My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5/5
Well, that was messed up, but at least it was only really messed up. Yeah, wow. I finished this about two seconds ago and I’m still processing the whole thing. This wasn’t a thriller in the traditional whodunit sorta way. We know who the killer is early on and see the story from his point of view (though still somehow an omniscient POV too) throughout the novel.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Brady was the character King spent the most time thinking about. He was a truly disturbing character but to everyone else in the world he was just a pleasant and plain man, King distinguished this well by having him tell the reader a violent thought about another character then have Brady engage in a pleasant dialogue with that someone.
Poor Hodges really goes through quite the arc. Starting off by questioning if he should even live anymore and ending up a hero with a purpose (even after the chase is over still actively pursuing a healthier lifestyle). Though Hodges progressed throughout the book and went through a transformation, he still was not a very complicated character. He was a middle-aged white man who felt like he lost his purpose when he was no longer a police officer and with the exception of his unsolved crime cases, most of his backstory is swept up under the “traditional workaholic troubled police officer” trope.
Brady was pretty much Norman Bates with social media. I mean everything about him seemed like Psycho, except the actual cross-dressing. (view spoiler).
Most of the side characters were pretty one dimensional too. Everyone on the police force had one discernable trait it seemed. Jerome’s family existed only to give Jerome something to worry about. Jerome was smart and black. I say this bluntly because that’s pretty much all his identity was summed up to be. He was either referred to as a smart black teenager or a derogatory slur depending on who the narrator was following. (view spoiler).
Holly was probably the most interesting of the supporting cast because she almost seemed like she was in a constant state of tearing herself down and putting herself back together (sorta instantaneously too).
All in all I thought this was an incredibly entertaining and at times downright disturbing piece to read. I absolutely plan on finishing the trilogy and expect it to maintain this same level of thrill.
R.K. Gold 