Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Scribner (First Edition)
Pages
561
Description
Fiction. Horror. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:Now an HBO limited series starring Ben Mendelsohn!â?? Evil has many faces...maybe even yours in this #1 New York Times bestseller from master storyteller Stephen King. An eleven-year-old boy's violated corpse is discovered in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City's most popular citizensâ??Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon have DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad. As the investigation expands and horrifying details begin to emerge, King's story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen Kin… (more)
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2018
Physical description
561 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
9781501180989
Similar in this library
Media reviews
At nearly 600 pages, “The Outsider” isn’t exactly a streamlined thriller. Yet, it doesn’t feel bloated or self-indulgent. Anderson, Maitland and the supporting cast are so deftly drawn, their predicaments so fraught with menace, that the momentum of the narrative builds steadily and keeps
Show More
the pages turning. In the background is the Outsider, a stranger in town, orchestrating tragedies seemingly on a whim. King cleverly keeps him at a distance for most of the book, letting his menace build by increments. By the time Anderson’s search for the truth leads to an abandoned mine in the desert, readers are unlikely to be able to put “The Outsider” aside for even a moment....Ultimately, “The Outsider” is about belief, the conscious choice to acknowledge that the universe is a stranger place than most people think it is. The Outsider is a wily opponent, who can survive because few are able to recognize him for what he is. They fail to protect themselves from his very real malice and destructiveness. Show Less
What would it feel like to be so perfectly, completely implicated in the worst crime to ever befall a small town, and have perfectly, completely exonerating evidence you weren’t there? That’s the biggest question King explores in “The Outsider” as small-town cops and prosecutors are asked
Show More
to believe the impossible — and find the impossible as well. Mob mentality, pedophilia, horrific violence — King never shies away from tough topics. Show Less
As with most of King’s work, “The Outsider” is at its heart an exploration of good and evil; except this time, skepticism blurs the lines between the two. Terry Maitland is by all accounts a solid family man, a beloved Little League coach, and, quite suddenly, the main suspect in the horrific
Show More
mutilation and murder of a young boy. The physical evidence and eyewitness testimony against him are incontrovertible, though completely at odds with his reputation as a husband and father who for years has been a pillar of his insular Flint City, Okla., community....No book is perfect, but Stephen King is reliably closer than most. He has always excelled at writing about real people tested by unreal situations, whether it’s told in the unbroken narrative of Dolores Claiborne or via the mental lockboxes of Doctor Sleep. With “The Outsider,” if you can accept that a contemporary man in his late 40s recalls quoting “Our Gang” with his kid brother instead of the Fonz or even Pee-wee Herman, you’re in for one hell of a ride. Show Less
More than 50 novels published, and he’s still adding new influences to his work. I can think of a great many literary writers who are far lazier about their range of inspirations and interests. This expansiveness allows King to highlight the idea that whether we’re talking about Mexico or
Show More
Maine, Oklahoma or Texas, people the world over tell certain stories for reasons that feel much the same: to understand the mysteries of our universe, the improbable and inexplicable.... Here’s to mutant rats in the basement and Mexican myths; here’s to the strange and to Stephen King. Still inspiring. Show Less
There’s plenty of shadowy, wormy supernatural goings-on in Stephen King’s new novel The Outsider. Yet the most unsettling stuff — that which will leave you uncomfortable when you sit and devour this first-rate read — probes the monstrous side of human nature....How does a place deal when
Show More
the very best of them does the very worst thing imaginable? How does that man’s family and the family of the deceased boy go on living? And what of the cops who are faced with what seems like an impossible situation? The author plumbs to the gloomy depths with his cast before letting off the gas and giving them — and the reader — some needed hope....In King’s hands, real darkness is just as pervasive as the supernatural. Show Less
The story switches from King’s graceful head-hopping third-person narrative to a transcript of official statements from key personnel in the prosecution’s case, a formal change that nods to the statements and newspaper extracts King used throughout his debut, Carrie. A well-researched, finely
Show More
