King’s ‘Finders Keepers’, a perfectly good step ahead of Mr. Mercedes

I know that since this blog new era began, all of a sudden the few things I was writing in English stopped. Because most of my readers are Hispanic. But, somehow, it feels good to write a review in its rightful tongue. And who knows? Maybe I’ll keep doing it. Or not. Who cares? Anyway, this is about ‘Finders Keepers’, the Stephen King novel and sequel to ‘Mr. Mercedes’. Somehow, this is better than its predecessor and I’m pretty sure that is because it adds one (or two, but for the sake of the argument let’s keep it at one) key ingredient that was missing in the first part of the trilogy. Let me tell you why!

First of all, I’ll start by saying that this novel has everything that was already great in ‘Mr. Mercedes’. The character development, the way the author lures us into the story from the very beginning, the suspense, the plot. That’s not news. He does drive himself away, a little bit at least, from almost traditional police-thriller-land (which was one of the challenges in the first book) and goes back to that drama-fantastic-realistic genre he excels at when he’s not writing horror stories. If you want my opinion, which of course you do because otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this, it was the right choice to take. In a series of novels (or a tv series as well) if you start repeating your narrative resources, eventually, you lose the attention of the audience. Strategic change is always a plus.

If you have read this blog’s previous ‘Mr. Mercedes’ review, hopefully you’ll remember that the book didn’t get the best rating because it did not “bring anything supernatural to the table”. This one does. A teeny tiny bit that you may miss if you don’t pay attention. But it does. And also, in ‘Finders Keepers’, SK does play once again with different time scenarios (1978 and 2014) and adds more perspectives to the story. If you recall, in the previous one it was from the sides of Bill Hodges, the detective, and from the killer. In this one, he puts a kid into the equation. And it fits like the final piece of a puzzle.

That new narrator’s line makes the book a more dynamic one and it helps to keep you at the edge of your seat even more than in ‘Mr. Mercedes’. That and the connections between two of the characters, among other things, is King at its best. Bill Hodges, a central character in the first part, here doesn’t seem to be relevant until everything falls into place, again like a puzzle. And it’s magical.

It’s like a rollercoaster, it builds up slowly until you realize you are being part of a humongous literary joyride. So unpredictable at times, you don’t want it to end. In some extent, knowing that there is a third part (and final) of the trilogy, which I already bought, it’s a relief. And the ending, being this the only thing I’m gonna say about it, is the perfect example of how one line can change everything. The power of a mere sentence. Oh, my God!

In conclusion, this novel is simply excellent. Like I said at the beginning, it takes whatever was good in ‘Mr. Mercedes’ and takes it to a whole new level. From the characters’ development (some of whom we already know from the first book) to the different plotlines that collide in one at some point, the dialogues, and the fantastic/supernatural touch. That’s Stephen King, ladies and gentlemen, and he never ceases to impress.

My rating for the book: 5 stars.

More of Stephen King in this blog: Mr. Mercedes, Revival, Doctor Sleep, Rage (in Spanish).