Book: Mr. Mercedes
Author: Stephen King
Pages: 436
Read on: The Kindle
Read in: Over 2 days
Plot Summary: 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 Hartfield 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.
Things I Liked: Quick list:
1. This book is full of the sweetest characters (barring the killer, of course) and I loved having them as a beautiful contrast to a really sick mind!
2. The writing is brilliant. It is so succinct and pithy- you know this is a book written by a master of the craft.
3. The premise and format of this book is very interesting. Unlike most crime/ thrillers, we know who the perpetrator is in this book and get to see the events that unfold from his perspective as well. This is book is all about how the good guys trap and get to the bad guy.
4. Of the various characters, my favourites are Bill Hodges- retired cop, who uses his smarts and good police work to track down the Mercedes Killer. Then there is Jerome- a bright kid on his way to an Ivy League school, who does odd chores for Bill. Jerome is whip-smart and is the tech expert, so to speak, on this rag-tag team. Finally, there is Holly- a 45 year old woman, who is treated like a child by her over-bearing mother and who seems to have some anxiety issues, but who overcomes those to join Bill and Jerome in their investigation.
5. Brady's backstory was also nicely etched out, but it was not meant to rouse a wave of empathy in the reader. Brady is a sicko and there is no way anyone would feel much empathy for a guy like that!
6. The way in which the case is cracked and how the trio of Bill, Jerome and Holly get to Brady is very organic and realistic. It is what would happen if anyone who is not law enforcement would solve a case. I loved that about this book!
7. This is a big book- 436 pages- but it is such a page turner. As a reader, you are hooked from Page 1!
Things I Didn't Like: Nothing really.
Rating: 4.5/5
Highly recommend this book if you are looking for a good crime/thriller read!
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