End of Watch: A Novel

I don't usually pre-order books, especially hardcovers, but I had to find out what happened to Hodges, Holly, Jerome, Brady, and the rest. I've had some pretty disappointing finales to my favorite series this year but thankfully this one was great.Plot:The plot sounds ridiculous but somehow Stephen King just makes it work. It kept me hooked, intrigued, and at parts, somewhat creeped out. I love the supernatural element in this final book and how suicide, something the bad guy seemed obsessed with in the first book, played its part in this final installment.While it did take about a week to read this, I would have finished it a lot faster if I hadn't had other things to do. At parts it was very difficult to put down. It also was unpredictable, which is one of Stephen King's specialties. No character is safe.Overall, the plot was intriguing and difficult to stop reading.Setting:Same setting as in the previous books. I liked that a good part of it was set in the hospital, though.Characters:While I enjoyed Hodges in the previous books, he shows a vulnerability in this one, and his determination to shield others from it melted my heart. While I did enjoy Peter Subers from the last book a lot, it was nice to be back with Bill for a while. He is an easy character to root for because despite his faults, deep down he is genuinely good and wants evil to be put in it's place.I adore Holly, especially in this book. Her character seemed to thrive much more and she is also vulnerable in other ways. She's also seen as "weird" because she has anxiety, especially when it comes to other people, and I feel like King did a great job showing how it affects her life and relationship with others. I especially like how the people closest to her like Hodges and Jerome, are respectful of that.There isn't much Jerome in this one, but he is far from important. He plays a big role in this one, as well as his younger sister, Barbara. I never thought too much of his sister before this book, but the short scene from her POV definitely made me like her and want to root for her.Brady is back and while he is a monster, he is so psychotic that I can't help but enjoy his character and quirks. I'd say he is one of King's creepiest.And while I didn't really care much for Freddi before, I did feel bad for her in this one. It was nice seeing her character explored further.Relationships:Like the last book, there isn't really any romance, which I find a good thing because it wouldn't have fit in this book. There is a kiss though and while it's unexpected, it's not exactly romantic, either--just incredibly sweet.Hodges and Holly are definitely my favorite relationship, though. They make a good team, friends, and also have that "old married couple" vibe going on. I love how they both know one another so well and will adjust themselves to make the other more comfortable--especially when it comes to Holly's anxiety.Brady and Hodges also make an interesting villain vs hero.I also felt that Brady had some interesting interactions with his victims, especially the main two (Z-Boy & Dr. Z).Writing/Voice:I'm a SK fan so I enjoy his writing. I loved the combination of horror and supernatural in this one. The last book was more of a crime/thriller sprinkled with horror but this one was more like the first, which is exactly what the last book needed.Ending:While I would have liked to see the climax with Brady last a little longer, the ending for that was satisfying (and also great irony). The actual ending was sad but realistic, and I love that there is closure.Overall, it was a satisfying ending for the series. I still consider the first to be my favorite but this one would definitely be second. I can't wait to see what SK will write next!

NOTE: It’s hard to get into my feelings about End of Watch without describing the basic premise of the book, which, in turn, is going to spoil some details from the first two books in the Bill Hodges/Mr. Mercedes trilogy. So, if you haven’t read those, just know that I liked End of Watch quite a bit, but I think it’s not as good as either of the first two books in the series. If you have read the first two books, feel free to read on. I won’t spoil anything from End of Watch beyond the basic premise.Mr. Mercedes, the first novel in Stephen King’s trilogy of books about retired policeman Bill Hodges, represented something wholly new in King’s career. It was basically a crime novel, one in which a retired cop does his best to track down a serial killer. And while the details of the book were unique, and the style unmistakably King’s, it felt like the master trying something new: telling a suspense story without any supernatural elements. It’s something he’s done now and then – most notably in Misery, which was originally going to be a Bachman book – but not often, and it was a joy to find him doing it so well.Then came Finders Keepers, which felt even less traditional – a crime novel about a long-lost book, authorial intentions, and so much more. Finders Keepers was a blast – a complex crime story that kept you guessing and whose stakes were hard to put into simple words – and easily outdid Mr. Mercedes. And yet, there was one odd plot thread: the ongoing fate of Brady Hartsfield. Left alive but comatose at the end of Mr. Mercedes, Hartsfield spends his short appearances in Finders Keepers in a nursing home, by all accounts unaware of the world around him…except for the hints that he may be able to use his mind to move objects around him. It was an odd note in a series that had so tightly eschewed supernatural elements, and one that I found a bit sad – as though King was already backtracking on his choice to do something more grounded.Now comes End of Watch, which follows that thread to its natural progression: Brady Hartsfield may be less than fully healed, but people around him keep killing themselves. And Bill Hodges is worried about it, no matter what Brady’s doctors say, because he’s got his own concerns about Brady, and the rumors of what he’s able to do with his mind.Without getting into specifics, End of Watch embraces that uncertainty about Brady, but it’s clear before long that this is a marriage of the grounded crime work of the other two Hodges books and the supernatural elements that have driven so many of his books. And while it’s somewhat different from the books before it, it ends up feeling of a piece with the others – despite Brady’s powers, this is a detective book, even if it’s one in which the killer may be something more powerful than a traditional human. (It does make the book’s dedication to Thomas Harris a bit odd, though; if there’s a book in the series that should be dedicated to Harris, it’s the original Mr. Mercedes.)Here’s the thing: I really liked End of Watch, on the whole. Hartsfield makes for a fascinating villain, and King’s slow unveiling of his recuperation and development since the end of Mr. Mercedes makes for compelling reading, and unsettling material. More than that, Brady’s obsession with suicide, and his apparent ability to drive people into it, makes for deeply disturbing scenes, ones where King is able to tap into real psychological horrors at the core of all of us. And while his master plan is silly in parts (especially in its theatricality, a fact the book is smart enough to own up to), King is more than able to deliver in specific moments that make you realize what a horrific creation Brady is.And yet, not all of the book works. It’s the final book in the Hodges series, and parts feel a bit too final, as if King is forcing things along in a way that doesn’t quite feel organic. (This mainly comes in the form of some health issues for Hodges that are introduced at the beginning of the novel and couldn’t be less subtle; it’s like when a Victorian woman is introduced in a film and keeps coughing into her handkerchief.) The pacing, too, feels odd at times, most notably in Brady’s final plan, which seems ambitious, unsettling, and strangely rushed for a character who plans out everything.Nonetheless, there’s so much of End of Watch that works that it’s hard to complain too much. King, as always, knows how to write characters and make them come to life, even in a short amount of time, and that’s a skill that pays off often in this book, as we get into characters’ heads just in time to watch them unravel horribly. And, as always, his ability to crank up the pace of a book is hard to ignore; by the time this hits the climax, it’s going to be hard to stop, no matter how much you want to. Yes, parts of it don’t all work, and parts feel a bit less well structured and thought out than the other books in the series. And yet, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I enjoyed the book on the whole. I just can’t help but wonder what would have happened if King had stuck with his more “grounded” world all the way through to the end.