tuned crime-cum-legal case novel forms a good chunk of the book ... The supernatural elements have more than a little in common with some of King’s most beloved creations, especially in the vague way he conveys what they actually are. He has always understood that the mystery – the question – is scarier than finding out the truth ... That’s not to say the whole novel works. It takes a couple of hundred pages for the weirdness to get started, and the sense of the uncanny pervading the entire novel means that the more horrifying elements fail to surprise when they eventually arrive. But The Outsider gives King fans exactly what they want at the same time as cramming in new ideas, proving the least surprising thing of all: that his novels are as strong as they ever were. Show Less
Horrormeister King (End of Watch, 2016, etc.) serves up a juicy tale that plays at the forefront of our current phobias, setting a police procedural among the creepiest depths of the supernatural....Snakes, guns, metempsychosis, gangbangers, possessed cops, side tours to jerkwater Texas towns, all
Show More
figure in King’s concoction, a bloodily Dantean denunciation of pedophilia. King skillfully works in references to current events (Black Lives Matter) and long-standing memes (getting plowed into by a runaway car), and he’s at his best, as always, when he’s painting a portrait worthy of Brueghel of the ordinary gone awry....Not his best, but a spooky pleasure for King’s boundless legion of fans. Show Less
What begins as a manhunt for an unlikely doppelgänger takes an uncanny turn into the supernatural. King’s skillful use of criminal forensics helps to ground his tale in a believable clinical reality where the horrors stand out in sharp relief.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
Long-time King fans will understand how anxious I was for this book to be good all the way to the end. It has all the hallmarks of the King stories we love - a terrific marriage, good friends, strange sh*t happening, suspense and a wicked boogeyman. Oh please stick the landing! Don’t pull a
The blend of police procedural and supernatural thriller was perfect and done with the usual licks of humor throughout. It was delicious waiting for the hard left turn you know the story will take. There are a lot of writer and literary references peppered around, but thankfully none are self or son-referential, something I’m pretty tired of.
Something Uncle Steve apparently isn’t tired of is a hidden evil using people to satisfy its gross appetites. As in The Shining, Doctor Sleep, Revival, Needful Things, Christine and a host of other books the innocent suffer at the hands of an ancient evil trying to keep its hold on this world. The way the outsider had its hooks into Jack was familiar and a bit worn though; take a basically bad person and exploit his inner failings and fears and he will naturally fall into line and do your dirty work. It was odd though that the outsider didn’t talk to Ralph directly though. I guess if he had it would have been impossible for Ralph to continue to disbelieve which seemed an important element.
The ending is good and there is a tiny scare toward the very end, but since it’s King you expect that. I thought Ralph might be shaping up to be a Bill Hodges replacement for Holly, but he goes back to his regular job. Who knows if we’ll see him again, but I have a feeling we will.
Oh and I love the bit about hard drug painkillers and it’s something I’ve been saying for years - vicodin etc, doesn’t actually kill the pain, it just makes you not care. Right on.
Show More
Revival on me. And he didn’t.The blend of police procedural and supernatural thriller was perfect and done with the usual licks of humor throughout. It was delicious waiting for the hard left turn you know the story will take. There are a lot of writer and literary references peppered around, but thankfully none are self or son-referential, something I’m pretty tired of.
Something Uncle Steve apparently isn’t tired of is a hidden evil using people to satisfy its gross appetites. As in The Shining, Doctor Sleep, Revival, Needful Things, Christine and a host of other books the innocent suffer at the hands of an ancient evil trying to keep its hold on this world. The way the outsider had its hooks into Jack was familiar and a bit worn though; take a basically bad person and exploit his inner failings and fears and he will naturally fall into line and do your dirty work. It was odd though that the outsider didn’t talk to Ralph directly though. I guess if he had it would have been impossible for Ralph to continue to disbelieve which seemed an important element.
The ending is good and there is a tiny scare toward the very end, but since it’s King you expect that. I thought Ralph might be shaping up to be a Bill Hodges replacement for Holly, but he goes back to his regular job. Who knows if we’ll see him again, but I have a feeling we will.
Oh and I love the bit about hard drug painkillers and it’s something I’ve been saying for years - vicodin etc, doesn’t actually kill the pain, it just makes you not care. Right on.
Show Less
LibraryThing member alanteder
Saying very much here would be a spoiler so I'll stick with: fans of the Mr. Mercedes trilogy will not be disappointed. Also, if you are not familiar with Latin American horror myths you will be as surprised as I was when I googled the big bad here after the fact and found that there is a very long
I listened to the audiobook edition and the performance by actor Will Patton was outstanding, especially in the voice of Lovie Ann Bolton.
