Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Pocket Books
Pages
528
Description
"A masterful, intensely suspenseful novel about a reader whose obsession with a reclusive writer goes far too far--a book about the power of storytelling, starring the same trio of unlikely and winning heroes King introduced in Mr. Mercedes" -- ""Wake up, genius." So begins King's instantly riveting story about a vengeful reader. The genius is John Rothstein, an iconic author who created a famous character, Jimmy Gold, but who hasn't published a book for decades. Morris Bellamy is livid, not just because Rothstein has stopped providing books, but because the nonconformist Jimmy Gold has sold out for a career in advertising. Morris kills Rothstein and empties his safe of cash, yes, but the real treasure is a trove of notebooks containing at least one more Gold novel. Morris hides the money and the notebooks, and then he is locked away for another crime. Decades later, a boy named Pete Saubers finds the treasure, and now it is Pete and his family that Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson must rescue from the ever-more deranged and vengeful Morris when he's released from prison after thirty-five years" --… (more)
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-06-02
Physical description
528 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
9781501100123
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User reviews
LibraryThing member zmagic69
This is a 3 1/2 Star book. Much better than the horrible book he delivered last fall, Revival.
It is ironic that Stephen King points out rule #13 omit needless words in Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style on page 323 of his latest book Finders Keepers, because this is the first time I can
This being a Stephen King book the story was still better than a lot of books out there, but the amount of needless detail for me, got tiring quickly. Also I am not sure we needed to be exposed to a number of characters left over from last summers book Mr Mercedes, especially Jerome and Holly who weren't needed in this book.
It is ironic that Stephen King points out rule #13 omit needless words in Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style on page 323 of his latest book Finders Keepers, because this is the first time I can
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remember a Stephen King book being a good story while at the same time being needlessly wordy and detailed. Finders Keepers is easily too long by 100+ pages. This being a Stephen King book the story was still better than a lot of books out there, but the amount of needless detail for me, got tiring quickly. Also I am not sure we needed to be exposed to a number of characters left over from last summers book Mr Mercedes, especially Jerome and Holly who weren't needed in this book.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
I actually liked the follow-up to last summer’s crime novel, Mr. Mercedes, even better. That’s because it’s about readers and how obsessed we can get with our favorite books, writers, and characters. It’s also a page-turner — just what you’d expect from King.
You can read this without
Read as part of a series (2015).
You can read this without
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reading Mr. Mercedes first. The continuing characters--Hodges, Holly, and Jerome--are actually rather unnecessary except to advance the plot, and they don't undergo any real character development. King does briefly bring back the villain from the first book and set us up for the final installment, which seems likely to have a more paranormal plot than the first two. Read as part of a series (2015).
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LibraryThing member techeditor
In FINDERS KEEPERS, Stephen King returns to one of his old themes. In his book MISERY, a character was obsessed with a certain author’s books, and here King repeats that theme.
As a young man, Morris commits a crime because of his dissatisfaction with the way that certain author, John Rothstein,
Thirty-plus years later Pete, who coincidentally also loves Rothstein’s novels, unearths that trunk. Pete has also found lots of trouble.
Now come Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson, three of the characters from King’s MR. MERCEDES, to the rescue.
This second book in King’s MR. MERCEDES trilogy is delightful. At the same time, though, although FINDERS KEEPERS does allude to the MR. MERCEDES killings throughout, King takes a little too long to have the Hodges trio enter the story.
But that is just my opinion, and you may find no problem at all. King is great, and it’s hard to criticize anything he writes.
As a young man, Morris commits a crime because of his dissatisfaction with the way that certain author, John Rothstein,
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has ended his book series. Morris then buries a trunk full of notebooks containing Rothstein’s stories, poems, even novels that no one has read yet. The idea is that Morris would come back for them later; the notebooks would stay there waiting for him. Thirty-plus years later Pete, who coincidentally also loves Rothstein’s novels, unearths that trunk. Pete has also found lots of trouble.
Now come Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson, three of the characters from King’s MR. MERCEDES, to the rescue.
This second book in King’s MR. MERCEDES trilogy is delightful. At the same time, though, although FINDERS KEEPERS does allude to the MR. MERCEDES killings throughout, King takes a little too long to have the Hodges trio enter the story.
But that is just my opinion, and you may find no problem at all. King is great, and it’s hard to criticize anything he writes.
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LibraryThing member bagejew
Finders Keepers revolves around the life and death of fictional author John Rothstein. How deeply and differently can Rothstein's writing affect two people whose lives have just as many similarities as they do differences? Stephen King masterfully interweaves the stories of Morrie Bellamy and Pete
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Saubers. He also adds a dash of detective work by Bill Hodges (from Mr. Mercedes). The result is a twisting tale of greed and murder that you won't want to put down. Show Less
LibraryThing member she_climber
Absolutely loved this book. My memories of the first book, Mr. Mercedes, came back pretty quick. With the exception of Holly for some reason I had a hard time remembering exactly what her deal was and King was not giving much backstory from the previous book. Therefore, I would not recommend anyone
This story had a bit of Misery in it...fans who love their characters and will make the author pay for taking them in directions they don't approve of. But it was still very enjoyable and I was completely wrapped up and entertained.
Back in my High School days I was a big Stephen King fan and then he just starting writing some very odd things and I was turned off. But with this triology I'm back.
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read this one without first reading Mr. Mercedes. This story had a bit of Misery in it...fans who love their characters and will make the author pay for taking them in directions they don't approve of. But it was still very enjoyable and I was completely wrapped up and entertained.
Back in my High School days I was a big Stephen King fan and then he just starting writing some very odd things and I was turned off. But with this triology I'm back.
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LibraryThing member ASKelmore
I started this yesterday. Read it at the gym. Couldn’t read much more because my in-laws were in town. Read it this morning at the gym, walking to and from an appointment, and then just finished it while eating dinner.
