Name: Mr. Mercedes
ISBN: 9781501125607

Stephen King

Originally published: New York: Scribner, 2014.

A Novel

Mr. Mercedes

The start of a trilogy that I don't plan on finishing ever.

I don't find Bill Hodges or Holly Gibney to be characters worthy of a trilogy. Holly would go on to be in more books than just these; I'd read her in "The Outsider" years prior, where I was also unimpressed with her performance as a character. Stephen King clearly loves her and we all get to suffer for it.

I didn't think the Mercedes massacre was a very thrilling way to start a story. The crime would be horrible in real life, but as a major plot point in a book it feels very tame and uninteresting. I am convinced King just liked the alliteration of "Mr. Mercedes" and likely based the entirety of this book upon that fun sound -- a challenge to see if he could.

The initial crime failed to interest me and Bill Hodges continued this lacking interest. I actually find the sidekick, Jerome Robinson, to be the best character of the book. It was easy to perk up a bit whenever he said or did anything; he's a comedic voice of a reason. The villain, Brady Hartsfield, is a bore. He seems like someone who would be caught (or killed) by the end of an episode of "Law and Order: SVU" and undeserving of the position bestowed upon him by this book's plot. He has some funny, sardonic lines, I guess, but they're infrequent and nothing worth remembering.

Something happens about halfway through and I was quite surprised by it. It was an interesting twist and majorly changes the pace of the killer's goals. I liked this and felt like it began to breathe life into a book that was almost flatlining. Unfortunately, this second wind fades as the book goes on towards its final page, and by the end I was just happy it was over.

I went with two stars because of course King is competent enough to write a story that doesn't hurt you or anything. You won't be completely wasting your time with "Mr. Mercedes", but I do have to consider this among the lower tiers of books (especially of King's that I've read). Again, I did like that twist, it definitely bumps up the score -- too bad it couldn't keep that momentum going.

I won't be reading the other two books -- I checked their synopses out and I'm good, actually quite glad, to be passing on them.

Evan

The start of a trilogy that I don't plan on finishing ever.

  

I don't find Bill Hodges or Holly Gibney to be characters worthy of a trilogy. Holly would go on to be in more books than just these; I'd read her in "The Outsider" years prior, where I was also unimpressed with her performance as a character. Stephen King clearly loves her and we all get to suffer for it.

  

I didn't think the Mercedes massacre was a very thrilling way to start a story. The crime would be horrible in real life, but as a major plot point in a book it feels very tame and uninteresting. I am convinced King just liked the alliteration of "Mr. Mercedes" and likely based the entirety of this book upon that fun sound -- a challenge to see if he could.

The initial crime failed to interest me and Bill Hodges continued this lacking interest. I actually find the sidekick, Jerome Robinson, to be the best character of the book. It was easy to perk up a bit whenever he said or did anything; he's a comedic voice of a reason. The villain, Brady Hartsfield, is a bore. He seems like someone who would be caught (or killed) by the end of an episode of "Law and Order: SVU" and undeserving of the position bestowed upon him by this book's plot. He has some funny, sardonic lines, I guess, but they're infrequent and nothing worth remembering.

Something happens about halfway through and I was quite surprised by it. It was an interesting twist and majorly changes the pace of the killer's goals. I liked this and felt like it began to breathe life into a book that was almost flatlining. Unfortunately, this second wind fades as the book goes on towards its final page, and by the end I was just happy it was over.

  

I went with two stars because of course King is competent enough to write a story that doesn't hurt you or anything. You won't be completely wasting your time with "Mr. Mercedes", but I do have to consider this among the lower tiers of books (especially of King's that I've read). Again, I did like that twist, it definitely bumps up the score -- too bad it couldn't keep that momentum going.

  

I won't be reading the other two books -- I checked their synopses out and I'm good, actually quite glad, to be passing on them.

I do not recommend "Mr. Mercedes".

