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Mr Mercedes
#1 New York Times bestseller! In a high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands. “Mr. Mercedes is a rich, resonant, exceptionally readable accomplishment by a man who can write in whatever genre he chooses” (The Washington Post).In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, 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 Hartsfield 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 two new, unusual 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. Now an AT&T Audience Original Series WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
407 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2015
29 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,382 books890k followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
January 12, 2025
Bill Hodges book No. 1: This didn't read like a Stephen King book at all! In fact, I genuinely sort of forgot it was a Stephen King book, until I finished it! Years ago a spectacular unsolved crime was committed with a Mercedes. Overweight, depressed, contemplating suicide, the once heavily decorated and revered former police investigator Bill Hodges sits most nights in his La-Z-boy with a gun in his hands. When the killer reaches out to Bill, he finds a reason to start living again. This is the story of a duel of two minds that starts Under Debbie's Blue Umbrella and could end with a potentially even bigger crime.
I really enjoyed this mainstream pulp fiction thriller, from Hodges pretty selfish and ultimately serious damage causing behaviour, his wonderfully diverse and engaging 'assistants' through to the conventional shit-bag demented villain. One of King's best pieces of crime fiction thriller writing, and far better than at least 2/3rds of King's entire body of work. It also feels like this book was fun to write for King; it even had a solid ending. Welcome to Holly Gibney's world :). An 8 out of 12, one point less, but still a Four Star read on second reading. Next stop Finders Keepers
2020 and 2025 read
I really enjoyed this mainstream pulp fiction thriller, from Hodges pretty selfish and ultimately serious damage causing behaviour, his wonderfully diverse and engaging 'assistants' through to the conventional shit-bag demented villain. One of King's best pieces of crime fiction thriller writing, and far better than at least 2/3rds of King's entire body of work. It also feels like this book was fun to write for King; it even had a solid ending. Welcome to Holly Gibney's world :). An 8 out of 12, one point less, but still a Four Star read on second reading. Next stop Finders Keepers
2020 and 2025 read
April 30, 2018
Ζωή είναι αυτό που συμβαίνει ανάμεσα στα βιβλία που διαβάζεις εκτός αν αυτά είναι βιβλία του Στήβεν Κινγκ, που δεν μπορείς να κάνεις και πολλά μέχρι να τελειώσουν, πχ κόβεις μία σαλάτα και αναρωτιέσαι τι γίνεται στο υπόγειο του Mr Mercedes, έχεις βγει για ποτό (εσύ, εγώ είμαι σπίτι και διαβάζω) κ μιλάνε οι γύρω σου κι εσύ σκέφτεσαι μα πως διάολο πήρε το αμάξι ΑΦΟΥ ΤΟ΄ΧΕ ΚΛΕΙΔΩΣΕΙ Η ΓΡΙΑ, κλπ. Πέρασα καλά και εχω το επόμενο αδιάβαστο βιβλίο του στην βιβλιοθήκη να μου κάνει ματάκια, αλλά ταυτόχρονα βασανίζομαι γιατί ο Mr Mercedes είναι τριλογία, γενικά το μόνο κακό με τον Στήβεν Κινγκ είναι η τρύπα στο πορτοφόλι.
#readathon18 8/26: Ένα αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα (που δεν είναι Σκανδιναβού συγγραφέα)
#readathon18 8/26: Ένα αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα (που δεν είναι Σκανδιναβού συγγραφέα)
April 10, 2018
Stephen King's work always shares one commonality: suspense. The opening word keeps the reader engaged until the final punctuation mark, no matter how weighty the tome. MR. MERCEDES, King's latest creation, burns bright with energetic tension, but the wattage dims when the characterizations grow stale and the dialogue hammy.
Bill Hodges is a newly retired detective. Monotony besieges him: Judge Judy, sugary food, and suicidal thoughts. After a taunting letter arrives from a mass murderer whom Bill never caught, our hero's purpose is renewed and our story escalates with pulse-pounding close calls and twists that defy prediction. What elevates the story beyond the common retired cop thriller is the villain, Brady Hartfield. He's both monstrous and recognizable - the friendly clerk whose dead eyes defy a nice-guy façade. The author gives us the psychological profile of someone who couldn't help but develop into a psychopath. It's a harrowing history that ably evokes both sympathy and repulsion. Among the small cast we're given, Brady is the one who dominates.
But having one compelling character in a long novel is not enough to distinguish MR. MERCEDES. The story overflows with unnatural banter and bizarrely superficial relationships. Bill Hodges is relentlessly described as an overweight schlub - good-natured, but a schlub nonetheless - yet he's thrown into an instantaneously sexual liaison with an attractive heiress..whom the villain later kills. It's too easy, playing off unreachably distant emotions since the romance between the two is so undercooked and hasty. We like our hero - we root for him - but we're reminded that he's fictive when King chooses such an implausible coupling.
Stephen King rarely wastes his readers' time. Pick up any of his novels, and odds are you'll be rewarded. MR. MERCEDES shows us that King keeps discovering new plots, keeps his audience gratified, but can't overcome the familiar shortcomings that nip at the heels of his swift, nimble stories.