SO GOOD.
This is the second in a series that I happened to start reading about a
Basic premise: someone steals something of value, but ends up in prison for another crime and doesn’t get to enjoy that something. 30 years later, a teenager finds that something. It goes from there, taking turns I don’t expect.
I had a bit of a disagreement with my mother-in-law while she was here, because I hadn’t yet really seen how Mr. King’s books were horror as opposed to thriller. Sure, the entire set-up for this trilogy involves someone running a bunch of people down, but I didn’t feel like that was entirely graphically depicted. But who boy do I owe my mother-in-law an apology because holy sh*t does some truly gruesome stuff go down in this book. So, you know, if you think you have an aversion to the description of someone being run over being likened to the smashing of a gourd, I’m guessing this book isn’t for you.
It was totally for me, though.
SO GOOD.
This is the second in a series that I happened to start reading about a
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week ago, not knowing that there would be three total books about these characters. But what’s so fascinating about this one is that the main folks from the first book in the series don’t appear until about 150 pages into this 430-page book. And I didn’t miss them. Didn’t care, because the story Mr. King was telling is masterful.Basic premise: someone steals something of value, but ends up in prison for another crime and doesn’t get to enjoy that something. 30 years later, a teenager finds that something. It goes from there, taking turns I don’t expect.
I had a bit of a disagreement with my mother-in-law while she was here, because I hadn’t yet really seen how Mr. King’s books were horror as opposed to thriller. Sure, the entire set-up for this trilogy involves someone running a bunch of people down, but I didn’t feel like that was entirely graphically depicted. But who boy do I owe my mother-in-law an apology because holy sh*t does some truly gruesome stuff go down in this book. So, you know, if you think you have an aversion to the description of someone being run over being likened to the smashing of a gourd, I’m guessing this book isn’t for you.
It was totally for me, though.
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LibraryThing member maimonedes
I have not read the other books in the trilogy, but did not find this any hinderance to a full enjoyment of this one. Apart from the focus on Mercedes driver maniac - which is obviously a set-up for another book - the background to ex-detective Hodges and his crew are done with economy, and do not
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intrude too much into the narrative. This book works very well as a standalone novel. It is superbly plotted; the characters have the usual sharp definition of all King characters; the inevitable confrontation between the villain of the piece and the boy-hero is suspenseful and reaches its denouement with a surprising and - in retrospect - superbly ironic twist. It is an excellent reflection on the nature of obsession. Show Less
LibraryThing member ChristineEllei
From an interview for Rolling Stone Magazine:
When asked why he started out in the horror genre when it was widely considered “less than respectable” …
“And I have to say this: To a degree, I have elevated the horror genre.”
A few times Mr. King has contemplated retirement, but he always
“It fulfills me. There are two things about it I like: It makes me happy, and it makes other people happy.”
Morris Bellamy could probably have made his living writing critiques about his favorite book series featuring Jimmy Gold, his literary hero. But life has damaged Morris quite a bit so he has difficulty channeling his energy in a socially acceptable manner. Instead, he is angry with the author John Rothstein, because of the way the books series ended (whew … slight personal flashback to the Dark Tower Series) and he decides to pay the reclusive author a visit. The visit does not end well for Mr. Rothstein or Morris’ accomplices. Morris himself couldn’t be happier; not only did he make off with tens of thousands of dollar in cash, but more importantly to Morris, a treasure trove of moleskin notebooks containing the rest of Jimmy Gold’s unpublished story. What does Morris do with his ill-gotten gain? He knows he cannot keep it with him so of course he buries it. Unfortunately for Morris his life spins slightly out of control and he cannot get back to recover his prize. That was in the 1970’s.
Now it’s present day and Pete Sauber is walking through the woods when he stumbles upon a buried travel trunk. This discovery is like “manna from heaven” because things have not been going so well since the recession hit and his father was injured in the Mr. Mercedes massacre. Peter doesn’t think twice about helping his family with the money but he squirrels away the notebooks for his own enjoyment and he is also becomes a Jimmy Gold fan.
Morris inconveniently reappears at about the same time the money runs out and Pete needs to make some decisions about what to do. They turn out to be not the best decisions he could have made so young Pete’s life takes an (un)expected turn for the worse. Through a fortuitous set of circumstances Bill Hodges, the retired cop/now unlicensed PI, and his cohorts from the Mr. Mercedes case become involved, but can they piece things together quickly enough to save Pete?
“Finders, Keepers” is the second in the Bill Hodges trilogy, and as was Mr. Mercedes, this book is a step away from the “horror” genre for which Mr. King is known. This book is definitely an action/thriller.
When asked about his foray into the suspense/thriller genre Mr. King told Rolling Stone Magazine, “Do you want to do what your heart is telling you you should do, or do you want to do what people expect? Because if you only want to write what people expect, what the f*** did you do all this for? Why don’t you write what you want to write?”
Mr. King is my go-to author for horror but this book does not disappoint – it may just not be what you are expecting. “Finders, Keepers” gave me an antagonist I could really despise – everything from his appearance to his demeanor was reprehensible and a protagonist I felt for every step of the way. Most of the suspense in this book comes from Pete’s angst about what his is doing and the decisions he is making. It was written well and it was believable. Every time something worked out for him I felt like cheering. The driving factors moving this story forward were the coincidences that kept cropping up, but rather than detracting from the story they made me sigh and think “poor Pete, what else could possibly go wrong”.
I know this is Bill Hodges’ series so it was unusual that he did not make appearance until well into the book, but that worked too. The story had me captivated and I didn’t really miss him until he came along and gave me that “oh, yeah” moment.
Was this King at the top of his game? Maybe not quite, but it was a good read. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book because there was just enough of a kiss and tease in this book to make me think there will be some kind of horror element in the final book of the trilogy.
