End of Watch: A Novel (3) (The Bill Hodges Trilogy) by Stephen King
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End of Watch: A Novel (3) (The Bill Hodges Trilogy)

by

Stephen King

(Author)

4.5

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38,793 ratings


Now an AT&T Audience Original Series

The fabulously suspenseful and "smashing" (The New York Times Book Review) final novel in the Bill Hodges trilogy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers!

For nearly six years, in Room 217 of the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, Brady Hartsfield has been in a persistent vegetative state. A complete recovery seems unlikely for the insane perpetrator of the “Mercedes Massacre,” in which eight people were killed and many more maimed for life. But behind the vacant stare, Brady is very much awake and aware, having been pumped full of experimental drugs...scheming, biding his time as he trains himself to take full advantage of the deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room. Brady Hartsfield is about to embark on a new reign of terror against thousands of innocents, hell-bent on taking revenge against anyone who crossed his path—with retired police detective Bill Hodges at the very top of that long list....

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ISBN-10

1501190377

ISBN-13

978-1501190377

Print length

496 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Scribner

Publication date

August 28, 2017

Dimensions

5.31 x 1 x 8.25 inches

Item weight

14.4 ounces


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Product details

ASIN :

B0167CNCFY

File size :

4817 KB

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Editorial reviews

Praise for Finders Keepers

“Stephen King’s superb new stay-up-all-night thriller, Finders Keepers, is a sly,often poignant tale of literary obsession that recalls the themes of his classic 1987 novel Misery…a love letter to the joys of reading and to American literature… wonderful, scary, moving.” (Elizabeth Hand, The Washington Post)

“As in Misery and TheShining, King swan dives into the looniness lurking at both ends of thewriter-reader transaction…the narrative hums and roars along like ahigh-performance vehicle…a rip-snortingentertainment; one that also works as a sneaky-smart satire of literarycriticism and how even the most attentive readers can often miss the wholepoint.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"The new book is so good, being at least mildly obsessed with it is understandable. The finest thing about it, however, is that the author has another story to tell before the finale of this excellent series.” (USA Today)

Praise for Mr. Mercedes

"Classic Stephen King. Creepy, yet realistic characters that get under your skin and stay there, a compelling story that twists and turns at breakneck speed, and delightful prose that, once again, proves that one of America’s greatest natural storytellers is also one of its finest writers." (Associated Press)

“Think of Mr. Mercedes as an AC/DC song: uncluttered, chugging with momentum, and a lot harder to pull off than it looks. . . . King has written a hot rod of a novel,perfect for a few summer days at the pool. Mercedes-Benz commands drivers to demand ‘the best or nothing.’ In pop-fiction terms, that motto still applies to Stephen King, too. With apologies to AC/DC, the highway to hell never felt so fun.” (Christian Science Monitor)

“A taut, suspenseful race-against-time book . . . [King is] in reliably fine form.” (The New York Times)

“No one can create a villain quite like King. . . . [A]ll the elements come together in a very public, potentially explosive finale (with a surprising post script). King fans may find themselves furiously turning pages long into the night.” (Seattle Times)

Praise for End of Watch

“King has dealt before with this novel’s different themes—endowment with dangerous supernatural powers, the zombifying effect of modern consumer electronics—but he finds fresh approaches to them and inventive ways to introduce them in the lives of his recurring cast of sympathetic characters, whose pains and triumphs the reader feels. King’s legion of fans will find this splice of mystery and horror a fitting finale to his Bill Hodges trilogy.” (Publishers Weekly, STARRED review)

“[A] tense, thrilling conclusion to King’s Bill Hodges trilogy…One would assume that a writer like King, who has been at the top of his game for decades, would eventually run out of ideas. Instead, he serves up one of the most original crime thrillers to come along in years…A spectacular, pulse-pounding, read-in-one-sitting wrap-up that will more than satisfy King’s Constant Readers.” (Library Journal, STARRED review)

