END OF WATCH

Very powerfully written. Vintage King. Can't wait for his next book. Pity he ended this series as a trilogy - would have loved to read more of the same

Warning: Spoilers for Mr. Mercedes. Story In the aftermath of Mr. Mercedes, Bill Hodges has been busy. After he solved the Peter Sauber's case in Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges #2) he is clutching to his detective agency -pushing 70- and holding onto it. One day, he gets a call from his old friend Pete calling for aid, saying that there has been a murder. After visiting the crime scene, Hodge’s thoughts turns immediately to Brady Hartsfield (the prick who tried to blow up an auditorium full of screaming kids). Somehow, he knows Brady is involved with this horrendous crime but can’t bring his head around to it. Bill’s assistance Holly thinks that he is paranoid because he still seems obsessive over Brady -the fish he never caught- and ever since he stopped visiting him at the hospital, his thoughts turns towards him now and then. Brady had been busy too. Ever since Holly smashed his skull with Bill’s Happy Slapper (balls in a sock), he was in a coma. After he had waked up, he found himself paralyzed, but he did get a particular set of uncanny abilities, the same abilities that had disastrous repercussions in King’s first novel Carrie. The band (Bill, Holly, and Jerome) is back together for one final ride. Is anyone safe? My Thoughts End of Watch has a masterfully constructed prologue. King’s ability to suck you in his world, and forming an addictive page turner is apparent in this story. The exposition is carefully placed, and there are no unnecessary scenes. King’s focus is eminent from the beginning, and it is present till the end; it does have an uninteresting side story, but it doesn’t consume the novel. When I read the synopsis, my desire was only one. The novel should have a convincing and logical way to give Brady the powers he possesses. This is not a supernatural story, so giving him those powers by any unnatural means would have been a compromise to this trilogy and more to the crime thriller genre, and to my surprise, King delivers a disturbing yet believable theory which resuscitates Brady. The pacing of End of Watch is perfect. Stephen slowly yet deliberately builds the scenes. He doesn’t jump on the finale train and tries to cram the readers with everything he could muster. The story has a purpose, and that purpose is to unsettle the readers. Brady is deranged, we know that, but how far will he go exact revenge? Very far, very very far. One hitch I have with the story is the climax. The ultimate battle between Bill Hodges and Brady Hartsfield. It was over too quickly and the small thrill that captured me: the amusement that kept me turning the pages hoping it’s going to be exciting; it was a disappointment. The face-off should have been exhilarating, but it ended with a weird and cringe-worthy fight. The prologue is something I wasn’t expecting, but it is a satisfying and fulfilling ending. Characters As I said in my Finders Keepers review, King creates a good, bad guy. Brady Hartsfield's intentions are something bigger, bigger than exploding an auditorium. In End of Watch, he goes for something humongous. After waking up from a coma, Brady finds himself in a vegetative state, unable to move or conduct any activity, and it is a sad scenario where I felt unwanted affection towards him. A nurse squeezing his nuts and Bill’s constant mental torture are some disturbing visions. I know I should feel good, he is the villain, but as I said, he is a good, bad guy; King somehow turned this evil character into a helpless sympathetic jerk; this made his actions seem much more drastic and sensible than I would have liked (he is bad after-all). As for the other characters, Bill, Jerome, Holly, Pete, and some side characters have a presence that you feel, but I was never attached to any of these characters. I don’t hate them, but I don’t root for them either, and it remains unchanged in this novel. Those characters don’t have to wave their hands and scream, “I’m in this too, notice me. NOTICE ME!” You know they are present, but they are not enticing. There was an unintentional connection with Bill Hodges. I didn’t root for him but wanted him to succeed, and the finale turned out to be more emotional than I thought. Should You Read End of Watch? Yes. King’s tremendous ability to transform a simple idea into an act of horror is evident throughout the novel. He takes a common element and makes it... disturbing. Without spoiling anything let me tell you this, I wouldn’t look at fishing games the same way. End of Watch is thrilling, even it may not have a nail-biting finale: Stephen King’s writing and the disturbing character of Brady turns this average novel into a dreadful and sad tale about two people’s obsession with each other. This novel is a worthy end to its watch.

Typical Stephen King, but more mellow compared to his earlier work..heartwarming in places..great ending to a wonderful trilogy..Bill Hodges is a loveable flawed hero..loved it immensely!

I've not been a fan of King's dystopian themed books to be honest. When I first picked up Mr. Mercedes, I knew that King was at his absolute best when he was focussing about the gritty instances of human lives. This book is a must-read.