Bill Hodges is a newly retired detective. Monotony besieges him: Judge Judy, sugary food, and suicidal thoughts. After a taunting letter arrives from a mass murderer whom Bill never caught, our hero's purpose is renewed and our story escalates with pulse-pounding close calls and twists that defy prediction. What elevates the story beyond the common retired cop thriller is the villain, Brady Hartfield. He's both monstrous and recognizable - the friendly clerk whose dead eyes defy a nice-guy façade. The author gives us the psychological profile of someone who couldn't help but develop into a psychopath. It's a harrowing history that ably evokes both sympathy and repulsion. Among the small cast we're given, Brady is the one who dominates.
But having one compelling character in a long novel is not enough to distinguish MR. MERCEDES. The story overflows with unnatural banter and bizarrely superficial relationships. Bill Hodges is relentlessly described as an overweight schlub - good-natured, but a schlub nonetheless - yet he's thrown into an instantaneously sexual liaison with an attractive heiress..whom the villain later kills. It's too easy, playing off unreachably distant emotions since the romance between the two is so undercooked and hasty. We like our hero - we root for him - but we're reminded that he's fictive when King chooses such an implausible coupling.
Stephen King rarely wastes his readers' time. Pick up any of his novels, and odds are you'll be rewarded. MR. MERCEDES shows us that King keeps discovering new plots, keeps his audience gratified, but can't overcome the familiar shortcomings that nip at the heels of his swift, nimble stories.
August 25, 2024
I bought this book in a small town in Hungary when I had run out reading material. There was this bookshop with a short selection in English and this book looked the most promising title - I had at least heard of Stephen King. And the book didn't disappoint, held my attention, with excellent characterisation and plot. The end is predictably vague so as to persuade the punters to buy a sequel.
So now I have read a novel by Stephen King. Which leads me to wonder whether the Manchester Arena bomber had read it. Do criminal read fiction? Not at all impossible because King's novel was published in 2014 and the Manchester bombing came in 2017. Where do all these bombers and shooters get their ideas from?
So now I have read a novel by Stephen King. Which leads me to wonder whether the Manchester Arena bomber had read it. Do criminal read fiction? Not at all impossible because King's novel was published in 2014 and the Manchester bombing came in 2017. Where do all these bombers and shooters get their ideas from?
August 19, 2016
The Review Can Also Be Found Here!
Stephen King has always been one of my favourite authors but his newer stuff has been somewhat disappointing, not quite reaching the level of his older novels. However, his fiction always makes for some good holiday reading so I decided to check out Mr. Mercedes when I was able to pick it up fairly cheaply and for the most part was entertained, even if not mind blown, as the book pits a former retired cop Bill Hodges against a killer named Brady Hartfield, the Mercedes killer, who wants to feel the same excitement that he gained from plowing through the crowd that led to the deaths of eight people and the wounding of fifteen others. This is the case that still haunts Hodges, and the one that got away.
King’s strength lies in his character and he really fleshes out both Hodges and Hartfield pretty well with promises of more to come in the sequels. His characters are engaging well developed with unique voices that must make for good listens on audiobooks. You get a look into the minds of both Hodges and Hartfield in this game of cat and mouse and it’s interesting to read about the two characters. Sometimes serial killer POVs often feel flat or one-dimensional but King writes it pretty well, making you hate Hartfield. And he does a solid job at Hodges too.
King manages to reference several other of his novels with It and Christine also being featured. There’s several pop culture references as well with Tarantino and Luther being mentioned among others, but it doesn’t really detract from the story that much. Despite Hartfield being fairly well developed as a character he never really breaks the mold of a generic antagonist, right down to the fact where he lives in his mother’s basement. If we didn’t have the alternate points of view between him and the Detective we wouldn’t have perhaps got as an exciting ending as it was, even if it was a bit flawed at the same time and felt a tad rushed.
As always with King the pace is fast and once you get started it doesn’t slow down. I was flicking through the pages and of course the downside about finishing this book when I was abroad is that I didn’t have the next one on hand, so now have to hunt it down at some point in the near future, because for all its flaws Mr. Mercedes was certainly an interesting read and it should be fun to see where King takes it from here because as we all know he is capable of on his day writing some really good fiction. This may not rank up there with his best works ever, but at the same time it was still a fairly solid read that fans of King and thriller fiction will enjoy.
Stephen King has always been one of my favourite authors but his newer stuff has been somewhat disappointing, not quite reaching the level of his older novels. However, his fiction always makes for some good holiday reading so I decided to check out Mr. Mercedes when I was able to pick it up fairly cheaply and for the most part was entertained, even if not mind blown, as the book pits a former retired cop Bill Hodges against a killer named Brady Hartfield, the Mercedes killer, who wants to feel the same excitement that he gained from plowing through the crowd that led to the deaths of eight people and the wounding of fifteen others. This is the case that still haunts Hodges, and the one that got away.
