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

Good book...HILARIOUS reviews

The story was good. For listeners, we really needed Will as the narrator. Patton gave Holly the personality we came to love.

Disappointed

I’ve been looking forward to this book coming out because Holly is one of my favorite characters from Stephen King’s books. I feel like King just used his best character as a way to put out his political beliefs and ideas on Covid. I enjoy his books for the great stories. I wish he would just leave his political stuff to his twitter. Also the narration was poor compared to Holly’s previous appearances. I really wish Will Patton had narrated this book. It would’ve made it a little more palatable. This lady sounds like she’s just bored reading in class.

Still a constant reader

First off I’ll never stop reading his books. The Mercedes series is in my top 5 favorites of his so I couldn’t WAIT for this book. Most of Hollys charm is her personality and it just doesn’t shine through in this book with this narrator. Not that she didn’t do a good job but she didn’t capture “Holly”. I kind of feel like I didn’t get that one thing I really wanted for Christmas.

Political much

I am a big fan of king and his character Holly but I can only take so much political rhetoric in my reading. Even if I agree with the political party, and or the VAX, her opinion, the story was too much about politics, not enough about the characters.

Master at work

Loved it. It’s bleak and at some points you go is she ever gonna figure this out? Love the shout out to Carrie. Overall very badass.

Good book but the COVID stuff is dated

I got all the vaccinations, followed all the rules... believe all the COVID hype and can't stand Trump..and all the COVID and Trump crap was so not needed. Really distracting from the story...and in late 2023 feels like so so so dated.

Holly Gibney

SPOILER ALERT:
Stephen King, the Midas of storytelling—except instead of turning everything to gold, he turns them into spine-chilling, nerve-wracking tales that make you double-check your locks at night. Yet, with "Holly," the third series featuring Holly Gibney from the universe that started with Mr. Mercedes, he takes a slight departure from his usual supernatural themes. And let me tell you, it's a welcome change.

Holly Misses Bill
First things first, for those of you who are sentimental like me—yes, Holly still pines for Bill Hodges. Their companionship was the odd-couple pairing none of us knew we needed until it was too late. Holly's internal dialogues, where she reflects on her past adventures with Bill, bring a poignant depth to her character. It's like missing an old friend who's moved to a different city, but the city is the afterlife.

Delving into the Human Psyche
King might have taken a step back from the supernatural, but the horror is real and much more grounded. It's almost as if he's peeling back the curtain on human behavior and whispering, "Look, this is how twisted we can be." Holly Gibney has always been politically neutral, observant rather than reactive. She's a lens through which we view the complexities of human belief systems, especially when they turn feral and, let's say it, pretty messed up.

The COVID-19 Nuances
Ah, the COVID-era investigation. Just when we thought our pandemic days were behind us, King throws us back into that time where a "Hey, how are you?" was replaced by "So, which vaccine did you get?" It's nostalgic in a cringey way, but it adds a layer of realism that we can all relate to.

The Antagonists
Let's talk about the antagonists, shall we? Because they are like that couple you see in public transport arguing loudly, and you can't help but listen. They're morally skewed, unforgiving, and yet, fascinating. The complexities of their belief system and the sheer audacity of their actions make them compelling to read, if not downright terrifying.

Final Thoughts
In summary, I absolutely adored "Holly." Stephen King takes us on a different kind of journey—one that doesn't need ghouls or haunted houses to chill you to the bone. It's a look into the real monsters among us, coated with political undercurrents and a sprinkle of pandemic life. A must-read for anyone who enjoys complexity both in characters and plot.

Liked it!

First off- The Narration could've been a tad bit better.but that's because I'm such a fan of Will Patton's Holly. This could've been an epic all time favorite for MANY if he would've kept politics to a minimum.

Loved It!

The character, Holly, is one of my favorites. The story was engaging all the way through. I found the covid thread that is woven throughout it to be distracting, though.

Narration is terrible

I know Justine Lupe is Holly Gibney on film (always felt miscast) but her narration is killing the story. The worst. I am not finished but may have to stop and get a Kindle or hard copy in order to enjoy the rest of the story,