Title: Mr. Mercedes
Series: Bill
Hodges Trilogy, #1
Author: Stephen
King
Publisher: Scribner
Publication Date: June
3, 2014
Genres: Horror,
Thriller, Mystery
Reviewed by: Ellen
Fritz
Ellen’s rating: 5/5
SUMMARY
In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed
Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot
at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a
stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again.
Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.
In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the "perk" and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.
Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again.
Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.
Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.
In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the "perk" and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.
Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again.
Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.
Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.
REVIEW
Reading Mr.
Mercedes made me realize, once again, why I am such a huge fan of Stephen
King's books. Unhappily retired detective Bill Hodges is still troubled by his
last, as yet unsolved, case. When Mr. Mercedes seeks him out for a bit of
revenge, Hodges is ready to take up the challenge, legally or not.
Absolutely captivating from the word go, Mr. Mercedes is a book that I simply
couldn't put down. Though I did feel that the author took too long with plot
development in some of his other books, in this book every bit of character
development and back story was important and very necessary.
Stephen King is a master when it comes to getting into
his characters' minds and giving the reader a look at said minds. In this book
one truly feels the frustration of the dissatisfied ex-detective and the insane
evil that lurks in the mind of the antagonist. I absolutely loved that the
secondary characters are realistic people with their own strengths and
weaknesses. The most important of these
are, Jerome, a black yard boy with a handy knowledge of computers and Holly, a
psychologically disturbed middle-aged woman.
Although this is a fast-moving, suspense-laden book,
the story becomes utterly nerve wracking after the half way mark. While the
touch of romance in this book is realistic and poignant, it gives the story an extra
layer of believability.
I would recommend this masterfully-written book as a
must-read to all who love Stephen King's work.
ABOUT the AUTHOR
Stephen King is the
author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent
work includes Doctor Sleep and Under the Dome, now a major TV miniseries on
CBS. His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times
Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller as
well as the Best Hardcover Book Award from the International Thriller Writers
Association. He is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for
Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with
his wife, novelist Tabitha King.
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1 comment:
Fab review, this one is definitely on my to-do list!
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