Mr. Mercedes

A Novel

De: Stephen King

Narrado por: Will Patton

2015 Audie Award Finalist for Fiction and Solo Narration—Male

In a mega-stakes, high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely and winning heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands.

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the "perk" and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady's next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.

Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

©2014 Stephen King (P)2014 Simon & Schuster

King and Patton create a winning combo

I don't love Stephen King. The last I listened of his was 11/22/63 because the reviews were so good and I loved it. Before that, I felt burned by a couple of his books because they just weren't very good. I love creepy and twisted, I just don't think that King is very consistent.
I took a chance on Mr Mercedes because I think Patton can do no wrong, I have an admitted voice-crush on him.
I lucked out, we all got lucky in this combo coming together because this is a GREAT audiobook.
The bad guy is perfectly sinister. He's young, and egotistical. His character is developed so well that I truly hated him. I didn't just fear what he would do next, I felt myself really hating him as a person, I'm tense just writing this about him.
The reluctant hero is always my favorite character in any book like this, and Hodges is perfect. Again, King was masterful in developing a depth of character that made me really feel like I knew him well. I cheered for him, and found myself talking outloud to him, offering unsolicited advice.
The action built in a perfect way. I wish I could describe it better, but the pace was just as it should be. To me, this was character driven, I cared because I cared about them and had that emotional connection, then the action and story were the perfect foil for them.
The ending was great. It wrapped in a way that did the characters justice, nothing was over-done, or unbelievable, it was genuine.

I loved and recommend this book.

It Wasn't Easy!!!

Reading this book wasn't an easy thing... Mr. Mercedes is a disturbing character and all his actions and thoughts were very disturbing..
Stephen King really knows how to make someone creepy... It was a good read and i enjoyed it.

The narrator did a great job

Just a Great Story, Exciting Climax

What did you love best about Mr. Mercedes?

Stephen King, has shifted Gears to just a great story teller. I thought after 'Joyland' which I really enjoyed, could he do it again and he did.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All Characters from the Evil Ice Cream Man to Mr. Hodge's the Retired Cop. One last run in Retirement showed more than he bargined for. Some truly Sad 'Oh No' Moments to Surpise Ending...I found myself glued to this book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Same. "Mr. Mercedes"

Any additional comments?

I am picky, I want a Great Story I can get lost in, this was just the right mix of 'Dectective' to 'Love' to 'Friendship' and 'Suspense'

A Top Notch Detective Story

"Mr. Mercedes" is not the typical Stephen King novel. There is nothing supernatural, no aliens or vampires involved, and no parallel universes to explore. What we get from King on this endeavor is a very good detective story and a peek inside the mind of a twisted mass murderer.

The book begins with K. William Hodges, recently retired after 40 years as a detective, watching mindless daytime television and peering down the barrel of his father's old revolver. While he has not taken any actions, he feels he has nothing to live for. A failed marriage, rarely seeing his daughter, and no longer any reason to get out of bed. Then the mail comes, and with it a letter from the Mercedes Killer, one of the few cases he left the department without solving. The letter is taunting, and unwittingly Mr. Mercedes gives Hodges a reason to live.

The Mercedes Killer is very intelligent and a meticulous planner. He stole Olivia Trelawney's 12-cylinder Mercedes SL and, wearing a clown mask, plowed it into a line of people waiting to attend a job fair, killing 8 and injuring several more. He then rinsed everything he touched with bleach, destroying the physical evidence and leaving the police with no leads. He then started sending Mrs. Trelawney letters, which eventually caused her to commit suicide. He hoped to duplicate the rush he got from her suicide with Hodges' own demise. However, Hodges was also intelligent. He didn't spend 40 years as a detective without learning a trick or two. He deftly manipulated Mr. Mercedes and turned the hunter into the hunted, as well as angering him to act rashly and thus make mistakes. Along the way, Hodges enlists the most unlikely pair of amateur sleuths to try to stop Mr. Mercedes from carrying out an attack of epic proportions.

