Monday, June 1, 2015

Review - Finders Keepers by Stephen King


 
Finders Keepers
by Stephen King
Publisher: Scribner
Pub. Date: June 2, 2015
ISBN: 978-1501100079
Pages: 448
Buy Link: Amazon

Release Date:

This time around we don't have to wait 30+ years for a sequel to a Stephen King's novel, like we had to with Doctor Sleep (the sequel to The Shining) as Finders Keeper, the sequel to last year's Mr. Mercedes, arrives in bookstores this week.

Unlike the first the novel, the first 154 pages is devoted to the backstory of the new characters and sets up the main plot. We're introduced to the author of the Jimmy Gold trilogy, John Rothstein, whom is viciously murdered by four men that invaded his home in 1978! The robbers, led by Morris Bellamy, steal the entire contents of what was in Rothstein's safe - dozens of envelopes with $500 in them and stacks of notebooks, all of which contains unpublished writings by Rothstein, even two new Jimmy Gold novels. Bellamy has been a major fan of Rothstein's writings for years and the last two Jimmy Gold stories are now his, well, that is until he gets arrested for rape.

Skip ahead to the year 2010, where the story centers on teenager Pete Saubers. His father was injured by the Mercedes Killer a year before and their family has been struggling financially ever since. After investigating the area behind their house, Pete discovers an old chest inside of a hollow tree. Lo and behold, he finds Rothstein's lost works and a slew of money, which solves his parents financial problems. Knowing that his mother would just give the money to the police, Pete comes up with clever plan to make sure his parents receive the cash.

Jump forward four years later and the money has ran out, but the Sauber's money problems are still there, so Pete, who now loves literature, plans on selling the Rothstein's notebooks one by one, but he is unaware that Bellamy has finally been paroled!

Now the heroes from Mr. Mercedes, the aging retired detective Bill Hodge and his pals Holly Gidney and Jerome Robinson are Pete's only chance of survival from the Bellamy's wrath.

I had recently read Mr. Mercedes for the first time before starting Finders Keepers, so I had idea of what kind of narration King would use, but I was completely wrong. The first 154 pages introduces new characters and sets up the entire plot for the sequel. Not since Misery has Stephen King tampered with the relationship between a writer and his fans, but this time it's deadlier. The pacing has a faster-paced than the first novel. Overall, Finders Keeper is one of King's best works. I was hooked from the very first page and I ended up reading the entire novel in less than one day. Now, I can't wait to read the final installment of the trilogy, The Suicide Prince, whenever it's released next year.



*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.


About the Author:

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Doctor Sleep and Under the Dome, now a major TV miniseries on CBS. His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller as well as the Best Hardcover Book Award from the International Thriller Writers Association. He is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

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