Holly

September 11, 2023
PI Holly Gibney returns after King’s 2020 novella If It Bleeds to face off against a pair of deliciously wicked predators in this lurid if somewhat plodding thriller. It’s July 2021, and the Finders Keepers detective agency is on hiatus, with Holly taking time off to mourn her mother, who recently died of Covid. She’s lured back to work by a series of persuasive calls from a woman named Penny Dahl, whose preteen daughter, Bonnie, disappeared three weeks earlier. As Holly begins to poke around the neighborhood where Bonnie was last seen, residents alert her to the disappearance of 11-year-old Peter “Stinky” Steinman, who vanished from the same area three years ago. Additional conversations point Holly in the direction of former college professors Rodney and Emily Harris, whose veneer of elderly innocence is complicated by rumors that they may be connected to a slew of missing persons cases stretching back nearly a decade. At first, Holly investigates the Harrises as a matter of protocol, but it doesn’t take long for her to realize she’s facing down a pair of cunning foes with far darker secrets than she could’ve imagined. The narrative can dawdle, with things starting to feel especially padded in the middle stretch, but readers are likely to forgive the delay by the time the stomach-turning dénouement comes around. This pitch-black thriller ends on a high note. Agent: Liz Darhansoff, Darhansoff & Verrill.

Starred review from June 10, 2024

King (Billy Summers) is a household name, and fan-favorite character Holly Gibney is not far behind, having evolved across several of King's works into an intrepid private investigator. Drawing on Bill Hodges's training and an infinite supply of "Holly hope," she takes on the case of a missing woman, one leading to a pair of unassuming octogenarians who are hiding a grotesque secret. Narrator Justine Lupe, who portrayed Holly on screen in Mr. Mercedes, expertly captures the insecurities and intelligence of the lovable leading lady and compelling cast of supporting characters. Fast-paced flashbacks over a decade of disturbing and deviant crimes create an intricate and unnerving atmosphere. Set during the height of the pandemic, the novel is overtly political, a fact reinforced by the endnote read by King. Though the novel can be taken as a stand-alone, references to Holly's past will be better understood if listeners are familiar with other works in which she features. VERDICT This audio will appeal to those seeking tense and twisted suspense with a chilling blend of heartwarming heroine and disconcerting depravity. Recommended for fans of Lisa Gardner and James Wade.--Lauren Hackert

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.