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.

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.

Excellent King!

Once again, I'll come to the defense of the master of all storytellers and say that I'm always a little mystified at the negative outpouring from those of you who just can't seem to enjoy something that doesn't sit well with you politically. Unless this is your first King book, you know already where he stands and what his books are like, so why even subject yourself to his brilliant storytelling unless you just enjoy being a constant complainer. And for those of you yet to read it, it's not a political novel! Great writers write what they know and Mr. King knows the political landscape very well. If you write about the real world, you'll undoubtedly get characters you don't like or don't share political view with, but if you're like me and enjoy a little reality in your fiction, there you go. If you want all characters to be politically neutral, go watch My Little Pony and stop looking to Stephen King for your entertainment.
Now, on to some brief review points as I've been a constant reader and fan of King's since the '70's, and while Billy Summers may not make my top 10 of all King novels, it's certainly a solid entry in his canon of work -- enjoyable and satisfying to the last. I'll also come to the defense of the narration. I'm not sure what some of the negative reviewers audio setting are, but I though the narration was perfect. As soon as I had listened to about an hour of Paul Sparks, I was searching Audible for more things he's done and disappointed to see this is the only one so far! He nailed not only the main character, but multiple voices that were perfectly in tune with the rest of the cast and made it very easy to distinguish one speaker from another.
You can't go wrong with this book and there are stories within stories. I kept wondering where it would go next and was then pleasantly surprised at the twists and turns. Though not a supernatural story for the most part, there is a little nod to The Shining if that makes it more intriguing for you.
Anxiously awaiting King's next release ...

Awesome!

Loved it. Classic King Twist! Definitely worth my listening time and left me hungry for another!

Thank you Mr King

For making me cry like a baby. it takes special talent to make you love what is essentially a bad guy. Thank you for going beyond horror and spooky. it may not be what people want from a Stephen King story, but it was sad, funny, horrifying and moving. Billy ❤️

Absolutely Wonderful!

I love Stephen King! I was not disappointed in this story. I could not stop listening. Narrator did a fantastic job. Loved, loved, loved!

Bad narrator? Huh??

The only reason I’m writing this review is because people are hating on Paul Sparks’ narration for god knows what reason. I can only give my anecdotal evidence but I’ve listened to well over 100 books using audible, and Paul is in my top 10 narrators after listening to Billy Summers. He is spot on with his tone, and he can do multiple accents convincingly. Not sure what there is to hate, but I suspect some of these reviews are written by Stephen King fans who are new to audiobooks in general.

Don’t listen to any review that starts off by crapping on the narrator. It’ll be a waste of time. 👍

Loved It!

I am a Stephen King fan, loved this book from the very beginning to the very end. Character descriptions, and scene settings were as vivid as an author could get them. I loved the whole storyline, and hope to see similar books from Stephen King in the future.

I love all of his work, but this book seems to have taken a new diection that I especially enjoyed.

not a typical King Novel

Much different than Kings norm, but it was, as expected, good. Seemed to have a few loose ends, questions that were never answered that is.... but it was good.