He resides in Garden City, New York.

DeMille’s earlier books were NYPD detective novels. His first major novel was By the Rivers of Babylon, published in 1978 and still in print, as are all his succeeding novels. He is a member of American Mensa, the Authors Guild, and past president of the Mystery Writers of America. He is also a member of the International Thriller Writers, who honored him as 2015 ThrillerMaster of the Year. DeMille holds three honorary doctorates: Doctor of Humane Letters from Hofstra University, Doctor of Literature from Long Island University, and Doctor of Humane Letters from Dowling College.

DeMille is the author of By the Rivers of Babylon , Cathedral , The Talbot Odyssey , Word of Honor , The Charm School , The Gold Coast , The General’s Daughter , Spencerville , Plum Island , The Lion’s Game , Up Country , Night Fall , Wild Fire , The Gate House , The Lion , The Panther , The Quest, Radiant Angel , and The Cuban Affair . He also co-authored Mayday with Thomas Block and The Deserter with his son, Alex DeMille, and has contributed short stories, book reviews, and articles to magazines and newspapers both online and in print. [2]

Writing style

DeMille signing books at BookExpo America in 2019 Nelson DeMille at BookExpo (05546).jpg
DeMille signing books at BookExpo America in 2019

Many of DeMille's books are written in the first person, and as such his books follow a linear plotline in which the reader moves along with the main character.

Although the tone of his writing varies from novel to novel, one consistent tool is DeMille's liberal use of sarcasm and dry humor.

Most DeMille novels, especially the more recent, avoid "Hollywood endings," and instead finish either inconclusively or with the hero successfully exposing the secret/solving the mystery while suffering in his career or personal life as a result. There are generally loose ends left for the reader to puzzle over, Night Fall being a perfect example.

Works

DeMille often uses Long Island, where he currently lives, as a setting in his novels, as in The Gold Coast , The Gate House , Plum Island , Word of Honor , Night Fall , and Radiant Angel . His most recent novels have followed two main characters, John Corey (starring in seven novels) and Paul Brenner (starring in two novels, with also a part in Corey's sixth novel). In earlier works, the storylines were completely separate, but there have been hints in the novels that they are part of a larger "DeMille Universe" that references events and characters in earlier novels, such as The Gold Coast and The Charm School . [3]

DeMille spends approximately 16 months creating each of his novels due to the extensive research involved, and because he writes them longhand on legal pads with a number one pencil. [4]

Bibliography

John Sutter series

  1. The Gold Coast (1990)
  2. The Gate House (2008)

Characters

John Sutter, Susan Sutter, Felix Mancuso, and several other characters of The Gold Coast reappear in the sequel The Gate House.

Paul Brenner series

  1. The General's Daughter (1992)
  2. Up Country (2002)
  3. The Panther (2012), Paul Brenner teams up with John Corey on a case.

Characters

Paul Brenner, a criminal investigator/ Special Agent for the United States Army's Criminal Investigation Division (CID). He was introduced in The General's Daughter and reappears in Up Country, and The Panther. He now works as a Special Agent for the US State Department's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). His girlfriend is US Army CID investigator/ Special Agent Cynthia Sunhill.

Colonel Karl Hellman is Brenner's superior officer at the CID. He appeared in The General's Daughter and Up Country.

John Corey series

  1. Plum Island (1997)
  2. The Lion's Game (2000)
  3. Night Fall (2004)
  4. Wild Fire (2006)
  5. The Lion (2010), direct sequel to The Lion's Game
  6. The Panther (2012), John Corey teams up with Paul Brenner on a case.
  7. Radiant Angel (2015)
  8. The Maze (2022)

Characters

  • John Corey, a former homicide detective, medically retired from the NYPD with 3 gunshot wounds, now working for the FBI’s Anti-Terrorist Task Force. He was introduced in Plum Island and reappears in The Lion's Game, Night Fall, Wild Fire , The Lion, The Panther, Radiant Angel, and The Maze.
  • Kate Mayfield, an F.B.I. special agent. Introduced in The Lion's Game. She marries Corey and reappears in Night Fall, Wild Fire, The Lion, The Panther, and Radiant Angel.
  • Asad Khalil, a Libyan terrorist. His family was wiped out in an American military attack in 1986, for which he swore revenge.
  • Ted Nash, a CIA agent and arch-rival of Corey, who is introduced in Plum Island and reappears in The Lion's Game,Night Fall, and Wild Fire.