King’s strength lies in his character and he really fleshes out both Hodges and Hartfield pretty well with promises of more to come in the sequels. His characters are engaging well developed with unique voices that must make for good listens on audiobooks. You get a look into the minds of both Hodges and Hartfield in this game of cat and mouse and it’s interesting to read about the two characters. Sometimes serial killer POVs often feel flat or one-dimensional but King writes it pretty well, making you hate Hartfield. And he does a solid job at Hodges too.
King manages to reference several other of his novels with It and Christine also being featured. There’s several pop culture references as well with Tarantino and Luther being mentioned among others, but it doesn’t really detract from the story that much. Despite Hartfield being fairly well developed as a character he never really breaks the mold of a generic antagonist, right down to the fact where he lives in his mother’s basement. If we didn’t have the alternate points of view between him and the Detective we wouldn’t have perhaps got as an exciting ending as it was, even if it was a bit flawed at the same time and felt a tad rushed.
As always with King the pace is fast and once you get started it doesn’t slow down. I was flicking through the pages and of course the downside about finishing this book when I was abroad is that I didn’t have the next one on hand, so now have to hunt it down at some point in the near future, because for all its flaws Mr. Mercedes was certainly an interesting read and it should be fun to see where King takes it from here because as we all know he is capable of on his day writing some really good fiction. This may not rank up there with his best works ever, but at the same time it was still a fairly solid read that fans of King and thriller fiction will enjoy.
May 23, 2023
First thing that I have to say is that this is second King's book I've read in English (the rest of them I've read in Serbian) and I don't ever want to come back to any translated edition. These descriptions and dialogues cannot be transferred to reader in any language better than in English.
I gave 4/5 only because some parts of the book are not really believable, which is not that bad but is the thing I have to point out. All the other things are classic example of what you can expect to get from King - tension, suspense, horror and really really unique characters.
Also, as it is case with these kind of books I really don't wanna go into the actual plot since the best thing I can say is that you just need to read it (also I believe many users of this website wrote about it that much that there is nothing special I can say), but I must point out that Bill Hodges really grew to my heart and mostly because of him (of course not only because of him) I can't wait to read all the sequels.
Even though it took some time to finish it (nothing to do with the book, only with my free time problems) I really enjoyed almost every page of it.
Definitely a good read !
I gave 4/5 only because some parts of the book are not really believable, which is not that bad but is the thing I have to point out. All the other things are classic example of what you can expect to get from King - tension, suspense, horror and really really unique characters.
Also, as it is case with these kind of books I really don't wanna go into the actual plot since the best thing I can say is that you just need to read it (also I believe many users of this website wrote about it that much that there is nothing special I can say), but I must point out that Bill Hodges really grew to my heart and mostly because of him (of course not only because of him) I can't wait to read all the sequels.
Even though it took some time to finish it (nothing to do with the book, only with my free time problems) I really enjoyed almost every page of it.
Definitely a good read !
July 20, 2022
I picked this up because it was Stephen King and I love how he writes characters. I also happen to love thrillers, so this felt like this was either a match made in heaven... or a complete disaster.
I was happy to find that, for me, this falls more towards the former than the latter.
It's not a full five stars, because so very few books are for me these days, and maybe because out of all the characters in the book, Bill feels like the least developed one. Admittedly, he has the rest of the series to redeem that, but it's a bit odd when the main character is like a side-kick in his own story.
I also love the little nods to King's own works, like Christine and It. It was suitably trippy.
Will definitely continue.
I was happy to find that, for me, this falls more towards the former than the latter.
It's not a full five stars, because so very few books are for me these days, and maybe because out of all the characters in the book, Bill feels like the least developed one. Admittedly, he has the rest of the series to redeem that, but it's a bit odd when the main character is like a side-kick in his own story.
I also love the little nods to King's own works, like Christine and It. It was suitably trippy.
Will definitely continue.
May 29, 2024
I took a bit to get into this but then I couldn’t put it down! I think mainly because King does like to lay the foundations and build from there which can feel a little slow initially but it’s so worth it in the end! Loved the 3 main characters, the unlikely team and I’m looking forward to more about them as we go on! I liked the idea of knowing who the bad guy was right from the start and having his pov, usually with thrillers you’re trying to work out who it is alongside the good guys, so it was really interesting and tense reading!
February 18, 2024
4/4.5 stars
August 7, 2023
Your typical Stephen King book. Very engaging story with some more and some less predictable turns - an ideal beach read.
May 7, 2015
Question: when to stop reading a book. I have no problem starting a book - and there's a teetering pile next to my bed waiting for attention - but when should I stop reading a book once I've started it. All right, there's some easy answers to this: if the book in question is so incompetently written as to become annoying; if, even after giving it a fair chance, the prospect of picking it up and carrying on seems more chore than pleasure - although there is an exception to this in the case of recognised classics: I'll keep ploughing through these, even if they seem tedious, in the expectation that they would not have achieved classic status for no reason (and I'm just enough of a literary snob to want to tick another off the classics' list even if I do find the reading tedious).
