Mr. Mercedes: A Novel

Excellent read. Shorter and far more straightforward than a typical King novel, with not a single supernatural element in evidence, this felt a bit off-kilter but is probably the closest thing to a "normal" story Uncle Steve has written in many-a-year. Hugely enjoyable & highly recommended.

I particularly enjoyed the three characters that make up the unlikely detective team: Hodges, Jerome, and Holly. There's an underlying theme about people that others overlook having talent. I found it life-affirming. The serial killer - very freaky.

In a mega-stakes, high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely and winning heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands.

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of 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 a couple of highly unlikely 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 Review:
Stephen King is the master of suspense and this one did not disappoint. His characters are real and unforgettable. If you like Stephen King, don't miss this one!

Whether fiction or non-fiction, the best kind of book is one that hooks the reader on page one. King accomplishes this to perfection. His attention to detail in the story makes it realistic and gives the characters believable personality. And those characters are so mis-matched - a retired detective on the verge of suicide, a teen computer whiz heading to Harvard, and a disturbed middle-aged woman - that there are few authors who could make the combination work. I have only read one of King's books previously, but had to try this one when I discovered it was a mystery, with no supernatural elements involved. It is assuredly a page-turner; I couldn't put it down until I flicked over the last page. Now I am looking forward to the rest of the series. Highly recommended to those who enjoy thrillers!

It was a perfect airplane read. Even though I was really tired, it kept me interested. It's something of a nod to the detective novel style that began with Chandler, but in some cases retains some of its least appealing traits (repeated instances of supposedly-clever-but-embarrassingly-corny dialogue:

"Never let it be said I failed to take advantage of a lady in distress."

"You are no gentleman, sir," she says, then adds, "Thank God. Let's go."

...and a slow fade into sex. Geez! Really?

King has done better. That said, given another airplane ride or a trip by car (audiobook time), I'll probably follow him into part 2 of this trilogy: Finders Keepers.

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
436 pages

★★★ ½

I remember when Stephen King was the King of Horror. That’s not so much the case anymore. You never know which direction or genre this man will be writing about next. In this thriller, retired detective Bill Hodges is out to find capture the elusive murderer dubbed Mr. Mercedes. It was the first novel I had delved into in awhile (being a very much nonfiction reader) and King did not disappoint. I was sucked into this book immediately. I used my insomnia-filled nights reading this one and had trouble putting it down. I won’t say it is my all-time favorite Stephen King novel but far from the worst. An enjoyable read that seems to have gone quickly. It is slated to be a trilogy so I am curious where it will go.

This book seems strangely like a marketing ploy. I really should have kept track of the exact amount of references to brand name products strewn throughout this 436 page book because I’m betting it would go past counting on all my fingers and toes. Because of that, my rating for this book went down a bit. I feel like it was a big walking advertisement for different companies including restaurants, computer programs, medications, cars, etc.

This really frightened me.

Stephen King is one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed his earlier work a great deal, except for the Gunslinger, Dark Tower series of books. I just could never get into those, despite trying. Then he took a sabbatical, although I suspect it was done to garner interest in his books again. He wasn't gone for long. His writing has changed some. He doesn't write classic, straight-up horror, as I see it, anymore. It is more psychological horror and this one is more of a thriller/mystery. Delving into the mind of a sick person, someone who has been badly treated by life and is going to seek revenge on vulnerable folks who get in his way. The supernatural factor is less prevalent in his novels now. (Read-no supernatural elements in this book) These creeps work hard at the evil they perpetrate and the heroes are ordinary people who are often frighteningly vulnerable. The fear is that they won't be able to save the day, and the evil-doer will win through sheer will-power. I'm not sure how to explain what appeals to me in these books. I think it is the feeling that the characters are people we might be acquainted with. We follow the action through the background stories of the characters. The main horrific incident in the book involves, guess what! a Mercedes. It is the backgrounds of the characters, their lives, that seem to be the meat of the books. I know that for some reason King is able to hold my interest without going into gruesome details, or dispensing blood and gore. I highly recommend this trilogy. It would make great beach reading. Sometimes I want my fiction to be like watching a movie, I don't have to work too hard at it. I'm pleased that this is a trilogy and I have begun the 2nd book, Finders Keepers, and it is equally enjoyable.

Even though Stephen King has given me hours of enjoyment with so many of his novels, I have to admit that I was a bit peeved when Mr. Mercedes won the 2015 Edgar Award for Best Novel. (I'd been rooting for one or two of the other nominees.) Then I read the book, and I understood why it won. This is the first straight-up mystery thriller of his career-- with no supernatural bits at all-- and it's fantastic. Once I started Mr. Mercedes, i wanted to sink down into the story and not reappear until I finished it. I didn't allow myself to-- but it was difficult.To me, Stephen King's writing voice has always felt like snuggling my toes down into a pair of comfy slippers. I'm at home listening to that voice of his, and I refuse to stop and wonder if I should be concerned about what that says about my own mind. Once again King brings readers right into the heart and soul of the marginalized, reminding us of what it feels like to have no job, to be hungry, to have no real roof over our heads... and what it feels like to have Death come roaring out of nowhere to plow us into the asphalt.The killer, Brady Hartsfield, is a Norman Bates-like psychopath whose two jobs will give readers pause, but as well-drawn as he is, it's Bill Hodges and his crew that hog the spotlight and deservedly so. With one crazed letter, Hodges comes out of retirement raring for a rematch, and this time he's determined to win no matter the cost. His two sidekicks-- a young black man named Jerome and Holly, a fortysomething woman with Asperger's and a horrid beast of a mother-- are perfect for helping him find clues, for providing laughs, and creating poignant moments that can bring tears to the eye.This tightly plotted mystery will have you anxious to reach the end, and when you reach it, you will find a tense, teary, bone-chilling climax that will have you clamoring for the next book in King's trilogy.

