I'm hardly ever disappointed with a Stephen King novel and this one was no exception. It's the story of Billy Summers, an ex-marine sniper who is a hired killer but who will only kill bad people. He is hired to kill another hitman, Joel Allen, who is very bad and awaiting extradition from California. In the mean time, Billy is waiting to perform the hit in a small southern town, called Red Bluff, where Allen is expected to return for trial. Billy is hired by a Las Vegas mobster, Nick, who believes Billy is not the brightest. However, Billy is smarter than Nick suspects and is very well-read having recently finished Zola's novel Thérèse Raquin. So Billy agrees to the hit and the $2 million payment and agrees to pose as a writer working on his novel. Nick provides a means for Billy's escape after the hit but Billy suspects he is being setup. Later in the novel, Billy saves a young woman named Alice after she was raped and dumped in front of the apartment where Billy was staying. She and Billy form a bond and travel together across the country to seek retribution after Billy is double-crossed.
I enjoyed this rather long novel with all of its subplots and twists. This included Billy's backstory that he writes as he is waiting to perform the hit. Billy is a great character to root for and King provides many other secondary characters that make the novel even more interesting. At one point during the story, Billy and Alice are in Colorado staying with one of Billy's friends who happens to have a cabin located across the canyon from the site of the destroyed Overlook Hotel. Some people, including Alice, are able to still see the hotel when they glance across the canyon. I like how King often references his prior works and this brief reference to The Shining I thought added to the story. Overall, another story well worth reading from the master.
I enjoyed this rather long novel with all of its subplots and twists. This included Billy's backstory that he writes as he is waiting to perform the hit. Billy is a great character to root for and King provides many other secondary characters that make the novel even more interesting. At one point during the story, Billy and Alice are in Colorado staying with one of Billy's friends who happens to have a cabin located across the canyon from the site of the destroyed Overlook Hotel. Some people, including Alice, are able to still see the hotel when they glance across the canyon. I like how King often references his prior works and this brief reference to The Shining I thought added to the story. Overall, another story well worth reading from the master.
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