NetGalley Buddy Readers discussion

When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to 'kill thirteen innocents and one guilty' in 'an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man', Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realises that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.

Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women's rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate's message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate's bodyguard—a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and his belief in his own righteousness.

Featuring a riveting cast of characters both old and new, including world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and an unforgettable villain addicted to murder, these twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion—a feat of storytelling only Stephen King could pull off.

Thrilling, wildly fun and outrageously engrossing, Never Flinch is one of King's richest and most propulsive novels.

Publishing 5/27. There is no way Theresa and I aren't starting this on the day it's published!

You'll be finishing on 5/27! Lol!

I REALLY Hope so ! 😂🤣😂🤣

HAPPY PUB DAY!! I'm just eagerly awaiting my little book store to open and let me know that my preorder is ready!! So excited!

5 chapters / 94 pages

well. . .we have a few storylines going right now and, so far, I don't see how they connect other than the date.

Bill Wilson (view spoiler)[ wow, killing random people and labeling them as the jury. I wonder his connection to the guy who was set up and died. I don't think the main person who did wrong will be the DA - don't you think it will be someone we don't even imagine but that Trig does?
It's so sad, Trig doing this (hide spoiler)]

Kate McKay (view spoiler)[ I like Corrie but wow - they are in the weird position. I think this must be Stephen King exploring how much the US hates strong women. and to tie it into the right to choose. oof, this woman following them is dangerous
but I assume she's going to endanger the concert and not Corrie and Kate - because their venue changed but they will still be there in the crowd
with Holly and Barbara (and her brother and date! Yikes!) (hide spoiler)]

Holly (view spoiler)[ I still just adore her. She totally got that it was a jury well before I ever would have connected it!
I love how she's still in contact with the kids
and that she's helping Izzy. I really like Izzy too.
I'm not sure how they will catch Trig or figure out who he's focusing and she has no idea about this other Kate stuff (hide spoiler)]

10 chapters / 176 pages

(view spoiler)[
okay, so I'm still completely baffled why they hired Holly or how they even found her. She's small and I wouldn't think of her as a body guard at all

but ignoring that

who could Trig be? He has to be someone. . .close to the case, right? could he be a fire fighter? or. . .man, I just have no guesses who it could be!!

and is the Corrine name. . .is that Corrie? I completely forgot her last name!

and now we have it, the stage set for all of them to be at the concert. Is that where the ultimate showdown will be? (hide spoiler)]

15 chapters / 270 pages

(view spoiler)[ wow, he is getting so brazen. I can't believe he hasn't been caught! and not picked up by a camera. He is getting so so lucky
but now they know his nickname and description. I wonder who he really is. . .

I like this side story with Barbara. I like that she's getting to find herself.

I still don't understand why Holly wanted to do bodyguard duty - for the money, I guess but yikes
these events are getting scarier

I find it interesting that King chose to have someone unsure about their identity and someone who feels both male and female - even if it's because their mother fractured their mind.
It's interesting that he's chosen to have this person warped by religion.

there's a lot of political significance in his writing. I like that it's all relative to now or near now. (hide spoiler)]

7 Chapters 126 pages (view spoiler)[ So, not sure why Holly would agree to be a body guard nor do I understand how Corrie even found her. So far there's a bad guy (Trig) killing innocents that we find out is because a guy who it turns out was innocent was killed in prison. Not sure what Trig's connection is with the guy. Then there is a brother and sister team that is threatening an vert public woman's rights speaker/author. Now Holly has agreed to be the author's bodyguard. (hide spoiler)]

20 chapters

ooooh here we go! (view spoiler)[ so now we know - he was a juror. I'm still not sure why he's gone off the deep end but it makes sense that he just decided he wanted to kill people. at least he's admitted that

but oooh man, he's got Corrie and now Chrissy is less likely to shoot him - because he might do what Chrissy wants

but will Chrissy see how wrong it all is?

and why did he list Barbara specifically? that was kind of wild
but it looks like we plans to grab a few of them but not Holly so we'll see how this goes. how does he plan to get them? (hide spoiler)]

and I'm done

oooh man was that good
(view spoiler)[ OMG the fight between the firefighters and the cops! Just top notch ridiculousness and humor from Stephen King! I love it!

and to have the murders happening so close by. I really wasn't sure they were going to save all three of them and I was so so glad when she popped in with a knife!

and Trig was really becoming unhinged in the end. I liked that Holly wrapped it up for us with the final few parts.

and wow, that part in the end where Stephen King listed the deaths at the clinics. Shocking and so so sad. I like that he pulled it back to 'belief' (hide spoiler)]

Thru Chapter 11, page 199 (view spoiler)[ Okay, so now we know that Chris and Chrissy are the same person. Definitely determined to kill Kate. Trig is also very determined and sounds like he might be going for a big finale, maybe at the game between the police and the fire fighters. (hide spoiler)]

Thru Chapter 20, page 348 (view spoiler)[ Well things are definitely coming to a head. The two bad guys are starting to overlap. Corrie is in serious trouble though. I'm sure hoping she comes out of this okay. (hide spoiler)]

Trisha - For those of us who can't read the spoilers yet, how does this rate in comparison to his other work?

It was so so so so so good! lol

Definitely a continuation of the Holly series - so don't start this as a stand alone because it will for sure spoiler the other books

but it's just as good. it's classic Stephen King and actually less political than his last one (while still dealing with political elements).

I loved it

That's great! I'm so excited for this one. I've read all the Holly books, so I'm not worried about spoilers in the book. I think the only one of King's books I missed recently was You Like It Darker. I'm not always a fan of short stories so I'm not in a hurry, but I plan to read it later this year.

ooh You Like it Darker was so fun! but Yeah, short stories

That's good to know. One of my other groups is reading it in October, so I plan to read it around then. I also plan to read ’Salem’s Lot in October. Should be a good month. :)

Listening to this one now! I’ll update with my thoughts tonight as soon as we’re not driving.