These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $26.61

Save: $11.02 (41%)

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Plum Island (John Corey Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 14,840 ratings

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

CELEBRATING THE 20th ANNIVERSARY WITH A NEW FOREWORD BY THE AUTHOR


Wounded in the line of duty, NYPD homicide detective John Corey convalesces in the Long Island township of Southold, home to farmers, fishermen -- and at least one killer. Tom and Judy Gordon, a young, attractive couple Corey knows, have been found on their patio, each with a bullet in the head. The local police chief, Sylvester Maxwell, wants Corey's big-city expertise, but Maxwell gets more than he bargained for.

John Corey doesn't like mysteries, which is why he likes to solve them. His investigations lead him into the lore, legends, and ancient secrets of northern Long Island -- more deadly and more dangerous than he could ever have imagined. During his journey of discovery, he meets two remarkable women, Detective Beth Penrose and Mayflower descendant Emma Whitestone, both of whom change his life irrevocably. Ultimately, through his understanding of the murders, John Corey comes to understand himself.

Fast-paced and atmospheric, marked by entrancing characters, incandescent storytelling, and brilliant comic touches, Plum Island is Nelson DeMille at his thrill-inducing best.

Shop this series

See full series
This option includes 8 books. See included books
Shop this series
There are 8 books in this series.
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
By placing your order, you're purchasing a license to the content and you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.

This option includes 3 books.

This option includes 5 books.

This option includes 8 books.

Something went wrong.
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
Bundle price: Kindle price
By placing your order, you're purchasing a license to the content and you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.

Customers also bought or read

Loading...
Popular Highlights in this book

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.

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.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000FA5SMK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; 1st edition (June 1, 2003)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 1, 2003
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2921 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1455593877
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 14,840 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Nelson DeMille
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Nelson Richard DeMille was born in New York City on August 23, 1943 to Huron and Antonia (Panzera) DeMille, then moved with his parents to Long Island. He graduated from Elmont Memorial High School, where he played football and ran track.

DeMille spent three years at Hofstra University, then joined the Army where he attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the United States Army (1966-69). He saw action in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division and was decorated with the Air Medal, Bronze Star, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

After his discharge, DeMille returned to Hofstra University where he received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History. He has three children, Lauren, Alexander, and James, and resides on Long Island.

DeMille's first major novel was By the Rivers of Babylon, published in 1978, and is still in print as are all his succeeding novels. He is a member of American Mensa, The Authors Guild, and is past president of the Mystery Writers of America. He is also a member of International Thriller Writers and was chosen as ThrillerMaster of the Year 2015. He 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.

Nelson 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, The Cuban Affair and The Deserter. He also co-authored Mayday with Thomas Block and has contributed short stories to anthologies, and book reviews and articles to magazines and newspapers.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
14,840 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book and found it an easy read with a good plot twist. They appreciated the humor, witty characters, and character development. The writing style was described as crisp and brilliantly constructed. Readers also mentioned that the pacing was fast-paced.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

768 customers mention "Readability"733 positive35 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the story entertaining and interesting, with a clever plot that leads to an exciting ending. The book is recommended as a great read for all ages with a nice day trip feel.

"...Southold—a place of fishing, farming, antiques, vineyards, and rich New World history. His friends, Tom and Judy Gordon, are murdered in cold blood...." Read more

"...This earlier book is a good read, but slightly lengthy and the plot is a bit unbelievable so I gave it 4 stars...." Read more

"...and facts that DeMille uses about real places, events and people help sell the story to me as it rarely gets too fantastical..." Read more

"Taut, suspenseful and very entertaining. Demille creates a clever storyline that rings of a modern day Agatha Christie who-dunnit...." Read more

441 customers mention "Plot twist"353 positive88 negative

Customers find the plot twists engaging. They say the story is well-crafted with logical clues and motives that lead to a satisfying conclusion. The book holds their attention with its unexpected turns and surprises, making it an enjoyable mystery novel.

"...The story is driven by logical clues and motives that lead to a satisfying conclusion...." Read more

"...The characters are well crafted, and the plot moves around and around, finishing with an exciting but somewhat unbelievable boat chase...." Read more

"...a good mystery and melds together a lot of what appears to be well researched material surrounding medical mystery, contagious germs, police..." Read more

"...The ending to one character is pretty brutal and will stick with me for a while. The overall mystery is great with some clever twists and turns." Read more

328 customers mention "Humor"299 positive29 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find the witty and sarcastic writing style entertaining. The reveal is described as laugh-out-loud funny. The author's writing style is enjoyable, and the plotting and character development are also praiseworthy.

