Reviews with content warning for Cursing - Mr. Mercedes

it took me a while to finish because the first part started out so slow to build the world we were in. crazy for stephen king to use the n word the way he did tho lmao

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corikane's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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nicole_cob_reads's review

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challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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ruthypoo2's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

From the start, this book kicks off with a bang and act of sheer depravity. This opening scene of this story hits so viscerally because in just a few paragraphs, characters are introduced in a way that makes them so easy to care for even if they won't be part of the narrative beyond the first chapter. This is possible because, in my opinion, Stephen King is able to so reliably create authentic characters for whom the reader will immediately feel either an affection or loathing.

There are several distinctive characters in this story and it's a great ensemble with the story told from multiple points of view. The primary narrator is retired police detective Bill Hodges who finds himself bored and frequently despondent as he sits daily in his armchair watching TV and without the feeling that his life serves any serious purpose since leaving law enforcement. Bill is isolated with only a handful of people to interact with from time to time. This all changes when he's contacted by the villain whose crime is described in the opening pages of the book. The killer wants to remind Bill that he failed to catch them and let him know they may have a new plan to surpass the body count achieved in their last murderous act.

The book is about a twisted cat and mouse game between Bill Hodges and an intelligent sociopathic killer, each narrating their own chapters to tell their respective stories. Throughout, the reader learns about the people that Bill and the killer encounter in their daily lives. In fact, those who end up joining Bill on his quest to subvert the killer are a pure delight and where the SK sense of humor comes through load and clear. The storytelling in this book is very rewarding, giving the reader a complex character study for both of the primary characters. There's a lot of tension in the story, especially in the ending, and it was a definite page-turner for me. Constant Readers will find little SK Easter Eggs planted here and there and a joy to come across.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Will Patton who did a magnificent job voicing all the characters and bringing each to life. Mr. Patton is a stellar actor and brings his finely honed skill to create a unique voice and emotional range for each character. I'll be continuing with the next two books in this series, and I'm thrilled to see that Mr. Patton is the narrator for all the Mr. Mercedes books.

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