End of Watch

(2 customer reviews)

$9.99


End of Watch by Stephen King
End of Watch by Stephen King

Stephen King’s End of Watch, the final installment in the Bill Hodges trilogy, delivers a chilling blend of detective fiction and supernatural horror. Critics have praised the novel for its intense suspense and seamless fusion of genres. The story centers on Brady Hartsfield, the notorious “Mercedes Killer,” who, despite being in a vegetative state for years, has developed sinister psychic powers. From his hospital bed, he manipulates others into committing suicide, setting off a deadly chain of events.

Retired detective Bill Hodges and his partner, Holly Gibney, return to confront this unprecedented threat. As the stakes escalate, they must race against time to stop Hartsfield’s revenge, which threatens not only their lives but also the entire city.

Critics commend King for delivering a satisfying and nerve-wracking conclusion to the trilogy, highlighting his mastery of psychological tension and character development. End of Watch has been described as a gripping exploration of vulnerability, resilience, and the enduring battle between good and evil.

Description

End of Watch by Stephen King serves as the climactic conclusion to the Bill Hodges trilogy, which began with Mr. Mercedes and continued with Finders Keepers. The novel merges the gritty realism of detective fiction with King’s signature supernatural elements, creating a story that is both deeply unsettling and emotionally resonant.

Plot overview

The story begins years after the events of the Mercedes Massacre, where Brady Hartsfield drove a stolen Mercedes into a crowd, killing eight and injuring many more. Brady has been in a vegetative state at the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic since his confrontation with Holly Gibney. However, unknown to the world, Brady’s condition is far from what it seems. Through experimental medication and his latent psychic abilities, Brady regains consciousness and develops new powers, including telekinesis and the ability to control others’ minds. These abilities allow him to manipulate technology and people from afar, setting the stage for a new wave of terror.

Retired detective Bill Hodges, now running a private investigative agency called Finders Keepers with Holly, is drawn back into Brady’s orbit when a string of apparent suicides is linked to the survivors of the Mercedes Massacre. Brady’s ultimate plan involves using a video game device to push people, especially vulnerable teenagers, to take their own lives, amplifying his reach and chaos.

Key characters

  • Bill Hodges: The retired detective, now grappling with his mortality due to a terminal illness, embodies the theme of resilience. Despite his failing health, he is determined to stop Brady one last time.
  • Holly Gibney: Quirky and resourceful, Holly steps up as a central figure, showcasing her growth from a socially awkward character to a formidable investigator.
  • Brady Hartsfield: The antagonist is more terrifying than ever. His newfound powers elevate him from a deranged killer to a nearly unstoppable force of evil.
  • Jerome Robinson and Barbara Robinson: Jerome, Bill’s loyal young ally, and his sister Barbara become vital players in the fight against Brady’s insidious plan.

Themes

  • Mortality and Legacy: Bill’s battle with terminal illness adds emotional depth, as he confronts his own mortality while striving to leave the world safer for others.
  • Human Vulnerability: Brady’s exploitation of technology and mental health issues highlights the fragility of the human psyche in the face of external manipulation.
  • Good vs. Evil: A recurring theme in King’s work, the novel pits human ingenuity and courage against a nearly omnipotent adversary.

Tone & style

King expertly shifts between the tense, grounded realism of a detective story and the eerie, otherworldly terror that defines his supernatural works. The pacing is relentless, with moments of reflection that allow the characters’ humanity to shine through.

Critical reception

Critics have lauded End of Watch for providing a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. The novel’s exploration of psychological horror, blended with real-world concerns about technology and mental health, resonates deeply. Holly Gibney’s development as a character and Bill’s poignant journey have been particularly praised.

Conclusion

End of Watch is a gripping and haunting finale to the trilogy, combining elements of detective noir and supernatural horror to deliver a story that is as emotionally impactful as it is terrifying. It underscores Stephen King’s ability to weave complex characters into high-stakes narratives, leaving readers with a tale that lingers long after the final page.

Book Details

ISBN

9781838853440

Published

2016

Format

eBook

Page Count

511

Language

English

Author

Stephen King

Publisher

Charles Scribner's Sons

Collections

The Bill Hodges Trilogy

Series

Series 3

Reviews

2 reviews for End of Watch

  1. Will McCann

    Payback is a bitch, and the bitch is back.
    Brady Hartsfield isn't hurting anybody these days. And Dr. Felix Babineau doesn't bite. Truths? Believe what you will. Thought fish, eye-traps, seeds of suggestion, telekinesis, the big payback. Where do they come from and how do they fit in here?
    Brady, the Mercedes killer, is safely ensconced in a center for those with Traumatic Brain Injury. Five years have passed since he pulled his murderous shenanigans in Mr. Mercedes. Ready to find out just what is going on behind that waxy face and those vacant eyes?
    Retired police detective Bill Hodges has never bought off on Brady's drooling-in-his-shoe act there in the hospital. Hodges knows enough to follow his gut. The painfully literal-minded, yet intuitive Holly Gibney is in the mix again. A most satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.