But as for Mr Mercedes - confession time here; although I am reviewing it, I did not read the whole book - I stopped reading despite the fact that it was a good, indeed riveting book. I stopped precisely because it was a riveting book, with all the page-turning compulsion that's made Stephen King what he is and made me read a good fraction (although by no means all) of his books. I stopped because it was too good - or, rather, one of the characters, Brady Horsefield, the mass-murdering Mr Mercedes, was too good - in the sense of too vividly depicted - and, since nearly as much time is spent with him as the narrative point of view, I decided I really just did not want to have him inside my head any longer. So, having read to the end of part I, I skipped to the end, read his comeuppance, found out which characters had been sacrificed along the way in the service of the narrative, was dearly relieved to find out that the dog seemed to have survived, and then put the book down, satisfied and relieved. You know, much though I hate to say this, sometimes the best thing you can do is not finish a book.
But as for Mr Mercedes - confession time here; although I am reviewing it, I did not read the whole book - I stopped reading despite the fact that it was a good, indeed riveting book. I stopped precisely because it was a riveting book, with all the page-turning compulsion that's made Stephen King what he is and made me read a good fraction (although by no means all) of his books. I stopped because it was too good - or, rather, one of the characters, Brady Horsefield, the mass-murdering Mr Mercedes, was too good - in the sense of too vividly depicted - and, since nearly as much time is spent with him as the narrative point of view, I decided I really just did not want to have him inside my head any longer. So, having read to the end of part I, I skipped to the end, read his comeuppance, found out which characters had been sacrificed along the way in the service of the narrative, was dearly relieved to find out that the dog seemed to have survived, and then put the book down, satisfied and relieved. You know, much though I hate to say this, sometimes the best thing you can do is not finish a book.
December 20, 2015
Mr. Mercedes är den första Stephen King-boken jag läser på väldigt länge. Jag inser att jag saknat hur han skriver, särskilt hur varje karaktär, också många av dem som dyker upp endast i förbifarten, får en historia, en vilja, en personlighet, och har ett eget liv bortanför den tid då de dyker upp i huvudpersonens berättelse. King är duktig på att beskriva en värld som existerar utanför det vi får ta del av i texten.
Men över till Mr. Mercedes. Jag får en känsla av att det här skulle kunna vara resultatet om Dean Koontz hade kommit på en idé som King sedan hade skrivit (och vi slipper tack och lov Koontz enformiga karaktärer och dialog). Det är en slags katt-och-råttalek med skyhöga konsekvenser om katten misslyckas.
Bill Hodges, en nyligen pensionerad polis, blir kontaktad av en person som utger sig för att vara Mercedesmördaren, en av få skurkar Hodgins aldrig lyckades få fast. Han bestämmer sig för att undersöka saken på egen hand, vilket sätter igång en kedja med händelser som riskerar få oerhörda konsekvenser.
Jag har svårt att bestämma mig vad jag egentligen tycker om boken. Den är inte dålig. Men den är inte heller särskilt bra. Jag finner historien intressant, karaktärerna trovärdiga (om än en aning tråkiga), och det är inget fel på språket. Jag tror mitt problem ligger i att jag vet att King kan bättre än så här. Hade det varit en annan författare som skrivit exakt samma bok hade betyget troligtvis blivit högre. Men jag vill bedöma boken i relation till andra böcker av King, och då faller den något platt.
Ändå vill jag nog rekommendera den. Vill du ha en deckarroman med bra driv och som håller dig intresserad boken igenom kan jag verkligen rekommendera Mr. Mercedes för dig. Slutet kan nog göra många besvikna, men jag fann en viss befrielse i det. Visserligen kunde det sista stycket kanske skippats helt, men jag har inga problem hur berättelsen i stort avrundas.
Men över till Mr. Mercedes. Jag får en känsla av att det här skulle kunna vara resultatet om Dean Koontz hade kommit på en idé som King sedan hade skrivit (och vi slipper tack och lov Koontz enformiga karaktärer och dialog). Det är en slags katt-och-råttalek med skyhöga konsekvenser om katten misslyckas.
Bill Hodges, en nyligen pensionerad polis, blir kontaktad av en person som utger sig för att vara Mercedesmördaren, en av få skurkar Hodgins aldrig lyckades få fast. Han bestämmer sig för att undersöka saken på egen hand, vilket sätter igång en kedja med händelser som riskerar få oerhörda konsekvenser.
Jag har svårt att bestämma mig vad jag egentligen tycker om boken. Den är inte dålig. Men den är inte heller särskilt bra. Jag finner historien intressant, karaktärerna trovärdiga (om än en aning tråkiga), och det är inget fel på språket. Jag tror mitt problem ligger i att jag vet att King kan bättre än så här. Hade det varit en annan författare som skrivit exakt samma bok hade betyget troligtvis blivit högre. Men jag vill bedöma boken i relation till andra böcker av King, och då faller den något platt.
