Holly

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Justine Lupe, Stephen King

Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope.” —BILL HODGES

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Audiences have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

“I could never let Holly Gibney go. She was supposed to be a walk-on character in Mr. Mercedes and she just kind of stole the book and stole my heart. Holly is all her.” —STEPHEN KING

©2023 Stephen King (P)2023 Simon & Schuster Audio

Holly gets her own book!

I’ve been waiting for this, and love that the actor who played Holly in Mr, Mercedes is the narrator (though sometimes she doesn’t differentiate between voices as well as I’d like). As to the politics: if you expect Stephen King to soften his political opinions, you don’t know the writer. He has been an activist through his books since the beginning. I’m enjoying the book immensely so far- and love visiting with one of my favorite literary characters once more, and expect Holly to capture an important moment in history, which I love. Thanks, SK!

Continuation of Great Character

The Mr Mercedes series introduced us to numerous characters and Holly was definitely one of the most memorable.

I see a lot of reviews complaining about COVID and Trump and reviewing the book based on politics. Holly has her own hang ups and is obsessive compulsive you see COVID through that lens and that would drive you crazy as well.

The main villains were frightening and I really wasn’t sure what was going to happen up until the end. Overall, a great suspense novel.

I would read more Holly novels and I think we are owed one more to complete her trilogy. I don’t count If it Bleeds

Another Triumph by King!!!

First let me say, if you are upset because a fictional character has left leaning views then I don’t think fiction is a genre for you. Or maybe you preferred the old King who used the N word in his writings? Needless to say this book isn’t for weak minded MAGAs. If you are a rational thinking person then you will see through the Covid parts of the book and realize what a phenomenal book this is.

Jokes on you, King

It seems that King has sacrificed the beloved Holly Gibney to deliberately harangue Trump supporters. He's close to the dead lights so why not? Right? It's a shame. I started reading King at 8 yrs old in 1976. I have read everything he has ever written. A true fan. You screwed the pooch on this one, Pal.

Once again excellent

I love having a female narrator for Holly and feel like she brought out the real Holly better than Patton. I love Holly’s gradual empowerment over her books and stories and love the ending of this book because it makes me feel more will be coming. The story is so creepy that it hardly matters that there is no supernatural element to it. May King live and write into his 100s!!

Excellent performance

Justine Lupe, who originated the role of Holly in the TV series Mr. Mercedes, returns to perform this real-life horror story. The supernatural is not a feature in this story, which makes it all the more scary.

Welcome back HOLLY

Good! Enrjoyed this book. Gritty and easy suspense. Good to have HOLLY BACK, QUIRKS AND ALL!

Holly

I enjoyed this book.I love Holly and was glad to get to visit her again.I was hoping for some spooky stuff,but there was none. Narration was good.

Wonderful

Mr. King has been one of my favorite authors since I first read "Carrie" back in the 1970s. "Holly" did not disappoint. A well-crafted, original, interesting story with well-developed characters, tTe story moved along well, never stagnated. I looked forward to every listen (I try to savor the good ones, I'm loathe for them to end).

While some found the inclusion of the divisiveness in the country about COVID, COVID precautions, vaccinations, and the political climate bothersome, it captured the time perfectly. It would have been odd not to include the characters' views on the pandemic and occasionally, political leanings, given the novel's setting in time. To be fair, Mr. King could have gone much further down this path but kept his focus on the story.

Great story concept, but a little "off" for SK

I will start by saying that if you have listened to the books with Holly as a character, you might have a hard time "finding" Holly in the story. Personally, I'm looking for the Holly that narrator Will Patton brought us. I felt like I knew her personality and had my expectations on how she would react to things. it's hard for me to find the Holly I knew with this narrator.

I think the story line could make for a great movie or TV mini-series. It sort of has a "True Knot" (Doctor Sleep) idea behind it and that is an intriguing story idea.

Yes there is a large political push in this book. Definitely an anti Trump and pro vaccine push to it. I understand using COVID in the boom as it gives you a defined understanding of when this story took place, but it is a little excessive for me. We all know half the country hates Trump while half the country loves him, and nothing is going to change that - I just wish Trump wasn't brought up so much as it takes away from the story some.

I will definitely listen to it again, and will continue to be that constant reader most of us are. Just please either bring back Will Patton for all books with Holly or stop using such good narrators as Will Patton so we don't come so connected to a character... haha