Vicky  Nuñez 

Bill Hodges is a retired detective who's pretty miserable with his life until he gets a letter from one of the killers he never managed to caught, the Mercedes Killer. This letter gives him back his life and enough strength to take into his own hands an investigation to catch the killer.

Stephen King has assimilate our current society and produce a book that is truthful to our reality. It is suspenseful and so real that it gave me chills while I read it. Paired that with the unlikely her, Bill Hodges a 60-something retired cop and you have a great story.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved that it told the story also from the evil guy's perspective, it gave more depth to the book and understanding of where he was coming from.
I also loved the sidekicks and how random and weird they were alongside Bill, they made the story so much more interesting. 

Overall, very please with the story and kind of charmed with Bill and his sidekicks enough to want to continue the series.

Sonia Grgas

Lara Engle

I love Stephen King and I love detective novels. Even so, I couldn't have guessed how much I would love this book. King reveals the killer's identity soon into the story, a move that could have lessened the suspense. Instead, he expertly builds suspense by juxtaposing the killer's storyline and Bill's. This is a satisfying read. I look forward to reading the next Bill Hodges book.

Dennis Jacob Rosenfeld

Among King's weaker works. Mostly due to the story being predictable, unoriginal and derivative of several other serial killer stories.

Briar's Reviews

Okay. Just... Wow. 

Wow, wow, wow!

Stephen King has been hit and miss for me. It was incredible and Carrie was meh, so I wasn't sure how I would like this one. I've heard great things, but you never know. I heard this book was more thriller than horror, and that was right. And man, was it one intense thriller and it was so good!

This book is long, but it's worth every page. The book slowly but surely ramps up until you get to the insane action of the end. Plus, that bloody cliffhanger that DROVE ME INSANE. Now I need to finish this series, which will definitely be a while. 

Hodges is a retired cop, and he is haunted by the Mercedes crime. Some crazy dude ran over people at a job fair, and he really wants to solve this mystery. Lucky for him, Mr. Mercedes is still up to his old tricks and wants to commit more crimes. He really liked teasing his victims and Bill Hodges. Bill ends up teaming up with Jerome and Holly to try to solve this mystery, and he faces some real tough losses along the way.

I'm impressed. Thrillers in general can be hit and miss for me, so having this one pull me in so tightly and keep me hooked was awesome! 

There are definitely parts of this book that seem unrealistic or seem dumb, but I don't care. This book was a great thrilling read that pulled me in and kept me. Sure, it was dumb Bill didn't try to get some of his buddies from the force to help, but that was half the fun. Some of the racism in this book was rough, but it is what it is. I definitely don't recommend speaking like some of the characters in the book.

Overall, this is a great book by Stephen King. It's not supernatural, it's a crime thriller with splashes of horror. Stephen King has done a great job crafting this story and I can't wait to grab the remainder of this series.

Four out of five stars.

S. King

Mr Mercedes

Ed Kay

Haven't read much King lately and disappointed to find he's still in need of an editor with a butcher's knife to slash away the dead meat. Far too long. Also found a lot of the exposition ringing false, in particular the descriptions of technology. At times it was like asking my grandpa to describe the internet. Noticed that his wife Tabby is thanked for her assistance explaining mobile phones. Can't help but think someone under the age of 70 might have been a better advisor. Liked the characters though these also felt like they were veering on the edge of caricature. He can still drive a plot and raise the tension like a master, but wonder if he's losing touch with the Americana he used to convey so well

It's always unusual to read a true crime novel by Stephen King. Without horror, without the supernatural. But he does that very well, too.

Nick Bicko

James Eaton

I continue to really enjoy reading Stephen King novels. I could not wait for a new month to start so I could read another King book (I am reading one SK novel each month in 2022). 

King does such an amazing job building characters in his books and Mr Mercedes is no exception. I will read more in the Bill Hodges trilogy as well as The Outsider.