"...Add to that Corey’s sharp wit and relentless pursuit of the truth, and you’ll want to read all seven hundred pages in one sitting!" Read more

"...Dry witted, sarcastic and yet boyishly charming, he quickly ingratiates himself with the FBI, the CIA, the State Police and the local sheriff who..." Read more

"...original but the way it is told, in the DeMille manner, makes it very entertaining as it builds to a thrilling climax...." Read more

"...The writing, the story, how fast it reads and the very rare humor for a mystery genre! My new favorite mystery writer!" Read more

292 customers mention "Character development"248 positive44 negative

Customers enjoy the character development in the book. They find the hero humorous, tough, and gentle, with a dry sense of humor. The characters are described as colorful and the suspects as well. Readers appreciate the book's balance between mystery and detailed personalities.

"...Add to that Corey’s sharp wit and relentless pursuit of the truth, and you’ll want to read all seven hundred pages in one sitting!" Read more

"...The characters are well crafted, and the plot moves around and around, finishing with an exciting but somewhat unbelievable boat chase...." Read more

"..." language of the book is a turn off to some, as our hero is more straightforward descriptive and less prone to using the phrases that have become..." Read more

"...Crossing paths with several possible suspects, all of whom are colorful characters, Corey find himself second guessing everyone while juggling..." Read more

218 customers mention "Writing quality"194 positive24 negative

Customers enjoy the author's writing style. They find the stories engaging and well-crafted. The dialogue flows smoothly and the characters seem believable. Overall, readers praise the book as an enjoyable read.

"...with a "summer read" for most people, but the easy read style and flowing dialog made it hard for me (an admitted non finisher of many books), to..." Read more

"...Demille artfully crafts a good mystery and melds together a lot of what appears to be well researched material surrounding medical mystery,..." Read more

"I absolutely loved this book. The writing, the story, how fast it reads and the very rare humor for a mystery genre! My new favorite mystery writer!" Read more

"...there are plenty of story elements to keep it interesting, and DeMille writes well and it is an easy read with enough suspense to keep the reader..." Read more

149 customers mention "Pacing"107 positive42 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find it fast-paced with interesting characters and engaging plot twists. The final chapters are described as swift and captivating, with good suspense and quick wit. Overall, readers describe it as an easy read with a strong sense of humor throughout.

"...fits more in line with a "summer read" for most people, but the easy read style and flowing dialog made it hard for me..." Read more

"...setting the scene so the audience will know everything, the second half moves very fast and leads to a very exciting ending...." Read more

"The plot moved too slowly in its development. I was finally hooked on the story by the half way mark of the story." Read more

"I absolutely loved this book. The writing, the story, how fast it reads and the very rare humor for a mystery genre! My new favorite mystery writer!" Read more

72 customers mention "Detail"50 positive22 negative

Customers have different views on the book's detail. Some find it informative and engaging, with accurate reasoning and meticulous research. Others feel the details are excessive, repetitive, and overly dramatic.

"...He is relentless in finding clues and very meticulous...." Read more

"The information about the North Fork is great. Some of the characters, too. The book is a bit too long." Read more

"...It is too long. Too many explanations about things that are not at all interesting. We just don't read. We skip them cus it is boring;..." Read more

"...It wins a few points for a good setting which is easy to envision, and frankly a good hook that dominates the first 100 pages or so -- the story..." Read more

71 customers mention "Interest"49 positive22 negative

Customers have differing views on the book's interest. Some find it engaging and exciting, while others feel it lacks depth and is too self-absorbed. The hero seems overly egotistical and the writing style is crude for some readers' tastes.

"...Corey did know the victims before but the novel does a good job of catching the reader up...." Read more

"Holds your attention and throws in some surprises. Great character development. Needs a follow-up. Great reading for all ages. Enjoy." Read more

"...Here, it was over the top. I found John Corey to be obnoxious at times and simply not funny...." Read more

"...Connecticut and Rhode Island. This was fun and held my interest...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2024
    PLUM ISLAND, by Nelson DeMille, is a mystery thriller set on Long Island’s North Fork. NYPD Detective John Corey is convalescing in the township of Southold—a place of fishing, farming, antiques, vineyards, and rich New World history. His friends, Tom and Judy Gordon, are murdered in cold blood. Was it a burglary gone bad or bio terrorism? It turns out that the Gordons were scientists working in Plum Island—a federal research facility studying deadly animal pathogens like Foot-and-mouth disease, Anthrax, and Ebola. Corey is pulled into the case by the local police chief and soon finds himself in a web of deception and murder. As the bodies pile up, the clues point Corey to dark secrets, some going back more than three-hundred years.
     
