The Maze by Nelson DeMille

Former NYPD Homicide Detective John Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former lover in Plum Island, Detective Beth Penrose, appears with a job offer, Corey has to once again make some decisions about his stalled career - and about reuniting with Beth Penrose. As Corey digs deeper into this case, which has made national news, he comes to suspect that the failure of the local police to solve this sensational case may not be a result of their inexperience and incompetence - it may be something else. Something more sinister. Print run 500,000.

Wow. What happened? The John Corey I remember from the first books is not present here. This one is just old, missing the personality and cleverness of his predecessors. This might just mark the end of the series for me.

I haven't read any part of this series, and after reading this book I don't want to read any more of it.

This book was excruciating to get through. John Corey was absolutely horrid, and I could not stand any part of him. I also couldn't stand the repetition of his big plan and how full of himself he was. I get that he's a big bad cop and he's famous for the things he has done but I don't need to hear about it every other word. Nor do I need to read him constantly mentioning himself in the third person.

I have seen mixed reviews from readers who have actually read the previous books in this series and how they can't stomach this one either. That has to say something about where this series is going and I'm neither interested in going back no forward with it.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Unfortunately this is not one that I recommend.