Sian Wadey

I've been a massive fan of Stephen King ever since I picked up a collection of his short stories. His novels can be epic, small, focused on two characters or feature a town full of people. Every single one is different and he seems to write them quicker than I can read them!
Mr Mercedes is a break from his normal supernatural and fantasy stories. This one is pure crime/cop caper and we are introduced to two main characters, retired Detective Bill Hodges and Brady Hartsfield. No attempt is made to disguise the fact that Hartsfield committed the horrific crime in the novel, instead this story is more cat and mouse. 
King is a solid writer. It normally takes me a couple of chapters and I'm in. This book was a little different. It took me a lot longer to get going. I think the problem with this book is that the characters were so predictable. Detective Hodges is overweight, contemplates suicide, watches tonnes of day time TV, eats too much fried food and even wears a fedora. Since retiring he's blatantly bored and a letter from the killer is just what he's been waiting for. 
Hartsield obviously took Psychopath 101. He is a loner, hates everyone, lives in his basement and has a dysfunctional relationship with his mother. These are characters we have seen before countless times before. I expected more from King.
There are several sidekicks who all have roles to play in catching Hartsfield, namely Jerome, a black seventeen year old who runs errands for Hodges and Holly, a forty year old who lives off cigarettes and medication.
Once the plot picked up I had no problem getting engrossed in the novel but the characters just seemed to leap to conclusions with no obvious way of reaching it and the ending was just as I expected. I gather that this was about the journey, not the conclusion but it was a bit of a let down compared to King's other works.

Celeste Richardson

Full review now posted!

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

I’m not going to lie; I’m disappointed. This was my seventh King book, and was the first that left me feeling let down. Was it horrible? No. It was simply bland. Unrelentingly bland. The only thing that kept me reading was my enjoyment of King’s writing style. But the plot was never surprising, the reveals were heavy handed, and the characters were mostly flat and cliche. There were a couple of exceptions, of course, especially in the forms of Jerome and Holly, but for the most part I was just let down and quite honestly a bit bored by what I read.

I don’t generally harp on characterization choices made by authors, but the sexist and racism that raged through the veins of King’s antagonist in the novel were just too overblown to be convincing. Yes, I’m sure there are people in the world how harbor such a vehement hatred for anyone who looks different than them or urinates in a different position than they do, but that level of venom would be nearly impossible to hide 24/7, as Mr. Mercedes does. I know that nearly impossible isn’t the same thing as actually impossible, but I just couldn’t find him a believable character.

Bill Hodges, after whom this trilogy is titled, was a bit of a disappointment, as well. Here is a man who served is city for 40 years as a cop, and has earned his place at the “good ole boys” table. I understand how with his age and former profession he could be a bit of a backwards thinker. But every time he was able to view a woman as more than whatever cliche King used to define her as a character, that alteration of viewpoint completely blew his little mind, which gets annoying after a while. I hate when guys can’t see women as more than props or a pair of boobs or a motivation for a man’s deeds or a stereotype at which to roll their eyes and elbow each other knowingly. Men not viewing women as actual people is super frustrating, but I understand that some authors use that as a character’s weakness. Unfortunately, in this particular novel, that view was so prevalent that it didn’t feel attached to any particular character as much as it felt like the view point of the author. I’ve read enough King to know that isn’t the case, but I can see where it could be a deterrent to other female readers who pick up the book.

Besides the rampant sexism and heavy handed use of racism to paint the antagonist as evil, I also had issues with the plot itself. There were no surprises. Every time a twist took place, I could see it coming from a mile away. Also, whenever one of the protagonists figured out what the antagonist was up to, or vice versa, the way they came to those conclusions seemed way too convenient. This game of cat and mouse felt less like a chess match and more like students cheating off each other’s tests. Also, as I said previously, I was bored, which has so far never happened to me while reading a King novel. But this book felt like an episode of Criminal Minds or a similar show, except that it didn’t know when to end. As I discussed with my friend Mary as we buddy read this book, I can dedicate an hour to a predictable crime show, but asking me to devote 14 hours to one is just too much.