When asked why he started out in the horror genre when it was widely considered “less than respectable” …
“And I have to say this: To a degree, I have elevated the horror genre.”
A few times Mr. King has contemplated retirement, but he always
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keeps writing …“It fulfills me. There are two things about it I like: It makes me happy, and it makes other people happy.”
Morris Bellamy could probably have made his living writing critiques about his favorite book series featuring Jimmy Gold, his literary hero. But life has damaged Morris quite a bit so he has difficulty channeling his energy in a socially acceptable manner. Instead, he is angry with the author John Rothstein, because of the way the books series ended (whew … slight personal flashback to the Dark Tower Series) and he decides to pay the reclusive author a visit. The visit does not end well for Mr. Rothstein or Morris’ accomplices. Morris himself couldn’t be happier; not only did he make off with tens of thousands of dollar in cash, but more importantly to Morris, a treasure trove of moleskin notebooks containing the rest of Jimmy Gold’s unpublished story. What does Morris do with his ill-gotten gain? He knows he cannot keep it with him so of course he buries it. Unfortunately for Morris his life spins slightly out of control and he cannot get back to recover his prize. That was in the 1970’s.
Now it’s present day and Pete Sauber is walking through the woods when he stumbles upon a buried travel trunk. This discovery is like “manna from heaven” because things have not been going so well since the recession hit and his father was injured in the Mr. Mercedes massacre. Peter doesn’t think twice about helping his family with the money but he squirrels away the notebooks for his own enjoyment and he is also becomes a Jimmy Gold fan.
Morris inconveniently reappears at about the same time the money runs out and Pete needs to make some decisions about what to do. They turn out to be not the best decisions he could have made so young Pete’s life takes an (un)expected turn for the worse. Through a fortuitous set of circumstances Bill Hodges, the retired cop/now unlicensed PI, and his cohorts from the Mr. Mercedes case become involved, but can they piece things together quickly enough to save Pete?
“Finders, Keepers” is the second in the Bill Hodges trilogy, and as was Mr. Mercedes, this book is a step away from the “horror” genre for which Mr. King is known. This book is definitely an action/thriller.
When asked about his foray into the suspense/thriller genre Mr. King told Rolling Stone Magazine, “Do you want to do what your heart is telling you you should do, or do you want to do what people expect? Because if you only want to write what people expect, what the f*** did you do all this for? Why don’t you write what you want to write?”
Mr. King is my go-to author for horror but this book does not disappoint – it may just not be what you are expecting. “Finders, Keepers” gave me an antagonist I could really despise – everything from his appearance to his demeanor was reprehensible and a protagonist I felt for every step of the way. Most of the suspense in this book comes from Pete’s angst about what his is doing and the decisions he is making. It was written well and it was believable. Every time something worked out for him I felt like cheering. The driving factors moving this story forward were the coincidences that kept cropping up, but rather than detracting from the story they made me sigh and think “poor Pete, what else could possibly go wrong”.
I know this is Bill Hodges’ series so it was unusual that he did not make appearance until well into the book, but that worked too. The story had me captivated and I didn’t really miss him until he came along and gave me that “oh, yeah” moment.
Was this King at the top of his game? Maybe not quite, but it was a good read. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book because there was just enough of a kiss and tease in this book to make me think there will be some kind of horror element in the final book of the trilogy.
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LibraryThing member DonaldBuehler
I could not agree more with the review zmagic69 gave Finders Keepers: June 9, 2015. I am a life long Stephen King fan - he's my favorite author. Received Carrie from my wife for Christmas in 1974. But recently I have been disappointed in M. King. Revival was a terrible book - not well presented -
The Bill Hodges trilogy has been mediocre at best. Mr. Mercedes spent a L O N G time on examining the car - who owned it, etc. Compared to other detective types I have read, Mr. Hodges is not very interesting. And he seemed to be an after thought in Finders Keepers - he and his cohorts just do not seem to add anything to the story. They seem to be an excuse to make this a detective /mystery story. And again there was another long pretty boring section in the middle of Finders Keepers - with the relationship between Morris Bellamy and Andy - which just did not work.
When I told my wife I was reading his latest, she asked me - "Isn't he getting a little stale?" And I defended him - but she was right - Mr. King should either go back to horror, or give it up.
One other note: I usually go out and buy the hardback of every new novel immediately (usually about $18) - for some reason I decided to read a copy from the library - and buy the hardback later (probably for a couple of bucks) from St. Vincent De Paul. I am glad I did. I will keep my library of every horror novel written by S. King in tact, but only because I have all his previous horror novels. This is making me sad.
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seems to have missed a lot of chances to be creepy and startling. My biggest problem was the hopeless ending. So I agree with zmagic69 on that.The Bill Hodges trilogy has been mediocre at best. Mr. Mercedes spent a L O N G time on examining the car - who owned it, etc. Compared to other detective types I have read, Mr. Hodges is not very interesting. And he seemed to be an after thought in Finders Keepers - he and his cohorts just do not seem to add anything to the story. They seem to be an excuse to make this a detective /mystery story. And again there was another long pretty boring section in the middle of Finders Keepers - with the relationship between Morris Bellamy and Andy - which just did not work.
When I told my wife I was reading his latest, she asked me - "Isn't he getting a little stale?" And I defended him - but she was right - Mr. King should either go back to horror, or give it up.
One other note: I usually go out and buy the hardback of every new novel immediately (usually about $18) - for some reason I decided to read a copy from the library - and buy the hardback later (probably for a couple of bucks) from St. Vincent De Paul. I am glad I did. I will keep my library of every horror novel written by S. King in tact, but only because I have all his previous horror novels. This is making me sad.
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LibraryThing member tinkermn
I like the characters Mr. King creates and I find the twists and turns amusing, although occasionally grim. Great summer read.