“Few of King's myriad terrors feel as visceral and close to home as the sense of human mortality that looms over his new book, End of Watch… an undeniable page-turner… Throughout his tale, King nimbly pulls together numerous plot threads and characters…and for good measure throws in a final nail-biting chase through a blizzard. One finishes this novel feeling great empathy for its resolute protagonist, and even greater trepidation about that next round of Candy Crush.” (Elizabeth Hand, The Washington Post)

“A deliciously savory conclusion to King’s phenomenal hard-boiled Mr. Mercedes trilogy…gripping… as strong a King series as The Dark Tower in terms of characterization and pure storytelling. When it comes to the gumshoe genre, though, fingers crossed King’s not yet closed for business.” (Brian Truitt, USA Today)

“King works his customary storytelling magic, unspooling the plot threads almost as quickly as readers can turn the pages… If you're wrapping up the trilogy, enjoy. If you're just getting started, you're in for a thrilling ride.” (Rob Merrill, The Associated Press)

“Keeps readers on edge... King stitches together threads from these events to weave a taut conclusion to the tale of Brady Hartsfield. But — and with King you never know — he does leave open the chance that some of the characters will be back. Because in Stephen King’s world, is anyone ever really gone for good?” (Amanda St. Amand, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

“Stephen King’s Bill Hodges Trilogy has proved to be a welcome change of pace for the best-selling Maine author… The wintery, blood-soaked climax of the novel provides a fitting resolution not only to the action at hand but to the trilogy as a whole. King will always be best known for his tales of supernatural horror, but it’s great fun to watch him experiment with form, genre and subject matter. He has more than his fair share of laurels, but he never seems to rest on them. Here’s hoping King can maintain the creative momentum of the Bill Hodges Trilogy as he heads into the next uncharted literary territory.” (Michael Berry, The Portland Press Herald )

“A satisfying conclusion to this crackerjack detective series… As the book’s title suggests, there is finality and loss in the final pages. Readers may find themselves wiping away a few tears as this well-written, involving series comes to an end.” (Doug Knoop, The Seattle Times)

“Outstanding… ‘End of Watch’ gives us King at the height of his powers. Masterfully plotted, the novel is propelled toward its page-blurring conclusion by two deadly forces: Hodges’ advancing disease and Brady’s relentless murderous impulse.” (John Wilwol, Newsday)

“The book leaves a surprisingly deep, melancholy mark, crystallizing the themes that have become prevalent in King’s recent work...’End of Watch’ hurtles toward a conclusion you anticipate and dread in equal measure — that wonderful, terrible anxiety King’s constant readers have been relishing for more than four decades now. ‘He’s not done with you yet,’ reads an ominous message Hodges receives on his computer in End of Watch. We’re lucky. King isn’t done with us either.” (Rene Rodriguez, The Miami Herald)

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About the authors

Stephen King

Stephen King

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His first crime thriller featuring Bill Hodges, MR MERCEDES, won the Edgar Award for best novel and was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award. Both MR MERCEDES and END OF WATCH received the Goodreads Choice Award for the Best Mystery and Thriller of 2014 and 2016 respectively.

King co-wrote the bestselling novel Sleeping Beauties with his son Owen King, and many of King's books have been turned into celebrated films and television series including The Shawshank Redemption, Gerald's Game and It.

King was the recipient of America's prestigious 2014 National Medal of Arts and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for distinguished contribution to American Letters. In 2007 he also won the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He lives with his wife Tabitha King in Maine.

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Reviews

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

38,793 global ratings

J.N. Cahill and Tom Blalock

J.N. Cahill and Tom Blalock

5

Great Conclusion for the Trilogy

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2016

Verified Purchase

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!

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6 people found this helpful

Eport

Eport

5

Great book so far, small sized book.

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2024

Verified Purchase

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.

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Nancy Burner

Nancy Burner

5

Love this book!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2024

Verified Purchase

I could not put this book down! A page turner. Stephen King is wonderful, creative story teller. As soon as I finished reading Finders keepers I had to get his End of Watch!

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