Long story short, I won’t be finishing this trilogy. I just have no interest. It felt juvenile and clunky and unlike writing I’ve become accustomed to when reading King. Does this mean it was a horrible book and that you should stay as far away from it as possible? Of course not! I know a lot of people who loved this trilogy, and I still found it readable even when I was bored. Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean you won’t love it if you decide to pick it up.

Months after a crazed hit-and-run driver kills several attendees at a Midwestern job fair, a depressed retired cop and two unlikely allies join forces to find and stop the killer, who has sent a letter threatening another attack.

Cams Campbell

A crime novel by Stephen King. I don't know why I keep persevering with SK's novels. Somehow I keep going till the end even though I'm not really enjoying it. It's easy listening I suppose (audiobook). This one was two stars, barely.

it was a while since I read a King book, this is not his typical horror but I thoroughly enjoyed it all.

Won’t make any spoilers but it arrived a point where I could not stop reading.

Piero Mamberti

Could not put this book down.

it was a while since I read a King book, this is not his typical horror but I thoroughly enjoyed it all.

Won’t make any spoilers but it arrived a point where I could not stop reading.

Yulande Lindsay

Dear sweet heaven. He just does not let up. Excellent read. Looking forward to next entry in the Bill Hodges trilogy.

allie

4/5⭐
⬇️
Esta es la primera novela que leo de Stephen King y ha sido una gran descubrimiento. Una muy buena lectura que he disfrutado de principio a fin.

En esta historia nos encontramos al inspector de policía ya retirado Bill Hodges. Bill junto a su compañero, fue el encargado de llevar la investigación de Mr Mercedes, un hombre que embistió un Centro Cívico matando a varias personas. Ahora, un año después, con nuevas pistas y nuevos sucesos, Bill investigará con un par de buenos amigos a Mr Mercedes e intentarán por todos los medios detenerle al fin.

Los personajes me han gustado mucho. Nuestro protagonista principal, el inspector Bill, ha sido un muy buen personaje. Es una persona con ganas de descubrir quién es el culpable. Me ha gustado mucho esa tenacidad y fuerza. Un gran personaje también, que ha sido muy importante en la historia es Jerome, un adolescente que me ha encantado y ha sido muy necesario para Bill y la investigación.
Por otra parte, "Mr Mercedes" también me ha parecido un gran personaje. El villano de esta historia es astuto, siniestro y con ideas y actitudes muy macabras.

Esta novela me ha gustado mucho. Es una historia entretenida, adictiva que no puedes parar de leer. Es una novela policiaca estupenda, con la parte de tensión por saber qué ocurrirá, la emoción de descubrir nuevas pistas y cómo se va solucionando todo. Ha sido una muy buena historia, también con partes siniestras y duras que forman parte de la trama y que le han dado un toque adictivo y muy atrayente.
Como punto negativo, diría que el final me ha resultado muy precipitado, creo que ha ocurrido todo muy deprisa y me hubiera gustado que hubiese estado más desarrollado. Durante el libro me ha parecido que ha habido partes algo aburridas, que no me han aportado demasiado al conjunto de la historia y después el final lo he sentido muy rápido, sencillo y sin mucha tensión. 
Eso sí, el último párrafo y conversación del libro es brutal porque el autor nos sorprende con una noticia sobre un personaje que te deja con muchas ganas de más.

"Mr Mercedes" es un libro que me ha gustado mucho y lo he disfrutado. Me ha parecido un libro entretenido, interesante y con una pluma increíble y que atrae al lector. Una novela policiaca estupenda y con muchos momentos sorpresa.

Sabetha Danes

Holly is 100% the reason I picked up this book. Her appearance in The Outsider / If It Bleeds made me want more stories about her.

