HOLLY

5 stars

As a big fan of this author, I was surprised that I really don't recall much about Holly Gibney, the central character in this book. But I sure am now, and by golly, I'm looking forward to reading about her again. These days, she's a private investigator in her agency, Finders Keepers, and she's got her work cut out for her here when she runs up against murderers whose tastes, shall we say, are rather unusual.

There's a fair amount of background included, though, so readers with memories like mine won't be left in the dark. The story takes place amid the early emergence from Covid-19 restrictions - in fact, Holly's own mother recently died of it and her agency partner, Pete Huntley, is currently in quarantine after contracting it - so no surprise that Holly is super-careful and the subject is an underlying theme throughout (also no surprise given the author's well-known stance on the subject). But when Penny Dahl asks Holly to find her daughter Bonnie, who's been missing for three weeks, she overcomes her reluctance and takes on the case. 

Meantime, her young friend Jerome Robinson, who helps with investigations, is hoping for success with a book he's written, and his sister Barbara, Holly's good friend, is doing the same with her poetry. The latter effort brings her in contact with married couple Rodney and Emily Harris, mostly retired professors at a local college. Now in their eighties, they still get around better than most their age, in fact, but for a very sinister reason that - you guessed it - ties in with Holly's investigation. Readers, though, get the benefit of seeing things from all angles as chapters shift from the perspectives of various characters, prompting us to keep turning pages and chew our nails the closer we get to the end (a more appropriate reference than you'll know till you read the book; and while on the subject, please know that I'll never look at liver and onions the same way again).

My bottom line verdict on this book? As expected: scary, gross and thoroughly delightful.

Holly by Stephen King (Scribner, September 2023); 464 pp.

THE INSTITUTE

5 stars out of 5

There are only two authors in the world whose books I not only willingly, but enthusiastically, open even when they're 500 pages or more. One is J.K. Rowling (long live Harry Potter) and the other is Stephen King. That's because with either author I've never, ever been sorry that I did - and I'm delighted to report that the winning streak continues with this one.

At the outset, though, I had some doubts. Oh, not about the quality of writing - that's never gonna happen with this author. But the subject matter - the kidnapping and psychological and physical torture of children - just isn't something I wanted to read about for that many pages (one or two would be more than sufficient, thank you very much). But back to that amazing writing ability: Within a couple of chapters, I'd been hooked - and the reeling in continued to the very last page (which I stayed up way past my bedtime to reach, BTW).

The story opens with the kidnapping of the precocious young Luke Ellis and, almost as an aside, murder of his parents. He's drugged, and when he wakes up he's in a room that looks just like his room at home except it's not; he's in The Institute in remote Maine. Soon, he learns that he's not the only one here; he's surrounded by many other youngsters - all with a propensity for telekinesis and telepathy or both. And before long, he learns that the future is bleak; many other kids have been here, been put through the wringer and sent to another wing of the complex - never to be heard from again.

Meantime, readers get a glimpse into the new life of former cop Tim Jamieson, who finds himself - temporarily, he expects - in out-of-the-way Dupray, South Carolina. Though seriously overqualified, he applies for and lands a job as a "night knocker," a non-cop who walks through the very small downtown to make sure all the businesses and buildings are secure. 

Most of the story focuses on the treatment, and mistreatment, of the youngsters at The Institute; all would like nothing better than to escape, but most are convinced that will never happen and some are even resigned to their fate. But as expected, their story and Tim's in the South Carolina setting come together at some point (no, I won't reveal when, how or why, but I will say the journey is filled with excitement, suspense and not a few rather gory details that kept me on the edge of my seat pretty much all the way through). It's not a perfect ending, but then I'm old enough to know that it's not a perfect world. It did, however, brighten the days I spent reading it. Well done!

The Institute by Stephen King (Scribner, September 2019); 576 pp.

ELEVATION

5 stars out of 5

What can I say about a 160-page story without giving too much away? Not a lot, except that  it's by Stephen King. For me, that's quite sufficient.

Beyond that, though, I can't go far. Scott Carey, who lives in Castle Rock, has started to lose weight at an alarming rate - like a pound a day or more (fortunately, he's a pretty big guy; otherwise, the story would have been over almost before it started). He's also a bit annoyed with one of the married lesbians who live next door; a runner, she heads out with her two large dogs, who make his yard a potty stop, but she refuses to acknowledge their behavior. She's become a royal pain in his butt (and in most of the townspeople's as well - many of whom simply don't support her lifestyle and are openly shunning the restaurant she and her partner have opened and are trying desperately to make a success).