Show More
history of that mythology. I listened to the audiobook edition and the performance by actor Will Patton was outstanding, especially in the voice of Lovie Ann Bolton.
Show Less
LibraryThing member over.the.edge
The Outsider🍒🍒🍒🍒
By Stephen King
2018
Scribner
Creepy, unsettling atmosphere, true to Stephen Kings style, this is also very difficult subject matter for some. If your sensitive to child abuse and rape, you may want to not read this.
This is a fiction that reads like a true crime with a
Eyewitnesses and other evidence of the rape and murder of a young boy point to a much loved and respected member of the community, Terry Maitland. Little League coach, English teacher, husband and father of 2 girls.....the case against him is strong.
Could Maitland have a secret hidden side?? Are the witnesses being fooled by a double trying to set him up? If so, why???
The ending will shock you.
Recommended. Really good King book in classic King style.
By Stephen King
2018
Scribner
Creepy, unsettling atmosphere, true to Stephen Kings style, this is also very difficult subject matter for some. If your sensitive to child abuse and rape, you may want to not read this.
This is a fiction that reads like a true crime with a
Show More
dark eerie twist....Eyewitnesses and other evidence of the rape and murder of a young boy point to a much loved and respected member of the community, Terry Maitland. Little League coach, English teacher, husband and father of 2 girls.....the case against him is strong.
Could Maitland have a secret hidden side?? Are the witnesses being fooled by a double trying to set him up? If so, why???
The ending will shock you.
Recommended. Really good King book in classic King style.
Show Less
LibraryThing member msf59
"Dreams are the way we touch the unseen world . . ."
King mined the crime/mystery/supernatural genre with his Bill Hodges trilogy and he continues in that direction here. It begins with a horrific murder of an eleven year old boy and the arrest of a popular high school coach, for the heinous crime.
**Will Patton does an excellent job on the audiobook narration.
King mined the crime/mystery/supernatural genre with his Bill Hodges trilogy and he continues in that direction here. It begins with a horrific murder of an eleven year old boy and the arrest of a popular high school coach, for the heinous crime.
Show More
The teacher has a perfect alibi but the police have solid DNA proof that he committed it. How King, addresses the rest of this novel, is truly thrilling, scary and entertaining. As a bonus, Holly Gibney returns from the Hodges books, to assist with the investigation. She is a terrific character and it is good to see her back. Mr. King continues to deliver, in his usual masterly style. **Will Patton does an excellent job on the audiobook narration.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TomDonaghey
THE OUTSIDER byStephen King was a highly anticipated book that, to me, was a bit of a let down. I think King is our greatest living writer for his diversity (you write fifty plus “horror” books without rehashing you own plots), ability to evoke deep sensations within the casual reader, weave
The Outsider is half such a book. A horrendous crime is committed upon a 12 year old boy and every stitch of compelling evidence points directly at one person. That Terry Maitland is a model citizen, English teacher in the local high school and the small town’s best baseball coach doesn’t stop the local police from making a very public arrest.
But Coach Terry has a solid alibi. He was attending a teachers convention 70 miles away where we was almost constantly with at least one of three other teachers from the same school, all who have known his for years and years. Also, at the time of the murder, he was filmed by a local television station asking a question of Harlan Coben during a lecture given by the same.
So who is this look-alike with the same fingerprints and DNA? Keep in mind Coach Terry was an only child.
This is some of Mr. King’s best crime writing. But the second half seems overly drawn out, the guilty party given short shrift, and the finale rushed. Or perhaps I just tired of reading an over long tale that could have used scissors in many of the scenes.
Show More
compelling dramatic tales that involve the reader and compels them to read on and on, long past the time they should have set the book aside for real life pursuits. And every new book is eagerly anticipated by readers around the globe. Mr King invokes the zeitgeist to sell books and he does it well.The Outsider is half such a book. A horrendous crime is committed upon a 12 year old boy and every stitch of compelling evidence points directly at one person. That Terry Maitland is a model citizen, English teacher in the local high school and the small town’s best baseball coach doesn’t stop the local police from making a very public arrest.
But Coach Terry has a solid alibi. He was attending a teachers convention 70 miles away where we was almost constantly with at least one of three other teachers from the same school, all who have known his for years and years. Also, at the time of the murder, he was filmed by a local television station asking a question of Harlan Coben during a lecture given by the same.
So who is this look-alike with the same fingerprints and DNA? Keep in mind Coach Terry was an only child.
