John Corey
Encyclopedia
John Aloysius Corey is a fictitious
recurring character in Nelson DeMille
novel
s. He is quick-witted and cocky, but would be considered by most to be a brilliant detective
.
. Since then, he's appeared in The Lion's Game
, Night Fall
, Wild Fire
, and most recently, The Lion.
The character
has a healthy disrespect for authority
, a dry and engaging wit, and frequently crosses the powers that be. His outside persona
is one of bemused detachment, however once he locks in on a problem, he's a merciless powerhouse who refuses to stop until he's solved his case.
In Plum Island
, Corey is a New York homicide
detective
, on medical leave, and a lecturer
at John Jay
. In The Lion's Game
, Corey has left the NYPD and become an agent for the fiction
al FBI Anti-Terrorist Task Force (ATTF) in New York
. The ATTF is based on the real-life Joint Terrorist Task Force
.
While the Plum Island case is a local matter, the three succeeding novels deal with international conspiracy and terrorism, as befits his change in occupation. Corey both meets and works with Kate Mayfield in the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, a fact which involves them both working on cases and getting into trouble together.
Before Plum Island
, Corey is shot by two Hispanic criminals of unknown origin, which is the initial set up of the novel. In The Lion's Game
, he is also pursued and shot by the Libyan terrorist Asad Khalil.
In the latest novel, The Lion, Corey once again faces the Lion, Asad Khalil.
, he is separated and eventually divorced from his first wife, defense attorney
Robin Paine, who does not appear in the novels. The ostensible reason for the separation is due to a change in her career; she had stopped working on Corey's side of the law, as a Manhattan assistant district attorney, and had become a high-paid defense attorney for the criminals he was trying to "put in the slammer".
In Plum Island
, he becomes romantically involved with two characters he meets in the course of his investigation:
Corey's involvement with Penrose continues in The Lion's Game
, where he meets and later marries FBI agent Kate Mayfield
.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
recurring character in Nelson DeMille
Nelson DeMille
Nelson Richard DeMille is an American author of thriller novels. His works include Word of Honor , The Charm School, The Gold Coast, Plum Island, and The General's Daughter .DeMille has also written under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s. He is quick-witted and cocky, but would be considered by most to be a brilliant detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
.
Fictitious character biography
Corey first appeared in DeMille's novel Plum IslandPlum Island (novel)
Plum Island is a 1997 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It introduces NYPD detective John Corey, convalescing on the North Fork of Long Island from gunshot wounds sustained in the line of duty...
. Since then, he's appeared in The Lion's Game
The Lion's Game
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. The 2004 novel Night Fall is a sequel to The Lion's Game and takes...
, Night Fall
Night Fall
Night Fall is a 2004 novel by American author Nelson DeMille.The story begins with the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island, New York...
, Wild Fire
Wild Fire (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....
, and most recently, The Lion.
The character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
has a healthy disrespect for authority
Authority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
, a dry and engaging wit, and frequently crosses the powers that be. His outside persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
is one of bemused detachment, however once he locks in on a problem, he's a merciless powerhouse who refuses to stop until he's solved his case.
In Plum Island
Plum Island (novel)
Plum Island is a 1997 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It introduces NYPD detective John Corey, convalescing on the North Fork of Long Island from gunshot wounds sustained in the line of duty...
, Corey is a New York homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
, on medical leave, and a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at John Jay
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
The John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a senior college of the City University of New York in Midtown Manhattan, New York City and is the only liberal arts college with a criminal justice and forensic focus in the United States. The college offers programs in Forensic Science and Forensic...
. In The Lion's Game
The Lion's Game
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. The 2004 novel Night Fall is a sequel to The Lion's Game and takes...
, Corey has left the NYPD and become an agent for the fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al FBI Anti-Terrorist Task Force (ATTF) in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The ATTF is based on the real-life Joint Terrorist Task Force
Joint Terrorism Task Force
A Joint Terrorism Task Force is a partnership between various U.S. law enforcement agencies that is charged with taking action against terrorism, which includes the investigation of crimes such as wire fraud and identity theft...
.
While the Plum Island case is a local matter, the three succeeding novels deal with international conspiracy and terrorism, as befits his change in occupation. Corey both meets and works with Kate Mayfield in the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, a fact which involves them both working on cases and getting into trouble together.
Before Plum Island
Plum Island (novel)
Plum Island is a 1997 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It introduces NYPD detective John Corey, convalescing on the North Fork of Long Island from gunshot wounds sustained in the line of duty...
, Corey is shot by two Hispanic criminals of unknown origin, which is the initial set up of the novel. In The Lion's Game
The Lion's Game
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. The 2004 novel Night Fall is a sequel to The Lion's Game and takes...
, he is also pursued and shot by the Libyan terrorist Asad Khalil.
In the latest novel, The Lion, Corey once again faces the Lion, Asad Khalil.
Love Interests
When Corey is first introduced in Plum IslandPlum Island (novel)
Plum Island is a 1997 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It introduces NYPD detective John Corey, convalescing on the North Fork of Long Island from gunshot wounds sustained in the line of duty...
, he is separated and eventually divorced from his first wife, defense attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Robin Paine, who does not appear in the novels. The ostensible reason for the separation is due to a change in her career; she had stopped working on Corey's side of the law, as a Manhattan assistant district attorney, and had become a high-paid defense attorney for the criminals he was trying to "put in the slammer".
In Plum Island
Plum Island (novel)
Plum Island is a 1997 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It introduces NYPD detective John Corey, convalescing on the North Fork of Long Island from gunshot wounds sustained in the line of duty...
, he becomes romantically involved with two characters he meets in the course of his investigation:
- Emma Whitestone - florist (business owner), archivistArchivistAn archivist is a professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have long-term value. The information maintained by an archivist can be any form of media...
and President of the Peconic Historical Society - Elizabeth (Beth) Penrose - homicide detective for the Suffolk County Police
Corey's involvement with Penrose continues in The Lion's Game
The Lion's Game
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. The 2004 novel Night Fall is a sequel to The Lion's Game and takes...
, where he meets and later marries FBI agent Kate Mayfield
Kate Mayfield
Kate Mayfield is a recurring fictional character in Nelson DeMille novels. She is an FBI agent working in New York City. She is described by her husband, John Corey, as a "Wendy Wasp from Wichita"....
.
Trivia
- Corey was never meant to be a recurring characterFictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, and DeMilleNelson DeMilleNelson Richard DeMille is an American author of thriller novels. His works include Word of Honor , The Charm School, The Gold Coast, Plum Island, and The General's Daughter .DeMille has also written under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt...
's foreword in the newest edition of Plum Island (novel)Plum Island (novel)Plum Island is a 1997 novel by American author Nelson DeMille. It introduces NYPD detective John Corey, convalescing on the North Fork of Long Island from gunshot wounds sustained in the line of duty...
indicates that Corey was only brought back by popular demand. DeMille stated in the same foreword that he deliberately wrote Corey as the most 'un-PC' character possible as many authors became more politically correctPolitically CorrectPolitically Correct may refer to:*Political correctness, language, ideas, policies, or behaviour seeking to minimize offence to groups of people-See also:*Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, book by James Finn Garner, published in 1994...
. - Was once married to a defense attorney, and good friends with Beth Penrose.
- As many of DeMille's characters, Corey frequently dates or marries much younger women (Mayfield, for instance, is 14 years his junior).
- Teaches at John Jay College of Criminal JusticeJohn Jay College of Criminal JusticeThe John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a senior college of the City University of New York in Midtown Manhattan, New York City and is the only liberal arts college with a criminal justice and forensic focus in the United States. The college offers programs in Forensic Science and Forensic...
. - Prefers beerBeerBeer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
over other beverages to the extent that he was "forced" to masquerade beer as champagne during a haute garden partyGarden partyA garden party is a social gathering with food provided, in the open in a park or a garden. An event described as a garden party is usually more formal than other similar gatherings, which may be called just parties, picnics, barbecues, etc,...
in Plum IslandPlum Island (New York)Plum Island is an island in the Town of Southold in Suffolk County, New York in the United States. The island is in Gardiners Bay, east of Orient Point, off the eastern end of the North Fork coast of Long Island. It is about long and wide at its widest point...
and to use red wine as a washingWashingWashing is one way of cleaning, namely with water and often some kind of soap or detergent. Washing is an essential part of good hygiene and health....
solutionSolutionIn chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of only one phase. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. The solvent does the dissolving.- Types of solutions :...
for his windshieldWindshieldThe windshield or windscreen of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike or tram is the front window. Modern windshields are generally made of laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass, which consists of two curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety, and are glued...
(he has also been known to drink scotchScotch whiskyScotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
, as do many of DeMilleNelson DeMilleNelson Richard DeMille is an American author of thriller novels. His works include Word of Honor , The Charm School, The Gold Coast, Plum Island, and The General's Daughter .DeMille has also written under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt...
's other maleMaleMale refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
protagonists). He is also exceptionally fond of pigs in a blanketPigs in a blanketPigs in blankets Pigs in blankets Pigs in blankets (also known as worstenbroodjes or saucijzenbroodjes (dutch), kilted sausages (UK), pølse i svøb (danish) refers to different sausage-based foods in the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia,...
with deli mustard and asked that they be prepared by a FrenchFrench cuisineFrench cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
chefChefA chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
in a $1,200 per night hotelHotelA hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Wild FireWild Fire (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....
. - Gave up smoking after being shot three times in the events prior to Plum Island. In The Lion's Game Corey does in fact hold a lit cigarette but assures the reader he does not inhale. However, in Night FallNight FallNight Fall is a 2004 novel by American author Nelson DeMille.The story begins with the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island, New York...
he does have a cigarette when interviewing the Doctoral Student at the University of Pennsylvania. - In Wild Fire he reveals his middle name is AloysiusAloysiusAloysius is a given name. It is a Latinisation of the names Louis, Lewis, Luis, Luigi, Ludwig, and so on . In English it is usually pronounced...
. - Is irrationally fearful of bears, and frequently mentions his fear while in upstate New York in Wild Fire.