Book Review: Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy #1), by Stephen King

Genre: detective suspense/thriller
Date Published: June 2014
Publisher: Scribner
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 436 pgs/14.5 hours

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.
In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.
Brady Hartsfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges, with two new, unusual allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.
Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

My Rating:

 ★★★ 1/2

.....For being a good King novel

My Thoughts:

Ok, this is one of Stephen King's better ones, I think. It's not the greatest, but it's still pretty good and worth a look.

It's not a paranormal horror (King's specialty), but it's a good thriller. It's one of those stories where you can envision the movie they'd make out of this (and to answer your next question, no, I have not actually seen the TV show yet). It had Stephen King's characteristic slow build in the first chapter, followed by a good, building pace, and ending with a fast and interesting climax.

Honestly, this story was one of King's better written works, I think. It's not one of his masterpieces, but it's one of his better-written ones. I liked the characters and the story. The audiobook rendition was also pretty good, although I had a little trouble getting into it at first, because I wasn't expecting different character perspectives and became a little disoriented with the beginning.

Overall, worth a read if you enjoy good thrillers. Recommended.