This is some of Mr. King’s best crime writing. But the second half seems overly drawn out, the guilty party given short shrift, and the finale rushed. Or perhaps I just tired of reading an over long tale that could have used scissors in many of the scenes.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sturlington
The story begins with a horrific child murder, and all the evidence points to an unexpected suspect: a high school teacher, Little League coach, and family man. But after his very public arrest, other contradicting evidence comes to light--it appears that the suspect was in two places at once. This
Show More
was solid King--a suspenseful plot, a chilling monster, and a band of characters you want to root for, and also perhaps a couple of hundred pages too long. It is less horror and more of a supernatural thriller, and fans of King's Bill Hodges trilogy will be happy that a beloved character from those books makes a reappearance here. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kathl33n
I started reading SK in the mid-eighties and read literally everything he wrote right up until the mid-nineties, the last book I read being Insomnia. Then of course I read the The Green Mile series several years later - because who could resist those tiny, cute serials in the grocery checkout
It was with this excited fervor that I began reading the first page and immediately it was like slipping on my favorite old pair of slippers I thought I had lost years ago. Mr. King is a phenomenal writer, his words feel effortlessly given and are so easily absorbed. I was in heaven and was kicking myself for staying gone so long. This story was seriously engaging. It grabs you immediately with a horrific crime and then deftly pulls you along with a mystery that rivals those of Agatha Christie and Edgar Allen Poe. Who, interestingly, are mentioned several times during the read. I was so very excited that maybe I was reading one the best mystery stories ever written. But alas! - I was soon to be disappointed. The story came to land right back in the horror genre with a supernatural twist explaining away the carefully plotted mystery I was so desperate to see solved with great detective work.
But that is not to say this wasn't a good book. It was. If you want a typical SK story then this was a great book. I just feel a bit disappointed. I feel a bit cheated. I wanted more. I wanted something different. I wanted something other. I guess I wanted Mr. King to change his spots. And we all know that never happens.
Show More
lanes. Does anyone else remember those or am I dating myself?? It was then my love affair ended as my life circumstances just did not allow me to read creepy, scary, horror novels and I moved very heavily into historical fiction. But then, over the last several years (and different life circumstances again) I have been thinking about delving back in. The Bill Hodges books started to appeal to me. So, when I saw that I could be the first person in my library to read this newest work, I jumped at the chance thinking - yes! I want back in Mr. King! I want to be part of your club again!It was with this excited fervor that I began reading the first page and immediately it was like slipping on my favorite old pair of slippers I thought I had lost years ago. Mr. King is a phenomenal writer, his words feel effortlessly given and are so easily absorbed. I was in heaven and was kicking myself for staying gone so long. This story was seriously engaging. It grabs you immediately with a horrific crime and then deftly pulls you along with a mystery that rivals those of Agatha Christie and Edgar Allen Poe. Who, interestingly, are mentioned several times during the read. I was so very excited that maybe I was reading one the best mystery stories ever written. But alas! - I was soon to be disappointed. The story came to land right back in the horror genre with a supernatural twist explaining away the carefully plotted mystery I was so desperate to see solved with great detective work.
But that is not to say this wasn't a good book. It was. If you want a typical SK story then this was a great book. I just feel a bit disappointed. I feel a bit cheated. I wanted more. I wanted something different. I wanted something other. I guess I wanted Mr. King to change his spots. And we all know that never happens.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jrthebutler
A gruesome murder of an 11-year-old boy, with all evidence pointing towards one of the town’s most popular residents as the killer, who has an airtight alibi.
LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco
Only 30 pages in, and I’m totally hooked! That’s often the case when I pick up one of his books!
And that hook stuck in me all the way through! Basically, there's a horrible murder and all the evidence points to one man - and that man has an airtight alibi! So, who done it? And how? Dun, dun,
SPOILER ALERTS:
This basically is a mystery/thriller, that takes a supernatural turn toward the end. I loved that Holly Gibney (from the Bill Hodges trilogy) shows up, as she is an excellent character and brought a fun/quirky angle to the story! And I really enjoyed the El Cucuy legend, as I had never heard it before! And Las Luchadoras! I think the final confrontation went too quickly, but other than that, I was completely happy with this latest novel from Uncle Stevie!
