Stephen King's new Holly Gibney novel "Holly" (September 5, 2023)

[Bev Vincent]

From the back cover:

Stephen King's Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges's partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King's new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl's desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie's disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

[Garrell]

Excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mae]

Sounds fun! Still not fond of the title. Feels lazy.

[RichardX]

Sounds fun! Still not fond of the title. Feels lazy.

I'll read anything from King but this one does sound lazy and uninspired. Like many of his recent novels. King deals with Holly in a typical stereotypical manner as he does with children and minority characters. The typical old white liberal trope that such folks are not corrupted by "civilization" and therefore living in harmony with nature etc. It is actually somewhat humorous.

[WeDealInLead]

Fingers crossed that's the final Holly book.

I've had to come to terms that my favourite writer has been putting out mostly clunkers for the last ten or so years. I still read and own everything he writes but I've gone from waiting for the book store to open on release day to buying his latest a month, two or even a year later used. I finally bought Elevation (F/F condition) from Goodwill two weeks ago. 😪

And yeah, Holly sounds pretty uninspired. I thought the same about Billy Summers and Fairy Tale.

[CyberGhostface]

I do think it's funny that Holly has become such a major character in King's universe. At the same time I think she's improved a lot as a character since the Mercedes trilogy; I liked her quite a bit in 'If It Bleeds'.

King deals with Holly in a typical stereotypical manner as he does with children and minority characters. The typical old white liberal trope that such folks are not corrupted by "civilization" and therefore living in harmony with nature etc. It is actually somewhat humorous.

LMAO what does that even mean? Which specific minority characters are you even referring to?

That description doesn't even apply to Holly; her being sheltered due to her upbringing was something that she's struggled to overcome, at no point has King ever suggested that she's better off for not being 'corrupted' by civilization or whatever.

[Hunchback Jack]

I expect "Holly" will be fine, but the private investigator genre isn't really King's forte. I enjoyed the Bill Hodges novels, Outsider, and If It Bleeds well enough, but there are much better PI genre authors out there.

The title does feel a bit lazy though. "Hmm, I wonder what I should call my Holly Gibney novel? ..."

Unlike many others, though, I don't find Holly annoying, but rather charming and relatable.

HBJ

[St. Troy]

Sounds fun! Still not fond of the title. Feels lazy.

I might not say "lazy," but generally I agree; when I read the blurb, I thought, this isn't simply "the Holly story," it's a pretty involved thing in which Holly happens to be a character.

[webstar1000]

Sounds fun! Still not fond of the title. Feels lazy.

I'll read anything from King but this one does sound lazy and uninspired. Like many of his recent novels. King deals with Holly in a typical stereotypical manner as he does with children and minority characters. The typical old white liberal trope that such folks are not corrupted by "civilization" and therefore living in harmony with nature etc. It is actually somewhat humorous.

OMF. Again, I ask... why do you bother reading anything by King? lol

[Brian861]

Perhaps the True Knot still lives.

[St. Troy]

Perhaps the True Knot still lives.

Hmm...

[RichardX]

Sounds fun! Still not fond of the title. Feels lazy.

I'll read anything from King but this one does sound lazy and uninspired. Like many of his recent novels. King deals with Holly in a typical stereotypical manner as he does with children and minority characters. The typical old white liberal trope that such folks are not corrupted by "civilization" and therefore living in harmony with nature etc. It is actually somewhat humorous.

OMF. Again, I ask... why do you bother reading anything by King? lol

I'm not exactly sure why you take criticism of King's books personally. Are you his agent? I'm a huge fan of King. I just don't hero worship him and find some of his books including many of his recent ones to be duds. Why does that upset you? If you enjoy them, knock yourself out. No explanation is required of anyone for liking or disliking a book. You don't even address my criticisms. Only the fact that I dared to criticize him. "Get a life" as William Shatner told Star Trek fans.

[CyberGhostface]

There’s not much to address, your criticisms were just attacks on King’s politics (he’s “an old white liberal”) and a bizarre statement that King writes minorities as ‘not corrupted by "civilization" and therefore living in harmony with nature etc’ which doesn’t apply to any minority character King has written in decades, if at all.

[webstar1000]

Sounds fun! Still not fond of the title. Feels lazy.

I'll read anything from King but this one does sound lazy and uninspired. Like many of his recent novels. King deals with Holly in a typical stereotypical manner as he does with children and minority characters. The typical old white liberal trope that such folks are not corrupted by "civilization" and therefore living in harmony with nature etc. It is actually somewhat humorous.

OMF. Again, I ask... why do you bother reading anything by King? lol

I'm not exactly sure why you take criticism of King's books personally. Are you his agent? I'm a huge fan of King. I just don't hero worship him and find some of his books including many of his recent ones to be duds. Why does that upset you? If you enjoy them, knock yourself out. No explanation is required of anyone for liking or disliking a book. You don't even address my criticisms. Only the fact that I dared to criticize him. "Get a life" as William Shatner told Star Trek fans.

Oh my..... the irony is I am not upset. YOU are. lol

[Ben Mears]

Fingers crossed that's the final Holly book.

I've had to come to terms that my favourite writer has been putting out mostly clunkers for the last ten or so years. I still read and own everything he writes but I've gone from waiting for the book store to open on release day to buying his latest a month, two or even a year later used. I finally bought Elevation (F/F condition) from Goodwill two weeks ago. 😪

And yeah, Holly sounds pretty uninspired. I thought the same about Billy Summers and Fairy Tale.

+1. I'll gladly read whatever SK publishes but only via library. Haven't purchased a new release since Doctor Sleep.

[herbertwest]

Amazon now has a page for the novel, that will be released on september 5!

And here is the cover !

[Brian861]

The UK cover perhaps? The are usually so much better IMO.

Edit: Book Depository is showing a release date of September 1 listing 3 editions available. No cover art but different ISBN's listed for each. I'll assume US, UK, and probably large print editions. We usually get an airport paperback from the UK as well upon release, correct?

[herbertwest]

Nope, it's the american one
Usually the UK cover is announced a bit later. It's not available yet

[fitomad]

This cover reminds me "The Institute" style.

Wait to see the UK version, the last ones has been so pretty.

[herbertwest]

The temp UK one is, according to amz :

[fitomad]

The temp UK one is, according to amz :

It seems that a bike is involved in the plot

[mae]

Large cover art, interesting details in the windows:

[mae]

And as always, in my opinion, the US cover is better.

[CyberGhostface]

Excerpt from the book here.

https://ew.com/books/stephen-king-ho...-book-excerpt/

[Randall Flagg]

The temp UK one is, according to amz :

It seems that a bike is involved in the plot

Or a wheelchair.