Status Updates From Desperation

This book has serious pacing issues. Crazy cop going around killing people, some tension building, and then King gathers the characters up in an old movie theater and they've just been telling stories for the past 70 pages. Totally killed the momentum and it's so boring. And why are like half of all Stephen King characters alcoholics who are in AA? I know he used to drink himself, but it gets old after so many books.