Book Review Robert Wiersema END OF WATCH by Stephen King In law enforcement parlance, the phrase “End of Watch” canmean several different things. Usually, it refers to the end of an officer’s shift. Occasionally, however, it can refer to the retirement of an officer. Often, though – too often – it refers to the death of an officer while on duty. With that ambiguity, and its potentially ominous and tragic meaning, the phrase is a perfect title for the new novel from Stephen King. End of Watchmarks the conclusion of King’s Mr. Mercedes trilogy, but to what, the reader wonders, does the title refer? It could refer simply to retirement. After all, that’s where readers first met former detective Bill Hodges in the opening pages of Mr. Mercedes, languishing in the daytime-television stupor of his recent pensioning, feeling useless and alone, camped out in his La-ZBoy, his revolver on the side table. He’s not actively thinking about killing himself, but he recognizes it as a possibility. That useless, desperate feeling disappears when Hodges receives a letter from someone claiming to be the Mercedes Killer, who deliberately drove into a crowd outside of a job fair, killing eight. It was one of Hodges’ last cases, left unsolved at the end of his watch, and the taunting letter galvanizes him back into action. Mr. Mercedes, published in the summer of 2014, was something of an unusual book for King, a straightforwardmystery with virtually no elements of horror or the supernatural. It might have been a departure, but it was a successful one; readers and reviewers were (justifiably) enthusiastic and the novel was awarded the Edgar Award for Best Mystery Novel. While Finders Keepers, the second novel in the trilogy, saw increased supernatural elements, End of Watchfinds us firmly back in traditional King territory for a novel which marries the strong mystery elements of Mr. Mercedes with King’s trademark horror and supernatural expertise. End of Watchopens with Hodges waiting for a doctor’s appointment when he receives a phone call fromhis last partner, Pete Huntley (on the cusp of retirement himself). Huntley wants Hodges to consult on a pair of deaths which are not only connected to theMercedes Killings, but seem to be part of a series of mysterious deaths, all involving survivors of the massacre. Hodges is, of course, drawn into the mystery, especially when it seems to expand to include those close to him. It’s as if there’s something personal about the violence, something directly connected to Hodges himself. End of Watch is a heady, immersive read – one which seems to call back to elements of classic King fiction, with echoes of such novels as Firestarter and Carrie. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling anything, but it’s hardly surprising that there are strong connections with the earlier novels in the trilogy, and a powerful climax that feels as if it has been three books in the making. The great strength of End of Watch, though, and of the trilogy as a whole, is in the characters and their relationships. Yes, the narrative is compelling, and just twisty enough to keep even the most astute readers off guard (while teasing them with a sense that they’re one step ahead), but it is the “relatability” of the characters and the connections which readers will forge with them that gives the trilogy its force. Hodges, for example, is a brilliant fictional creation, flawed and complicated and powerfully realistic, the sort of character whomwe recognize immediately, even as he continues to reveal unexpected depths and contradictions. His compatriots are equally well-drawn and relatable in their own right, but the trilogy is, ultimately, about Hodges. Which brings us back to the title: what does it mean? End of Watch. A retired police officer. A series of crimes with a personal connection. A missed doctor’s appointment. An approaching blizzard. How can you possibly resist? CSANews | FALL 2016 | 45
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx