The Panther by Nelson DeMille
by Jenners • 11/20/2012 • 3.5 Stars, D Authors, Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, P Titles • 27 Comments
The Panther by Nelson DeMille
Where I Got It: Net Galley
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
Why I Read It: I love the character of John Corey
My Rating: 3.5 stars
John Corey—Nelson DeMille’s smart-ass, wise-cracking, ex-cop turned Anti-Terrorist Task Force agent—is one of my all-time favorite fictional action heroes. From the first time I met him in Plum Island, I knew that Corey had everything I look for: courage, fallibility and (most importantly) a sarcastic sense of humor. I’ve followed Corey’s exploits through all six of his books. By this point, I know what to expect: a fast-paced thrill ride focused on some type of government cover-up or terrorist activity. So I was thrilled when I saw The Panther featured not just John Corey but also Paul Brenner (who made appearances in two other DeMille books, The General’s Daughter and Up Country). What a kick to see two of DeMille’s fictional creations go mano-a-mano!
The plot, as usual, is very topical. Corey and his wife, FBI agent Kate Mayfield, are sent to Yemen to track down an Al Qaeda leader named The Panther, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the USS Cole bombing. The Yemen setting is a huge part of the book, and DeMille obviously did his homework. The week after I finished the book, Time magazine had a story on Yemen that touched on many of the things mentioned in the book—including the pervasiveness of khat, the political situation, the landscape and Al Qaeda’s presence. It was like seeing the book come to life.
The book is essentially your basic “cat and mouse” story. This is both a help and a hindrance. On the plus side, DeMille ratchets up the tension by keeping Corey on the perpetual edge of death in one of the most dangerous countries in the Middle East. On the con side, a cat and mouse story ends when the cat gets the mouse (or vice versa) so there was certain amount of repetitiveness and stalling as we waited for our two adversaries to finally meet. DeMille throws in plenty of other machinations (you just never know who to trust … including Corey), but I began to feel like things got a bit repetitive. The saving grace, as always, is Corey himself. With a constant stream of sarcasm and smart-assery flowing from his mouth, you’re never bored with Corey along. (Though I imagine he would be a pain in real life.) Still, I felt this book stalled out in the middle as we waited for the denouement.
All that being said, I enjoyed the book and will continue reading Corey books as long DeMille wants to write them. If you’re new to John Corey, I suggest starting from the beginning (Plum Island) and working your way through the rest. The series is always engaging and humorous—though you might find yourself turning into a bit of a conspiracy theorist. If you’re already a Corey fan, know that this isn’t the strongest Corey book but our guy is still his wonderful sarcastic self.
Awesome! I didn’t realize there was a new John Corey novel out. I really like those books. Thanks for the review.
Cool! I’m glad you’re a John Corey fan too. It is always a treat when there is a new one. I hate when he strays into other characters. Harumph.
I’ve always wanted to give the John Corey novels a go! Don’t know what’s stopped me, but perhaps I’ll add the first book to my must read 2013 list!
Oh do add it! They are really fun fast reads. Great as a “palate cleanser” between heavier books.
Looks like I’ll have to add Plum Island to my wish list!
Yup! It is a great fun series. Hard to put down but fast to read.
Definitely sounds like one TBG needs to read. We both loved Plum Island but somehow never got back to the series. Glad you enjoyed it so much.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
You should definitely get back into the series. So so good. One of the few series that both Mr. Jenners and I both read.
This sounds like a compelling thriller and you make it sound too good to miss! By the way, thank you for adding “smart-assery” to my lexicon. That’s a great word.
I’m going to try and get it into the dictionary. And yes … John Corey books are too good to miss. I’m surprised no one created a movie with him in it yet.
I need to listen to my mother and read this series. She loves it.
Your mother has good taste! Listen to her.
Sounds great! I’ve only read one of his books, but I liked it a lot. I should pick up a few of his older books and set them aside for vacation reading – like for on the plane or layovers.
They are perfect for vacation reading … or “palate cleansers” between heavier books.
I have Plum Island on my shelves! I am very excited to try this series and so happy I have the first!
oh goodie! I think you’ll like it. They are fast involving reads but don’t require too much thinking. Just perfect for when you want that kind of book.
I love the wise-cracking Corey. Haven’t gotten to this one yet, but hope to listen to the audio as Scott Brick is the reader, I believe, and he is great.
As much as I love Scott Brick as a narrator, I can’t quite imagine his voice being Coreys!!
Hmmm. I’ve not read these, but I like anti-heroes like that. Kinda reminds me of Jack Reacher or Lucas Davenport. It is my easy brain-candy reading. And the thing is, with this type of series, I have a certain amount of patience if they jump the shark now and again. I am forgiving and come back for more.
I think you’d LOVE this series actually. You should give it a go. Start with Plum Island. I promise you that you’ll be able to find it at your library.
Who doesn’t love John Corey and his sarcasm?! I’ll have to look for this book.
I know!! He is such a fun character to spend time with.
I am so far behind on reading from the book list I’ve created from the recommendations of you, Oh, Goddess of Book Reviews!
Plum Island should be next I think!
These books are just fantastic when you want a brainless thrill ride kind of a read. And if you love sarcasm, you’ll just love Corey. And I love being a Goddess of Book Reviews. I think I’ll have to make a business card with that on it.
My parents both think John Corey is the greatest too. I’ve only read Plum Island but I really liked it. I considered getting my dad The Panther for Christmas, but I can’t for the life of me remember if he read the most recent one. It’s disappointing that this seemed repetitive; hopefully, that isn’t a sign that the series is going downhill. =/
If he is a Corey fan, he’ll definitely want to read it. Perhaps your mom can provide some clues if he is caught up with all the books! (This one just came out in October.)
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