Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Dec 17, 2014 Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo rated it really liked it

Shelves: thriller-mystery, thriller-suspense, fall-2015

Ret. Det. Bill Hodges is bored and thinking about eating his gun until the killer, dubbed by the Press, Mr. Mercedes sends him a letter. Brady thought wrong. He just gave Hodges a reason to live. He's going to find him and bring him in. For a second he believes him when he says he's not going to mow anyone else down in a stolen Mercedes leaving a clown's mask on the drivers seat. No Brady has a bigger and more evil plan that makes what happened at the Jobs Fair look like child's play. He has eno ...more

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Feb 14, 2015 Yvonne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller

I usually don't bother attempting a Stephen King book but since this was a crime drama I gave it a shot. I read this one pretty slowly over several weeks. It had it's moments but just like other reviewers suggested it's filled with plot holes. With that being said, i was still entertained even with the blurb in my head saying this could never happen in real life with the not that bright criminal getting away with things and the supposedly bright detective making some moronic decisions.

Decent rea ...more

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Feb 11, 2018 Avisek Bandyopadhyay rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime, thriller

Mr Stephen King, you are one smart writer. I had started this book and by the first chapter, boy, was I hooked. Mr King manages to create a sleek opening, a clickbaity one and then sinks the reader right in. By the first 50-80 pages, I am excited that this is a one night read, rightly brandished as unputdownable. The only thing that goes around in my mind is, wow, he's so neat in his writing. Every word seemed to find its rightful place and every sentence builds up the suspense and helps in what Mr Stephen King, you are one smart writer. I had started this book and by the first chapter, boy, was I hooked. Mr King manages to create a sleek opening, a clickbaity one and then sinks the reader right in. By the first 50-80 pages, I am excited that this is a one night read, rightly brandished as unputdownable. The only thing that goes around in my mind is, wow, he's so neat in his writing. Every word seemed to find its rightful place and every sentence builds up the suspense and helps in whatever he wants them to do. And, the novel looks so polished. I am already in awe and I have already ordered the second part of the trilogy. It is then, that Bill Hodges, the retired detective who was one of the brightest of the lot, falls in love with an elderly lady. And the next 100 pages are devoted to a silly romance with watered down sex scenes where the detective doesn't do anything that he should be doing but, riding the horse as long as it could be ridden. Meanwhile, he has a sidekick, a computer savvy guy called Jerome, who recounts an incident with his mom. And the detective, who had unsuccessfully pursued the case for 2 years with all the resources that Police department provides, suddenly finds a breakthrough. Because the guy provided him with a readymade solution. It's that convenient. The psychopath villain, who murders just for fun, meanwhile does what he is supposed to do. From being a smart criminal, he turns into a convenient trope who does exactly what Bill Hodges needs to crack the case. Even, in the climax, he waits and waits until it's painfully clear Mr King can't allow for spontaneity or logic because the carefully crafted Hollywood-esque thriller will spin out of control.
However, even if the book was predictable and used done-to-death tropes to move ahead, it certainly had its moments. the writing was superb, the story came together, each piece did its part like a well-oiled machinery. I thought Mr King would go wild with this book, but, h chose the Hollywood version of it. Too bad that we lost on a chilling psychopath. Anyways, I will read the second novel too. Why? Even though you know the story, a popcorn-munching potboiler always knows its thrills and kicks. Damn! Guilty pleasures! ...more

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