End of Watch
""...can be read as a standalone novel or as part of the trilogy. " "
Synopsis:
Retired Detective Bill Hodges now runs a two-person firm called Finders Keepers with his partner Holly Gibney. They met in the wake of the 'Mercedes Massacre' when a queue of people at a jobs fair were run down by the diabolical killer, Brady Hartsfield.
Brady is now confined to Room 217 of the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, in an unresponsive state. But all is not what it seems: the evidence suggests that Brady is somehow awake, and in possession of deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room.
When Bill and Holly are called to a suicide scene with ties to the Mercedes Massacre, they find themselves pulled into their most dangerous case yet, one that will put their lives at risk, as well as those of Bill's heroic young friend, Jerome Robinson and his teenage sister, Barbara.
Brady Hartsfield is back and planning revenge not just on Hodges and his friends, but on an entire city.
The clock is ticking in unexpected ways.
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Review:
'End of Watch' is the final part of the Mr Mercedes trilogy of novels by legendary horror writer Stephen King. The first, 'Mr Mercedes', was King's first straight thriller and was, in my opinion, one of his finest novels in many years. It was up there with 'Misery', 'Dolores Claiborne' and 'The Shining'. The second, 'Finders Keepers', was equally brilliant as the story and tension was turned up. My hopes were high as I got my hands on 'End of Watch'. I was almost salivating as I turned to the first page. With trilogies we all know that come the final part all bets are off. Anything can happen, and anyone, including the main character, can die. The last part in a trilogy should be a thrilling roller coaster ride of a novel, an epic, page-turning journey. Unfortunately, 'End of Watch' was none of these things for me. The three main characters of Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson are all back. They're fully drawn and memorable characters, and that is where Stephen King's powers of storytelling lie. He can convey a character's backstory in one paragraph whereas most novelists would need an entire page. While the previous books were brilliant psychological thrillers, 'End of Watch' relies on the paranormal and I'm sad to say I didn't follow it at all. The explanation was clunky and repetitive and the final showdown felt lacklustre. 'End of Watch' can be read as a standalone novel or as part of the trilogy. However, if you read 'Mr Mercedes' and 'Finders Keepers' and loved them as much as I did, don't bother with 'End of Watch' and keep the first two in the high regard they deserve.