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

I miss Frank Muller

Will Patton is imprinted on my brain as the voice of James Lee Burke. He does a fine job with Stephen King as well. But oh my, do I miss Frank Muller.

Well read but a little too predictable

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes but not enthusiastically and with caveats not to expect Kings best.

Would you recommend Mr. Mercedes to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes but not enthusiastically and with caveats not to expect Kings best.

What does Will Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narration adds depth and personality to the characters.

Any additional comments?

This is a little too predictable for Stephen King, granted there are a few good plot twists, but a lot of predictability. Ending is very anticlimactic for King. Not his best, but not his worst either. I do not regret listening.

Solid mystery

Which character – as performed by Will Patton – was your favorite?

I liked his take on the two main characters, Hodges and Brady. He failed a bit for me with some of the female characters, not least of which because touches of their voices were reminiscent of Brady (the villain) and I started to sort of hear Bill Murray's Caddyshack voice for some of the ladies.

Any additional comments?

This isn't King's best book, but he sets the standard so high it isn't really fair to hold him to it. It is a very solid mystery, with nicely realized characters (both heros and a villain), and he lets those characters interact and be entertaining and make mistakes. You always have the feeling things will turn out all right in the end, so you don't get that existential dread that many of King's supernaturally adjacent books have. That might be a negative, as you don't feel things as keenly, or a positive, as you can just enjoy the snappy dialog and climactic encounter. This book could easily stand alone, but knowing it continues and concludes as a trilogy (and knowing the third book is supposed to bring in that classic King-sian horror/supernatural twist) definitely makes me curious to pick up the next two books. Definitely recommended for those who like their King in doses smaller than a doorstop, who are not TOO creeped out by mother/son romance, and who can handle blue language.

Enjoyable but not great

The setup for this story is suspenseful and very well delivered. The characters are well drawn and the narrator does a terrific job. I was thoroughly engaged for about two-thirds of the story, but thereafter the plot turns on improbable developments that led to some eye-rolling moments for me. It felt as though King had run out of steam and didn’t bother weaving an entirely credible 3rd act. Still, his talent for creating truly creepy villains shines through in this story, and if you can overlook a few contrived and implausible character roles, this could be a page turner.

Are there more like this?

What did you love best about Mr. Mercedes?

I quit reading Stephen King books 40 years ago The type of books that made him famous are not for me. I hadn't even considered listening to one in all these years. Then something led me to read a review of Mr. Mercedes. Reviews said it was a who-done-it thriller, which I like, so I decided to give it a try. I'm very glad I did. I finished the first book in 2 days and am into the second one now. Third one is on my wish list. My question now is "Has Stephen King done other books like this?" I hope so. I'll be reading reviews of his other books this week and hope to find some.

OUTSTANDING!

Another home run by Steve King.
Fantastic job by Will Patton.
Must listen
Spell binding.

If you listen in the car, beware..

The narrator is extremely quiet at times. His voice is low and doesn't carry, sometimes it sounds like a whisper. In sections of the book that are dialogue, his quiet voice is sometimes followed by the booming voice of a different character. I had to adjust the volume in my car constantly. Other than that, I have no complaints

A wonderful detective story

Vintage Stephen King storytelling within a detective series. Very compelling with great character development.

So good!

I am an old school Stephen King fan in that his early works, particularly IT, hold a special place in my heart and I have been reticent to explore any of his newer novels. Well, shame on me! I listened to this (and The Outsider) and both were fantastic. Will Patton is an amazing narrator. Highly recommend!!

Amazing book!

I really enjoyed the entire thing. I don’t want to give any thing away but typical Stephen king, ALWAYS shocking me! Loved it