It's been a few years since I have dived into a King Novel; and I was so happy to be re-introduced to him via Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges #1). I will admit that I was not sure I would enjoy a detective thriller by a novelist known largely for his horror novels. But, as a lover of crime novels and a good who - dun -it; I can say that King does not disappoint.
In Mr. Mercedes we meet recently retired detective, Bill Hodges. Hodges seems to be losing his way. He has lost his purpose after retirement. He spends his days watching crap tv and playing with a loaded gun; contemplating how long it will be until he is ready to pull the trigger on himself. But, that all changes when he receives a note from "Mr. Mercedes" - the man that carried out the City Center attack; that left 8 people dead and injured several others. After receiving the letter Hodges is determined to find out more about the letter and to track down the killer; he wants to put this case to rest.
What I found amazing about the book is that King identifies the killer quickly. He wraps you so fully in the killers motives and mind that you simply have to keep reading. You also get to see both sides of the story unfold in a very satisfying and unpredictable way. The killer in this story is smart, dangerous and unpredictable. While his main crime (center city) was a "sledgehammer" he actually prefers to go after his victims with a "scalpel". We see this with the way he goes after Olivia Trelawaney and Hodges. What I love is that the reader is clued in to the just how close Mr. Mercedes is to Bill way before Bill and his friends can actually figure it out. Fortunately, for Bill and his crew they figure it out before the killer can do even more damage.
I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads.
Favorite Quotes:
"Most people are fitted with lead boots when they are just little kids and have to wear them all their lives. These lead boots are called a conscience. I have none, so I can soar high above the heads of the normal crowd"
"Wouldn't work. You know that Dorothy Parker said, right? You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think"
In Mr. Mercedes we meet recently retired detective, Bill Hodges. Hodges seems to be losing his way. He has lost his purpose after retirement. He spends his days watching crap tv and playing with a loaded gun; contemplating how long it will be until he is ready to pull the trigger on himself. But, that all changes when he receives a note from "Mr. Mercedes" - the man that carried out the City Center attack; that left 8 people dead and injured several others. After receiving the letter Hodges is determined to find out more about the letter and to track down the killer; he wants to put this case to rest.
What I found amazing about the book is that King identifies the killer quickly. He wraps you so fully in the killers motives and mind that you simply have to keep reading. You also get to see both sides of the story unfold in a very satisfying and unpredictable way. The killer in this story is smart, dangerous and unpredictable. While his main crime (center city) was a "sledgehammer" he actually prefers to go after his victims with a "scalpel". We see this with the way he goes after Olivia Trelawaney and Hodges. What I love is that the reader is clued in to the just how close Mr. Mercedes is to Bill way before Bill and his friends can actually figure it out. Fortunately, for Bill and his crew they figure it out before the killer can do even more damage.
I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads.
Favorite Quotes:
"Most people are fitted with lead boots when they are just little kids and have to wear them all their lives. These lead boots are called a conscience. I have none, so I can soar high above the heads of the normal crowd"
"Wouldn't work. You know that Dorothy Parker said, right? You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think"
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