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
I was right and Uncle Steve is giving us a super villain. No, not unlucky Morris Bellamy, but Brady who is ostensibly in a psychiatric hospital crisper drawer. The very end of Mr. Mercedes had a flicker of consciousness that seemed extinguished, but it's clear that he's still in there. Hodges
In the meantime we have to deal with Morris and his unreasoning attachment to a fictional man of letters, author of many "great American novels", John Rothstein. He's sort of a pastiche - part Salinger, part Roth. At least that's how it seemed to me. Morris kills him because he didn't like what he did with the character Morris so acutely loves. He also robs him of money and a bounty of notebooks in which the crotchety old writer has expanded his series and takes the character into territory more acceptable to Morris. Well it would be if the guy had the chance to read them. Instead he's sent to prison on another charge and has no idea that his buried treasure has been unearthed and read by another fan.
That fan is young Pete Saunders, son of one of Mr. Mercedes's victims. His home life is a wreck as you might imagine with dad being a banged-up cripple whose pity-party seems without end. His mother has to work herself to the bone and put up with his crap, and it seems like divorce is in the offing. Instead Pete anonymously sends the bundles of the erstwhile cash to his parents. They don't look to closely at this gift horse and it floats them enough that dad ends his pity-party and gets well enough to work again. It isn't enough to send Pete's sister to the school she wants and so that means Pete needs to come up with more money.
He ends up deciding to try to sell a few of the Rothstein notebooks. He deliberately chooses the most shady of used book dealers he learns about from his favorite teacher, but alas the more run-of-the-mill cheating or shady dealing isn't what he gets. That's because the book dealer is Morris's old friend, the one who originally hatched the plan to rob Rothstein, but who bailed out at the last minute, leaving Morris to find other minions to use and then murder. The book dealer (who now goes by Drew) knows exactly what Pete has and where it came from. But before he can execute his takedown, Morris shows up and he's on the other end of the stick which is means his early demise.
Once again Bill and his crew are drawn into the case. The Scooby Doo feel is a bit less in this book than the last. There are the usual mishaps and misunderstandings. Morris is a pretty ruthless villain and his violence and cruelty are palpable. King has always good at creating good villains and the John Sandford approach works well to get us into his sick little world. Morris gets put down hard, but the set up started in the first book continues here and so Brady will be back for a showdown with Bill in the third (final?) installment.
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continues to visit him out of a sense of unfinished business which I'm sure will round out the planned trilogy.In the meantime we have to deal with Morris and his unreasoning attachment to a fictional man of letters, author of many "great American novels", John Rothstein. He's sort of a pastiche - part Salinger, part Roth. At least that's how it seemed to me. Morris kills him because he didn't like what he did with the character Morris so acutely loves. He also robs him of money and a bounty of notebooks in which the crotchety old writer has expanded his series and takes the character into territory more acceptable to Morris. Well it would be if the guy had the chance to read them. Instead he's sent to prison on another charge and has no idea that his buried treasure has been unearthed and read by another fan.
That fan is young Pete Saunders, son of one of Mr. Mercedes's victims. His home life is a wreck as you might imagine with dad being a banged-up cripple whose pity-party seems without end. His mother has to work herself to the bone and put up with his crap, and it seems like divorce is in the offing. Instead Pete anonymously sends the bundles of the erstwhile cash to his parents. They don't look to closely at this gift horse and it floats them enough that dad ends his pity-party and gets well enough to work again. It isn't enough to send Pete's sister to the school she wants and so that means Pete needs to come up with more money.
He ends up deciding to try to sell a few of the Rothstein notebooks. He deliberately chooses the most shady of used book dealers he learns about from his favorite teacher, but alas the more run-of-the-mill cheating or shady dealing isn't what he gets. That's because the book dealer is Morris's old friend, the one who originally hatched the plan to rob Rothstein, but who bailed out at the last minute, leaving Morris to find other minions to use and then murder. The book dealer (who now goes by Drew) knows exactly what Pete has and where it came from. But before he can execute his takedown, Morris shows up and he's on the other end of the stick which is means his early demise.
Once again Bill and his crew are drawn into the case. The Scooby Doo feel is a bit less in this book than the last. There are the usual mishaps and misunderstandings. Morris is a pretty ruthless villain and his violence and cruelty are palpable. King has always good at creating good villains and the John Sandford approach works well to get us into his sick little world. Morris gets put down hard, but the set up started in the first book continues here and so Brady will be back for a showdown with Bill in the third (final?) installment.
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LibraryThing member jfe16
Morris Bellamy has murdered reclusive novelist John Rothstein. He and his pals empty the writer’s safe, taking cash and the cache of moleskin notebooks in which the author has written each day for the last eighteen years. Then Morrie murders his two cohorts and stashes the money and notebooks
Sent to prison for a rape he cannot remember committing, Morrie is unable to retrieve the cash or the notebooks and it is only the knowledge that Rothstein’s writings are tucked away, waiting for him to retrieve them, that gets him through the thirty-five years he spends incarcerated before his parole is granted.
But Peter Staubers has discovered Morrie’s hidden treasure and it falls to Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson [the trio from “Mr. Mercedes”] to protect the Staubers family from the vengeful ex-con. The deranged Bellamy hasn’t lost his vicious streak and is determined to retrieve the notebooks he considers his rightful property, no matter what he has to do to get them.
From the first page, this thriller is filled with perfectly paced, heart-stopping action and chilling suspense. Brilliant writing makes this riveting tale impossible to set aside.
Highly recommended.
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away. Sent to prison for a rape he cannot remember committing, Morrie is unable to retrieve the cash or the notebooks and it is only the knowledge that Rothstein’s writings are tucked away, waiting for him to retrieve them, that gets him through the thirty-five years he spends incarcerated before his parole is granted.
