A review by woffordleejones
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

5.0

They say if you can think it up or imagine something, chances are it has already happened somewhere else in the world. That is why I call Mr. Mercedes a true to life story as a number of events of a maniac running people down with an automobile has already happened in numerous place around the world. Mr. Mercedes is a totally original cat and mouse thriller. The characters are so real they seem to be cut straight out of life from somewhere in the world and they would have to be with the very real situations that this very disturbed individual puts them in. And by them, I mean, Bill Hodges's and his two sidekicks, Jerome Robinson and Holly Gibney (Holly enters much later in the book, but comes in with perfect timing). It takes the mind of all three of these to figure out The Mercedes Killer’s biggest and most diabolical plan. I love the whole back-and-forth between Bill Hodges and The Mercedes Killer. Mr. Mercedes is very intelligent individual and always one step ahead, but Bill Hodges is an amazing detective (he reminded me of those old private dicks from the old black and white movies of years past). Also, I loved the whole backstory that sets Mr. Mercedes on his path of destruction. So original and tragic. There is a lot of heartbreak in this tale, but through that heartbreak there is restoration and renewal in the lives of Bill Hodges, Jerome Robinson and Holly Gibney (at least for a short while…I know everything isn’t completely tied up in this first book as there is more to come in Finder’s Keepers and End of Watch (and maybe even in The Outsider, as I know Holly comes back as a main character in that story)). Can’t wait to see what Master King as prepared for us in those remaining tales. I highly recommend this first story to anyone. It’s a pretty phenomenal read. Don’t miss it.