Nelson DeMille’s estate is being sued for $1.275 million by Simon & Schuster.

Simon & Schuster Seeks $1.275 Million from DeMille Estate

Publisher Simon & Schuster is attempting to reclaim $1,275,000 that it reportedly paid to Nelson DeMille for a novel that remained unfinished at the time of his passing.

Court records reveal that DeMille signed a deal worth $11.5 million for three books in December 2014. He completed and delivered the first two works before he died in September 2024 at 81.

Simon & Schuster claims they provided a total of $1,275,000 for the unwritten third book, which included a $640,000 advance and $635,000 for the project outline.

The proposed title for the third novel was “Explorer’s Club,” according to the publisher.

In their lawsuit, Simon & Schuster stated, “Unfortunately, Mr. DeMille passed away before delivering the manuscript for his third novel.”

A month following DeMille’s death, Simon & Schuster reached out to his son, Alex DeMille, who is also a co-author, asking for reimbursement. When no payment was received, the publisher filed a lawsuit against the estate in Nassau County Surrogate’s Court by July.

The claim took an unexpected turn as DeMille’s children alleged that their father and the publisher had modified the contract several times, asserting that no special advances were ever issued to him by Simon & Schuster.

According to their filing on October 6, “These payments were never paid to Mr. DeMille and remained unaccounted for after his death.” They further argued, “In other words, there is nothing that can be taken back.”

On October 7, Simon & Schuster launched a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court, targeting Alex and his sister Lauren, both of whom are co-executors of their father’s estate, seeking to recover the funds.

DeMille, a bestselling author and Long Island resident, began his literary career in the 1970s with the novel “By the Rivers of Babylon,” released in 1978. He authored or co-authored almost 30 books, including the 1997 hit “Plum Island,” which featured former NYPD detective John Corey.