From Goodreads
In a mega-stakes, high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely and winning heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands.
In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of 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 Hartfield 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 a couple of highly unlikely 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. (less)
My thoughts
I used to be an avid Stephen King fan back in my teens and early twenties, but I was put off his work after reading Gerald's Game by him. When I saw this in my local Library I decided to give it a go as it's not one of his usual style stories and is of the crime genre not horror.
I found this quite a slow burner after the initial attention grabbing start. I found it a chore at times picking it up to read. However, I'm glad that I persevered with it as I felt that the story came full circle and grabbed my attention towards the latter parts of the book.
I can't say that it was the writing style that put me off, I think it was the storyline at times that didn't just grab me as much as I was expecting.
Bill Hodges is a retired detective and when he receives a letter from the 'perk', his once dormant police instincts are aroused by the threats of further atrocities contained within the letter.
Brady Hartfield is an unusual young man, who lives with his alcoholic mother. He's a bit of a loner and his relationship with his mother is an odd one. He has the thirst for killing again, he has huge plans that if they come off will make him infamous.
Whilst, King makes us the reader aware of the identity of the killer this story is more than us deducing for ourselves the killer's identity and watching how the police draw the conclusions, it's more about the characters and their relationships with one another.
I rated this an overall 4 stars or 8/10. I will read the next one in the series to see where Hodges and his unlikely accomplices take us, as I believe their journey is only just beginning. (less)
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