Mr Mercedes

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King.

Feeling the need for a change in style, for something different I browsed the book shelves and found in a prime position two books by Stephen King.  I flipped through a few pages of Mr Mercedes, liked what I had quickly read and added it to the basket.  Previously I had been unable to finish or never even started some of his work.  This one I liked from the start.  Brady Hartfield is our killing-man and Bill Hodges is our retired detective.
The fly sheet will tell you that Brady drives a Mercedes into a waiting line of the jobless and people die.  The killer escapes, but he is no ordinary being.  Later he taunts our 'Det-Ret' and the competition gets underway.  King puts so much into the building of his characters and his plots are never simple.  There are details to absorb and there is suspense in considering who is the next one for the morgue.  Along the way he introduces some very unlikely characters who get caught up in the evil and aid the ex-cop to win - of course, but winning does have its own price!  I like the way that he does 'flawed people'.
There is even more suspense introduced when Bill needs help from the inside.  An ex-cop requiring official help, but not allowing all the truth to be revealed.  It just adds to the story.
But what of the ending and how do our solvers-of-crime come out of it.  Well, if you read this riveting novel you can come to your conclusions.  Enjoy as I have done.  Now for King's, 'Revival' apparently it is spectacularly dark and electrifying.  It should be good then.
John Edwards