Finders Keepers by Stephen King

 After having read the prequel Mr. Mercedes, I had my doubts that a sequel could rival it. I was pleasantly surprised. Before reading any description, I assumed we'd pick up where we left Bill Hodges and Brady Hartsfield. Bill in quiet retirement, Brady bashed up and barely alive in the hospital. But instead we fall back decades to the murder of an iconic author by thugs interested mostly in his cash on hand. Morris Bellamy, the sharpest of the thugs and coincidentally a super-fan of Author John Rothstein, is interested in revenge though. He loved Rothstein's Jimmy Gold novel series - but he was enraged with the last installment's ending. After murdering Rothstein, he discovers additional manuscripts along with the cash in a safe. A series of events leads this discovery to a trunk hidden out of sight on a stream bank.

Author, Stephen King

We flash forward again to present day when a kid stumbles upon the cash and manuscripts Morris Bellamy stole and hid. Morris is in prison for rape (never found as murderer of Rothstein) but due to release soon and return to his treasure. The kid, Pete Saubers, will have to decide what to do with the manuscripts (he's also a big Jimmy Gold fan) and the cash but regardless, Morris is bound to be upset. And he's killed before but this time he's desperately thirsty to finally read what happens to Jimmy Gold. A kid in his way would prove a small obstacle.

Things get complicated with a parole officer, Bill Hodge's involvement in the case and Pete's family. Find out who ends up with what, how the cards fall for Morris and check back in briefly with Brady of Mr. Mercedes. You can find Finders Keepers at your local library or purchase it on Amazon.

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

As a fan of Stephen King, I jumped right into Mr. Mercedes as soon as it was delivered to my doorstep. I wasn't disappointed whatsoever. In fact, I struggled finding a stopping point because I would become so engrossed in the story.

Mr. Mercedes is an exciting read as we jump back and forth between protagonist (retired cop Bill Hodges) and antagonist (Brady Hartsfield, mentally unstable and living with mom). Due to a number of factors, Brady's life was troubled from birth. His alcoholic mother offers no comfort, just additional stress. Brady's had enough and crashes - he crashes through a crowd of people with a stolen Mercedes. The thrill is medicinal, but he's seeking another.

Author, Stephen King

Here enters Bill Hodges, the retired cop who never found Brady (the Mercedes killer). Retirement is tough for him and he struggles with thoughts of suicide. Only when Brady starts playing with fire, teasing Bill anonymously, does he step up out of his gloom and into danger to solve the case once and for all.

My favorite part of Mr. Mercedes has to be the internal moments with Brady Hartsfield. I can't recall a character I've read about in the past which struck me so significantly. Brady is sick - really sick. His thoughts are twisted, his actions are questionable, his health is wavering and no one is safe. King paints a picture so raw yet real of this danger through the thoughts of Brady.

I encourage you to check for Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King at your local library. You can also purchase Mr. Mercedes on Amazon.

Time and Again by Jack Finney (Time Series, Book One)

Time and Again is the first of two books in Jack Finney's Time Series. I added it to my "To Read" list after finishing Stephen King's 11/22/63 and seeing his reference to this book as "THE great time-travel story." I struggled with the pace, but appreciated the vivid imagery that brought 19th century New York to life.

Author Jack Finney (1911-1995) was a wealth of information on history due, in large part, to the decades he experienced first hand. Being a millenial, I appreciated not only his fictional account of New York but the fact confirmed in his epilogue that he and his associates researched extensively to verify and write about late 19th century New York exactly as it actually was in the 19th century. He admits there were some intentionally adjusted dates to suit the purpose of an entertaining story but for the most part, by reading Time and Again, you're stepping back into 19th century New York as it very much were.

If you love New York and maybe even have a bumper sticker saying so on your car, you may really like Finney's excessively descriptive nature. But (maybe because I'm a millenial?) I found the story to lose its grasp on my attention multiple times when descriptions got too lengthy. Finney writes in depth about nearly everything our protagonist encounters. But it's also important to consider this book was published first in 1970 for a different era of reader and market.