Ändå vill jag nog rekommendera den. Vill du ha en deckarroman med bra driv och som håller dig intresserad boken igenom kan jag verkligen rekommendera Mr. Mercedes för dig. Slutet kan nog göra många besvikna, men jag fann en viss befrielse i det. Visserligen kunde det sista stycket kanske skippats helt, men jag har inga problem hur berättelsen i stort avrundas.
January 26, 2025
urgh stephen why have you done this. without even getting into the white hero cop with the black kid as a sidekick (in THIS economy?!) this was shoddy at best. the banality of evil is always the most terrifying so this cookie cutter psycho bad guy with racist, misogynist and incestuous inclinations was slightly overkill. he didn’t have a clear moral code, he was just Bad Man Hates Everyone Likes Killing People.
THEN we have the pervy cop. come on, stephen. you’re really leading me to believe you’re just a pervy old man because: ‘she’s wearing a snug turtleneck that cradles a pair of perfectly round breasts’, ‘she folded her arms beneath her breasts’ and ‘the pretty blonde anchor was practically squeezing her thighs together under the table’*. i mean seriously what the fuck is that narrative voice.
also, i gotta know if king has written a single book without the n word in it ? and what percentage of his books doesn’t contain the n word ? it just cannot be necessary to the setting every time i don’t believe it. that’s without even discussing how this time around our token black character, who’s smart (he wears ties!) and ivy league bound and middle class because stephen is progressive and doesn’t bind black people to class stereotypes, has the unfortunate habit of dropping into his hilarious black slave(?) caricature voice (‘massa hodges, i has mowed yo grass… if you has any mo chos for dis heah black boy, hit me on mah honker’). yep. i wish i was joking. what the fuck is that.
i REALLY hope this slop was rushed out in the middle of a famous king coke-binge because otherwise it’s child-orgy (i won’t ever forgive that) level of grim.
i already have a copy of the second book in the series so against my better judgement i’m going to plough ahead. please god let it be better than this shite.
*some of those are paraphrased because i can’t find the exact quotes but they’re close enough
THEN we have the pervy cop. come on, stephen. you’re really leading me to believe you’re just a pervy old man because: ‘she’s wearing a snug turtleneck that cradles a pair of perfectly round breasts’, ‘she folded her arms beneath her breasts’ and ‘the pretty blonde anchor was practically squeezing her thighs together under the table’*. i mean seriously what the fuck is that narrative voice.
also, i gotta know if king has written a single book without the n word in it ? and what percentage of his books doesn’t contain the n word ? it just cannot be necessary to the setting every time i don’t believe it. that’s without even discussing how this time around our token black character, who’s smart (he wears ties!) and ivy league bound and middle class because stephen is progressive and doesn’t bind black people to class stereotypes, has the unfortunate habit of dropping into his hilarious black slave(?) caricature voice (‘massa hodges, i has mowed yo grass… if you has any mo chos for dis heah black boy, hit me on mah honker’). yep. i wish i was joking. what the fuck is that.
i REALLY hope this slop was rushed out in the middle of a famous king coke-binge because otherwise it’s child-orgy (i won’t ever forgive that) level of grim.
i already have a copy of the second book in the series so against my better judgement i’m going to plough ahead. please god let it be better than this shite.
*some of those are paraphrased because i can’t find the exact quotes but they’re close enough
April 19, 2018
Original review from here
Meet Bill Hodge, a retired cop who is tormented by the Mercedes massacre; a case he never solved in his days as being a cop. Even though he is retired, he keeps thinking about the case. When he gets a letter that is signed by Mr. Mercedes himself, Bill is planning on finding him, no matter what it is going to cost him.
Let me start this review by telling you guys that this is my very first Stephen King novel! Yes, you read that right.
I had some trouble with this book. Why, you may ask? Well, it took me more than two weeks to finish. And that’s pretty long! Then the real question appears, was it worth it? Heck yeah! Overall the book kept grabbing my attention, more than I thought it would.
I never expected to like it as much as I did, now that I have finished it. But this book was such a huge roller coaster! I really enjoyed reading Bill’s investigation, but also reading pieces through the eyes of Mr. Mercedes. The book even made me want to yell at the characters sometimes!
The last 100 pages or so were killing. They weren’t good for my heart nor blood pressure! It was one of the best endings a thriller novel could have. It was so full of suspense!
I totally get why people love Stephen King ‘s writing style so much! I am for sure planning on reading much more of his books.
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars, and would recommend it to everyone! Also for those who have never read a SK novel. This one is great to start with!
Meet Bill Hodge, a retired cop who is tormented by the Mercedes massacre; a case he never solved in his days as being a cop. Even though he is retired, he keeps thinking about the case. When he gets a letter that is signed by Mr. Mercedes himself, Bill is planning on finding him, no matter what it is going to cost him.
Let me start this review by telling you guys that this is my very first Stephen King novel! Yes, you read that right.
I had some trouble with this book. Why, you may ask? Well, it took me more than two weeks to finish. And that’s pretty long! Then the real question appears, was it worth it? Heck yeah! Overall the book kept grabbing my attention, more than I thought it would.
