Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

I loved Mr. Mercedes.   I commented on Revival a couple of posts ago, and read the two books one shortly after the other.  (A benefit of having a birthday shortly after Christmas).


Although I liked Revival, I felt Stephen King was trying to write in the style of H.P. Lovecraft, and as a result I thought the story lost some of the power it could otherwise have.


By contrast, in Mr. Mercedes I feel Stephen King is attempting to write in a different genre, and in the style of that genre, while still writing as Stephen King.  I thought it was exceptionally well done. 


I enjoy police procedurals and detective stories generally, so getting the opportunity to read one written by Stephen King felt perfect. I thought Mr. King did a great job of portraying a police detective, in a manner that felt much more comprehensive than the sheriffs of Castle Rock region.  The character of Bill Kermit Hodges was fully fleshed out, consistent and consistently well written as a man of his age.  I don't recall Mr. king writing a protagonist of that age too often before... Ralph Roberts perhaps, of Insomnia, but I thought he managed it here very well.


All the character beats rang true to me (the younger girlfriend thing was perhaps a bit of a stretch, but worked well... or perhaps I'm just used to the convention in this type of fiction).


I enjoyed following it along, I enjoyed the elements of mystery.  I especially liked that neither the detective nor the killer he was tracking was perfect, omniscient or infallible.  And further, that their mistakes and slip-ups were consistent with the characters.


Perhaps some of the ancillary characters could have been rounded out a little more (like Jerome), I really liked how he handled cousin Holly.  I'd love to read a whole series of Det. Ret. Hodges and his assistant Holly opening a PI firm.


I've been a longtime fan of Stephen King, and one of the things I find most amazing about him (aside from the sheer volume of work he's able to produce) is his ability to write effectively in a number of different genres.  I'd have a tough time labeling myself as a devotee of horror in fiction or film, but ultimately I don't put Mr. King in that genre box anyway.  I like his books about baseball, or small town life, or coming of age or time travel or mysteries just as I like all the books he writes.  That being said, I'd have no hesitation recommending Mr. Mercedes to anyone who is a fan of detective fiction, whether or not they think they like Stephen King.