Only if you've finished it *SPOILERS*

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HMW

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May 11, 2012
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RRozsa

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Dec 27, 2010
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I will say the ending shocked me. He had me thinking the worst was going to actually happen, and when things began to change, I couldn't put it down.

SPOILERS: I listed to the book on audio, so forgive me if I can't come up with the exact quote or context, but there was one point at which SK seemingly threw us an intentional misdirection. SK said something to the effect that "it would haunt Hodges for the rest of his life" in regards some innocuous statement Jerome said about his mom and sister attending the concert. It really led me to assume that it was going to end in tragedy. Another surprise for me was, after Brady left the shoe box in the back seat of Hodges' car at the funeral, when Holly was begging to ride with Hodges and Janie in his car, I was certain that Hodges (or Holly) would open the back door and spot the shoe box, and have everyone run for cover as the car exploded. I was also very surprised at the way the planned poisoning of the dog took an unexpected turn. I loved the fact that the story had so many unpredictable twists and turns.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
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HMW

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May 11, 2012
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....hmmmm, and sometimes our fearless leader drops a literary clinker as well....those are all subject to opinion, just as his judgment of Koontz is...I happen to like the guy and don't give a rat's behind what Steve thinks of him...
Yes, yes, yes and of course!
 
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fljoe0

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Apr 5, 2008
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I enjoyed the book. Not an epic SK book but still very good and I had a hard time putting it down. Jerome's joking way of talking to Hodges made me cringe a little. On one hand, it established how comfortable the two were with each other but on the other hand, I'm not sure a young African American kid would actually do that.
 
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Neil W

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May 27, 2008
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Finished it yesterday. It didn't grab me immediately: I didn't want to race through it to start with. But, from about halfway, it became a page-turner.

I was quite aware of the "building blocks" in it - story construction elements in there to ensure that the story progressed in a particular way, to set up payoffs etc. But this didn't spoil things.

I thought the villain was great - a true monster, yet with a degree of sympathy.

I liked Janey very much (I note that someone else didn't). Perhaps it's that, as an overweight 62 year old man myself, I found some elements of Bill's situation fairly enviable.

And, again, Mr King gave me a moment where I thought "Oh no, he's not going to..." and then he did, and I had to put the book down and go and have a few minutes by myself.

The only bit I didn't like was the very end which was a bit too "last shot of a horror film"-y for me.
 

arista

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Jul 10, 2006
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I enjoyed the book. I was not sure I was going to, as I am not big crime novel reader. However, this one grabbed me and kept me reading. I felt little uncomfortable about the racial slurs with Jerome. I do think it noted how comfortable the character Jerome felt with the detective. I was really rooting for Holly to have a romantic connection with someone. I do not think Jerome would have been appropriate age wise- but perhaps a good looking cop on the force.
 

carrie's younger brother

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Mar 8, 2012
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I enjoyed the book. I was not sure I was going to, as I am not big crime novel reader. However, this one grabbed me and kept me reading. I felt little uncomfortable about the racial slurs with Jerome. I do think it noted how comfortable the character Jerome felt with the detective. I was really rooting for Holly to have a romantic connection with someone. I do not think Jerome would have been appropriate age wise- but perhaps a good looking cop on the force.
Or how about just "a cop on the force?" Doesn't have to be "good looking."
 

Lord Tyrion

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Oct 24, 2013
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The second thing was Brady's virulent, old style racism. Not that it doesn't exist, but it seemed anachronistic for someone under 30 that lives urban. I've just not seen it in younger generations.

As someone who has played on XBox Live, I can assure you that it is still an issue. There is still power behind denigrating people like that would fit Brady's persona.
 
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skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
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As someone who has played on XBox Live, I can assure you that it is still an issue. There is still power behind denigrating people like that would fit Brady's persona.
Ah, the wonders of the internet *smdh* Playing hide-hidey to do your nasty deeds should not come as a surprise to me. Disappointing.
 

