Still obsessive-compulsive and prone to serious social anxiety, Holly has nevertheless become a fine detective, especially after the worst of the pandemic and the frightening events, particularly, of The Outsider. And a small army of supporting types surround her once more: there’s Jerome, whose first book has been well-received; his sister Barbara, who’s become a renowned poet; Detective Izzy, with whom Holly is becoming great friends; and more.
The perspective keeps shifting, of course, meaning that King can set up yet another of his elaborate narratives, and this naturally allows us to meet new characters, especially a controversial Women’s Rights activist named Kate McKay, who’s taken on Corrie, a student, as her harried assistant. But that’s not all: there’s also ‘Sista Bessie’, a rock/soul legend who’s coming out of retirement for a series of shows; and, on the darker side of things, a murderous, pro-life loon who hates Kate AND ‘Trig’, another seriously deranged killer seeking revenge (and thinking that it’s God’s work as well).
King weaves this lot in and out of an eventful plot, and while some of the story’s quirks and the occasionally verbose dialogue can be a problem, there’s also no doubt that his great love for these people makes up for just about anything. He adores the way that they joke around and talk about their feelings, meet and click with each other, help out and do the right thing whenever anyone needs it, and always try and be there to stop something terrible happening.
Which it does because, after all, this is a Stephen King book.
Never Flinch
Stephen King (Hachette Australia: Hodder & Stoughton), 410pp
$34.99 (paperback); $69.99 (hardback); $57.99 (audiobook)
