Mr Mercedes – Stephen King’s ‘Cop Trilogy’ rocks (but not in that Cop Rock way)
Mr Mercedes was the first non-horror book of Stephen King’s that I’ve read. It took me a moment to get into the flow of things. I’ve seen the cover in book stores a number of times (hey, remember book stores?!) but it took me Audible to take a stab at it. Remember, this is a spoiler free review so if you want to join the ride, just click on down here for audible or here for the novels (hell, you can even watch the TV show but I haven’t seen that so YMMV). If you do click and buy we do get a bit of $ back.
The narrative follows a familiar Stephen King pattern. Someone did something and another person just can’t let it go (and that other person usually gets the brunt end of ‘not letting go’). For Mr Mercedes, it’s the ‘ret det’ (aka retired detective) Bill Hodges. If you’ve seen one old cop movie/show you’ve seen this trope before–it’s the haunted past (shout out to Wedding Crashers!) play. A guy who put everything he had into a job only to feel that it wasn’t good enough. No matter how many papers he graded, or how much content he developed or how many millions he saved the university per yea….err…wait…sorry.
Mr Mercedes is a game of cat and mouse–but we aren’t always sure which is the cat and which is the mouse. As true with any King book, the good guy can’t do it alone and sometimes it’s the accepting that one needs help that is the key to solving a mystery or even one’s past.
The character growth for Hodges is something that drew me to this story. Maybe it’s my age or my fondness of my dad, now deceased, but there is something that rings true about Hodges. I don’t think you have to be an older person to connect with him — merely one whose lived.
Introduced in this series is the very cool character of Holly Gibney. Holly makes this novel. It might be a yin to the yang thing, but I think everyone needs a Holly Gibney in their lives. The gang they form reminds me a bit of The Darktower series meets Stand By Me. Again, maybe it’s my age showing.
The Audible Difference – Will Patton
Will Patton got me into Audible. One sample and I was hooked. I could listen to this man read a menu at Denny’s. The Audible might make this story shine but the writing stands on it’s own (King Me!). When in doubt, Jim suggests to try both of them! Plus, if you watched the TV show drop Jim a line and tell him what he’s missed.
(5 / 5)
Mr Mercedes via Amazon
If you want to check the book/movie/show out, feel free to click on below via Amazon. Remember, if you buy, we do get $.
- Jenna: A stay at home mom with a secret assassin past
- Donnie: An alcoholic rock star
- Nico: An executive producer of a reality television show
They all have a past, but who is out to get them?
The Plot
Jenna, Donnie, and Nico share a troubled past. They were all orphans who lived at Savior House — which is much less savior, much more terror. When their friend Benny, a famous judge, is murdered and the FBI comes looking, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico must race against the clock to figure out who is targeting them.
The Verdict
From the author of The Night Shift, which I reviewed here, I would expect nothing less than what Finlay has delivered. Finlay notoriously creates stories with palpable thrill and spine-tingling revelations.
I particularly enjoyed the character of Jenna. She is a reformed assassin living a normal life as a new stepmom. When she is called in to make a hit and her family is threatened, she goes badass mom on ’em. While I still thought Donnie and Nico as characters were engaging, it was nothing for what I felt for Jenna.
Also, major props to Finlay for creating a character that kills with a very unique weapon. Read it to find out more!
(5 / 5)
Keeping it all in the family, Julia Bartz’s The Writing Retreat is the debut novel of the sister of Andrea Bartz, author of We Were Never Here, which I reviewed here.
I was much more impressed with The Writing Retreat than I was We Were Never Here.
The Plot
Five up and coming female writers under 30 are invited to a writing retreat hosted by the reclusive and acclaimed horror writer Rosa Vallo. Rosa reveals the details of the retreat: each writer must complete a full length novel from scratch over the next month. The best novel wins a multi-million dollar publishing deal with Rosa.
Suddenly, the retreat turns into a nightmare when one writer goes missing in the snowy terrain outside.
The novel hinges on friendships in turmoil and has a focus on LGBT+ representation as well as interpersonal female relationships. The novel explores the dark publishing world and the search for fame and the Great American Novel.
The Verdict
This novel is atmospheric and intellectual, page turning, and the English major’s required reading. I absorbed this novel and found Julia Bartz’s writing and conceptual chops to be leagues above her sister’s.
Ths novel releases on February 21, 2023 and it should be in your cart right now.
(5 / 5)
Buy it here!
The Plot
“A brilliantly genre-bending, mind-twisting answer to the question How far would you go to save your child?” — Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Jen watches her son murder a stranger. Stab him to death. She and her husband, Kelly, watch as their son Todd is taken into custody.
The next morning, Jen wakes up and it’s yesterday. Jen knows that at the end of the night, her son kills someone. She is determined to stop it.
Jen goes further and further back in time trying to discover why Todd murdered a stranger and how to stop it.
The Verdict
This book is twisty. Right when you think you know the ending, something else is there to prove that the story is more multifaceted than that. While the premise of the novel is simple, Gillian McAllister elevates a simple concept with deep, dark twists.
It is best that you don’t know too much going into this one. For fans of Blake Crouch, this is such a good thriller with time travelling vibes.
(4 / 5)
