Stephen Barkley
Holly Gibney’s at it again. If you’re keeping track, here are the books she’s appeared in:
And now, Never Flinch. If you’re a Stephen King fan, you’ve probably noticed that some of these books are oriented towards the supernatural while others are plain ol’ detective stories. Some, like Holly, keep you guessing.
Never Flinch is of the natural detective story variety, with a familiar cast of characters including Jerome and Barbara Robinson, Pete Huntley, and of course, Holly Gibney. It follows the mission of Trig, an addict in recovery, who decides to murder twelve innocent people along with one guilty person as retribution for a unjust prison sentence.
I hesitate to say this, but I wonder whether King’s reaching the end of his detective story era. The book’s not exactly formulaic, but it is predictable at times—with an ending that borrows liberally from the climax of another book staring, you guessed it, Holly Gibney.
If you’ve read the rest, you’ll want to read this one. It’s not a bad novel by most standards. As a Stephen King novel, it feels middle-of-the-pack. Of course, with over 65 novels under his belt, it can’t be Nashville every night.
King, Stephen. Never Flinch. Narrated by Jessie Mueller, Audiobook, Unabridged, Simon and Schuster Audio, 2025.
