MR MERCEDES

I don't like horror and I have not read Stephen King's books or stories before. I was sure that I did not want to read Carrie or The Shining but someone recommended this book as a psychological thriller. I absolutely loved it. Stephen King has the gift of drawing you into the book from the first sentence. With most other books, there is a breaking in period when I really need to get used to an author's rhythm and pace but with King, it happens immediately. The book is about a notorious serial killer and psychopath who is known as the Mercedes killer, who kills a lot of people in a job fair. Bill Hodges, the cop who failed to catch Mr. Mercedes, retires and is still tormented by the case he never solved. Brady Hartsfield who is the Mercedes killer knows this and sends Hodges a taunting letter and Hodges decides to go after him. An absolute thrilling ride from start to finish. Also - I love Holly Gibney! Such a great character from King.

Stephen King's work always shares one commonality: suspense. The opening word keeps the reader engaged until the final punctuation mark, no matter how weighty the tome. MR. MERCEDES, King's latest creation, burns bright with energetic tension, but the wattage dims when the characterizations grow stale and the dialogue hammy. Bill Hodges is a newly retired detective. Monotony besieges him: Judge Judy, sugary food, and suicidal thoughts. After a taunting letter arrives from a mass murderer whom Bill never caught, our hero's purpose is renewed and our story escalates with pulse-pounding close calls and twists that defy prediction. What elevates the story beyond the common retired cop thriller is the villain, Brady Hartfield. He's both monstrous and recognizable - the friendly clerk whose dead eyes defy a nice-guy façade. The author gives us the psychological profile of someone who couldn't help but develop into a psychopath. It's a harrowing history that ably evokes both sympathy and repulsion. Among the small cast we're given, Brady is the one who dominates. But having one compelling character in a long novel is not enough to distinguish MR. MERCEDES. The story overflows with unnatural banter and bizarrely superficial relationships. Bill Hodges is relentlessly described as an overweight schlub - good-natured, but a schlub nonetheless - yet he's thrown into an instantaneously sexual liaison with an attractive heiress..whom the villain later kills. It's too easy, playing off unreachably distant emotions since the romance between the two is so undercooked and hasty. We like our hero - we root for him - but we're reminded that he's fictive when King chooses such an implausible coupling. Stephen King rarely wastes his readers' time. Pick up any of his novels, and odds are you'll be rewarded. MR. MERCEDES shows us that King keeps discovering new plots, keeps his audience gratified, but can't overcome the familiar shortcomings that nip at the heels of his swift, nimble stories.

this edition is beautiful like super gorgeous !!! 😭 came in great condition too. The story hands down is the best, very thrilling couldn’t put it down it was my first Stephan king read and WORTH IT PS. I love hoLLY

First Stephen King novel! I have been meaning to pick up a book by Stephen King for ages, but for some stupid reason, I never got around to. Now, I’m happy to say, that I finally picked one of his books up. And I’m very happy about it. This book is very well written and it grips you tight without any intention of letting you go. Not until you finish it. The thrill of the ride was amazing. I loved our protagonist. He was a really smart guy and he was good at his job. He was also self-aware and very human. I’m interested to read the rest this series. The antagonist of this book is also very smart. And loathsome. I really did not like the guy. He was highly disturbed as well, to the point that you couldn’t figure out whether to be disgusted by him or feel sorry for him. I loved getting inside his head. King did a great job writing him. Then there were the other characters. They were all so interesting and cool. I especially adore Jerome. Hoping for more of him. Overall, this was a great book. I didn’t give it 5 stars because of a “love” thing that I thought wasn’t necessary and because I’ve heard that the author has done lots better. I need to save that half a star for the better. I highly recommend this book. I loved it.

This book stands out not just as a thriller but as a character study of obsession, isolation, and the consequences of trauma. The author skillfully establishes a palpable sense of tension and dread, not through ghosts or monsters, but through the terrifying realism of a truly disturbed human antagonist. Though the pacing occasionally dips, especially in the middle, the final act delivers a tense, high-stakes confrontation. It's a testament to the author’s versatility as a storyteller, demonstrating his ability to craft a suspenseful and emotionally resonant narrative without relying on the supernatural Rating:- 4/5

This was a typical Stephen king style thriller which delves into the psyche of the most insane minds. the book was fast paced and easy to read and keeps you hooked. However, the way Mr. King talks about technology is so juvenile, that the book also seems to loose credibility in the other areas where Mr.King is quite good. It is distracting somehow to see people who have taken a course in "MAC" able to "Hack" into pc and go to setting and sounds and see where it was hacked. After the entire "The girl with the dragon tattoo" series, this just seems so so far gone and has been.

I've simply raced to finish the 500-odd pages, King is excellent even in the "crime investigation" genre! Additionally, he brings in, his element of "horror" to this genre as well. The end result, is an unforgettable read. (even though the crime itself has an uncanny resemblance to some awful recent events...)

Stephen King is one the best authors I've read, and this book is King at his best. This matches his famous novels all the way! A real detective novel which develops characters as real as your neighbours, and has a gripping plot that keeps you turning the pages. If you like his horror, you'll love this one!