Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

In the gloomy pre-dawn hours of a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of unemployed hopefuls are lined up for a job fair. Without warning, a merciless driver plows through the crowd in a roaring Mercedes. Eight people are killed; 15 are wounded. The killer escapes into the early-spring fog never to be seen from again. Until now...

Detective Bill Hodges is a battle-hardened and streetwise crime fighter originally assigned to the Mercedes killings. Now retired, Hodges has lost his way in boredom and depression craving the thrills of taking down the region’s most notorious criminals. When a disturbing letter from the Mercedes Killer arrives at his door, Hodges soon finds himself uncontrollably drawn into a cat-n-mouse pursuit with stakes beyond comprehension.

Mr. Mercedes is Stephen’s first “hard-boiled detective tale.” It will transport you into a vibrant and dangerous world filled with gritty characters living on the bleeding edge of reason. Be prepared..

*** Rated 3 Stars ***

So... what do I think...

First of all, I would like to start by saying that I've been a King fan for as long as I can remember. Most of his books I have loved, some not so much. But such is life.

If you're wondering whether to read this or not, just keep one thing in mind: This isn't your standard King book. You need to know this before you start reading, or the book will probably be ruined for you. Just saying.

Ok, so back to my actual review...

This is an ok detective book. It has some action and suspense. There is a detective, and a murderer. And dead people. The writing is good. The story is good. What the murderer does for a living is a little creepy... Murdering ice cream man?! So much wrongness!

Is it the best story I have ever read? No.

Is it worth reading? Yea, I guess so. I'm definitely not regretting reading it.

Is it Mr. King at his best? Definitely not in my opinion.

I would recommend this if you're looking for a detective story. If you're looking for a 'standard' King book, this might not be for you. But if you're anything like me, you will want to read it anyways because you want to read everything he has written. I can relate.

Just don't get disappointed :)