A thrilling end to an amazing trilogy. Best of the best.

Brady's back. And if you'd asked me before I read the end of Finders Keepers (still my favourite of the series) whether the news of Brady being back was exciting, I would've answered with a 'meh'. But then we found out that getting half his head beaten in with the happy slapper somehow gave him telekinetic abilities and things got a lot more interesting. What I love the most about this is the sudden but seemingly natural addition of a supernatural element. King did a very good job of showing someone with abilities without taking anything away from the real and rational world the series is set in. He devised a great way for the main characters to believe that Brady has powers without the reader ever feeling like they were prone to believing something that they shouldn't. Not to mention, Brady is a really good villain. I know I was excited about him being back to take revenge on Hodges, but after a while, that stopped being exciting and induced dread instead. We've always known Brady has an obsession with suicide and, in this installment, he takes it to a whole new level. He's using his little gaming console to get into people's heads and make them want to kill themselves. He's very powerful and completely out of control. But since he is believed to be more or less catatonic and telekinesis is something the police take into consideration, they can't stop him. Menacing indeed. There was also a subplot with Hodges that, at first, didn't seem to have much relevance to the bigger picture. Until it did. This book delivers a message about suicide by delving into why people do it. This was a great story and conclusion to the series. I've always liked Hodges and the game of wits that he and Brady play. Holly has come so far from the girl we met in Mr Mercedes and I think she's great. Jerome is always fun. I do wish we'd gotten to see Pete Saubers (I love that kid) but this isn't his story. We got a different Pete instead and he grew on me. Overall, this is a really good book. I kind of wanted more from the climax because while the story kept me on the edge of my seat for the most part, something about the big ending was almost anticlimactic. That's my only complaints. It was still a very good conclusion.

Would love to see the series continue with Holly. That character is worthy of having her own book. Looking forward to it.

One of Stephen King's best. Though this is the last of his three book series, there is a slight hint at the end that there may be one more to come.

I don't usually pre-order books, especially hardcovers, but I had to find out what happened to Hodges, Holly, Jerome, Brady, and the rest. I've had some pretty disappointing finales to my favorite series this year but thankfully this one was great. Plot: The plot sounds ridiculous but somehow Stephen King just makes it work. It kept me hooked, intrigued, and at parts, somewhat creeped out. I love the supernatural element in this final book and how suicide, something the bad guy seemed obsessed with in the first book, played its part in this final installment. While it did take about a week to read this, I would have finished it a lot faster if I hadn't had other things to do. At parts it was very difficult to put down. It also was unpredictable, which is one of Stephen King's specialties. No character is safe. Overall, the plot was intriguing and difficult to stop reading. Setting: Same setting as in the previous books. I liked that a good part of it was set in the hospital, though. Characters: While I enjoyed Hodges in the previous books, he shows a vulnerability in this one, and his determination to shield others from it melted my heart. While I did enjoy Peter Subers from the last book a lot, it was nice to be back with Bill for a while. He is an easy character to root for because despite his faults, deep down he is genuinely good and wants evil to be put in it's place. I adore Holly, especially in this book. Her character seemed to thrive much more and she is also vulnerable in other ways. She's also seen as "weird" because she has anxiety, especially when it comes to other people, and I feel like King did a great job showing how it affects her life and relationship with others. I especially like how the people closest to her like Hodges and Jerome, are respectful of that. There isn't much Jerome in this one, but he is far from important. He plays a big role in this one, as well as his younger sister, Barbara. I never thought too much of his sister before this book, but the short scene from her POV definitely made me like her and want to root for her. Brady is back and while he is a monster, he is so psychotic that I can't help but enjoy his character and quirks. I'd say he is one of King's creepiest. And while I didn't really care much for Freddi before, I did feel bad for her in this one. It was nice seeing her character explored further. Relationships: Like the last book, there isn't really any romance, which I find a good thing because it wouldn't have fit in this book. There is a kiss though and while it's unexpected, it's not exactly romantic, either--just incredibly sweet. Hodges and Holly are definitely my favorite relationship, though. They make a good team, friends, and also have that "old married couple" vibe going on. I love how they both know one another so well and will adjust themselves to make the other more comfortable--especially when it comes to Holly's anxiety. Brady and Hodges also make an interesting villain vs hero. I also felt that Brady had some interesting interactions with his victims, especially the main two (Z-Boy & Dr. Z). Writing/Voice: I'm a SK fan so I enjoy his writing. I loved the combination of horror and supernatural in this one. The last book was more of a crime/thriller sprinkled with horror but this one was more like the first, which is exactly what the last book needed. Ending: While I would have liked to see the climax with Brady last a little longer, the ending for that was satisfying (and also great irony). The actual ending was sad but realistic, and I love that there is closure. Overall, it was a satisfying ending for the series. I still consider the first to be my favorite but this one would definitely be second. I can't wait to see what SK will write next!