I never expected to like it as much as I did, now that I have finished it. But this book was such a huge roller coaster! I really enjoyed reading Bill’s investigation, but also reading pieces through the eyes of Mr. Mercedes. The book even made me want to yell at the characters sometimes!
The last 100 pages or so were killing. They weren’t good for my heart nor blood pressure! It was one of the best endings a thriller novel could have. It was so full of suspense!
I totally get why people love Stephen King ‘s writing style so much! I am for sure planning on reading much more of his books.
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars, and would recommend it to everyone! Also for those who have never read a SK novel. This one is great to start with!
October 3, 2025
I've read my fair share of Stephen King, there's the horrors, like Pet Sematory which terrify me, there's the ones's that stay with me years after i've read them - The Jaunt, Apt Pupil, the Dead Zone, and his less scary fare like 11-26-63. If he's not terrifying you in his horrors then he's always leaving you viscerally uncomfortable, the Derry chapters in 11-26-63 had me squirming and I hadn't read It in years, or forever questioning why did the world turn to shit even tho' Kennedy was saved.
In Mr Mercedes the discomfort came from the character Brady - he's the bad guy - not a spoiler - you know that because he's a pov character - the thing is it's awful being in his head. His thoughts on everyone are horrid, he doesn't have a single nice thing to say or think about anyone or any dog!- but even worse he's always thinking of depraved ways to kill or maim or hurt everyone. I almost dnf'd this because I couldn't bear being in his head. TW a dog is in danger from him - but the dog ends up fine.
Honestly once things started going less well for Brady the book was easier to read - take from that what you will.
The other characters were interesting, a retired cop, the smart young boy who helps him with chores around the house and a mentally unstable and mal-adapted middle aged woman who now has her own spin off book so yay for older characters.
In Mr Mercedes the discomfort came from the character Brady - he's the bad guy - not a spoiler - you know that because he's a pov character - the thing is it's awful being in his head. His thoughts on everyone are horrid, he doesn't have a single nice thing to say or think about anyone or any dog!- but even worse he's always thinking of depraved ways to kill or maim or hurt everyone. I almost dnf'd this because I couldn't bear being in his head. TW a dog is in danger from him - but the dog ends up fine.
Honestly once things started going less well for Brady the book was easier to read - take from that what you will.
The other characters were interesting, a retired cop, the smart young boy who helps him with chores around the house and a mentally unstable and mal-adapted middle aged woman who now has her own spin off book so yay for older characters.
July 23, 2025
I love King and found this story... fine.
It has his quintessential hero - now an overweight 60-something, so pushing the age up a bit. Americana abounds. A young side kick, a couple strong female characters, a troubled villain / terrorist... But something about his view on culture teeters on uncomfortable. Maybe it's the late 2010's sensibilities, changing times, or indeed King himself's time of life. His more recent work hasn't given me that same feeling.
King shows his age here, yearning to be young and with it, much like the main character and sometimes it's funny - a tramp stamp on the ankle (I think the mom had one) is not a tramp stamp, they are on the lower center back ahaha. Some of the computer stuff too.
*Additionally: a day later, I'm still thinking about the ending... the Jerome & Holly didn't spend time to make a full ID of the villian. Holly just starts bashing his head in with a bag full of ball bearings in the middle of a arena full of pre-teen girls. Gosh that was gruesome. And what if there was another person with a shaved head in a wheelchair who loves pop boy bands?? haha. It was too much.
I'm not sure if I'll read the follow-ups - perhaps if I exhaust the rest of my unread King list.
It has his quintessential hero - now an overweight 60-something, so pushing the age up a bit. Americana abounds. A young side kick, a couple strong female characters, a troubled villain / terrorist... But something about his view on culture teeters on uncomfortable. Maybe it's the late 2010's sensibilities, changing times, or indeed King himself's time of life. His more recent work hasn't given me that same feeling.
King shows his age here, yearning to be young and with it, much like the main character and sometimes it's funny - a tramp stamp on the ankle (I think the mom had one) is not a tramp stamp, they are on the lower center back ahaha. Some of the computer stuff too.
*Additionally: a day later, I'm still thinking about the ending... the Jerome & Holly didn't spend time to make a full ID of the villian. Holly just starts bashing his head in with a bag full of ball bearings in the middle of a arena full of pre-teen girls. Gosh that was gruesome. And what if there was another person with a shaved head in a wheelchair who loves pop boy bands?? haha. It was too much.
I'm not sure if I'll read the follow-ups - perhaps if I exhaust the rest of my unread King list.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2021
This is a straight-up detective story, with recently-retired detective Bill Hodges dragged back into the worst case he left unsolved when he is contacted by the mass-murderer known as the Mercedes Killer.
The story has a lot of what I like out of King: Incredible pacing, sharp detail, and a villain who is definitely evil, but not some kind of infallible genius. In this case, "Mr. Mercedes" is a sociopathic incel with a side of racism that evokes the image of alt-right creeps whose trolling is just the tip of an iceberg of potential violence.
