For my first review of #31daysofhorror, I decided to go with something I had just finished reading.
The Story: Hidden by fog, a mad man mows down, maims, and kills several people as they waited in a crowded parking lot. Dubbed the Mr. Mercedes, the case goes unsolved for a year. Now the killer is back with his sights set on the retired detective who couldn’t solve the class. What Mr. Mercedes has planned next is but a pin prick to the bloodshed he plots next.
What I liked: It’s a thriller whodunit, which I’ve grown a taste for. I’ve heard that as we age readers move from fairy tales and fantasy to more reality based thrillers and documentaries. So King continues to show his range as a writer and he follows his audience. There’s no spooks or ghosts here. Just serial killers and blood, and those who want to stop them.
In this novel, I see King influenced by the political climate of our decade. He’s definitely gotten more politically vocal of late. In this decade, we’ve seen an average of 19 mass shootings a year in the United States (Everytown Research), and these acts stoke terror and its face tends to be white men. As I read saw allegories to this very real terror. The novel takes place in a depressed city (much like now) and its villains are angry white men that what to make a statement (the rest of us be damned).
And that’s what I appreciated the most in this novel. It was white males in Mr. Mercedes that appeared inept and feeble. They were fading cops, divorcees, or incels (involuntarily celibate). They are smart, but fail to listen and see when its critical to do so.
In mystery novel, these men tend to be the protagonists and save the day. In Mr. Mercedes the heroes aren’t who you expect. And in our world today, I think we need to acknowledge (remember, and keep writing about) heroes who comes in all shapes and sizes. Some of them even look like me.
Mr. Mercedes is a trilogy and much like King’s literary universe characters can appear in other stories. So I was surprised to see a character I read elsewhere, but didn’t realize it was them because they were so different. I look forward to reading the trilogy to see this character’s growth and how it came to be.
If you’re looking for a quick Halloween read, I definitely suggest Mr. Mercedes. And when you’re down with that, purchase my thriller, A Still Small Voice available on Amazon.
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Stay Ghoulish.