Mr. Mercedes - Stephen King
Mr. Mercedes is quickly becoming one of my favorite King books. Bill Hodges is a retired detective on the brink of suicide when he receives a mysterious letter connected to an old investigation of his. Before his retirement the Mercedes killer struck, mowing down tons of people, including an infant and her mother with a stolen Mercedes. Now the killer is back, taunting the detective, trying to goad him into ending his own life. Does the Mercedes Killer get a kick out of suicide? Does he get a hard-on for death? It's clear from the beginning that the killer (who we get to meet very quickly, as the story is told for both Hodges and him) has severe mental problems, and not just because he can kill without regret. What I enjoy about this story is it's not a mystery for us. Were told right away who the killer is, and get an in depth look at Brady's life alongside Hodges' investigation to find him. This is a new take on a detective mystery, were not following the detective along, the twist at the end isn't who the killer is. Were instead left screaming at the pages for Hodges and co. to hurry up and catch the guy, before he does more harm to the world. Were not dragged on an adventure, but left watching it unfold before us.
All the characters presented here are believable. Hodges is not some heroic detective who gets all the clues and solves the mystery by himself. He needs help (from a very unlikely pair to boot) in order to bring down Brady, and he finds himself lost without them. He's a retired detective, so some of his skills are there, and he's earned the praise he's given, but he's still just a man. And so is Brady. Brady is just a man with a screwed up past, a screwed up personality, and a VERY screwed up relationship with Mommy dearest. Did things happen to make Brady how he is? Or was he born this way? The book explores abusive family issues, it goes through the struggles a family can have, which makes for a very believable killer.
Don't go into this book expecting a spooky ghost story, but do go in on your toes. The story, even if you know who's who at the get go, is full of twists and shocking points that will keep you turning the pages. Normally knowing the killer from the beginning would make a book a bit bland. But this isn't the case here. There's so much about the characters themselves that we have to dig into and discover. The book is less "what happened" and more "WHY did it happen" which leaves a fantastic plot to plunge into. We don't just go into "oh no they dead", we get to see the killer's mind, his motives, and his life. Very interesting, very good read, would highly recommend.
Mr. Mercedes gets 5/5 stars from me.
Mr. Mercedes is quickly becoming one of my favorite King books. Bill Hodges is a retired detective on the brink of suicide when he receives a mysterious letter connected to an old investigation of his. Before his retirement the Mercedes killer struck, mowing down tons of people, including an infant and her mother with a stolen Mercedes. Now the killer is back, taunting the detective, trying to goad him into ending his own life. Does the Mercedes Killer get a kick out of suicide? Does he get a hard-on for death? It's clear from the beginning that the killer (who we get to meet very quickly, as the story is told for both Hodges and him) has severe mental problems, and not just because he can kill without regret. What I enjoy about this story is it's not a mystery for us. Were told right away who the killer is, and get an in depth look at Brady's life alongside Hodges' investigation to find him. This is a new take on a detective mystery, were not following the detective along, the twist at the end isn't who the killer is. Were instead left screaming at the pages for Hodges and co. to hurry up and catch the guy, before he does more harm to the world. Were not dragged on an adventure, but left watching it unfold before us.
All the characters presented here are believable. Hodges is not some heroic detective who gets all the clues and solves the mystery by himself. He needs help (from a very unlikely pair to boot) in order to bring down Brady, and he finds himself lost without them. He's a retired detective, so some of his skills are there, and he's earned the praise he's given, but he's still just a man. And so is Brady. Brady is just a man with a screwed up past, a screwed up personality, and a VERY screwed up relationship with Mommy dearest. Did things happen to make Brady how he is? Or was he born this way? The book explores abusive family issues, it goes through the struggles a family can have, which makes for a very believable killer.
Don't go into this book expecting a spooky ghost story, but do go in on your toes. The story, even if you know who's who at the get go, is full of twists and shocking points that will keep you turning the pages. Normally knowing the killer from the beginning would make a book a bit bland. But this isn't the case here. There's so much about the characters themselves that we have to dig into and discover. The book is less "what happened" and more "WHY did it happen" which leaves a fantastic plot to plunge into. We don't just go into "oh no they dead", we get to see the killer's mind, his motives, and his life. Very interesting, very good read, would highly recommend.
Mr. Mercedes gets 5/5 stars from me.
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