5.8.15

BOOK REVIEW:Mr Mercedes by Stephen King

'Who is going to be the fish in this relationship and who is going to be the fisherman?'
BILL HODGES, retired cop, tormented by 'the Mercedes massacre', a case he never solved.
BRADY HARTSFIELD, perpetrator of that notorious crime, and preparing to kill again.
Now each is closing in on the other in a mega-stakes race against time from world-wide, best selling master of suspense, Stephen King.

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 405

This is the first Stephen King novel I have read and I loved it! I know that Mr Mercedes is not like his other books; it is more of a thriller than a horror but I thought it was fantastic. I can see why Stephen King is so well respected, reading this was like being given a master-class in story-telling.
Bill Hodges is retired and bored. He is thinking back over old cases he had to leave unsolved; the most important being 'the Mercedes Massacre'. Someone drove a Mercedes into a big group of people in the early hours of the morning. These were desperate people, queuing in the early hours to attend a jobs fair; the driver killed eight and seriously maimed many more. The fact that the killer was simply able to drive off into the fog has frustrated Hodges as he feels he has failed to get justice for the victims.
Brady Hartsfield was the Mercedes Killer; he still can't quite believe that he got away with it. He is ready to kill again and he wants Bill Hodges to know about it. Here begins a game of cat and mouse, will Hodges be able to identify Brady before he strikes again?
Mr Mercedes is beautifully written and expertly plotted. Brady Hartsfield is a vile creation and truly believable, he's terrifying. There is a follow up to this book which I will definitely be reading but it has also made me want to try some of King's horror novels so let me know if you have any favourites or suggestions of what I should begin with?

5 comments:

Nadia said...

Dot, I'm so glad you enjoyed this one - it really is one of King's best works. You are going to love the next book, Finders Keepers - its soooo good!! I have to admit that I enjoy his non-horror books more than his usual scary reads - I loved The Stand, Misery, Dolores Clairborne, Under the Dome, 11/22/63,his novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (talk about great writing!!) and Full Dark, No Stars. I did have fun with some of his horror books like It, The Shining, Doctor Sleep, Pet Semetary, The Tommyknockers, Needful Things, Joyland, and Revival. Basically, I love his work. I think anything you read next you will enjoy. He just is brilliant at reeling his readers in. Enjoy his books!!

Dot said...

Thanks Nadia, I'm so excited to try more of his books! I know that I am very late to the party but it's always great to find a new author you enjoy xxx

jessicabookworm said...

This sounds great! I think Stephen King is an amazing writing. Sadly I still haven't been brave enough to read one his proper, horror novels. I have read is dark, fantasy series The Dark Tower, his memoir On Writing, and a short story collection Just After Sunset. I can highly recommend them all!

Ruth Clowes said...

I'm totally with you - I loved Mr Mercedes too. Stephen King is such an incredible story teller and I agree with Jessica that On Writing is definitely worth a read for anyone who enjoys writing and wants to hear practical tips from a real master!

Dot said...

Thanks Jessica and Ruth C, think I am definitely going to have to check out On Writing as so many people have mentioned it! xxx

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