And that hook stuck in me all the way through! Basically, there's a horrible murder and all the evidence points to one man - and that man has an airtight alibi! So, who done it? And how? Dun, dun,
Show More
dun...SPOILER ALERTS:
This basically is a mystery/thriller, that takes a supernatural turn toward the end. I loved that Holly Gibney (from the Bill Hodges trilogy) shows up, as she is an excellent character and brought a fun/quirky angle to the story! And I really enjoyed the El Cucuy legend, as I had never heard it before! And Las Luchadoras! I think the final confrontation went too quickly, but other than that, I was completely happy with this latest novel from Uncle Stevie!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Carol420
Can someone be in two places at once? Before you say "no way", stop and think about the author that is trying to convince you of this. This is the man that presented us with nightmares about a killer clown that lives in the sewer (It), a disturbed young girls that used her powers to destroy an
Show More
entire town and the people that tormented her (Carrie), that sometimes "dead is better'...a lesson that we learned as dead pets and eventually people returned, (Pet Sementary), various werewolves and vampires make appearances along his literary path...so this should not be too difficult for a Stephan King fan to buy into. Creepy and disturbing barely begin to describe "The Outsider. Once you start on this journey you won't be able to stop until you reach page 560..the end. Fans will also recognize and welcome back some of the characters from "The Mercedes Trilogy". I have to agree with the one reviewer that wrote "More than merely horror...this story will take you on an incredible ride through places you otherwise dare not go." Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
King continues his forays outside Maine, with characters he’s introduced in recent books (especially Holly) playing supporting roles. In a small Oklahoma town, a boy is kidnapped, savagely abused and murdered. Given the eyewitnesses, fingerprints, and DNA, it’s an open and shut case: the
Show More
beloved baseball coach did it. Except that he was hours away, in front of cameras and close friends, at the same time. Starting from that point, the story follows what happens to the coach, his family, the cop who arrested him, and others sucked in, eventually confronting the possibility of supernatural activity. It’s a good romp, though basically just a variant of King’s standard “random evil exists and we must face it” story. Show Less
LibraryThing member cathyskye
Through movies and television, we have been trained to put complete faith in forensic science... DNA, fingerprints, and everything else that goes with it. In The Outsider, Stephen King has enjoyed himself immensely by turning all that science on its head, and he does it by using a Sherlock Holmes
Ralph Anderson is the immovable rock-- everything must make sense. Everything must have a logical explanation. He is the person who must see the truth in that Sherlock Holmes quote. But Terry Maitland's proven alibi and the evidence he and his team have found do not make sense. At. All. Maitland's defense team knows they need help, and I was delighted when that help turned out to be Holly Gibney from King's Bill Hodges mystery trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, et al). Quite frankly, I think Holly rocks, and she certainly does in this book.
King has created a core cast of characters whose emotional responses to events can break your heart, and it's easy to become wrapped up in their lives. The solution to the young boy's murder is vintage King, and even if you don't quite go for "that sort of thing," it's fun to put all the clues together along with the characters. As I read, I had the feeling that the book was leading up to an explosive ending, and it wasn't, which was a tad disappointing. But on the other hand, most mysteries are not solved by an eardrum-splitting clap of thunder and a huge bolt of lightning. The Outsider grabbed me from page one and kept me enthralled to the end. You can't ask for anything more.
Show More
quote as a sort of mantra: "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Ralph Anderson is the immovable rock-- everything must make sense. Everything must have a logical explanation. He is the person who must see the truth in that Sherlock Holmes quote. But Terry Maitland's proven alibi and the evidence he and his team have found do not make sense. At. All. Maitland's defense team knows they need help, and I was delighted when that help turned out to be Holly Gibney from King's Bill Hodges mystery trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, et al). Quite frankly, I think Holly rocks, and she certainly does in this book.
King has created a core cast of characters whose emotional responses to events can break your heart, and it's easy to become wrapped up in their lives. The solution to the young boy's murder is vintage King, and even if you don't quite go for "that sort of thing," it's fun to put all the clues together along with the characters. As I read, I had the feeling that the book was leading up to an explosive ending, and it wasn't, which was a tad disappointing. But on the other hand, most mysteries are not solved by an eardrum-splitting clap of thunder and a huge bolt of lightning. The Outsider grabbed me from page one and kept me enthralled to the end. You can't ask for anything more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Mooose
Pretty predictable. Not sure why I expect anything that is not predictable but obviously I did. Think it could have been told with about 300 fewer pages and been a better book.
