Ratings99
Average rating3.8
If it Bleeds is a collection of four new novellas —Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and the title story If It Bleeds— each pulling readers into intriguing and frightening places.
A collection of four uniquely wonderful long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider.
News people have a saying: 'If it bleeds, it leads'. And a bomb at Albert Macready Middle School is guaranteed to lead any bulletin.
Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency is working on the case of a missing dog - and on her own need to be more assertive - when she sees the footage on TV. But when she tunes in again, to the late-night report, she realizes there is something not quite right about the correspondent who was first on the scene. So begins 'If It Bleeds' , a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider featuring the incomparable Holly on her first solo case.
Dancing alongside are three more long stories - 'Mr Harrigan's Phone', 'The Life of Chuck' and 'Rat' .
The novella is a form King has returned to over and over again in the course of his amazing career, and many have been made into iconic films, If It Bleeds is a uniquely satisfying collection of longer short fiction by an incomparably gifted writer.
Reviews with the most likes.
Out of the 4 stories, I loved one of them (Rat), really liked another (If It Bleeds), and found the other two to be just alright. They all held my interest well though.
Word of warning, your milage may vary with this collection if you have not read The Outsider or Mr. Mercedes. If It Bleeds, the longest of the 4 stories, is a sort of continuation of those books.
Overall, yeah it was fun :)
“They exaggerate the weather reports, you know that. They turn six inches of fresh powder into the “Storm of the Century”.
Four stars mostly for the title novella. Love the Holly Gibney character and the Outsider storyline. King's reliability continues to surprise me. I've been reading his books for forty years and he always delivers. Not always at the same level, but he always delivers.
Featured Series
3 primary booksHolly Gibney is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by Stephen King.