‘Mr Mercedes’ by Stephen King

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

Recently retired detective Bill Hodges is tormented by ‘the Mercedes massacre’, a case he couldn’t solve. Now, a letter from the killer gets him thinking. Maybe there’s away he can hunt this guy down himself and bring the perp to justice. But his retired stance means he could get into all sorts of trouble with his old pals in the force. Meanwhile, computer nerd and ice-cream salesman Brady Hartsfield is making plans. Taunting the old cop with letters and messages on the Blue Umbrella website, he aims to push the retiree over the edge into committing suicide.

Can Hodges track down the madman before he kills again, or will failing health kill off the ageing cop before he gets the chance?

This is the first book in the Bill Hodges trilogy and it’s a good one. It’s fair to say things are a little slow at first, but as always, Stevie is simply laying in the groundwork. The plot soon gets going, sending Hodges and his two ‘assistants’ into dangerous situations – ones that could get them blown up. The writing is clever and witty and some of King’s humour is positively hilarious. The build-up to the denouement is a thrilling ride where anything could happen and kept me guessing as to how it would turn out.

A gripping thriller from the master of suspense.

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