    The story is driven by logical clues and motives that lead to a satisfying conclusion. Add to that Corey’s sharp wit and relentless pursuit of the truth, and you’ll want to read all seven hundred pages in one sitting!
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2013
    From time to time I revisit an early book in some of my favourite series to see how they have stood the test of time. Plum Island is an early book in Nelson Demille's John Corey series and when it was released it knocked John Grisham off the top of the US bestseller lists and held the no.1 spot for five weeks. I have just read and enjoyed "The Panther", the latest John Corey adventure and wanted to see how the character had evolved over time.

    In "Plum Island" Corey is still a NYPD homicide detective and is staying at his Uncle's beachside house on Long Island recovering from three, almost fatal, gunshots in the course of duty. His neighbours, Tom and Judy Gordon, biologists who worked on Plum Island, the site of animal disease research for the Department of Agriculture, are murdered and Corey is hired by the local police to consult on the murder investigation. A smart and attractive detective Beth Penrose leads the team.

    Inevitably the investigations focus first on the possibility that the Gordon's were involved in selling viruses or vaccines to terrorists. The investigation team gets packed with FBI and CIA agents tripping over themselves to prevent a life-threatening tragedy.

    Corey quickly dismisses the Plum Island disease connection and works on his own to look at unusual things in the Gordon's lifestyle which is well overspent. They have a rarely used but very expensive speed boat with a missing ice-chest, and recently purchased an isolated block of land on the beach-side that can't be developed. He also looks at their membership of a local historical society and meets and is instantly attracted to the president of the society, Emma Whitestone.

    Corey is still full of smart alec wisecracks, but IMHO they are better in "The Panther" as he matures. Most people are disarmed and annoyed by his attitude which makes him look a bit idiotic - but it really is a technique to keep people off balance so they don't realise how smart he really is.

    I enjoyed revisiting this early Demille which has an interesting and somewhat unusual plot. The characters are well crafted, and the plot moves around and around, finishing with an exciting but somewhat unbelievable boat chase.

    On balance I enjoyed "The Panther" slightly better which I gave 5 stars. This earlier book is a good read, but slightly lengthy and the plot is a bit unbelievable so I gave it 4 stars.

    My favourite Demille book is still "Word of Honor", which IMHO is one of the best novels about the Vietnam war.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2011
    A sort of modern day version of Film Noir meets Action Movie. Blend together the smarmy talk of an old Bogart mystery (only with more modern chauvinism)with bordering on unbelievable action of a Willis in Die Hard and you get the sort of story and suspense that DeMille has put together.

    The "more modern" language of the book is a turn off to some, as our hero is more straightforward descriptive and less prone to using the phrases that have become running jokes of Noir (i.e. "She was no longer wearing her blazer, so I could see the .38 caliber she had holstered on her back, and the pair of 38D she had holstered up front" rather than the "She was as smooth as butter and sizzled like butter melting in a frying pan"). John Corey is a chauvinist and full of himself to a degree that may offend those of delicate senses (see most of the low 1 star reviews here and that is the major whine... so if you are one of those types, then this is probably not for you), but is quite realistic to anybody that knows a person like a Cory.

    This is in no way what you may consider a "literary classic" and probably fits more in line with a "summer read" for most people, but the easy read style and flowing dialog made it hard for me (an admitted non finisher of many books), to put it down and I could not wait for my next opportunity to grab it and see what was happening next.

    The research and facts that DeMille uses about real places, events and people help sell the story to me as it rarely gets too fantastical (though there are some points that like any action book border on the implausible) and helps make it almost seem like more of a dramatization of real events rather than outright fiction.

    Thoughout my life I have had favorite sleuths, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew (hey I was a kid), Sherlock Holmes, Ellery Queen, and now John Corey.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • JF
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in Canada on November 15, 2024
    John Corey is so politically incorrect and annoying he becomes very entertaining. His remarks makes.you laugh all Tru the book.
  • Riccardo Botti
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enticing book
    Reviewed in Italy on December 13, 2021
    Always funny, Nelson Demille writes in a way few other writers do. Very sarcastic and at the same time a true action book!
  • willread
    5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2021
    I give this author five stars for a story that was an absolute pleasure to read. It was interesting, gripping in parts, funny and I felt totally invested in the story. The main characters were superbly created and I loved and hated them as was appropriate, as I'm sure was intended by the author.
    A great book that I would readily recommend.
  • C. McCarthy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in France on September 25, 2013
    The book is quite interesting ansd since I lived on Long Island for 12 years, it's especially intriguing. Thank you.
  • berguenia
    4.0 out of 5 stars John Corey nunca decepciona
    Reviewed in Spain on March 11, 2013
    He escuchado las demás novelas de la serie de John Corey y siempre le identifico con la voz de Scott Brick. Leerlo yo misma ha sido una experiencia un poco extraña pero como esta es la primera novela de la serie ya no la encontré en audio. Aun así, siempre es un personaje divertido .

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?