Despite her rebuffs, Scott is determined to seek at least friendly coexistence with the couple - after all, the partner is pleasant enough. At the same time, he's consulting with a local retired doctor friend about his perplexing weight loss. You see, although the pounds are coming off, he has more energy than ever; even stranger is that he weighs exactly the same with or without clothing, and even if he holds a heavy object while standing on the scales. Early on, that unexplained weight loss brought to mind another Stephen King favorite of mine: Thinner, published in 1984 and written under the name of Richard Bachman (if nothing else, that's proof that I've been an S.K. fan almost forever).

This one, though, lacks his usual creepiness - it could, in fact, almost be classified as a "feel-good" story. At this time of year in given the current political climate, that's not a bad thing. 

Elevation by Stephen King (Scribner, October 2018); 160 pp.

THE OUTSIDER

5 stars out of 5


As a somewhat prolific reader/reviewer of books - the bulk of which are advance copies provided by generous publishers - it's hard to find time for books I simply want to read (especially when they're as long as this one). That said, a handful of big-time and favorite authors get to skip to the head of the line, in large part because I know I won't be disappointed.

And I certainly wasn't with this one. Oh, I won't call this the best of Mr. King's works, although in all honesty, they're all so good I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. Still, I moved heaven and earth to get to the end (well, more like rearranged dinner and bedtimes) not because I had a stack of other books to get to, but because it was so engrossing I just hated to put it down. The first third, give or take a few pages, was a bit traumatizing and the next third was mesmerizing. The last part - where the story begins to shift into otherworldly gear - was a little less appealing to a logical thinker like me; but then what would a Stephen King novel be if it doesn't challenge credibility?

 Basically, the story begins with the almost unthinkably vicious murder of a young boy; rock-solid evidence leads to the  arrest of a popular Oklahoma teacher and coach. Problem is, said coach has irrefutable evidence that he was elsewhere at the time of the murder. So now what?

Plenty of what, as it turns out, including ties to the similar murders of twin girls from Dayton, Ohio (actually, from nearby Trotwood - of special interest to me since I grew up not far from there and my late father worked for many years as a tool-and-die engineer at Trotwood Trailers). From this point on, I can't reveal much else except to say the rest of the book deals with the fallout and follow-up from that Oklahoma teacher's arrest and that those who read and enjoyed the author's Mr. Mercedes trilogy (like me!) will be happy to see one of the characters make a return appearance here.

The verdict? Well done once again, Mr. King - and when your next book comes out, no matter how many others are waiting for me to sample, you get dibs on passing them up.

The Outsider by Stephen King (Scribner, May 2018); 577 pp.

GWENDY'S BUTTON BOX

4 stars out of 5

Castle Rock, Maine, is the setting for this easy-to-read novella, an exclusive from Cemetery Dance Publications (more on that later). The story begins as 12-year-old Gwendy Peterson, in an effort to shed a few pounds in preparation for middle school, climbs to the top of Suicide Stairs. She does this often; but this time, the odd little man wearing a black hat she's seen for several days beckons to her. She finds him a bit off-putting (and maybe a little scary), but curiosity wins out.

Sitting together on a bench, the man shows her what he calls a button box, explaining the rather bizarre functions of each button. Then, he drops the real bombshell: The box, he says, is hers to keep. Once again, she's skeptical, but in the end she takes him up on the offer and heads for home, box in hand.

And her life will never be the same again.

So it is that I end my review, claiming that it's impossible to say more about such a short story without revealing too much. What I did find quite interesting, though, is the above-mentioned Cemetery Dance Publications (I've never heard of it before, and Gwendy isn't the only one with a curiosity gene). According to the website (cemeterydance.com), it was founded by co-author Richard Chizmar in 1988. In 1992, book publishing was added, with special focus on horror and dark suspense works (yeah, this novella is a perfect fit). At the site, I even found a just-published book by two of the many affiliated authors that's being offered for $2.99 for a limited time (The Halloween Children by Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss). Intrigued by the description (and unbeatable price), I headed to Amazon and snapped up the deal.

Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar (Cemetery Dance Publications, May 2017); 180 pp.

END OF WATCH

When I started reading this, the third and final book in the trilogy that started with the horrific mass murder in Mr. Mercedes, I started conjuring up possible endings. By about halfway through, I'd narrowed them down to the one with the most macabre twist, trying, I suppose, to get one up on the author, who's the master of grisly and ghastly. Had I bet money, though, I'd have lost; I won't exactly call it a happy ending, but it's a fitting conclusion and one that won't keep me up at night.

Wish I could say the same for the rest of the book.

This one begins as Brady Hartsfield, the killer who kicked off the trilogy by driving a Mercedes into a crowd, is in his fifth year at a brain injury clinic. He's in a vegetative state from which he's not expected to recover. But is it possible there's an active brain behind his blank stare? Well of course, silly - this is a Stephen King novel. In fact, Hartsfield has acquired powers that make him incredibly dangerous even from a wheelchair in a locked hospital room.

Retired detective Bill Hodges's partner Holly Gibney messed up Hartsfield's brain in the second book, Finders Keepers, with mighty whack to his head. Hodges, though, has believed almost from the first day of the hospital confinement that Hartsfield is "in there" - faking it to avoid being declared competent to stand trial. For a long time, he visited the killer, taunting him and hoping for some kind of reaction. Finally, he gave up, staying busy with his investigation firm. But now, he and Holly are called to the scene of a suicide - and it turns out the victim had ties to the Mercedes Massacre six years earlier.

Convinced that Hartsfield is somehow bringing diabolical plans to life from his hospital room, Hodges, Gibney and their young friends Jerome Robinson and his teenage sister Barbara set out to deduce how he's doing it (no one in the police department believes Hartsfield is capable of anything except drooling, so they're unwilling to help). What Hodges and Gibney learn stretches the limits of credulity, I admit - but it's also scary as all get-out (hey, didn't I mention this is a Stephen King novel)?

This book stands on its own, I think, but I'm sure I got more out of it because I'd read the other two and highly recommend that approach to others. Just like this book, both of those earned high marks from me.

End of Watch by Stephen King (Scribner, June 2016); 448 pp.

FINDERS KEEPERS

4.5 stars out of 5

If you're looking to make a fairly sure bet on a horse, it's a good idea to put your money on one that has performed well in previous races. If you're a writer looking for another winning book, the principle is the same: Look to your previous successes. So it is with this one, where Mr. Mercedes meets Misery.

Well-known author John Rothstein created a wildly popular nonconformist character named Jimmy Gold who, in the final book - written years ago - "sells out" for an establishment career in advertising. This puts an already over-the-edge guy name Morris Bellamy so much "misery" that he robs and murders the elderly writer. In so doing, Morris discovers not only money in the safe, but also a pile of notebooks filled with, presumably, at least one more unpublished Gold novel. And who should end up involved in tracking down the killer but three of the characters who did the same back when the driver of a Mercedes plowed through a crowd of job-seekers at the City Center Massacre (retired police officer Bill Hodges, Holly and Jerome).

I should note that this book stands alone, but there are enough references to Mr. Mercedes that it's probably a good idea to read it first if you haven't already. I did - giving that one 5 stars - but long enough ago that I didn't even remember the names of the three "heroes" and even less about their actions in that story.

Those characters don't show up anywhere near the beginning here, though. After Morris kills Rothstein and steals the loot, he hides it in an old trunk that he buries under the roots of a tree near the house in which he grew up. Then, he ends up in jail for many years after being convicted of an entirely different crime. Meanwhile, the trunk and its contents are discovered by young Peter Saubers, who now lives with his mother, father and sister in Morris's old house. Since his parents desperately need money (his father was seriously injured when that Mercedes plowed through the crowd), Pete decides to surreptitiously mail the $20,000 or so he found to them in installments. Along the way, the young man also realizes that the old notebooks that were in the trunk may be worth far more than the cash.

Of course, what can go wrong will, and in this case, it's that Morris gets an early release after 35 years in prison - and all he can think about is getting his hands on the notebooks over which he's obsessed for all those years. In fact, they're far more important than the money; could it be that author Rothstein has made Gold see the light and return to his wild-child ways, thus, in Morris's eyes, righting an egregious wrong? 