I was on edge for the entire wrap up of this plot. Knowing Stephen King, it could end in a tragedy or happily and it was a ride to find out which way all the way up into the last sentence. 

These characters are flawed in the best way. Every one of them as their own story they are dealing with, coming together by chance to work through a case with a retired cop. 

If you love thrillers, especially from both the detective's point of view, and the culprits point of view. Plus a bit of family drama/we're all connected to each other by a thin thread type symbolism, you'll love this book.

Olivia Harris

As someone who has never read Stephen King before, I get the impression that this isn’t necessarily his normal “genre” (from what I know of his classics). However, I really enjoyed reading this. The twists were brilliant and although there are clear character development flaws (or just the general writing of characters was poor) I would probably recommend this to someone who is coming out of a reading slump. I found it quite easy to read and it helped me get out of my own.

Richard Binder

Strikes me as comparatively minor King, but still one hell of a tense run-up to a very satisfying ending.

Mary Baldwin

Finally, a Stephen King book that I can love. Admittedly I started on the wrong foot with him by picking up 'The Gunslinger' and even 'It' wasn't quite sharp enough to make me forget that. I knew it was worth persevering though because his style and detail are just amazing.

This will be the book that encourages me to continue reading his work.

Now I'm not comparing King to Lee Child as a writer, but this story has the pace and charm of one that could feature Jack Reacher. That appealed to me.

It's a great crime, mystery thriller with the added brilliance of excellent characters and detailed research.

ashwitherow

Brilliant! The ending was slightly anti-climactic, however that doesn't take away from the amazing storytelling and writing. Every page keeps you gripped and it's never dull.

Alayna Wiezorek

Karla 

Stephen King me vuelve a sorprender, esta vez al explorar el género policiaco. En Mr Mercedes nos muestra a Hodges, un ispector de policia retirado el cual al tener mucho tiempo libre, una vida solitaria y no tener propósio empieza a caer en depresión. 
Su rutina cambia dramáticamente al recibir la carta de Mr Mercedes, el asesino de uno de los casos que dejó sin resolver. Esa carta despierta una chispa en Hodges, que tratará de encontrar a Mr Mercedes sin sospechar que lo tiene frente a sus narices. 

¿Qué me gustó? Los personajes, especialmente Brady. Estar en la mente de un psicópata, leer cuál puede ser su manera de pensar me cautiva. Brady es ese personaje que en su línea de pensamiento de repente se cruzan pensamientos malvados, enfermos y perturbados, sin que él pueda detectarlos. 
Me puso a pensar mucho en los ¿qué hubiera pasado sí? Si él no hubiera tenido que pasar por N cantidad de situaciones de pequeño, me intriga. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yuKF...

¿Qué no me gustó? el Romance. No sé, simplemente quería brincarme esas partes. 

La historia es buena, te mantiene cautivado y el final es genial. Uno quiere como gritarle a los personajes. El final me mantuvo en una montaña rusa de emociones. Pero justo eso fue lo que me gustó.

Patti Reinheimer

I like this trilogy very much and enjoy the trio of main characters, but I found this first book very difficult to get through because of the chapters told from the villain’s perspective. Brady Hartsfield is a horrid excuse for a man, and King conveys that so brilliantly that it was just too unpleasant to spend that much time in his head.

3.5 stars

I read this when it first came out, and enjoyed it well enough, but it didn't really make an impression on me. With the rest of the trilogy out, I decided to reread this and then read the other two in the series. This one was my least favorite, but it's not bad by any means. It's just not a great stand-alone, as it's pretty generic by itself. At least it's not too long, as King books go, so it's easy to get to the other two books which are better, in my opinion.

I don't even know exactly what to say about what I didn't like about this book...it's engaging enough as you're reading it, and there are some great moments of realization for the characters (very minor spoiler: such as (view spoiler)[how the police didn't believe an element to a character's story just because they didn't like her as a person (hide spoiler)]) but it is just a bit bland overall.

Mr. Mercedes A Novel