Book: Holly

 Book: Holly

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 463

This is my 13th read for the year

This is a continuation of the story of Holly Gibney.  Holly is contacted by a mother whose daughter, Bonnie, is missing.  She hires Holly to find out what happened to her.  Holly is not sure she should take the case.  Her partner has Covid, her mother has just died, and she has a lot on her plate.  But Holly decides she cannot say no and helps this mother find her missing daughter.

Professors Rodney and Emily Harris in the mean time have been busy.  Rodney is convinced that eating humans will rejuvenate he and his wife and keep them young and pain/disease free.  Over the course of the last 9 years they have kidnapped and killed several people but the healing affects of their canabalism are getting shorter.  As Holly hunts for Bonnie she and a few friends start to piece together what happened to her and how she may be tied to the professors.

This was a well written book.  I have always enjoyed the Holly Gibney story line and this one did not disappoint.  The story flowed well - back and forth between Holly and the Harris' and even a minor third story.  In the end all three fit together as the murder mystery comes to its peak.  Holly is a very likeable character - quirky as she may be.  And the Harris' were evil yet interesting in their own right.  

My only complaint, and the one thing that keeps this from 5 star for me, is the overdoneness of Covid.  It is rampant in this book - to the point of distraction.  I am a big proponent for all things related to protecting yourself from Covid (and all illnesses) but even I felt this was exhaustingly too far.  Mr. King - I love you but you are getting crotchety in your old age.  He does explain why he did this in his author's note - admits why he did what he did - but I still think he could have pulled back a bit.

Don't let it stop you from enjoying this book.  I just rolled my eyes and refocused on the true story.  You can too.

Stars: 4