whitneydaniell

Summary

In Buckeye City, Ohio—the “Second Mistake on the Lake”—Detective Izzy Jaynes and her partner, Tom Atta, are baffled when convicted child predator Alan Duffrey is killed in prison. A month later, Duffrey’s former co-worker, Cary Tolliver—on his deathbed with pancreatic cancer—confesses to framing him. With the whole city buzzing about the Duffrey case and the miscarriage of justice that occurred, Bill Wilson sends the BCPD a letter, warning them of impending atonement for the murder:

I believe the INNOCENT should be punished for the needless DEATH of an innocent.

Elsewhere in Buckeye City, private investigator Holly Gibney is tracking lost jewelry and catching bail jumpers when Izzy lets her know about the letter—hoping Holly’s brilliant mind might offer insight. Holly shares what she can, but a side job she takes mid-investigation pulls her focus: protecting pro-choice women’s activist Kate McKay.

Kate is embarking on a multi-city book tour to promote her women-first rhetoric, much to the outrage of religious zealots. After Kate’s assistant, Corrie, is attacked with bleach—and then a card laced with anthrax shows up at one of Kate’s venues—Kate decides she needs a bodyguard. Not just any buff man with a gun, but a woman. Corrie knows just the right one: Holly Gibney.

On the road with Kate, Holly has run-ins with unhinged fans and even the stalker targeting Kate. Meanwhile, back in Buckeye City, Bill Wilson is making good on his threats, and bodies keep turning up. He’s now a serial killer, and Izzy is no closer to catching him after four bodies than she was after the first.

As Kate’s stalker grows bolder in each city, and Bill Wilson continues his mission to kill 13 innocents and 1 guilty, both Izzy and Holly find themselves deep in danger.

Kate’s tour is scheduled to pass through Buckeye City, the same time world-famous singer Sista Bessie is staging her comeback at the Mingo Auditorium. With a serial killer on the loose, all eyes on the BCPD, and a charity softball game happening, it’s going to take more than a baseball miracle to keep everyone safe.

Character Summary

Holly Gibney is an observant, unfiltered private investigator still reeling from the death of her partner, Bill Hodges. She often leans on his sayings to guide her. She’s whip-smart and quick on her feet, but her self-deprecating nature keeps her from accepting compliments.

Detective Isabelle Jaynes is sharp but often relies on Holly to validate her instincts or push her thinking further.

Kate McKay, the controversial women’s rights activist, is determined to do whatever she wants—even while being stalked by someone intent on harming her. Careless and self-centered, she often puts her assistant Corrie in danger for the sake of “women’s empowerment.” Corrie, once an admirer, grows to despise Kate after seeing her dismissive attitude toward the threats against them.

Jerome and Barbara Robinson are young friends of Holly’s, with connections to her from earlier books.

My Thoughts

This was another read I got from Shawnerly over at She’s Reading Now and my first Stephen King book, and yes—I jumped into a Holly Gibney novel with no context from the previous three. Bright idea, right? There’s a lot of nuance about Holly I missed, but if books one through three are anything like Never Flinch, I’m not sure I could’ve made it through them!

I’ll admit: I’m a fan of King movies. My brother and I still quote Misery to. this. day. But King is long-winded!

I haven’t read a book this descriptive and rich before. The writing is masterful—he doesn’t skimp on detail, whether character backstories or tiny atmospheric touches. Even though I didn’t get much Holly backstory (book four problems), every new character came with pages of development. Words on words on words from Mr. King. Not bad, but with so much world-building upfront, the first 200+ pages were a slog. The second half picked up, and I devoured the last 45% in one six-hour sitting.

Because of the slow pacing, I wanted to DNF, but the story itself kept me hooked. I needed to see how it unraveled. That’s the only reason I pushed through—it’s a really good story.

There are three main plotlines: Izzy in Buckeye City, Holly traveling with Kate, and Sista Bessie prepping for her tour. On top of that, there’s a whole roster of side characters—Jerome, Barbara, Tom Atta, the rest of the BCPD, and more. Lots of moving parts, lots of names. And trust me, you won’t see the reveal coming.

Speaking of the reveal: we know the killer early on—Bill Wilson aka Trig—but his true identity isn’t revealed until much later. We also know his motive, but watching his spree unfold reveals more about his unraveling mind. There are breadcrumbs throughout, but I never would’ve guessed correctly. Honestly, I had no guesses—I kept reading because I had to know.

We also learn about Kate’s stalker, and maybe a little too much about the terrifying religious groups that travel the country protesting abortion. In his afterword, King honors 11 real-life victims—doctors, staff, and volunteers—murdered for supporting reproductive rights. It’s chilling.

Final Verdict

I enjoyed the story more than the reading experience. Since this was my first King novel, I’d put it middle of the road for me. I won’t write off his books, though—his writing is refreshing compared to many thrillers I’ve read with glaring plot holes, thin characters, or weak prose.

I’ll try more King, but I’ll plan my reading better next time. These books need space. I thought I could knock this one out in a day or two—it took me three, and I still need a recovery day. Probably my last read of the month.

Bottom line: it was cool. If murder and gore are your thing, go for it. If you like neat, buttoned-up thrillers, maybe not. Either way, King’s legacy is safe—whether you read Never Flinch or not, he’ll be just fine without my lil ole review.