by Stephen King — Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Released on May 27, 2025
448 pages
Synopsis:
From master storyteller Stephen King comes an extraordinary new novel with intertwining storylines—one about a killer on a diabolical revenge mission, and another about a vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker—featuring the beloved Holly Gibney and a dynamic new cast of characters.
When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to “kill thirteen innocents and one guilty” in “an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man,” Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.
The Review:
This is the seventh novel involving Stephen King’s popular eclectic character, Detective Holly Gibney. Her debut as a support character came in Mr. Mercedes (The Bill Hodges Trilogy), then the sequels Finders Keepers, and End of Watch. Then she played bigger roles in the novels The Outsider and in the title short story in If It Bleeds. Finally, in 2023, she was the main character in the novel, Holly.
Although King has faced some fan criticism for his seeming infatuation with Holly Gibney, in my opinion, he has created a stand-out character who has grown and has seeemingly come into her own inspite of her adult ADHD and OCD tendencies. Holly has proven herself to others, including her overbearing and destructive mother, that she has what is most important at heart and the strength to drive through any challenge placed before her.
That being said, Never Flinch is not quite as strong a story as I felt the prior novel, Holly, was. In Holly, King went back into his darker, terrifying art form and told a tale of barbaric cannibalism, focusing on a sadistic pair of elderly serial killers.
In Never Flinch, King tells a new tale that is more “true crime”-like and suspense-thriller. It was a good story, but it was not as satisfying, and honestly, what I want to read from the “Master of Horror”. While there is plenty of Holly Gibney content, as a reader, I found myself asking, “Just how often can one person actually find themselves in this much crisis or danger?” In other words, this is again the seventh time Holly and those around her encounter serious danger. In reality, I don’t think many people would associate with this person for very long. The ending, as well, comes a bit too easily and quick for me, which also diminished the impact of the tale.
The Rating:
RECOMMENDED READING! For rating purposes, I score this 4 out of 5.
The Official Website of Author Derek Barton 