Never Flinch

Though the undisputed master of the horror genre, after this latest release perhaps Stephen King will be anointed the king of crime fiction. Never Flinch features the return of Private Investigator Holly Gibney, tasked to bodyguard the controversial feminist speaker Kate McKay. It seems McKay is being stalked by a deranged brother [and sister] duo from a radical religious sect intent on disrupting her promotional book tour.

Add to the mix a serial killer referred to as Bill Wilson [aka ‘Trig’] whose intention is to '…..kill thirteen innocents and one guilty…’ in retribution for the murder of an innocent man [wrongly incarcerated] in the Ohio state penitentiary.

Detectives Izzy [Isabelle] Jaynes and Tom Atta of the Buckeye City P.D. [Police Department] are tasked to hunt down this serial killer with pressure mounting as the body count of innocents rise. Clues in the form of names written on crumpled pieces of paper found in the clenched fists of the murder victims perplex Izzy Jaynes, as does the messages relayed by self-styled outlaw podcaster Buckeye Brandon – leading our detective to seek unofficial assistance from the PI Holly Gibney.

Amid these two narrative strands comes a vast array of characters who all appear distinct and deftly painted onto the page by years of experience from this author. Many of these characters have featured in King’s previous crime novels in his ‘Finders Keepers’ [aka Bill Hodges] Trilogy, Holly, as well as the other-worldly thriller The Outsider. We have Gibney’s friends, the brother and sister duo of Jerome and Barbara Robinson; Betty Brady [aka Soul Singer Sister Bessie] and her entourage; Rev. Big John Ackerley, as well as small but distinct appearances of minor characters such as Deacon Andy and Pastor Jim of the radical sect [who appear to be funding the attacks on Kate McKay]; Judge Irving Witterson and the politically ambitious Assistant DA [prosecutor] Douglas Allen and many others who add additional dimensions to this investigative crime thriller.

The climax approaches stealthily, with King taking his time to reach the conclusion, ratcheting the tension up until it becomes unbearable. There is a baseball game featuring the Buckeye Police Department versus the Fire Department – entitled ‘Guns and Hoses’ held at an arena that becomes the epicentre for when the [a] Serial Killer ‘Trig’ and [b] Brother and Sister stalker of Kate McKay plot strands collide explosively with blood and fire.

King again delves into the relationships between parents and their offspring with Holly Gibney hearing her late Mother Charlotte’s voice in her head; as does serial-killer ‘Trig’ who hears his abusive Father’s voice whisper the words that give this novel its title – and which also describe the readers reaction from the more disturbing elements contained in this dark narrative.

Highly Recommended.