Joe Ryker series

  1. The Sniper (1974)
  2. The Hammer of God (1974)
  3. The Agent of Death (1975)
  4. The Smack Man (1975)
  5. The Cannibal (1975)
  6. The Night of the Phoenix (1975)

Characters

NYPD Sergeant Joe Ryker, a tired, no-nonsense detective assigned to the NYPD Detective Bureau, whose natural understanding of his environment gives him an enhanced instinct for tracking down criminals. A loner, he carries two weapons: a standard police snub-nosed .38 Special revolver in an ankle holster, and a .357 Magnum revolver carried in a shoulder-holster. He appeared in the first six novels by DeMille. All were republished in 1989 bearing DeMille's nom-de-plume "Jack Cannon".

Stand-alone novels

1. The Quest (1975, re-released 2013 [5] )
2. By the Rivers of Babylon (1978)
3. Cathedral (1981)
4. The Talbot Odyssey (1984)
5. Word of Honor (1985)
6. The Charm School (1988)
7. Spencerville (1994)
8. Mayday (1998)
9. The Cuban Affair (2017)
10. The Deserter (2019)

Characters

Colonel Petr Burov/Boris/Boris Korsakov: Though not explicitly stated, DeMille hints that Burov, the antagonist in The Charm School, is the same person as the mysterious "Boris," a character in The Lion's Game and The Lion who trained Asad Khalil.

Short fiction

  1. The Mystery at Thorn Mansion (1976)
  2. Life or Breath (1976)
  3. "Revenge and Rebellion", in The Plot Thickens, (1997)
  4. The Rich and the Dead (2011)
  5. The Book Case (2011)
  6. Death Benefits (2012)
  7. Rendezvous (2012)

Other novels

  1. Hitler's Children: The True Story of Nazi Human Stud Farms (1976) (as Kurt Ladner)
  2. Killer Sharks: The Real Story (1977) (as Brad Mathews)

Non-fiction

  1. The Five-Million-Dollar Woman: Barbara Walters (1976) (as Ellen Kay)

Contributed works

  1. The Plot Thickens (1997)
  2. Getting Your Book Published for Dummies (2000)
  3. Takeoff! (2000)
  4. The Best American Mystery Stories (2004)
  5. Dangerous Women (2005)
  6. The Book that Changed my Life (2007)
  7. In the Shadow of the Master: Classic Tales by Edgar Allan Poe (2009)
  8. The Rich and the Dead (2011)
  9. The Book Case (2011)
  10. Long Island’s Gold Coast (2012)
  11. OHEKA Castle (2012)
  12. Death Benefits (2012)
  13. Rendezvous (2012)
  14. The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook (2015)
  15. The Books that Changed My Life (2016)
  16. Great Minds Think and Write: 50 Years of the Mensa Bulletin (2016)
  17. The Artists’ and Writers’ Cookbook: A Collection of Stories and Recipes (2016)
  18. MatchUp (2017)

Filmography

Novel AdaptedYear of AdaptationFilm/TVExtra Information
The General's Daughter 1999Film – ParamountStarring John Travolta
Word of Honor 2003TV – TNTStarring Don Johnson
Mayday 2005TV – CBSStarring Aidan Quinn

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plum Island (New York)</span> Island in New York, United States

Plum Island is an island in the town of Southold in Suffolk County, New York. The island is situated in Gardiners Bay, east of Orient Point, off the eastern end of the North Fork coast of Long Island. It is about 3 miles (4.8 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide at its widest point.

<i>Night Fall</i> (novel) Book by Nelson DeMille

Night Fall is a 2004 novel by American author Nelson DeMille.

<i>The Lions Game</i>

The Lion's Game is a 2000 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It is the second of DeMille's novels to feature the detective John Corey, now working as a contractor for the fictional FBI Anti-Terrorist Task Force in New York City. The 2000 novel The Lion’s Game is the sequel to Plum Island and is followed by the 2004 book Night Fall. The book also briefly mentions events from other DeMille novels like The Charm School and The Gold Coast, that aren't strictly part of the Corey-universe.

