Holly by Stephen King

Apparently, the detective Holly has featured before in Stephen King’s books, but this is the first I’ve read about her, and in fact only the second King novel I’ve read at all. But Stephen King’s name is synonymous with horror, so I knew what I was in for.

Interestingly the novel opens with the abduction of an unsuspecting young gay man on his daily run, by an elderly couple, both professors, known to him from the Bell College of Arts and Sciences. So from the beginning the reader knows who the villains are, and it’s not long before it becomes apparent how ghoulish these two supposedly respectable academics are.

Holly is the private investigator from the detective agency Finders Keepers, hired by a distraught mother to find her missing daughter, Bonnie. Holly gradually becomes aware of a number of similar disappearances in the area, over the years. While we, as readers, already know what happened to each of the victims, the tension in the novel builds up, as the web of related characters and events tightens, and Holly draws closer and closer to the evil culprits. Holly is clever, but she is basically working alone, and her inherent self-doubt leads her into danger as she seeks the evidence to substantiate her intuitive suspicions. The chapters become shorter as the tension ratchets up, and the reader can’t help but read on.

King has set this novel in the Covid years leading up to and including 2021. He provides additional authenticity to the setting by including different people’s reactions to the threat of the virus, and the vaccinations and personal protection people may or may not undertake. He exposes the denial of the Trump supporters as well as the zealousness of the hypochondriac. Some characters are blasé about the disease but all are aware and hold strong opinions. It is a realistic portrayal of the mixed attitudes rampant in the country at the time, and adds another level of complexity and realism as Holly undertakes her investigations.

The story is gruesome, as you might expect from King, but it is cleverly narrated, and keeps the reader holding their breath as the tension builds. I’m sure fans of King and readers of horror fiction in general will enjoy the ride, but for me, whilst I was invested in the character of Holly and what happens to her, I think I will be looking for something a bit lighter for my next read.

Themes: Horror, Abduction, Detective story, Ageing, Cannibalism.

Helen Eddy