But alas, once Morris digs up the old trunk, it's empty. From that point on, it's a race to see how it all plays out as Morris follows the trail, Pete tries to keep himself under the radar and his family safe and Hodges and his two young friends have a bumpy ride to the rescue. All the characters are well developed as are the details of how their lives intersect (sometimes in almost too much of a coincidence), but I must say I wasn't all that thrilled with the teenage Pete (nor, for that matter, his younger sister). I know they had to fend for themselves amid the trials and tribulations of their parents and are quite intelligent, but in many ways they seemed grown up far beyond their years - hence my actual rating of 4.5 stars even though I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Finders Keepers by Stephen King (Scribner, June 2015); 448 pp.

REVIVAL

5 stars out of 5

Few writers can weave a tale any better than Stephen King; it's a tribute to his talent that I - one who has the patience of a flea - am willing to dive in to his books even when they're 600-plus pages long. In this case, that wasn't an issue; it's a very reasonable 417 pages - almost a novella by King standards. And by golly, it's a good one.

It starts in a small town about 50 years ago, when new preacher Charles Jacobs takes over the smallish Methodist Church (bringing back memories of my own childhood that included great times in the little country Methodist Church I attended). Jacobs is charismatic, his wife is beautiful, and they have a young son; quickly, he wins parishioners over and makes friends with young Jamie Morton and his family. He and Jamie form a special bond when he shares a secret passion - electricity - which he uses to  "cure" a serious health condition of Jamie's brother.

Soon, though, tragedy strikes Jacobs hard when his wife and child are killed in a horrific traffic accident. One Sunday morning not long after, Jacobs goes on a tirade against God from his pulpit, ranting and raging and angering parishioners to the extent that he loses his job and leaves town. Jamie and his family have their own problems, and Jamie - who plays a mean guitar - begins to play in bands as he roams around the country. When he reaches his mid-30s, he's a heroin addict and nearly destitute - the perfect time to meet up with his old friend Jacobs once again. 

Then again, maybe not. The rest of the book follows Jamie's rather tumultuous life and his here-and-there encounters with the one-time minister, whose passion has turned to obsession - all leading to a dark and stormy ending. 

 I've read several reviews that bandied about the word "classic," but I'm not sure I totally agree. Even as the ending came fast and furious, I never felt anything close to fearful. Most of it, in fact, just seemed to be a really good old-fashioned story that offers an in-depth look into the lives of two main characters - although it can be said that neither has followed the beaten path. A word of caution is in order, though: The theme, one of finding out what happens after we humans leave this life, may be off-putting, blasphemous, frightening, or just strange, depending on your degree of religiosity (I thought I'd made up a new word here, but no cigar - it already exists and yes, refers to aspects of religious activity). As for me, I'll just call it a great story - and another winner for the King.

Revival by Stephen King (Scribner, November 2014); 417 pp.

MR. MERCEDES

5 stars out of 5

Nothing beats knowing within the first few pages that you're going to enjoy a book from start to finish. That pretty much sums up every book by Stephen King I've ever read, and this one is no exception. It starts when a car plows into a crowd of unemployed folks who are lined up to get into a job fair - killing eight, including a mother and baby, and seriously injuring a number of others. Months later, the perpetrator hasn't been found and the woman whose Mercedes was stolen and used to commit the horrendous drive-through commits suicide - presumably because she is consumed with guilt for leaving her car unlocked and the key inside.


Then, retired police officer Bill Hodges gets a letter from someone who claims to have been the driver and threatens to do something even worse. Hodges, who finds retirement boring and unproductive, rises to the challenge of finding the culprit, with more than a little help from his 17-year old neighbor and the sister of the woman whose car was stolen and driven through the crowd.

Of course, it's quite a chase that leads to dead ends and, not insignificantly, dead people. Whether Hodges and his under-the-table crew will identify and stop the killer before something awful happens kept me on the edge of my recliner for the duration.

In between the action is some fun stuff: The lyrics for the song "Kisses on the Midway" are by King and Shooter Jennings, the child of country music stars Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter (for those who don't know, King has some serious music chops, from playing in a rock band to collaborating on music videos and plays with heavyweights like Michael Jackson and John Mellencamp). And, King manages to get in a few zingers here and there as well; the perp's note to detectives, for instance, "...may not be high-class literature, but his writing is a lot better than the dialogue in shows like NCIS or Bones."

