‘Holly’ is one of Stephen King’s most political novels yet: NPR

“Books are portable magic like no other.”

Many readers have, at some point, come across this famous Stephen King quote. The process of creating books is also magical, and that magic gives characters their own personalities – meaning they can surprise an author even when they’ve worked a lot on character development and think they know everything there is to know about them. Holly Gibney is a perfect example of this.

Holly Gibney first appears in King’s Mr. Mercedes, an Edgar Award-winning novel and the first book in the Bill Hodges Trilogy. Now that Holly was back, I wanted to get to know her again, and see her character develop, so I went back and did a lot of reading. in Mr. MercedesHolly is an easy going character. In fact, she doesn’t appear until page 219, and when she does, she “never speaks out loud and seems to have trouble making eye contact.” Throughout the rest of that novel, and in the sequel, Whoever finds something keeps itWhen she begins working with Hodges, Holly is a pale, insecure young woman who suffers from panic attacks, is haunted by her overbearing mother, and must take Lexapro because of her anxiety. In later novels, Holly begins to come out of her shell. and in HollyKing’s latest work, is a complex, layered character who seems to have been developed to center stage from the start.

in holly, Gibney is working on the case herself because her partner, Pete, is home with COVID-19. Holly investigates the disappearance of Bonnie Ray Dahl, a young woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind her bike, a strange note saying she’s had enough, and a heartbroken mother. The case that Holly wasn’t supposed to take on but decided to take on because Bonnie Ray’s mother was desperate, is a tough one. Also, Holly must deal with not only the restrictions and pressures of the rampant Covid pandemic, but also the recent death of her mother, who couldn’t believe that COVID, the disease that killed her, was real and refused to be vaccinated.

While investigating the disappearance of Bonnie Ray, Holly encounters another missing person, a boy who also disappeared under mysterious circumstances. As Holly and Jerome (who used to help Hodges as a child and then started helping Holly) look through the two cases, they become convinced they are related. And they may be right. A few blocks from where Bonnie Ray was last seen, Professors Rodney and Emily Harris hide many dark secrets under their respectful façade. The octogenarians are a sweet, loyal, and eloquent couple of semi-retired academics who don’t shy away from social situations. They’re also racist and homophobic, and that’s not the worst of it, the worst happens in their basement. To solve the case of the missing woman and those who disappeared just like her, Holly will have to use all the tools she has developed because those responsible for her are smart, experienced and very patient.

King’s work usually oscillates between complete nostalgia, incredibly timely, and Holly belongs to the latter group. The COVID-19 pandemic, racism and homophobia, the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, and Donald Trump’s impact on the country’s zeitgeist and political discourse are all very present in the narrative, which mostly takes place in 2021 (jumping back and forth) during that year. ) but also goes back in time to show the history of the atrocities committed by Rodney and Emily Harris. King was never shy about his politics, however Holly It is one of his most political novels to date, and is sure to enrage all the right people.

Holly It’s a crime thriller, but it’s very close to the horror aesthetic King is known for. The things Rodney and Emily Harris do in their basement – and some of the things they do in the aftermath of their actions in their daily lives – are gruesome and shocking in ways that will satisfy horror fans. However, the way the narrative is constructed, the layers of characters, and their gruesome endings are all reminders that King is also a terrific crime/mystery writer who navigates with ease the interstitial space where all dark genres meet. Moreover, the book is full of ghosts. Bill Hodges, long gone, is a permanent presence in this book. So are the killers he and Holly tried to bring to justice together. In that respect, this novel is a celebration of Holly’s past as well as Hodges’ heritage, but there is enough context to allow it to work as a standalone for those who haven’t followed Holly’s story from the start.

while Holly It’s a brutal and gripping movie, King does many things right with the story, and Holly is the heart of the narrative. Her growth from a shy and mumbled mess Mr. Mercedes To the smart, strong, smoking, slightly better, wealthier woman we see in… Holly enormous. It’s also a testament to King’s talents as a writer and a stark reminder of what can happen when writers allow the magic that inhabits their characters to flourish unimpeded by their original plans for them. Please, Mr. King, give us more Holly soon.

Gabino Iglesias is an author, book reviewer, and professor living in Austin, Texas. Find him on Twitter at @Gabino_Iglesias.