**"End of Watch"** by Stephen King is a thrilling and suspenseful finale to the Bill Hodges trilogy, blending elements of detective fiction with supernatural horror. The story picks up at the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, where Brady Hartsfield, the notorious perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, has spent five years in a vegetative state. However, unbeknownst to his doctors, Brady has awoken and discovered new, deadly powers that allow him to unleash chaos without ever leaving his hospital room.Retired detective Bill Hodges and his partner, Holly Gibney, are drawn back into a dangerous investigation when a suicide linked to the Mercedes Massacre surfaces. As they dig deeper, they realize that Brady is not only alive but also bent on revenge against those who wronged him, including Hodges, Holly, and their friends. King's masterful storytelling combines high-stakes action with psychological depth, exploring themes of vulnerability, obsession, and the lengths one will go to confront evil. **"End of Watch"** brings tension and a chilling sense of foreboding to a riveting conclusion, cementing King's status as a master of suspense and horror. Readers will be left breathless by the intricate plot and character arcs, making this a must-read for fans of the series and newcomers alike.

Loving the story so far! Have no issues with the content, it’s the construction of the book itself. The width of the book is quite small so the book doesn’t open up very well. I got to page 132 and the pages started falling out. First just a few and then an entire chunk…slightly frustrating as I like to share my books with others and I’ll have to try and repair this one before I do.

I liked the whole book. The storyline was very interesting. Sometimes it was hard to stop reading to do something else. I liked how it ended. It was a shame that bill died at the end .

La trilogia di Hodges è bella, quest'ultimo episodio forse il migliore. Se la gioca con il primo a dire il vero ma dovendo proprio scegliere forse sceglierei questo.

Final book in the Bill Hodges trilogy, and the good news is that there’s a lot more of him, and his supporting cast. While I still think Mr Mercedes is easily the best in the series, if you’ve read the first book, this one is a must read.Quite of a bit of suspension of disbelief needed in this one, but then again, that’s one of the reasons we read fiction, right? I’m happy with the order in which these books were written, as this is a strong finish to the series. Apparently, the tv series has reversed the order of the final two books, just in case anyone wants to jump in and watch season 2 after reading Finders Keepers. I had advance warning, thankfully.I was in the midst of a bit of a reading slump, and then read Finders Keepers and End of Watch back-to-back in a week. Which goes to tell you how incredible an author Stephen King is. Or maybe it just says something about how much I love his writing. A bit of both, perhaps.I feel like I have to read every single thing this man has written (yes, even Tommyknockers!). The Bill Hodges trilogy is excellent, and strongly recommended

Muy buena culminación para la saga, aunque sigo pensando que el primer libro es el mejor de la trilogía los otros dos son constantes y no dejan de ser atragantes.

日頃から中古本を買うことが多いのですが、「多少のキズあり」と記載があったのに新品同様のかなり状態の良い商品が届きびっくりしました。発送も非常に早く、「早く次巻を読みたい!」と思っていたので感謝ばかりです。口コミ通りの素晴らしいお店です。また利用させて頂きます。