Lord Tyrion

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Oct 24, 2013
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I thought it was a solid read, but not an epic. I agree that the most riveting part of the novel was the opening scene. It's the part of the book I'll remember most. I liked Hodges trying to solve the case on his own and Janey helping him out. The burger part was the most shocking.

Having read two of SK's book (11/22/63 being the other), it seems like his strength is getting the reader to care about the characters. The Janey/Hodges relationship was the heart of the novel.

I agree with some of the critiques brought up. Holly's character did feel a bit forced. I wasn't quite feeling her being a part of the team.

The last part of the book was a bit flat. It seemed to run through the motions of a ticking time bomb scenario. Though there was a genuine tension of whether or not the bomb was going to go off. I didn't think it was going to be an automatic "good guys win" story.
 
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raggedyman79

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Sep 6, 2013
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Finished it yesterday. Read the last 200 pages in one sitting. I enjoyed it, and especially liked the homages and twists on old-school detective novels (except when Janey kept pointing them out, like we wouldn't catch them on our own). Several things of note . . .

- I liked that Holly overcame her demons in the end, but I would have liked more time with her than we got. I understood the purpose she and Janey both served in the narrative, but SK could have introduced her earlier. However, she will obviously continue to be a presence in the series, so we'll get more of her in the future.

- To the poster who didn't find Brady's diatribes believable: He hates everyone and everything. It makes total sense that he's a racist and a homophobe and a misogynist to boot. Plus, Deborah Ann was racist too, which sets a precedent. I found Brady to be weirdly compelling and fascinating.

- I think Jerome (and Holly too) is a statement on the types of subservient, sidekick characters that aid the hero in old stories such as these. Here, the twist is that when you really stop and think about it, Hodges was the catalyst for the team to get together, but Holly and Jerome in the end were the true heroes and the ones to move the investigation forward.

- I kept waiting for the moment where Brady and Hodges came face to face for the first time. I guess we'll have to wait for that one in a future book.

Ms. Mod, do you know any details about FINDERS KEEPERS that you can share? Will all the surviving characters be back? Will the supporting cast have more prominent roles? I'd like to see more of Pete Huntley and Freddi Linklatter especially.
 
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Moderator

Ms. Mod
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Finished it yesterday. Read the last 200 pages in one sitting. I enjoyed it, and especially liked the homages and twists on old-school detective novels (except when Janey kept pointing them out, like we wouldn't catch them on our own). Several things of note . . .

- I liked that Holly overcame her demons in the end, but I would have liked more time with her than we got. I understood the purpose she and Janey both served in the narrative, but SK could have introduced her earlier. However, she will obviously continue to be a presence in the series, so we'll get more of her in the future.

- To the poster who didn't find Brady's diatribes believable: He hates everyone and everything. It makes total sense that he's a racist and a homophobe and a misogynist to boot. Plus, Deborah Ann was racist too, which sets a precedent. I found Brady to be weirdly compelling and fascinating.

- I think Jerome (and Holly too) is a statement on the types of subservient, sidekick characters that aid the hero in old stories such as these. Here, the twist is that when you really stop and think about it, Hodges was the catalyst for the team to get together, but Holly and Jerome in the end were the true heroes and the ones to move the investigation forward.

- I kept waiting for the moment where Brady and Hodges came face to face for the first time. I guess we'll have to wait for that one in a future book.

Ms. Mod, do you know any details about FINDERS KEEPERS that you can share? Will all the surviving characters be back? Will the supporting cast have more prominent roles? I'd like to see more of Pete Huntley and Freddi Linklatter especially.

Sorry, no can do. :zip_it:
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
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Is there a way that I can do a spoiler cut on my own or can only you guys do that? LOL
You can do a spoiler but you hadn't coded it correctly so I had to fix it. There are two ways to do it, either by using the manual coding: [spoil3r]followed by words you want hidden and ending with[/spoil3r] but replace the 3 with an "e" or highlight the words you want hidden and then use the drop down menu in the coding bar above the text box that will look like this

spoiler icon.jpg