But Peter Staubers has discovered Morrie’s hidden treasure and it falls to Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson [the trio from “Mr. Mercedes”] to protect the Staubers family from the vengeful ex-con. The deranged Bellamy hasn’t lost his vicious streak and is determined to retrieve the notebooks he considers his rightful property, no matter what he has to do to get them.
From the first page, this thriller is filled with perfectly paced, heart-stopping action and chilling suspense. Brilliant writing makes this riveting tale impossible to set aside.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Iira
Follow up for Mr. Mercedes, not as cruel but close. Not a straightforward follow up, though, which I liked. Nice overlapping with the previous one, too. And what a great cover!
LibraryThing member ecataldi
A fantastic addition to Mr. Mercedes. It serves well as a standalone or sequel. It opens with the murder of a great American author and the theft of his money and unpublished works. More than 30 years later they are discovered buried in a steamer trunk by a kid. What he does with them may come back
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to haunt him. What will he do if someone comes looking for them? Full of thrilling twists and adventure, the story also includes the detective, good ol' Bill Hodges, from Mr. Mercedes along with some other beloved characters. I really enjoyed how they were tied in and the ending that leaves you hanging. It has almost a Hannibal Lector trilogy feeling to it. I can't wait to read the next installment! Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
With several characters from Mr. Mercedes, King returns to the well of the writer and the too-fanatical fan, this time a fan who kills a writer who’s a mashup of Salinger (isolated, refused to publish for decades) and Roth (wrote the Great American Novels about an archetypical white American
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man), supposedly for the cash the man has on hand but really because he’s mad at the writer for having his main character grow up. As it turns out, there are many notebooks telling the further story of this archetype, along with a lot of cash, but our villain gets sent to prison on an unrelated charge before he can do anything with them. Thirty years later, a young boy finds the stash. Eventually, their paths cross again, with violent effects. It’s typical Stephen King, with a fair amount of discussion of prison rape (not in a leering/ha-ha way, but not as an avoidable thing either). The villain’s downfall struck me as kinder to the protagonists than King often is. Though there is plenty of blood at the end, ultimately the writer-based part of the message is that, while words are magic, magic can be very dangerous. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
In this second book of an intended trilogy, the now retired former police detective Bill Hodges, runs his agency called Finders Keepers with the help of Holly Gibney, who acts as his secretary. He has trimmed down, having recently suffered a heart attack. Other familiar characters also return in
In this installment, we learn that a certain Morris Bellamy is going to be released from prison after 35 years. He was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal rape of a woman, a woman who had attended each of his parole hearings in order to prevent his release. Prior to his capture and sentencing for the rape, he had committed a murder and burglary for which he was never caught or charged. So that he could not be connected to the crime, he buried his booty under a tree at the back of the house where he lived with his mother, an author and English professor. Bellamy and his two friends had murdered the famous 80 year old author, John Rothstein, and stolen his money and his manuscripts from his safe. Morris Bellamy believed that Rothstein had destroyed his favorite character in the Jimmy Gold trilogy, making him a sell out, but he also thought that there might be another novel in the Gold series, one that redeemed Jimmy, the character he identified with and obsessed about as if he was real. He believed the missing volume was not yet published, nor would it ever be, because Rothstein had not published anything for the last 18 years. He did write, however, but just for himself, not for the world to see. Ironically, while in prison, Bellamy, too, became an author, an author of letters and appeals for his fellow inmates who were largely illiterate.
This book is sometimes told in two parallel time lines, one in 1978 and one in more or less present time. In 1978, Morris Bellamy and his two friends committed a shocking crime. In 2008, three decades later, there is another shocking crime committed by Brady Hartsfield. Tom Saubers is waiting on line at a job fair and is severely injured when a Mercedes is deliberately driven into the crowd, slaughtering and injuring a large number of innocent victims. Tom, who had already been unemployed, required months of rehabilitation and was not sure he would ever walk again. As time passed, the stress on the family caused further financial and marital problems. Tom and his family had to move to a less expensive area, and coincidentally, they moved into the house once occupied by the violent criminal, Morris Bellamy. Now we have that connection between the characters and the connection of two horrific crimes committed, decades apart, by two different madmen.
In 2010, heavy rains loosened the bank around a tree that was adjacent to the property that was occupied by both of these families, albeit, at different times. Its roots were exposed. Pete Saubers, sitting outside dejected because his family seemed to be falling apart, spied something hidden between the roots. Although it was good and stuck, he managed to extricate it and discovered a buried treasure; he discovered money and handwritten, unpublished manuscripts. He recognized the writing as the work of one of his favorite authors, the very same one that had disappointed Bellamy with his portrayal of his fallen hero, Jimmy Gold. He realized that the treasure must be stolen, but desperate to help his family, Pete decided to keep his discovery a secret and anonymously sent his family the cash from it, every month or so, until the money ran out. When his sister was disappointed because she couldn’t go to the school her friends would attend, he decided to try to get more money by selling the stolen manuscripts. He wondered if he would get caught and go to jail, but he didn’t know what else to do to help his family. His parents were happy again, and he didn’t want to spoil things. They needed the extra cash.
When, in 2013, Morris Bellamy, is finally paroled, he is still obsessed with Jimmy Gold and not at all rehabilitated. He sets out to recover his hidden loot with a vengeance. He wants to search through the manuscripts to find and read that last book he believes Rothstein had written about Gold. He returns to the property of his former home, but when the loot is no longer buried under the tree, he begins to search for the person he thinks has stolen it. Eventually he is led to Pete Saubers.
The action in the novel is intense. Winding in many directions, it always returns to the beginning to connect the missing dots. Even when the connections are a bit contrived and not very credible, the pace quickens and continues to hold the reader’s eyes on the page. It is really hard to put the book down. The reader is always wondering when the next shoe will drop, and who will be the next victim to fall prey to this monster. Also, although this is not his normal horror genre, which I generally do not read because of its intense violence and cruelty, in this book there is no shortage of brutality and sadistic behavior to all and sundry. King’s characters are often insane and unsavory. He gives them permission in their madness, to carry out the most coldblooded crimes, the most heinous acts that their warped imaginations make them capable of committing. Even scarier, sometimes, are his characters that are not insane, but still they do insane things!