LibraryThing member AliceaP
The Outsider is the newest notch in the belt of one of the most prolific writers of supernatural horror, Stephen King. It's been a good long while since I've sunk my teeth into a King novel but when I read the premise (and saw the ultra rad cover) I knew that it was time to take a bite. (That
Show More
metaphor got away from me.) The very beginning launches the reader into a graphic description of the murder of an 11 year old boy named Frank Peterson. [A/N: As this is literally the first two pages I don't consider this a spoiler. I do want to point out that it is very graphic and involves a sexual element so if this is in any way triggering to you please steer clear.] It seems to be an open and shut case because of the preponderance of evidence which points directly to a prominent member of the community...who also happened to be the coach of the Chief Detective assigned to the case. Can anyone say conflict of interest? However, things are not so cut and dry because it turns out that this man has an alibi with witnesses. So how was he in two places at once? What next occurs is a roller-coaster of police procedural drama with a heaping dash of supernatural horror thrown in for good measure. I wrote tons of notes about this book after I had read it but because they are mainly about the plot and super spoiler-y I don't feel that I can enumerate them here. Suffice it to say that in trademark King style there are always more twists and turns just when you think there couldn't possibly be any more. I enjoyed it thoroughly right up until the very end which I felt was not up to King's usual standard. With that being said, I did really like it and immediately lent my copy to another coworker with my recommendation so I can't help but give it a 9/10. Show Less
LibraryThing member martinhughharvey
Rated this 3.5 stars (unsure what FB and Twitter will show). Actually, it was a very good book although as a Stephen King book my expectations were very high - all the books I've read in the past were exceptional. This just wasn't. Good characters but I didn't really gel with them, there wasn't the
I suspect I am bucking the reviews trend!
Show More
nostalgia I'm used to - either the characters or the location (maybe because it wasn't in New England), I felt the fantasy/horror part was contrived, plus while I didn't predict the end it wasn't that surprising.I suspect I am bucking the reviews trend!
Show Less
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
The Outsider is Stephen King at his most Stephen King-like. Which is to say that if you generally like King's style, you'll be pleased with this book. If his quirks annoy you, this isn't the book for you.
The Outsider tells the story of the aftermath of the murder and mutilation of a young boy. The
This is an interesting blend of horror and crime novel, and it works as wonderfully as it did in the final books of King's Bill Hodges trilogy. There were several moments when I was pulled out of the story by something so characteristic of King that I had to pause and recognize that. There's no forgetting the author, which is not necessarily a bad thing, when King is so reliably able to pull off a complex and satisfying conclusion.
The Outsider tells the story of the aftermath of the murder and mutilation of a young boy. The
Show More
perpetrator, Terry Maitland, a well-known and well-liked coach, was seen by several people who knew him at the scene and there was plenty of forensic evidence, so the police move quickly to arrest him. And then things go badly wrong, leaving the lead detective, Ralph Anderson, a man not unlike King's other detective, Bill Hodges, deeply uneasy and looking for answers. Joined by Maitland's lawyer and his private investigator, as well as the county prosecutor, along with help from a character in earlier King novels, Holly Gibney, the search for answers in on. But will they believe the answers when they see them?This is an interesting blend of horror and crime novel, and it works as wonderfully as it did in the final books of King's Bill Hodges trilogy. There were several moments when I was pulled out of the story by something so characteristic of King that I had to pause and recognize that. There's no forgetting the author, which is not necessarily a bad thing, when King is so reliably able to pull off a complex and satisfying conclusion.
Show Less
LibraryThing member gail616
Very. I have enjoyed this book. Kept my attention the whole time!
LibraryThing member Audriana0202
Stephen King has done it again! The Outsider was intriguing and well written, leaving me wanting more after every page, all the way to the end.
Side note: There are some spoilers for the Bill Hodges trilogy in this book, so if you don't want that trilogy to be spoiled for you, I suggest reading it
Side note: There are some spoilers for the Bill Hodges trilogy in this book, so if you don't want that trilogy to be spoiled for you, I suggest reading it
Show More
first! Show Less
LibraryThing member silversurfer
King is back on top form with this high caliber creep fest.there should be a warning label: Beware, may cause you to look under the bed and sleep with the lights on.
