Let’s talk about two of the most dangerous men in fiction. Not because they’re special forces-trained or nuclear physicists or possess the rare ability to disarm bombs while quoting Shakespeare. No, these two are dangerous because they don’t shut up.
Meet Greg Newsome, my personal therapy proxy and the star of Let It Die, Due or Die, and the other books that probably got me flagged by at least one three-letter agency. Then meet John Corey, Nelson DeMille’s masterclass in NYPD sarcasm, national security screw-you’s, and general badassery.
Put ‘em in the same room and you don’t need a gunfight. The snark alone could detonate a city block.
The Résumés:
Greg Newsome: Former CEO. Business coach. Accidentally caught in a love triangle between the Russian mob and the FBI. Thinks faster than you. Shoots better than you. Drinks more coffee than you. Possibly invincible, probably sleep-deprived.
John Corey: Retired NYPD Homicide cop. Got shot three times. Got promoted anyway. Assigned to chase terrorists and ends up body-bagging bureaucrats along the way. Looks at protocol like it’s a mosquito buzzing in his beer.
The Style Showdown:
| Trait | Greg Newsome | John Corey |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon of Choice | Sarcasm & Glock | Sarcasm & Glock |
| Preferred Target | Tech bros, cult leaders, mobsters in golf shirts | Bureaucrats, terrorists, jackasses |
| Moral Compass | Points due north until it’s time to blow up the compass | Also due north, but on fire |
| Therapy Need | High | Also high, but he’d punch the therapist |
| Most Likely to Say… | “Let’s negotiate. Or I shoot you.” | “You’re an idiot. I’m still gonna win.” |
Love Lives?
Let’s just say neither of these guys is gonna be featured in a Hallmark Christmas special anytime soon.
Greg’s romantic life is a beautiful trainwreck involving a brilliant ex, a dangerous new love, and the kind of emotional damage that would make a licensed therapist just go, “…oh.”
Corey? He’s the guy who falls for a federal agent and spends three books dodging bullets and commitment in equal measure.
Philosophy Breakdown:
Both Greg and John live by codes. They don’t say them out loud, because they’d rather die than sound earnest. But it’s there.
Greg’s Code: Save the innocent. Wreck the corrupt. Never trust a VC with perfect teeth.
John’s Code: Justice over rules. Loyalty over politics. Everyone’s an idiot until proven otherwise.
So Who Wins?
Wrong question.
If you’re looking for brute force and wise-assery honed on New York streets, Corey’s your man.
If you want the guy who can dismantle your company and your cult before breakfast, it’s Newsome.
Put them together? You’ve got the world’s deadliest consulting firm:
“Corey & Newsome: We Fix Your Problems. Or Bury Them.”
Final Thought:
Look, I love John Corey. The man’s a legend. But if he’s the hammer, Greg Newsome is the scalpel dipped in acid. One works the street, the other works the system. Both walk out of the burning building with a smirk and a quote worth framing.
But only one of them still has to do Zoom calls with corporate executives in the morning.
Poor Greg.
Link here to pick up your Greg Newsome series book on Amazon.