When the first book in the trilogy ended, “Mr. Mercedes” was critically injured. There was little hope that he, Brady Hartsfield, would ever fully recover from injuries sustained when he was attacked by Holly Gibney. She prevented him from setting off a bomb at a crowded music concert, thereby preventing the murder and injury of countless people. Brady returns in this novel with Holly and also Jerome Robinson, now a college student. Brady is still a patient in a major hospital as the authorities wait for him to recover enough to bring him to trial. He is visited often by Bill Hodges who seems to take pleasure in tormenting him with cruel remarks each time he visits on the off chance that there is someone still inside his head, but Brady never shows any reaction to his barbs. At one time, Brady tried to influence Hodges to commit suicide. Now, one of the nurses in the hospital has committed suicide and Hodges wonders if he had anything to do with it. Since he does not communicate and is not mobile, it seems doubtful. However, there is a rumor that Hartsfield has developed some kind of magical power since he sustained his injury, a power that enables him to move things around and turn things on and off, like bathroom faucets and e-readers, while confined to his bed. This theory seems to be setting up the premise for the coming third book because the way King ended this book, the reader may expect Brady to return in the third installment.
Meanwhile, the villain in this book is not Brady Hartsfield, but is, rather, Morris Bellamy, the man who has spent more of his life in prison, than out of it, a man who, though he has spent decades in prison, had not been rehabilitated. The book is peppered with an abundance of platitudes that will make the readers roll their eyes. Sometimes, the story actually does not really seem plausible, but King has a gift, he puts even the most outlandish situation on paper and it is written in such a way that the reader not only believes it, the reader can’t wait to read on and will wait panting for the last book in the trilogy to be published to see how they are all tied together. This second book ends July 26th 2014, and I suppose this date will be very significant in the third book of the trilogy.
***I am curious about one thing, though. Why did King use a Jew, Rothstein, as the hoarder, not only of words, but of money? It is a rather disgusting variation of a negative stereotype.
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this novel, and with all of them, the excitement continues and crimes get solved.In this installment, we learn that a certain Morris Bellamy is going to be released from prison after 35 years. He was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal rape of a woman, a woman who had attended each of his parole hearings in order to prevent his release. Prior to his capture and sentencing for the rape, he had committed a murder and burglary for which he was never caught or charged. So that he could not be connected to the crime, he buried his booty under a tree at the back of the house where he lived with his mother, an author and English professor. Bellamy and his two friends had murdered the famous 80 year old author, John Rothstein, and stolen his money and his manuscripts from his safe. Morris Bellamy believed that Rothstein had destroyed his favorite character in the Jimmy Gold trilogy, making him a sell out, but he also thought that there might be another novel in the Gold series, one that redeemed Jimmy, the character he identified with and obsessed about as if he was real. He believed the missing volume was not yet published, nor would it ever be, because Rothstein had not published anything for the last 18 years. He did write, however, but just for himself, not for the world to see. Ironically, while in prison, Bellamy, too, became an author, an author of letters and appeals for his fellow inmates who were largely illiterate.
This book is sometimes told in two parallel time lines, one in 1978 and one in more or less present time. In 1978, Morris Bellamy and his two friends committed a shocking crime. In 2008, three decades later, there is another shocking crime committed by Brady Hartsfield. Tom Saubers is waiting on line at a job fair and is severely injured when a Mercedes is deliberately driven into the crowd, slaughtering and injuring a large number of innocent victims. Tom, who had already been unemployed, required months of rehabilitation and was not sure he would ever walk again. As time passed, the stress on the family caused further financial and marital problems. Tom and his family had to move to a less expensive area, and coincidentally, they moved into the house once occupied by the violent criminal, Morris Bellamy. Now we have that connection between the characters and the connection of two horrific crimes committed, decades apart, by two different madmen.
In 2010, heavy rains loosened the bank around a tree that was adjacent to the property that was occupied by both of these families, albeit, at different times. Its roots were exposed. Pete Saubers, sitting outside dejected because his family seemed to be falling apart, spied something hidden between the roots. Although it was good and stuck, he managed to extricate it and discovered a buried treasure; he discovered money and handwritten, unpublished manuscripts. He recognized the writing as the work of one of his favorite authors, the very same one that had disappointed Bellamy with his portrayal of his fallen hero, Jimmy Gold. He realized that the treasure must be stolen, but desperate to help his family, Pete decided to keep his discovery a secret and anonymously sent his family the cash from it, every month or so, until the money ran out. When his sister was disappointed because she couldn’t go to the school her friends would attend, he decided to try to get more money by selling the stolen manuscripts. He wondered if he would get caught and go to jail, but he didn’t know what else to do to help his family. His parents were happy again, and he didn’t want to spoil things. They needed the extra cash.
When, in 2013, Morris Bellamy, is finally paroled, he is still obsessed with Jimmy Gold and not at all rehabilitated. He sets out to recover his hidden loot with a vengeance. He wants to search through the manuscripts to find and read that last book he believes Rothstein had written about Gold. He returns to the property of his former home, but when the loot is no longer buried under the tree, he begins to search for the person he thinks has stolen it. Eventually he is led to Pete Saubers.
The action in the novel is intense. Winding in many directions, it always returns to the beginning to connect the missing dots. Even when the connections are a bit contrived and not very credible, the pace quickens and continues to hold the reader’s eyes on the page. It is really hard to put the book down. The reader is always wondering when the next shoe will drop, and who will be the next victim to fall prey to this monster. Also, although this is not his normal horror genre, which I generally do not read because of its intense violence and cruelty, in this book there is no shortage of brutality and sadistic behavior to all and sundry. King’s characters are often insane and unsavory. He gives them permission in their madness, to carry out the most coldblooded crimes, the most heinous acts that their warped imaginations make them capable of committing. Even scarier, sometimes, are his characters that are not insane, but still they do insane things!
