I just finished up Finders Keepers on Saturday and it was a satisfying read. The strongest parts were the introduction of new characters and making them interesting. SK's strength is making characters the reader cares about through interesting dialogue and subtle nuance. I was happy that SK developed the new characters before bringing in our three sleuths. The introduction of Bill and Holly was well done. The airport bit was interesting in that SK gave us a glimpse of what was happening, little by little, and it was satisfying. SK has a great knack for introducing characters by throwing them into situations and letting us know about them through their actions and thought process.
I know some folks were not happy that Brady was not the villain of this book, but I think it was the right choice. Having him come back right away would have been forced and the way he was brought back into the story was well done and sets up the final chapter. To be honest, I didn't really want to see Brady become a major part of the series again, but the ending got me curious.
One problem I had with Mr. Mercedes was that it got predictable towards the last act, but it didn't feel that way this time around. The feeling of uncertainty was thick as I didn't know how the killer and Pete would act.
Another problem was how contrived the story was at times. This includes: Tina almost going to the concert, the Saubers living in the killer's old home, the Saubers father was selling Brady's home, and the killer was right by the books in the rec. When it comes to murder stories, there will be a level on contrived plot points in order to get the story flowing, but it was a bit much. Some of it was unnecessary.
Overall, this was a solid read and SK's superior writing shows up as always.
Summary
What I Liked
- Interesting introduction of new characters
- Not rushing reintroduction of new characters
- Short but memorable use of Brady
- Final act was more interesting this time around
- Story was contrived at times when it didn't have to be
Anyone agree? Disagree?