There are also a few of King's writing quirks in evidence here that I'm less enamored with. At one point, a scheme by the villain involves a disguise that's lifted almost completely from one of King's other works. King also over-relies on oddball dialogue patterns for character development.
That being said, this works well as a detective thriller, and, after several plot twists and some gruesome deaths, ends with a surprisingly sweet chosen-family vibe that had me interested in seeing where King takes these characters in the sequel novels.
The story has a lot of what I like out of King: Incredible pacing, sharp detail, and a villain who is definitely evil, but not some kind of infallible genius. In this case, "Mr. Mercedes" is a sociopathic incel with a side of racism that evokes the image of alt-right creeps whose trolling is just the tip of an iceberg of potential violence.
There are also a few of King's writing quirks in evidence here that I'm less enamored with. At one point, a scheme by the villain involves a disguise that's lifted almost completely from one of King's other works. King also over-relies on oddball dialogue patterns for character development.
That being said, this works well as a detective thriller, and, after several plot twists and some gruesome deaths, ends with a surprisingly sweet chosen-family vibe that had me interested in seeing where King takes these characters in the sequel novels.
April 21, 2025
Mr. Mercedes. A novel too creepily close for comfort. With my first “hard-read” Stephen King experience done, i can say that i am pretty satisfied. I managed to get through this morbid and crazy plot easily, except in the beginning(the lack of english vocabulary was... lets say... impressive) but i got used to the way this author writes his bestsellers.
However, i felt that i needed more. This is definitely not the best of King’s novels (even tho i haven’t read any other of his books), and the reviews point for that as well! I searched more and “Mr. Mercedes” is actually King’s first detective book, so what he tried to do here was to find a new comfort zone. And that’s awesome, cause’ after years of writing horror and thriller books, changing to a new genre... King’s not afraid of failing a step.
In conclusion, i’m really looking forward to continue reading Stephen King and i’m still ready to be surprised. And if you feel like reading something to get you surprised and in a type of way, uncomfortable, “Mr. Mercedes” is waiting.
However, i felt that i needed more. This is definitely not the best of King’s novels (even tho i haven’t read any other of his books), and the reviews point for that as well! I searched more and “Mr. Mercedes” is actually King’s first detective book, so what he tried to do here was to find a new comfort zone. And that’s awesome, cause’ after years of writing horror and thriller books, changing to a new genre... King’s not afraid of failing a step.
In conclusion, i’m really looking forward to continue reading Stephen King and i’m still ready to be surprised. And if you feel like reading something to get you surprised and in a type of way, uncomfortable, “Mr. Mercedes” is waiting.
June 11, 2018
Good Grace, King, what did you do ?? What did I just read ?
This was one hell of a read; as a buddy read, I was supposed to read 40-45 pages a day, but ended reading the last 200 in 2 days. Not my fault, couldn't helped it.
Never been a big fan of thriller, and the cop cliches were strong in this one.. But it didn't bother me THAT much.
The fact that straight away we're following both the cop and the villain made for a nice change.
The most interesting character obviously was Brady; what a great psycho, I loved loathing him, how could I not.
Holly and Jerome were also nice sidekicks, if not again, a bit cliche.
Haaa Brady, Brady, Brady.. you will stay on my mind for a while, you.
I'm definitely keeping the few issues I had to myself, concerning Hodges, cause Brady made it up for everything else. I just don't like cops, okay.
A 5-star thriller coming from me is a must read for other humans.
This was one hell of a read; as a buddy read, I was supposed to read 40-45 pages a day, but ended reading the last 200 in 2 days. Not my fault, couldn't helped it.
Never been a big fan of thriller, and the cop cliches were strong in this one.. But it didn't bother me THAT much.
The fact that straight away we're following both the cop and the villain made for a nice change.
The most interesting character obviously was Brady; what a great psycho, I loved loathing him, how could I not.
Holly and Jerome were also nice sidekicks, if not again, a bit cliche.
Haaa Brady, Brady, Brady.. you will stay on my mind for a while, you.
I'm definitely keeping the few issues I had to myself, concerning Hodges, cause Brady made it up for everything else. I just don't like cops, okay.
A 5-star thriller coming from me is a must read for other humans.
October 29, 2023
A fast-paced, action packed thriller, this book had me very well entertained. With the only other King book I'd read being Fairy Tale which is much more in the fantasy genre, it was great to be exposed to what he can do when it comes to thrillers.
There was one point in the middle of the book when I did feel seriously immersed, kind of like what King strikes me as so passionate about, in terms of the ability to get lost in a good book, the essence of the joy of reading.
Maybe putting the book down 3/4 of the way through, only to pick it up the next day, is what caused its impact to not be so wholly powerful to me in the end. Perhaps it sucked some of the momentum out of the storytelling.
I started to read this book as I want to get to the new release, 'Holly', so I am keen to see how her character becomes more prominent over the books set to follow.
Would also be interested to watch the TV series of this book once I've finished the trilogy.
There was one point in the middle of the book when I did feel seriously immersed, kind of like what King strikes me as so passionate about, in terms of the ability to get lost in a good book, the essence of the joy of reading.