<i>Plum Island</i> (novel) 1997 novel

Plum Island is a 1997 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. This is the first novel to feature recurring character, detective John Corey. Plum Island is followed by the 2000 novel, The Lion's Game.

<i>Wild Fire</i> (novel)

Wild Fire is a 2006 novel by American author, Nelson DeMille. It is the fourth of DeMille's novels to feature Detective John Corey, now working as a contractor for the fictional FBI Anti-Terrorist Task Force in New York City. The novel is the sequel to Night Fall and takes place approximately one year later. Wild Fire is followed by DeMille’s 2010 novel, The Lion.

<i>The Agent of Death</i>

The Agent of Death is the third of Nelson DeMille's novels about NYPD Sergeant Joe Ryker. It was published in 1974, and then republished in 1989 with the DeMille pseudonym Jack Cannon as the author and The Death Squad as the title. The story focuses on Ryker's attempt to stop an unstable CIA assassin in New York City.

<i>The Night of the Phoenix</i>

The Night of the Phoenix is the sixth of Nelson DeMille's novels featuring NYPD Sergeant Joe Ryker. It was first published in 1975 with the protagonist originally as Joe Keller. Then republished in 1989 with the author listed as Jack Cannon.

<i>The Charm School</i> (novel)

The Charm School is a 1988 spy thriller novel by American author Nelson DeMille, set in the Soviet Union.

<i>The Gold Coast</i> (DeMille novel)

The Gold Coast is a 1990 novel by American author, Nelson DeMille. It introduces DeMille’s recurring character, John Sutter. The Gate House is the sequel to The Gold Coast.

<i>The Generals Daughter</i> (novel) Book by Nelson DeMille

The General's Daughter is a 1992 novel by the American author Nelson DeMille. The novel introduces protagonist Paul Brenner, who is also featured in DeMille's novels Up Country and The Panther. The General's Daughter was made into a 1999 film of the same name, starring John Travolta and Madeleine Stowe. In the movie, Captain Ann Campbell's first name was changed to Elisabeth.

<i>The Gate House</i>

The Gate House is a 2008 novel by American author, Nelson DeMille. It is the sequel to The Gold Coast.

<i>Up Country</i> 2002 novel by Nelson DeMille

Up Country is a 2002 thriller novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It is the second novel featuring protagonist Paul Brenner.

<i>The Lion</i> (DeMille novel)

The Lion is a 2010 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It is the fifth of DeMille's novels to feature Detective John Corey, now working as a contractor for the fictional FBI Anti-Terrorist Task Force in New York City. The novel is the sequel to The Lion's Game. The Lion is followed by DeMille's 2012 novel, The Panther.

<i>The Panther</i> (novel)

The Panther is a 2012 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It is the sixth of DeMille's novels to feature Detective John Corey, now working as a contractor for the fictional FBI Anti-Terrorist Task Force in New York City. The novel is the sequel to The Lion. The Panther is followed by DeMille's 2015 novel, Radiant Angel. Also featured in this novel is DeMille's other fictional character, Paul Brenner, who appears in The General's Daughter and Up Country.

<i>Radiant Angel</i>

Radiant Angel is a 2015 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It is the seventh of DeMille's novels to feature Detective John Corey, now working as a contractor for the fictional FBI Anti-Terrorist Task Force in New York City. The novel is the sequel to The Panther. Radiant Angel debuted as No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller List. It was released in England as A Quiet End.

Alan Jacobson is an American author of mystery, suspense, thriller and action novels. Among his works are the FBI profiler Karen Vail series and the OPSIG Team Black series, as well as stand alone books and short stories.

<i>The Cuban Affair</i>

The Cuban Affair is Nelson DeMille's 20th novel. DeMille had earlier novels win a place on the New York Times bestseller list. According to Publishers Weekly, Simon & Schuster had scheduled its release for September 17, 2017.

References

  1. ↑ Dawson, Mackenzie (September 22, 2017). "NYC author likes to look for his own books at the bookstore" . Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Nelson DeMille – About DeMille". nelsondemille.net. Archived from the original on April 18, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Table of contents for The book that changed my life". loc.gov.
  4. ↑ The author states that he writes in longhand on legal pads, most recently in the acknowledgements following The Panther.
  5. ↑ "Nelson DeMille web site, The Quest". Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
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