When the first book in the trilogy ended, “Mr. Mercedes” was critically injured. There was little hope that he, Brady Hartsfield, would ever fully recover from injuries sustained when he was attacked by Holly Gibney. She prevented him from setting off a bomb at a crowded music concert, thereby preventing the murder and injury of countless people. Brady returns in this novel with Holly and also Jerome Robinson, now a college student. Brady is still a patient in a major hospital as the authorities wait for him to recover enough to bring him to trial. He is visited often by Bill Hodges who seems to take pleasure in tormenting him with cruel remarks each time he visits on the off chance that there is someone still inside his head, but Brady never shows any reaction to his barbs. At one time, Brady tried to influence Hodges to commit suicide. Now, one of the nurses in the hospital has committed suicide and Hodges wonders if he had anything to do with it. Since he does not communicate and is not mobile, it seems doubtful. However, there is a rumor that Hartsfield has developed some kind of magical power since he sustained his injury, a power that enables him to move things around and turn things on and off, like bathroom faucets and e-readers, while confined to his bed. This theory seems to be setting up the premise for the coming third book because the way King ended this book, the reader may expect Brady to return in the third installment.
Meanwhile, the villain in this book is not Brady Hartsfield, but is, rather, Morris Bellamy, the man who has spent more of his life in prison, than out of it, a man who, though he has spent decades in prison, had not been rehabilitated. The book is peppered with an abundance of platitudes that will make the readers roll their eyes. Sometimes, the story actually does not really seem plausible, but King has a gift, he puts even the most outlandish situation on paper and it is written in such a way that the reader not only believes it, the reader can’t wait to read on and will wait panting for the last book in the trilogy to be published to see how they are all tied together. This second book ends July 26th 2014, and I suppose this date will be very significant in the third book of the trilogy.
***I am curious about one thing, though. Why did King use a Jew, Rothstein, as the hoarder, not only of words, but of money? It is a rather disgusting variation of a negative stereotype.
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LibraryThing member basilisksam
Although Stephen King has been my favourite author for many years I still think that the quality of his output has been variable for the past few years. For every great book he has written there has been a mediocre one or one that it is difficult to see why he bothered.
No doubt others will disagree
I’m glad to report then that Finders Keepers, a sequel of sorts to Mr Mercedes, is another excellent novel. He has obviously written before about readers’ obsessions with authors but he manages to put a completely different spin on it this time. The cast of characters is excellent and the pacing is as good or better than most well-known thriller writers can maintain. It’s also clear from the ending that there’s going to be a sequel and I can’t wait to read it.
No doubt others will disagree
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but I found Doctor Sleep mediocre; Cell and Under the Dome were rewrites of things he’s done better versions of previously and Lisey’s Story is the only book he’s ever written that I was unable to finish. Of his last two novels I thought that Mr Mercedes was good though not one of his best and Revival just didn’t work. 11/22/63 and Joyland I found to be two of the best things he’s ever written.I’m glad to report then that Finders Keepers, a sequel of sorts to Mr Mercedes, is another excellent novel. He has obviously written before about readers’ obsessions with authors but he manages to put a completely different spin on it this time. The cast of characters is excellent and the pacing is as good or better than most well-known thriller writers can maintain. It’s also clear from the ending that there’s going to be a sequel and I can’t wait to read it.
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LibraryThing member DonaldBuehler
I could not agree more with the review zmagic69 gave Finders Keepers: June 9, 2015. I am a life long Stephen King fan - he's my favorite author. Received Carrie from my wife for Christmas in 1974. But recently I have been disappointed in M. King. Revival was a terrible book - not well presented -
The Bill Hodges trilogy has been mediocre at best. Mr. Mercedes spent a L O N G time on examining the car - who owned it, etc. Compared to other detective types I have read, Mr. Hodges is not very interesting. And he seemed to be an after thought in Finders Keepers - he and his cohorts just do not seem to add anything to the story. They seem to be an excuse to make this a detective /mystery story. And again there was another long pretty boring section in the middle of Finders Keepers - with the relationship between Morris Bellamy and Andy - which just did not work.
When I told my wife I was reading his latest, she asked me - "Isn't he getting a little stale?" And I defended him - but she was right - Mr. King should either go back to horror, or give it up.
One other note: I usually go out and buy the hardback of every new novel immediately (usually about $18) - for some reason I decided to read a copy from the library - and buy the hardback later (probably for a couple of bucks) from St. Vincent De Paul. I am glad I did. I will keep my library of every horror novel written by S. King in tact, but only because I have all his previous horror novels. This is making me sad.
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seems to have missed a lot of chances to be creepy and startling. My biggest problem was the hopeless ending. So I agree with zmagic69 on that.The Bill Hodges trilogy has been mediocre at best. Mr. Mercedes spent a L O N G time on examining the car - who owned it, etc. Compared to other detective types I have read, Mr. Hodges is not very interesting. And he seemed to be an after thought in Finders Keepers - he and his cohorts just do not seem to add anything to the story. They seem to be an excuse to make this a detective /mystery story. And again there was another long pretty boring section in the middle of Finders Keepers - with the relationship between Morris Bellamy and Andy - which just did not work.
When I told my wife I was reading his latest, she asked me - "Isn't he getting a little stale?" And I defended him - but she was right - Mr. King should either go back to horror, or give it up.
One other note: I usually go out and buy the hardback of every new novel immediately (usually about $18) - for some reason I decided to read a copy from the library - and buy the hardback later (probably for a couple of bucks) from St. Vincent De Paul. I am glad I did. I will keep my library of every horror novel written by S. King in tact, but only because I have all his previous horror novels. This is making me sad.