I must point out, though, that those who are expecting spooky stuff, supernatural critters that go bump in the night or cars that drive themselves will be disappointed. In fact, this one is an almost straightforward police procedural that is, dare I say, a bit predictable despite plenty of action and angst. But it's still classic King, and by golly, that's plenty good enough for me. 

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (Scribner, June 2014); 448 pp.

UNDER THE DOME

5 stars (out of 5)

For a voracious reader like me, it doesn't get much better: When I finished the first [short] chapter of this book, I was so totally blown away that a big "Wow! came out of my mouth, startling my husband Jack who was sitting next to me reading a book of his own. My next thoughts were that this is a perfect example of what great writing should be, followed by the question of why, since I used to be a huge Stephen King fan, I haven't read any of his books in several years.

The question, though, is fairly easy to answer. Many of King's early books were, in addition to terrific, relatively short. Cujo, for instance, is 324 pages; another favorite, Thinner, is 356. As a busy working mom with little free time to read, these were a great way to satisfy my craving for mystery and thrills in fairly short order.

But then, King started to go wild and crazy, churning out epics that required two free hands to pick up (drinking a cup of coffee or sipping wine while reading them was next to impossible). In addition, patience has never been one of my virtues; when I start a new book, I want to finish it now. As you might expect, then, it's pretty much a rule that if it's more than 350 pages, give or take another 50, I won't be reading it - even though I have far more free time now that I'm semi-retired.

That said, there are two authors (and only two) for whom I'm willing to break that rule: J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame (and more recently, The Casual Vacancy) and King, although it's been a long time since I tackled a tome by the latter. But then, I started seeing promotions for "Under the Dome," a 13-episode TV show on CBS based on King's book of the same name. I wanted to watch it for sure, but as with most books-turned-anything else, I wanted to do the reading first. Published in 2009, it wasn't hard to find - but then I saw the 1,088 pages and gasped. I can read four other books in the time it will take to finish this one, I reasoned - and besides, would I be able to get it done before June 24, the date the first episode airs?

Since you're reading this review, it's obvious that I made it with time to spare. And what a read it is!

If you've seen the TV trailers, you already know the basic premise: Suddenly, without any warning at all, a small town in Maine becomes enclosed in an invisible barrier - much like the clear glass cover on a turkey platter. The "thing" is ever-so-slightly permeable by air and water - sound doesn't seem to be a problem - and it's nearly impossible to determine how high (or how far underground) it reaches. That it can't be seen is demonstrated time and again by trucks, airplanes and animals that crash into it, blowing everyone in them to kingdom come. No one in or out of the town has a clue where the thing came from or when (or if) it will go away again.

The real story here, of course, is how the townsfolk react to the situation; many have lost loved ones - either by accident or because they're on the outside of the dome - and there's a threat to life itself with no possible way to connect to the rest of the world for supplies, water or oxygen. As one might expect, the community becomes split into two factions; one is led by a used-car dealer and dictatorial town politician who's used to getting what he wants (often in ways that aren't legal). The other, much smaller, faction is led by a former army officer who's found a place where he can forget about his time in Iraq and the editor/publisher of the town newspaper.

As the situation becomes known to the outside world, the army guy - Dale Barbara - is re-recruited by his old commander who's on the outside to take charge of the inside per instructions from none other than the U.S. President. This, understandably, rankles the politician ("Big Jim" Rennie Sr.), who's intent on establishing himself as the in-charge guy during the disaster and after, assuming there is an after. Quickly (well, in a book this long that's a relative term), things go from bad to worse and bodies start piling up literally all over the place - some from natural causes and others not.

If I have a criticism, it's hard to keep all the characters straight except for the "biggies" - not only because there are so many, but because they keep dropping like flies never to be read about again. Still, the interactions among those who remain held my interest all the way through, making me forget (well, almost!) about the overarching threat - the dome itself.

Kudos, Mr. King - I'm really looking forward to seeing the TV adaptation. I've read that the ending in the book has been completely changed, and a couple of the main characters seem to have dropped in age by quite a few years (pandering to the youth market, I suppose). Well, we'll see - this is why I always want to read the book first!

Under the Dome by Stephen King (Scribner, December 2009); 1,088 pp.