Rate this book

Mr. Mercedes (2014)

by Stephen King(Favorite Author)

3.41 of 5 Votes: 6

ISBN

1476754454 (ISBN13: 9781476754451)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Scribner

series

Bill Hodges Trilogy

review 1: Kind of let down by this book. Oh, it's well written and all that, but somewhat generic. Other reviewers who rated this novel with two or fewer stars have said it all a lot better than I can; I suggest you refer to them. This is certainly a departure from King's regular horror fare, but it also includes the Buddy Element that seems to be featuring in recent King novels. This is a feel-good aspect of his recent works wherein an uncommon group of oddballs get together to catch a sexually frustrated psychopath mass murderer. It was engaging enough for me to stay up all night to read, but otherwise a waste of this author's talent. Not to put any pressure on Mr. King - he has proven himself without a doubt, he owes us nothing at this point in his fruitful writing career - but h... moree still has a standard he himself has set, and this novel doesn't quite live up to it.
review 2: "Mr. Mercedes" opens with a bang - someone drives a large Mercedes into a crowd of people in line outside of a job fair, killing and maiming several. The driver fled the scene and was named by the press as "Mr. Mercedes" though the gender of the perpetrator was never known to the police. Recently retired detective Bill Hodges has been living out his retirement days sitting in a Lazy-Boy, watching daytime television while trying to avoid a final usage of his service weapon when he unexpectedly receives a letter from Mr Mercedes. He taunts the detective on his inability to identify him prior to leaving the police force but instead of exacerbating Hodges' suicidality, it propels him to action, to again attempt closure on this "cold case". King delivers an entertaining and quick yarn which contains the customary sides of good and evil, a cat and mouse game that oscillates between the murderer's motives and Hodges' ongoing technically illegal investigation. Surprisingly gore-free, King instead depicts the horror of current society, of ordinary people who, either by circumstances or perhaps genetic predisposition, are compelled to commit atrocities against others simply because they can. This novel would more accurately be described as a crime novel but King's distinctive voice resonates on every page. In many respects, there are some similarities to his early work "The Dead Zone", both with a likable protagonist whose ultimate main struggle is to stop a madman. While there are other supporting characters, Mr Mercedes, Hodges and perhaps the car itself take center stage in this novel. This book will satisfy longterm readers of King as well as newbies who have avoided his large repetoire, fearing too much blood or gore on the pages. Apparently this is part one of a series so I look forward to future installments. less

Download links for: Mr. Mercedes

Advertising