Billy Hodges und Holly Gibney sind wieder da. Ihre Angentur „Finders Keepers“ ist weiterhin erfolg-reich, doch Hodges fühlt sich zunehmend unwohl. Der mittlerweile nahezu 70 Jahre alte Polizist im Ruhestand hat Verdauungsprobleme und fürchterliche Leibschmerzen, die seine Partnerin dazu gebracht haben, ihn mit strengen Worten zum Arzt zu schicken. Und dort wartet er auf eine Diagnose, als ihn ein Anruf seines Expartners bei der Polizei erreicht. Eines der Opfer des sogenannten Mercedes-Killers, das seit dem Ereignis gelähmt gewesen ist, ist von der sie pflegenden Mutter umgebracht worden, kurz bevor diese sich im Bad selbst umgebracht hat. Irgendetwas verstört Hodges‘ Expartner an dieser Sache, weswegen er gegen den Wunsch seiner neuen Partnerin Hodges zu Hilfe gerufen hat, damit dieser sich die Sache einmal ansieht. Tatsächlich kommt Hodges das ganze Tableau eher seltsam vor – und ganz besonders die Anwesenheit eines Ladegeräts an einer Steckdose über die der Buchstabe Z an die Wand geschrieben ist und zu dem ein entsprechendes Endgerät fehlt. Aber Izzy, die karriere-orientierte neue Partnerin von Hodges Expartner Pete will den Fall als Mord-Selbstmordkombination so schnell wie möglich abschließen – besonders, da dieser durch die Anwesenheit der von ihrer Mutter Ermordeten unangenehm viel Presseecho erzeugen kann. Der Architekt der Behinderung und etlicher weiterer Verletzungen und vieler grausamer Tode liegt zur gleichen Zeit scheinbar unansprechbar in Raum 217 der Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Cli-nic, nachdem ihm zwei heftige Schläge auf den Hinterkopf nicht nur daran gehindert haben, einen Konzertsaal voller Jugendlicher und ihrer Eltern in die Luft zu jagen, sondern auch sein Gehirn nach-haltig geschädigt hat. Doch er ist nicht wirklich ohne Wahrnehmung und tatsächlich ist er durch eine Verknüpfung verschiedener Umstände in der Lage, aus seiner Stummheit und seiner Bewegungslosigkeit heraus in die Welt hinein zu greifen – und das auf überaus ungewöhnliche Art und Weise. Der Mann, der sich selbst mal als den „Selbstmordprinzen“ bezeichnet hat, wegen seiner Fähigkeit, andere Menschen in den Selbstmord zu reden, hat eine Möglichkeit gefunden, Menschen in seinem näheren Umfeld direkt zu manipulieren und über diese Manipulation auch über die Grenzen von Raum 217 hinaus zu agieren. Und dies tut er mit unglaublicher Zielstrebigkeit in seinem Wunsch sich nicht nur an Holly und Hodges, sondern auch an der ganzen Stadt zu rächen, die ihm seiner Meinung nach unsägliches Unrecht zugefügt haben. Und so muss Hodges nicht nur gegen einen unerbittlichen inneren Feind antreten, sondern auch gegen einen Gegner, der geradezu gottähnliche Macht zu entwickeln scheint, die zunächst erst einmal die Menschen in seinem näheren Umfeld bedroht, die aber letztendlich auf die breite Masse gerichtet ist. Dieser dritte Teil der Krimireihe, die mit „Mr. Mercedes“ ihren Anfang genommen hat, ist voller phantastischer Element in Bezug auf Brady „Mercedes“ Hartsfield neue Fähigkeiten, aber die Ent-wicklung der Bedrohung, die er hier auf zwei Angriffslinien aufbaut ist sowohl vom technischen wie auch vom soziologischen mehr als real. Selbstmord spielt in diesem Roman eine sehr große Rolle und auch die Art, wie Selbstmord in bestimmten Populationen zu einer Art Epidemie werden kann – was eine der Grundlagen von Hartsfields Plan darstellt. Besonders, da das Internet die Wirkung eines „viruellen“ Selbstmords noch verstärken kann – was darüber nachdenken lassen sollte, wieviel Internetzugang man seinen Kindern – besonders über schwer zu kontrollierende Smartphones – gewähren sollte. Ein interessanter Abschluss der Trilogie, der wieder ein wenig „klassischen“ King durchscheinen lässt.

