Title: Mr. Mercedes
Author: Mr. Mercedes
Narrator: Will Patton
Unabridged Length: 14 hrs, 25 mn.
Here is a summary of the book from the publisher's website:
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 perp; 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.
My Review:
Although there is no way I would have "read" this book, I have to admit the audio version was wonderful! This book kept me interested the entire time, gripping my steering wheel some days, and I found myself wanting to get in my car to listen to it. I've always had a problem reading King's novels, but I thought I would try an audio this time, and that proved to be a great experience!
Hodges is an overweight, retired cop who seems to have lost his zest for life. He starts every miserable day alone, mindlessly completing his daily tasks. A couple of unsolved cases bother him, but one day the case of the Mercedes Killer is opened up all over again. He knows when he receives a letter from someone identifying himself as the Mercedes Killer, that he should contact the police, but he decides to take matters into his own hands.
As Hodges follows clues he becomes rejuvenated. He feels better than he has felt in years and can't help but keep this case to himself, rather than contacting the police, just a little longer. He recruits a couple of unlikely characters from the book to help him with his investigation. We grow to care about the welfare of these characters, not wanting them to be hurt by this wackjob throughout the story.
Patton did a great job of bringing these characters to life for me. I honestly don't know if I would have enjoyed "reading" this book as much as listening to it, so I have to thank Patton for his narration skills. Since this is a book from the mystery genre, I'm not going to give any more away. With themes of friendship, suspense, and murder you may enjoy this book as much as I did. I highly recommend this audiobook for personal leisure or even for book clubs that enjoy the murder/mystery genre.
My Rating: 5/5
Disclosure: This audiobook was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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 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 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. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Mr-Mercedes/Stephen-King/9781476754451#sthash.Q9aFpPS2.dpuf
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 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 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. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Mr-Mercedes/Stephen-King/9781476754451#sthash.Q9aFpPS2.dpuf
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 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 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. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Mr-Mercedes/Stephen-King/9781476754451#sthash.Q9aFpPS2.dpuf
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 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 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. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Mr-Mercedes/Stephen-King/9781476754451#sthash.Q9aFpPS2.dpuf