As stated earlier, if you are looking for Stephen King's usual fare of supernatural events, aliens, or time warps, do not get this book. If you enjoy a good detective story with a look inside a twisted mind, look no further. I think it is one of Stephen King's better works and engages the reader from the very beginning, without the long drawn-out stories he is so famous for. I am already looking forward to the sequel.

Will Patton's narration was spot on. The different voices he gave to each character made it easy to distinguish who was speaking, and the emotions he put into the reading made the story come alive. This is just another example of why I love audio books!

Very good considering the change of genre

First things first - This is not a fantasy/horror novel. It's a crime drama/thriller.
Good points:
Will Patton nails the narration. Very enjoyable portrayal of the characters.
The storytelling is true to classic King. Compelling and detailed.

Bad points:
King's style is great, as always, but it needed to be in order to save a weak storyline.
Very predictable. You know what's going to happen well ahead of the actual events.

All in all, well worth the listen for hardcore King fans and for crime/thriller fans.

Everyone likes the ice cream man.

Stephen King gets into the detective/csi business!

This was a quick (for a Stephen King book) listen in which a retired Detective tries to catch a mass murderer who got away from him the first time. The hero is flawed but very human and we certainly want Bill Hodges to get his man.

The killer is so creepy that I am tempted to call this a horror story, but not in the usual definition. He loves his mother, and I mean he REALLY loves his mother, so if those kind of things make you cringe, (and who doesn't?) be prepared. We are really pulling for this guy to get his comeuppance and you will have to tell me if you think he did. I have mixed feelings about the ending.

The various other characters are fun, freaky and real. There are the various "bad" people, but the wonderful thing about this book is the people that some might feel weird are the real heroes in this story. I give King kudos for his drawing of autistic and OCD characters.

Will Patton is the narrator and he again shines through on his characterizations and nuances to the speech of various people. He is one of my favorite readers.

Even if you are not a Stephen King fan, say you only like Green Mile or Shawshank Redemption, you will enjoy this book. The master shines again!

A thrilling Sotry from a Master Storyteller

The best book I have read from Mr. King. I couldn't put it down, and with Will Patton as narrator all I can say is, "wow". What a great listen from the get go through the very end. I really liked that the book was current. timely and was a real thriller with great characters. Mr. King is truly a master storyteller and you cannot do better than this book. I was immediately sucked in and was in for an enthralling read. Hated to see it end! Just a fantastic read..I don't think it would have been nearly as good without reading it on audible.com.

Mesmerizing story

What made the experience of listening to Mr. Mercedes the most enjoyable?

Plot lines came together masterfully but that's no surprise with Mr. King's works.
I like that there are moments in the novel when even the worst criminal shows very human and redeeming qualities -- moments when choices might be made differently. King knows how to keep you reading on into the next chapter even when you know you have things to do and NEED to put the book down!

What other book might you compare Mr. Mercedes to and why?

Some book by James Patterson, but can't remember the title. This one is far superior.

Which scene was your favorite?

The concert scene when the characters must act on instinct. King "seems" to allow them to do just that.

If you could rename Mr. Mercedes, what would you call it?

Love it as it is!

Any additional comments?

I think Will Patton should contract to read EVERY book by Stephen King if he hasn't already. He IS the voice in King's head. And his voice is so adaptable to the many personae he interprets.

Compelling read

I really enjoyed this book. It started well and ended exceptionally well. What else can you ask for in a good book?

Excellent!! Couldn't Stop Listening! Fantastic!!!

What did you love best about Mr. Mercedes?

The narrator was excellent! The story was great! Held my interest!

What did you like best about this story?

The Characters were awesome.

Which scene was your favorite?

I love the way the story came together in the end! A true test of friendship.

Who was the most memorable character of Mr. Mercedes and why?

All the characters were great!

Any additional comments?

You won't be disappointed!