Holly

Mixed feelings about this book. I like the titular character as it's great to have leading PI's who are neuro-diverse (see the great "IQ" series of novels for another engaging character.) I like her backstory which I learned from the three Bill Hodges novels. I'd not read the other, more recent, series in which Holly and Barbara Robinson appear. And I don't think I will read it now as there's quite a few references which apparently spoil the climax in at least one of those novels. On the negative side, I don't like mysteries where the identity of the villain(s) is immediately known by the reader. While this gave intense insight in to their heads in this instance, I feel much more suspense could have been built. And then there's the cannibalism - which doesn't remain a mystery for long either. I think it was handled mostly tastefully (pun intended) - except for one scene late in the book which involves lines drawn by a sharpie - which was jaw-dropping for me. Lastly, the "twist" which leads to the climax was telegraphed a mile away. NOTE- I was disappointed in the audio version of this novel. I'd listened to the outstanding reader for the three Bill Hodges novels. Although Holly was a secondary character, he gave her a voice which illuminated her uniqueness. While having a female reader for "Holly" makes sense, I thought she gave Holly a flat, uninteresting and often tough to listen to voice. Overall, a good, mostly engaging story, but lacking in a few key areas.

Best one yet. Okay this is by FAR my favorite story that Holly has been a part of. I've read the Mr. Mercedes trilogy, The Outsider and If It Bleeds, and everything about this one made me love Holly even more. My favorite storyline thus far. HUGE downfall that ended up kicking my rating down—all the Trump bashing and COVID bullshit. I get what he was trying to do and how he was trying to portray for Holly but I personally feel he let his own beliefs slip through the cracks a little bit and it was just distasteful in my opinion. Had there been less of that, it would have been an easy 5⭐️ for me and probably my favorite book of the year so far. Will still highly recommend.

Holly is one of the prominent recurring characters in King's books. Hollyberry is neurotic and inventive. She now takes center stage with a book that bears her name as the title. By the way, do not read this book if you don't want spoilers for the Bill Hodges trilogy, The Outsider, and If It Bleeds.

Stephen King actually employs the same setup as in Mr. Mercedes; the reader delves into the minds of both the ‘perpetrators' and the detective. It is absolutely not a who-dunnit. Everything is known from the first page. The cat-and-mouse game in Mr. Mercedes is better developed than in this book, but the right pace keeps your attention. The bad guys are an elderly couple. Both academics, which is a refreshing dynamic. And for the first time in a long while, I felt slightly nauseous reading certain passages. It's not true horror, but sometimes you just have to switch off your imagination...

This book is set in 2021, during the COVID period. King has a clear opinion on COVID, political policies, especially Trump, and vaccinations. Some readers may find this bothersome. Not me. If Stephen King wants to express his opinion (and to some, he may come off as preachy), he's entitled to do so in his own books. The theme is clearly present but, for me, doesn't overshadow the story. King is engaged, and I can only appreciate that.

Outside of the COVID theme, this is a fairly typical King book in terms of tension, pace, and size. In that regard, he doesn't surpass himself with this book, but the question is whether he needs to when he has published more than 75 books and still produces a bestseller every year. King's writing style is smooth, and it reads like a train.

4 stars