Author, Jack Finney (1995)

That being said, the imagery from both the 20th and 19th centuries' New York was wonderful and clear even if in excess. You would have no issue visualizing the scenes Simon Morley (or Si as he's known by most) walks into. And it's fun reading along knowing that the arm of the statue of liberty actually did set near Madison separated and awaiting construction at another site until a later date. In the book, Si is able to climb just the arm and sit near the torch.

The story's action was intriguing. If I were to re-edit it for 2015, I would cut the majority of the first 50% of the book, leaving the bare essentials to describe the time travel method and project. I also wouldn't bother with too much depth into Si's career as he's soon to abandon it for the remainder anyway. And as far as the "complicated love situation" mentioned in the description between two women it falls rather flat. Si is primarily interested in one (I won't spoil which one, in case you're interested to find out for yourself) and I feel the other could be cut completely without the story losing any of its value.

My opinion on edits aside, the last half of the book carries along nicely. Glazing through the occasional slump of adjectives and scenery, I found myself wondering "How is he going to get out of this?" or "What would I do if I found myself in his situation?" and most often "How is this going to affect the present?" And it's interesting to consider all the ways 19th century civil workers (police, firemen, politicians, etc.) and citizens responded and reacted to crisis and crime. We certainly have better technology and resources today, but what about the character composition of our communities? Would we jump into danger to help a stranger (enjoyed the rhyme, did you?)? Or would we rely on diffusion of responsibility and perhaps even pretend we didn't see anything, absolving ourselves of the need to act?

Time and Again is a book that'll have you asking questions not only about yourself but about the world you live in today. It's worth a read if you have the time - and if you don't, crack the book open halfway in and fill the gaps in as best you can. We all need to experience a bit of time travelling and I can't think of a better, more engaging way than through historically-near-accurate fiction.

Check out Time and Again from your local library or purchase it on Amazon.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Stephen King is, without a doubt, one of my top five favorite authors (if not the very first!). So a review for 11/22/63 comes easily to me as I have no disappointment in it or the familiar writing style that encapsulates and engages my imagination for days on end.

Author, Stephen King

11/22/63 answers a question: "What could interfering with the past do the future?" It's tested through various adventures into the past changing first a small thing, then maybe a bigger thing later. But the most interesting and unique thing about 11/22/63 is that time travel happens by descending a particular "invisible staircase" in a closet. Each time you enter the past (always the exact same date and time) you reset all previous changes you made as if you'd never interfered. And even if you spend five years in the past, when you return to the present you've only been gone two minutes. Fascinating.

I encourage you to read this book and see what could happen if JFK's assassin was unsuccessful. I encourage you to put yourself in Jake Epping's shoes and experience the present and the past as he encounters complications in both. Where would you want to stay? What would you want to do? How would you handle the responsibility? Especially when you knew the past didn't want to be changed and would throw obstacles in your path if you tried - jeopardizing your life, even.

Be sure to check for 11/22/63 at your local library or purchase it on Amazon.

Under the Dome Book vs. Mini-Series

Stephen King's bestseller Under the Dome

versus the TV mini-series based on it.

[SPOILER ALERT]

In Stephen King's bestselling novel, Under the Dome...

