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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Mass casualty event; planned violence against vulnerable people; some graphic sequences
Language
A lot
Strong profanity throughout; King's authentic voice
Sexual Content
Barely any
No sexual content; some teenage content involving the antagonist
Substance Use
Barely any
None
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The psychological portrait of a killer who wants to be seen; the weight of guilt for a detective who never caught him
What this book is about
Retired detective Bill Hodges is contacted by the Mercedes Killer—a man who drove a stolen car into a crowd and killed eight people—who wants to gloat. King's departure from supernatural horror is a straight crime thriller: two intelligent men playing a dangerous game, with real lives at stake.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Mass murder as the inciting event
Disturbing portrait of a killer's psychology
Reader Verification
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More Horror books from the catalog.
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