Maybe putting the book down 3/4 of the way through, only to pick it up the next day, is what caused its impact to not be so wholly powerful to me in the end. Perhaps it sucked some of the momentum out of the storytelling.
I started to read this book as I want to get to the new release, 'Holly', so I am keen to see how her character becomes more prominent over the books set to follow.
Would also be interested to watch the TV series of this book once I've finished the trilogy.
January 28, 2026
There are certain elements to a Stephen King novel that you should expect to find if you pick one up. Crass language, strange pacing, underhanded racism/sexism/homophobia (often found in racial and otherwise slurs and strange descriptions of breasts). I've also noticed he likes to give his old men heartattacks, and his women, if not mentally ill/old, then they will die... but only after sleeping with the main character. Am I talking about Mr Mercedes? Or am I referencing 'Salem's Lot or 11/22/63? Yes.
Look, all the above aside, this is one of his better novels, and I still enjoyed reading it.
If you don't go into expecting anything but the above, then you'll be fine...if you can stand the above, that is.
Look, all the above aside, this is one of his better novels, and I still enjoyed reading it.
If you don't go into expecting anything but the above, then you'll be fine...if you can stand the above, that is.
August 7, 2025
It was enjoyable enough to finish, but missing something special.
I just feel like nothing in this book surprised, thrilled or shook me like other Stephen King books I’ve read, and other crime thrillers I’ve read.
Maybe it felt better back when it released ten years ago? But saying that, I recently read Gone Girl from 2012 and it was one of the most thrilling & exciting books I’ve ever read!
It’s also missing the super beautiful writing from other Stephen king books. In fact some of the writing actually made me cringe a bit, especially the way some technology was described which felt archaic & out-of-touch.
I will read the rest of the trilogy tho ✌️
I just feel like nothing in this book surprised, thrilled or shook me like other Stephen King books I’ve read, and other crime thrillers I’ve read.
Maybe it felt better back when it released ten years ago? But saying that, I recently read Gone Girl from 2012 and it was one of the most thrilling & exciting books I’ve ever read!
It’s also missing the super beautiful writing from other Stephen king books. In fact some of the writing actually made me cringe a bit, especially the way some technology was described which felt archaic & out-of-touch.
I will read the rest of the trilogy tho ✌️
December 6, 2025
I’m probably reading this trilogy in the wrong order but this was enjoyable all the same. Challenging due to its subject matter - a driver deliberately driving into a crowd of people and then planning to blow up explosives at a music concert really could be quite triggering for many people. As with all King tales, this moved along briskly, developed its core set of characters and wasn’t affected by revealing the villain early on in the story.
April 3, 2016
Started as a fast paced novel but as it progressed, the book kind of predictable. The plot is interesting but some aspects of the plot are absolutely ridiculous... Seems like the perpetrator of the crime gets things too easy. Liked the fast paced story telling of Stephen King but its more like watching an Hollywood action movie than a high quality read!
September 6, 2023
A detective thriller by Stephen King? Count me in. Although far from his best efforts, this is a satisfying experience. Especially the last 100 or so pages, which I read with an increasing sense of dread and anxiety. Very memorable characters. They're fully realized, powerful and interesting enough to make me want to read Finders Keepers. 3.5 stars.
November 21, 2023
My first detective/crime fiction by King. In my limited SK reading, I definitely feel more drawn to his books with more magical realism, but this was fun. Plot holes abound, but I sort of didn’t care!
I had a goal to read more spooky ooky books this fall, and this one fit the bill. Planning to continue the trilogy soon!
I had a goal to read more spooky ooky books this fall, and this one fit the bill. Planning to continue the trilogy soon!
December 10, 2024
This was such an incredible piece of writing by SK! I was hooked from the start with the storyline and I HAD to know how this book would end. SK has such talent for creating depth of characters, and this created such a solid detective read.
I was in a bit of reading slump prior to this book, so I thought I would read something that isn’t fantasy, and this HIT the spot. Another easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was in a bit of reading slump prior to this book, so I thought I would read something that isn’t fantasy, and this HIT the spot. Another easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 19, 2017
First book of Stephen King that I've read and I loved it! Very interesting. I liked how it ended even.. but what happend after Brady wakes up?? Did he lost his memory or something? Anyway, the plot was intriguing. Looking forward to read Finders Keepers.
January 14, 2018
Very hard book to rate. I enjoyed the writing style (my first Stephen King) and the story kept me interested. But somehow the ending was unsatisfying, especially with it being a series. Maybe it should have been a stand-alone book.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
December 27, 2021
I could wait to start reading this!
I usually don’t read more than one SK book one after the other however! This was amazing I’ve started reading Finders Keepers straight away, I couldn’t wait!
Loved this book!
and love SK, the way the story follows both sides of the story is brilliant as usual!
I usually don’t read more than one SK book one after the other however! This was amazing I’ve started reading Finders Keepers straight away, I couldn’t wait!
Loved this book!
and love SK, the way the story follows both sides of the story is brilliant as usual!
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