• Junior doesn't lock Angie in a fall-out shelter. He kills her early on along with Dodee Sanders. He even engages in sexual activity with them post-mortem in the pantry he's hidden them in.
• Junior suffers from a brain tumor which is, in part, responsible for his irrationally violent behavior.
• Dodee Sanders, portrayed as the radio engineer in the series, has nothing to do with the radio station. In fact, the rock station from the series is actually a "Jesus Radio" station helping to cover up Rennie's enormous meth operation. It's ran entirely by computer.
• Duke Perkins, chief of police, is working to expose, not turn a blind eye to, Rennie and his illegal activities up unto his death by pacemaker malfunction.
• Linda, portrayed as the lead cop in the series, is far from the lead cop. In fact she's fired in the book later on for being married to Physician Assistant Rusty (not a fireman outside the dome, as in the book). Rusty is found guilty (wrongly) of attempted murder, resisting arrest and whatever else Rennie and his thugs felt like scribbling down.
• Barbie is not involved in collecting money from people or killing Peter Shumway (nonexistent in the book)
• Julia Shumway is divorced. I repeat: No Peter.
• There is no water dispute with a town farmer or propane bargaining.
• It does not rain under the dome.
• Several children and young adults, including Linda and Rusty's girls, have precognitive seizures not just limited to Pink Stars falling but foretelling, in short, a hell on earth and a few murder clues.
• Phil Bushey, portrayed as radio DJ in the show, is actually a drug addict who cooked meth for Jim Rennie. He was not in love with Dodee, but married and estranged to a Sammy Bushey and father to a baby boy. Sammy was raped by three of the town's new "cop" recruits including Junior who drove out, drunk (and maybe high) to abuse their powers and "teach her a lesson".
• Rose is not killed in her restaurant. She lives to escape the dome.
• The mini-dome is non-existent. No egg or cocoon either. There is a small, flat rectangle with a strange symbol and purple flashing light that seems to be the only reasonable explanation for the dome.
• Nearly all of Chester's Mill dies, leaving just about twenty survivors in the end from a starting population of near 2,000.
• There are two other selectmen (councilmen) under the dome besides Rennie but unable to overpower him. One simply goes along for the ride and takes the blame for what are ultimately the consequences of Rennie's actions, including the meth lab.
• The dome let's some air and water as well as sound through.
• Environmental pollution and destruction is more evident and dangerous. At times it seems it could be more threatening than Rennie.
• Joe McClatchey is not Angie McCain's brother. No relation.
• There are not four "pre-selected" youth whose hands are required to conjure a reaction from the dome's "power source".
• Norrie does not have two lesbian mothers and is a resident of Chester's Mill, not a visitor. The mother she does have is a drunk and does not have diabetes.
• Insulin and medication shortage is not a major issue (at least not discussed). Prescription meds and alcohol are locked up "for the good of the people".
• Rennie is responsible for the death of his wife, Reverend Coggins and Brenda Perkins (Police Chief Duke's widowed wife who threatened to expose the secrets Duke was working to bring to the proper authority before his death).
• Rennie drives a Hummer, not a Chevrolet.
• Fire trucks are out of Chester's Mill on a "practice run", not a parade, when the dome comes down.

Feel free to comment and let me know what other differences you've noticed that I haven't listed.

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     Check out Under the Dome from your local library. You can also purchase it from Amazon for your kindle, as a hardcover,paperback or audiobook.

     Also be sure to check out the television mini-series (on CBS or free with Amazon Prime) based on the book for a significantly different, but just as engaging story-line of what happens when the mysterious dome closes over Chester's Mill.

Under the Dome by Stephen King

     Under the Dome by Stephen King takes us to the smallish town of Chester's Mill. When an invisible barrier crashes into existence around the town, its residents find themselves trapped and under the eventual, horrifying understanding that the barrier is an impenetrable dome.

     The town takes no time at all in falling into panic and irrational behavior with large thanks to the ignorance and thirst for power of one of the town's selectmen, Big Jim Rennie. Rennie has no intention of attempting to get rid of the dome and is prepared to murder anyone who stands in the way of him and the realization of his dream for complete control. To ensure he continues to hold executive (and exclusive) control of Chester's Mill, he manipulates the town's residents and incites fear to produce a false trust in his leadership. As long as the dome is up, he can do whatever he wants.

Author Stephen King

     There are, of course, those who oppose the leadership of Rennie. These characters become the minority in the town as Rennie singles them out as internal terrorists, blames the dome's existence on them and even throws in his personal underground meth lab industry for good measure. In short, most of Chester's Mill believes Rennie that these "rebels" can't be trusted and is prepared to murder them "for the good of the town". 

     Under the Dome boasts a phenomenal wealth of characters. We, as readers, are taken from one perspective to another and back again to put together the pieces as the residents of Chester's Mill are. The suspense between personal accounts is wildly breathtaking at times and leaves you burning through the pages to get to each resolution and the final, epic conclusion. 

Television Mini-Series on CBS and Amazon

     No one is safe inside the dome over Chester's Mill. Find out what happens by checking out Under the Dome from your local library. You can also purchase it from Amazon for your kindle, as a hardcover, paperback or audiobook.

     Also be sure to check out the television mini-series (on CBS or free with Amazon Prime) based on the book for a significantly different, but just as engaging story-line of what happens when the mysterious dome closes over Chester's Mill.