Stephen King's first try as a mystery writer is very, very good. With his practised eye for detail, King tells an engrossing story of mass murder, and writes a masterful portrayal of a retired police detective and a psychotic killer going crazier by the minute. I enjoyed this book very much, particularly the sympathy with which King portrays a mentally ill woman. Not all mentally ill people are psychos, and King works hard to erase that stigma.

Some Stephen Kind fans may be disappointed by this one as it falls outside of the horror genre. I personally loved it - but then I quite liked "Joyland" published through "Hardcase". With a great plot, great character development, good pacing, and a satisfactory ending (which I have lacking on some of King's books), "Mr Mercedes" is a great addition to the detective genre. An all round good read. My rating: ****1/2

Stephen King has a broader range of writing styles than most people realize. Sure, horror put him on the map (Carrie, Salem's Lot). He's also a great fantasy author (Eyes of the Dragon, Dark Tower). He tells stories about people you end up caring for (The Green Mile, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption). In Mr. Mercedes, King uses the crime detective genre to created some new flawed characters you'll end up rooting for.Bill Hodges is a near suicidal retired detective looking for a reason to leave his mindless life of daytime television. Jerome Robinson is brilliant student and the end of high school who does yard-work for the detective. Holly is a middle-aged woman with clinical mental issues who wants to live life beyond the purview of her family guardians.Put these three characters on the trail of a psychopathic killer and you get Mr. Mercedes. King is the master at pacing, leaving little clues throughout the text which point you toward something you need to discover in just a few more pages. In fact, "just a few more pages" might become your mantra. As with (almost) every King novel, this book grabs you in the first chapter and will have you compulsively finding time to keep reading no matter how busy your schedule.Mr. Mercedes leaves you wanting to hear more from Bill, Jerome, and Holly and King has obliged. Finders Keepers, the second novel in the Bill Hodges Trilogy, is on book shelves. A third book is in the making.

It’s not news that Stephen King can flat-out write. But if you haven’t read one of his books for over thirty years – like me – it’s a revelation to rediscover how good he is. My son is at the age where he’s sharing his books with his parents and he got both of us to read Mr. Mercedes.The plot, while complicated at times, flows smoothly. The characters are realistic. It’s not literary fiction, but the story is entertaining and memorable. Worth reading.

Definitely a thriller, too much happens in a small time.

An easy, entertaining read. Nothing like a King novel to knock me out of a reading slump of late.

I tore through this one in a day. I would put it solidly in the thriller category. Great pacing, compelling characters, well plotted and believable. I look forward to the next one!

‘Life is a crap carnival with shit prizes.’ Bill Hodges is a retired detective that spends his days now sitting in front of his TV, stroking his gun and contemplating suicide. He remains haunted by the unsolved cases he left behind, most especially one where someone ran down a group of innocents waiting for a job fair to open. When Hodges receives a letter from the individual that supposedly committed the crime, it manages to revive his sense of purpose and gives him a new reason to live. This time he’s determined to prevent him from acting out his next heinous crime.Mr. Mercedes isn’t exactly horror, but it’s certainly horrific. It’s best identified as a crime thriller and lacks the anticipated supernatural aspect that is usually key to King’s stories. It feels more akin to something James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler or Dashiel Hammett would have written but Mr. Mercedes still manages to possess that certain something that is most definitely ‘King’.What’s most impressive about this well-written bad guy is we’re given his identity from the very start and yet the story still manages to be full of surprises. The story occasionally has a scene from the point of view of Mr. Mercedes himself, Brady Hartfield, that will leave you unsettled to say the least. This guy is one seriously twisted bastard that is not only murderous but is incredibly smart which is one distressing combination.“Creepy as hell. You ever see that TV movie about the clown in the sewer?” Even for those of you who have not read It (myself included, because, fuck you clowns) will still likely be able to recognize the references to the cult classic. Add to that is the ice cream truck on the back cover of the book that is parked in a puddle of blood while more blood rains down so you figure the ice cream truck is NOT a good thing even though everybody loves the ice cream man. Well, not anymore my friend. I actually heard the ice cream truck drive by my house while reading this, no joke, and I almost had a small aneurysm. So thanks Stephen King, for ruining ice cream for me.Mr. Mercedes may not be what most have come to expect from King, but who honestly knows what to expect from that man anyways? It’s no less thrilling and no less of an enthralling page turner. Highly recommended for fans of crime thrillers and for those that don’t love ice cream.

A quietly gripping novel. A villian like no other. Brilliant.

One hell of a ride!! Can't stop reimagining the story.

es malo no me dejo leer él libro ciliado no es para pagar

I couldn't put it down! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Moving on to the next one...

Not King’s finest, but a good read. I never felt close to the characters, as in many other of Stephen Kings’s novels. But there was still a good story with a good nerve. I will be the reading the other two I this series.

My very first Stephen King novel and now I really get his reputation. Such an amazing well written story, it involves you in a way you're unable to stop reading. Definitely a page turner. I laughed, cried, cheered, fell in love with the characters and will certainly miss this book.

It was an okay read. I only finished it to see what happened but I doubt I'll read the rest of the trilogy.

Highly enjoyable. As always, the characters had real depth and made the whole experience that much more engaging.

A wonderful read! I’ve been a long time King fan, and while others believe this isn’t “horror” or “suspense”, I believe it in fact is. There were several moments where I had to read the next fifty pages to find out what happens. There were several King moments where I was full of anxiety and stress, and even a little disturbed. I’d recommend this book highly!

This was insanely good !! I literally can’t wait for book 2 but I’ll have to for atleast a day because they dreams have been so crazy ?!!