Retirement might be a dream for some people but retired detective Bill Hodges is bored at home watching daytime TV when a letter arrives from ‘Mr Mercedes’ – one of the few criminals he wasn’t able to uncover while he was still on the force. Does he hand the letter straight into the police? Of course he doesn’t.
Hodges is not your average hero, just like Stephen King is not your average writer. No longer in his prime, Hodges is overweight, bored and reckless. He ignores all the rules because he is enjoying getting his detective brain in gear too much. Consequences be damned.
In parallel, Brady Hartfield (Mr Mercedes himself) is not your run-of-the-mill villain. It’s both disturbing and entertaining getting into his head, examining the warped relationship he has with his mother and seeing the way in which he views his criminal exploits. He is smart and understands people better than most, which explains how he is able to lead a double life with such conviction.
Though this cat-and-mouse thriller is all about one catching the other, ultimately it is both Hodges and Mr Mercedes who get great pleasure in messing with people. They just happen to be messing with each other here. Just as one looks to have the upper hand, the other manages to throw in a curve ball.
Stephen King really is a master story-teller. In Mr Mercedes he pulls you in with an explosive opener and then allows you time to get comfortable. As more and more is revealed about each character, with perspectives switching between the two, the pace quickens – and before you even know what’s happening, you are as invested in the outcome of this story just as much as Brady and Bill themselves. The final act of the story makes for such compelling reading that nothing and nobody will stop you until you know how it all ends.
Mr Mercedes is clever, edge-of-the-seat storytelling at its finest and will shock and disturb readers to the very last sentence. It’s also hilarious, endearing and a real exploration of the human mind.
Never have I found being so on edge so much fun!
[usr=5] Mr Mercedes is out now in hardback.