Avoir le dernier Stephen King livré à domicile, en version originale, et bon marché ( moins de 10 €) avant même sa parution en France, est un privilège que j'ai bien apprécié. Merci Amazon ! Livré rapidement dans un bon emballage, j'ai pu commencer la lecture deux ou trois jours après la commande. Seul petit reproche : les caractères sont un peu petits et moins confortables que la version brochée française 3 fois plus chère.

I needed to read this book to fulfill a duty. It was with scintillating pleasure, I read! Death seems to win always. Luckily the grace of some good people keep up.

... Bill Hodges Trilogy - and an absolute must-read for all those who have read Mr. Mercedes: A Novel (The Bill Hodges Trilogy Book 1) (English Edition) and the follow-up Finders Keepers (The Bill Hodges Trilogy Book 2) (English Edition). Because in this third book everything comes to an end - some good, some bad, some worse - and some very bad. But it is always the very personal point of view which makes the end a good one or a bad one. Or simply a good but sad one... The “Mercedes Killer” Brady Hartsfield plans to drive to suicide not only his enemies, but also hundreds and thousands of innocent youngsters who haven't yet found their role and place and/or gender-identification in this world of adults. In his Room 217 of the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, somehow something has awakened. Something very very evil. The perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, where eight people were killed and many more were badly injured, has been in the clinic for five years in a vegetative state. Because he has been slapped so hard on the head, that returning to a perfect functioning brain is dismissed as nearly impossible by most of the doctors. But behind the fake drools and mostly blank stares, Brady strangely is awake, and in possession of totally new powers that now allow him to create the total chaos even without ever leaving his hospital room. The nurses are in a semi-permanent state of alert because ..."this killer moves things with his mind!". And his specialist, some Dr Babineau is ab-using his brain-damaged patient like a human guinea-pig feeding him self-invented drug-cocktails. Until he will badly regret that, too... Ex-police detective Bill Hodges, the hero of Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers, after his retirement now runs an investigation agency with his partner, Holly Gibney, She is the woman who delivered the blow to Hartsfield’s head that put him on the brain injury ward. When Bill and Holly are called to a homicide/suicide scene involving a paralized victim of the Mercedes Massacre they find some strange electronic device, called ZAPPIT. And following the trail of this 'dinosaur' of a play console they find astonishing leads to Bill’s heroic young friend Jerome Robinson and his teenage sister, Barbara. Brady Hartsfield is back, and planning revenge not just on Hodges and his friends, but on all the young people who had the misfortune to receive one of those ZAPPITs - modified to induce by deep hypnosis an unstable mind to do bad, very bad, yes - the WORST things to themselves. And if Bill Hodges and Holly Gibney don’t figure out a way to stop him - and his unwilling helpers, too - they will be victims themselves for sure, together with the Robinson children and many others with them... In this last book of the trilogy about Kermit B. Hodges - once a policeman, now Private Eye - the Master author Stephen King puts a (tomb-) stone on all the open ends the first two books deliberately left behind. This REALLY ist the "End of Watch" - an expression for nurses, doctors, but also policemen leave their work-places. To go home until the next watch, or to retire permanently - or to die... The investigation Pete and Izzy, ex-partners of Bill - have in their hands does not lead to anything on first sight. But when the first ZAPPIT is found by our 2 two "Keepers Finders" aka Bill and Holly and strange movements have been recalled by neighbours, something is in the air. And it doesn't smell good. And with the bits and pieces which are slowly getting together, something very very strange emerges. Brady must now have achieved some supernatural powers - like telekinesis or mind-control. And the greatest joke is: Holly - slapping him on the skull before his mass-suicide attempt - may have given him access to THOSE 90 % of the brain the normal human being will never ever use in a lifetime... And it is this mind-controlling thing that made me read and read on - until I reached the "End of Watch". That supernatural touch Stephen King is so very able to describe, made me read in every free minute until the very end. Masterly! I personally think that it is a must-read for all those who have known Kermit, Holly, Jerome and the others in the first two books. But it always depends on personal tastes. And with a very sad feeling and some tear to wipe away I can say: I too have arriived at someone's "End of Watch". And FOR ME it was worth the waiting and prenoting and start reading 2 days ago. But it is also a very good read for all those who like their mysteries very well written. But also with a certain touch of humanity...