Billy Summers

De: Stephen King

Narrado por: Paul Sparks

The number one New York Times Best seller

An Esquire Best Book of the Year

A Wall Street Journal Favorite Book of the Year

A Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist

From legendary storyteller Stephen King, whose “restless imagination is a power that cannot be contained” (The New York Times Book Review), comes a thrilling new novel about a good guy in a bad job.

Billy Summers is a man in a room with a gun. He’s a killer for hire and the best in the business. But he’ll do the job only if the target is a truly bad guy. And now Billy wants out. But first there is one last hit. Billy is among the best snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet, a Houdini when it comes to vanishing after the job is done. So what could possibly go wrong?

How about everything.

This spectacular can’t-pause novel is part war story, part love letter to small town America and the people who live there, and it features one of the most compelling and surprising duos in King fiction, who set out to avenge the crimes of an extraordinarily evil man. It’s about love, luck, fate, and a complex hero with one last shot at redemption.

You won’t put this story down, and you won’t forget Billy.

©2021 Stephen King. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Loved it.

The narrator took a good minute to get used to and at times his way of pausing after every 3 or 4 words was annoying(my husband hated that more than I did but he liked the story enough to ask me how it all turned out) I barely noticed it after the first chapter. Parts of this reminded me of an old short story about a gang of outlaws, one of whom caught flies & did a magic trick with them & some thread(if you don't know that one, look it up!)
If you're lookin for a super scary or supernatural story you may be disappointed in this one because it isn't one of those but listen anyway because the story is well worth it. I was sad it ended so soon. I wanted it to go on but isn't that what a great story is all about-If you don't want it to end it means you're enjoying it. Some might hate the end, some might love it. As for me, I neither love nor hate it because in my mind the story continues.

Narrator is fine

I expect a novel about a hit man who associates with the underworld to have characters who sound like it. Paul Sparks does that and very well indeed.

Great story except…..

Great story.Listened to it in 2days I wish the entertainment world could keep their politics to themselves.

Heartsick.............

I enjoyed the story line and the narrator very much. As with most of King's story his gift of story telling was being displayed at it fullest. I was thrilled, having been a huge reader and fan of King all my life. Having said this, I returned the book unfinished.

It was very subtly at first with a snide comment here and there about the Trump presidency. I heard this but decided it was just part of the protagonist's point of view, though there was not really any political background or discussions used as a background. It is the times we are living in after all and representative of society today. He mentions the impending pandemic too.
The problem.....
I'm a conservative Midwesterner. I'm college educated and retired from a STEM career in which I worked with an usually large melting pot of talented people of all races and nationalities. I have lived the fight against ignorant racism my entire adult life.
I returned the book when a comment degrading the entire conservative group as whole was dropped. It felt out of context and personally insulting. (Just the kind of statement an ignorant skinhead might say about African Americans). I refuse to participate in the push towards segregation that this type of rhetoric promotes. All Americans are legally entitled to have their own opinions. The far ends of the spectrum do not represent most of us. There are valid arguments on both sides when you pull in towards the center.
I am sincerely disappointed that my very favorite author would use this medium to promote his personal views.

Thoroughly enjoyable and kept me guessing

I read another review that said the narrator put him to sleep. I disagree stridently. The slightly flat affect is a portrayal of the main character. Without it, it would not have felt nearly as authentic. In addition I was engaged by the meta concept of a book within a book. And of course all those fun Stephen King Easter Eggs (names, locations, etc.). Just delightful, in a sad and creepy way of course.

Paul Sparks

Thank you Stephen King for this wonderful story! Also thank you to Paul Sparks for his wonderful and creative narration. The characters grab you from the beginning and I felt attached to them all the way through. Sorry it’s done, might have to go back and listen again.

Iraq vet, eye roll most fiction about “us”…King gets it right

The book overall…amazing. Of course.
Re all the military/Iraq stuff…as someone who’s lived it, King clearly did tons of homework but still made it his own. Even more than the sum of the tiny details, he got the character and culture rights. Hooah, Mr. King.

One of King’s best in the past decade

Phenomenal. Simply blown away by this.

I don’t know where to start honestly.

The text is some of the most inspired and, frankly, fresh storytelling King has put out in a long long time. I’m a lifer as far as Stephen King is concerned. Dude is my ride or die and this blew me away. Billy Summers will live right alongside Jack Torrance, Pennywise, Annie Wilkes, Carrie White, Bill Hodges, Andy Dufrense, Bill Denbrough and the Loser’s Club, Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake and Oy.

This is King giving us a crime novel that doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel by any means but it does what the author does best: deliver characterization, build a sense of place, and give us a reason to give a damn. By the time the back half of the story begins and we’re introduced to another important character, the narrative shifting to a different feel entirely, he found ways to surprise me nonetheless. Genuinely loved this and found myself unable to stop listening outside of when I absolutely had to during work, etc. Kept finding reasons to run errands, take long drives, just anything to keep listening.

I was initially unsure of the narration/performance here from Paul Sparks but my doubts disappeared about fifteen minutes in once he started establishing his voice for Billy, the various ancillary characters and then some. I’m looking forward to hearing more of Paul’s work on future King books honestly. Knocked it out of the park.

RICHLY TEXTURED STORY

This work is a great listen. The narrator’s voice is smooth and so easy to listen to. Many little nods to things King’s readers will get. King is getting so much better with time.

Loved it!

This is not your typical Stephen King novel! I bought it on a whim, and was not disappointed.