LibraryThing member JaredOrlando
Firstly, I cannot stress enough how much more rewarding this book is after reading the Bill Hodges trilogy. So before you begin the Outsider, fellow reader, read that trilogy.
***
Okay. You finished the trilogy? Good. Welcome back. Now let's talk the Outsider.
King is back with a creepy whodunnit.
This isn't a review meant to detail what actually happens in this book. That isn't up to me. But if you were curious at this stage in the game if Stephen King still has it... he does. He still has it. His baddies are unnerving, his pacing absolutely stellar, and the setting is one that breathes and reveals itself. Go ahead and throw this on your Want to Read, and put it near the top.
***
Okay. You finished the trilogy? Good. Welcome back. Now let's talk the Outsider.
King is back with a creepy whodunnit.
Show More
This book is one you want to devour, and in doing so may lose some details along the way. But Stephen King has a great knack for reminding you, keeping you up to speed, almost letting you treat the Outsider like a Netflix binge. This isn't a review meant to detail what actually happens in this book. That isn't up to me. But if you were curious at this stage in the game if Stephen King still has it... he does. He still has it. His baddies are unnerving, his pacing absolutely stellar, and the setting is one that breathes and reveals itself. Go ahead and throw this on your Want to Read, and put it near the top.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Twink
I enjoy Stephen King's chunkster books. With his last few, I've started to listen to them instead of reading. And I've found that I actually prefer the audio version - I feel more immersed in the story.
King's latest is The Outsider. (creepy cover eh?) The Outsider does open with a horrible crime -
The reader was Will Patton - one of my hands down favourite audio book narrators. He has a voice that is so versatile - from soft, dulcet tones to harsh, sharp tones and everything in between. One of the things I do enjoy about King novels is the large cast of characters. Patton had a voice and style for everyone of them. It was easy to identify who was talking in a conversation. This variance and versatility make the story come alive. It also keeps the listener engaged. Easy to understand, well enunciated.
King's style has evolved from the early days, but bottom line - no one spins a tale like Stephen King
King's latest is The Outsider. (creepy cover eh?) The Outsider does open with a horrible crime -
Show More
an eleven year old boy is found dead and violated. Fingerprints and forensic evidence firmly point to the guilty part - his baseball coach. But Terry Maitland has an alibi, a seemingly airtight alibi. How could he be in two places at once? And there's the opening for another creepy King-esque twisty plot. A plot that veers into darkness. But is that darkness supernatural or could it be from the natural world? King keeps the listener guessing with a slow eking out of the case and its resolution. King fans will be happy to see the return of Holly Gibney in The Outsider. I always enjoy the large cast of characters and the detailed descriptions that earmark King's work.The reader was Will Patton - one of my hands down favourite audio book narrators. He has a voice that is so versatile - from soft, dulcet tones to harsh, sharp tones and everything in between. One of the things I do enjoy about King novels is the large cast of characters. Patton had a voice and style for everyone of them. It was easy to identify who was talking in a conversation. This variance and versatility make the story come alive. It also keeps the listener engaged. Easy to understand, well enunciated.
King's style has evolved from the early days, but bottom line - no one spins a tale like Stephen King
Show Less
LibraryThing member ghr4
Stephen King's The Outsider begins as a riveting, fast-paced murder mystery, but the story gets quite convoluted and ultimately loses steam as King struggles to hold the supernatural solution together. And there is an extraordinary amount of padding in the second half of the novel, largely in the
Show More
form of unnecessary and/or long-winded dialogue. Overall, a disappointment after a promising start. Show Less
LibraryThing member DrApple
As always, King creates unforgettable characters and puts them in strange and stressful situations. I loved the fact that he resurrected one of the characters from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy in this work.
LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
This is one of the best Stephen King novels I've read in a while - intense, scary, and full of compelling characters. All the things Stephen King does best, and the ending wasn't even terrible. There may have been a few too many graphic details for my taste, but possibly I'm just getting old.
LibraryThing member ChelleBearss
I had 50 pages left at 1030pm and was in the zone when two stray cats started fighting and screaming outside. I may have just had a heart attack. This was great and at only 560 pages it was actually small for a King novel. Recommended to anyone who likes to be scared and has already read King’s
Show More
Bill Hodges Trilogy (due to spoilers) Show Less
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Thriller/Suspense — 2019)
Locus Award (Finalist — 2019)
Call number
FIC G Kin