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LibraryThing member MarlaAMadison
While I didn't like this book as much as the first of the trilogy, Mr. Mercedes, it is still a read worthy of a 5-star rating. Morris Bellamy as the bad guy, is definitely not likable. Pete Saubers, the boy who finds the buried trunk is a character the reader begins to cheer for. The real twist
As a side thought. great cover art!
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here is when the characters from the first book show up and join the action. Well written suspense with characters the reader wants to keep in touch with!As a side thought. great cover art!
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LibraryThing member Tommie1
This book, by far!!! is the best story ever penned by Mr King!! WOW! There is nobody out there that can write stories like this guy. KEEP IT UP Stephen!!!
LibraryThing member clark.hallman
Finders Keepers by Stephen King: This is the second book in the Bill Hodges Trilogy which began with the tremendous Mr. Mercedes book. In Finders Keepers, retired police detective (Hodges) and his two assistants, socially inept but highly intelligent (Holly) and college freshman (Jerome), become
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embroiled in a suspenseful struggle to save the life of a high school student (Pete). The story begins long ago when a very popular “retired” author is murdered and the murderer surfaces decades later to retrieve the unpublished manuscripts and the cash that he took from the author. Unfortunately, the murderous thief does not find the spoils where he had hidden them long ago. However, he is clever enough to figure out how to track them down and his efforts eventually point to Pete and his family. Of course, King offers plenty of ruthless action and graphic violence especially in the first and third parts of the book. In between those parts, he weaves an interesting and gripping story that slowly leads the reader to the suspenseful conclusion. King has demonstrated that he can write captivating and riveting crime novels with Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers. I can hardly wait for the third installment. Show Less
LibraryThing member UnderMyAppleTree
Late 1970s: John Rothstein is a reclusive, Salinger-like author who hasn’t published a new book in his acclaimed Jimmy Gold series in over a decade. Morris Bellamy, a deranged fan, is upset that Rothstein has ended the series by having Jimmy sell out for a career in advertising. Morris kills
2009: A young boy, Pete, finds the buried money and the manuscript. Unfortunately for him, Morris has just been released from jail and wants his loot back and will use any means possible. Enter the trio from book one who help Pete and his family when Morris goes after them.
Another fast-paced, suspenseful, and enjoyable novel from King, reminiscent of his earlier work. This is not horror, there are no ghosts or supernatural entities, but instead a good mystery with just the right amount of creepy. And personally, I enjoy when King writes stories about writers.
The book reads fine as a standalone; however, it works best as a trilogy. Not because you need the background information to enjoy the story, King provides a necessary amount, but because this is a parallel story to book one, Mr. Mercedes. The same background events occur but are seen from a different perspective. King does this so well, and it added an extra level of enjoyment to the book.
Audio production:
As with the previous book, Will Patton did a fantastic job with the narration. Fast-paced and easy to listen to, each of the character’s voices was well-defined. His tone became more urgent and suspenseful as the story progressed. Audio is an excellent choice for this book.
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Rothstein, steals his cash, and makes off with an unpublished Jimmy Gold manuscript. He buries the money and the manuscript, but before he can do anything with it, he is sent to jail for another crime and denied parole for decades.2009: A young boy, Pete, finds the buried money and the manuscript. Unfortunately for him, Morris has just been released from jail and wants his loot back and will use any means possible. Enter the trio from book one who help Pete and his family when Morris goes after them.
Another fast-paced, suspenseful, and enjoyable novel from King, reminiscent of his earlier work. This is not horror, there are no ghosts or supernatural entities, but instead a good mystery with just the right amount of creepy. And personally, I enjoy when King writes stories about writers.
The book reads fine as a standalone; however, it works best as a trilogy. Not because you need the background information to enjoy the story, King provides a necessary amount, but because this is a parallel story to book one, Mr. Mercedes. The same background events occur but are seen from a different perspective. King does this so well, and it added an extra level of enjoyment to the book.
Audio production:
As with the previous book, Will Patton did a fantastic job with the narration. Fast-paced and easy to listen to, each of the character’s voices was well-defined. His tone became more urgent and suspenseful as the story progressed. Audio is an excellent choice for this book.
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LibraryThing member nancyewhite
A tense thriller/mystery with a compelling kid in peril plot. King can keep so many balls in the air that it seems effortless until you read other writers trying such multi-stranded plotting. This is the second in the Bill Hodges trilogy following Mr. Mercedes. I enjoyed Bill Hodges and the
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assorted secondary characters in the first one, but liked them even more in this one. It's fun to watch Kind play with the world-weary detective trope. I feel like he got his footing on the first and is dancing in this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member allyofthedawn
Probably one of my favorite books by Stephen King. I will admit this has a lot to do with him including a rare books dealer.
LibraryThing member Berly
The second in this series, but it can be read as a stand alone. There are no ghosts or the supernatural here; this falls purely in the detective genre. Stephen King has assembled a great cast of characters here: A shifty used rare book dealer, a murderous ex-con, a young boy, and the awesome
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crime-stopping trio of Holly, Jerome and Bill from Mr. Mercedes. The plot starts off gently and then continues to pick up steam until it's running by the end. A young boy, Pete, finds buried treasure, including money and notebooks from a famous dead author, and he uses it to sustain his hurting family. When the money runs out, he contemplates selling the unpublished works by the famous author. The only problem is that the bookseller Pete chooses is less than above-board and the original thief is released from jail and wants his treasure back. One of my favorite audio books. Will Patton does a great job narrating, creating wonderful, distinct character voices and gradually escalating the tension--I cannot wait for the third in this trilogy! Show Less
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Best Male Narrator — 2016)
Call number
FIC G Kin