  2. john mark

    “End of Watch” by Stephen King is the conclusion to the famous Bill Hodges Trilogy and truly one of my all-time favorite moments in reading. You see, I haven’t read trilogies in decades and after I finally conquered the Gwendy’s Button Box Trilogy in July, it just made sense to jump into this one, and I’m so glad I did.

    Before I begin my review, here are all the trigger warnings I found while reading this novel…

    – Suicide
    – Cancer
    – Incest
    – Racism
    – Molestation
    – Violence against dogs
    – Drugs

    If any of these trigger you, please don’t read this novel. Moving along, King continues to do what he does best as this entire trilogy revolves around one of the most vile villains he’s ever created in Brady Hartsfield. I have never despised a character as much as Brady and I loved how this novel once again connected with the events of “Mr. Mercedes” to bring everything full circle.

    Everything is connected from yet another unique perspective and one thing I enjoyed the most in “End of Watch” is how we get right to Bill Hodges nice and early on. I still greatly enjoyed “Finders Keepers” but I love Hodges, Jerome, and of course, Holly. So to see them right off the bat was great, especially since this is another story within a story within a story yet again.

    Just like the other two novels, King does this brilliantly where everything makes sense, nothing is confusing, and once things start to unravel, it is unbelievably good. You know that feeling when everything falls into place and you’re there, just completely blown away and simply in awe? That was me reading “End of Watch” because I could not believe where King took this trilogy and especially what he did with Brady in this one.

    Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything for you but King took this evil character to a whole other level that was so incredibly done, I was making all sorts of faces while reading. It was so creative, insane, and disturbing, it just confirmed what I’ve been saying for decades now that King is the greatest storyteller. Ever. Constant reader here for over two decades and that has never changed. The absolute best.

    This was another genuine page-turner and I could not put this down at all as I read deep into the night. My goal is to finish this entire Bill Hodges Trilogy, “The Outsider”, and “If It Bleeds” before “Holly” comes out on 9/5/23. I’m definitely going to finish all these wonderful novels so I’m fully caught up for “Holly” when it’s published. I loved Holly in this novel as she was her usual awesome self in “End of Watch” as her character continues to leave an imprint on me.

    I loved all the plot twists and turns in this novel and as always, King rocks with his references. He literally rocks since he was able to mention Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Marshawn Lynch, and even Judas Priest. Major points in my book since I’m a huge metalhead and love my sports (BEAST MODE!).

    King as always brought the horror in this novel with all sorts of horrific and creepy situations leading up to an insanely climactic build-up to the end. I was super anxious to see what would ultimately transpire and as always, King did not disappoint. That ending… WOW! It was perfect and one I will always remember.

    I give “End of Watch” by Stephen King a 5/5 and what a prominent way to end the Bill Hodges Trilogy. It was everything I could ask for and then some. It just checked all the boxes and left me beyond satisfied. Overall, this was one hell of a trilogy I will never, ever forget. Incredible characters, situations, events, horror, gore, plot twists, and sheer violence all led to an epic conclusion. One that has left me in awe by such a powerhouse of a trilogy

    Before I let you go, there is a heavy amount of suicide talk and actual suicides that take place in “End of Watch” which touches on a very real subject across the globe. If you ever, ever feel suicidal, please talk to someone. Ask for help. Hell, you can even come to me and I’ll find help for you. Just please, get help. I know my horror book reviews are read all over the world but I know at least here in the United States, you can call or text “988” for free 24/7 professional help from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you live outside the US, please Google “International Association for Suicide Prevention” and you can also find free professional help, resources, and so much more on the official IASP website no matter where you live.

    In the immortal words of King: “Because things can get better, and if you give them a chance, they usually do.”

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Editorial Review

An Amazon Best Book of June 2016: It has been seven years since the Mercedes Killer, Brady Hartsfield, was knocked on the head and put into a catatonic state. But now he's awake, even if people haven't quite been clued into that fact, and he's got a score to settle. His ultimate quarry is the detective Bill Hodges, and as Brady gains his faculties—as well as some new paranormal skills (telekinesis anyone?)—people start committing suicide at a mysterious and alarming rate. King hits his sweet spot in this final episode of the Bill Hodges Trilogy, introducing his talent for horror into a storyline that already has featured some great detective writing. The result is a book that mixes revenge, crime, and otherworldly powers, bringing the trilogy to a thrilling, satisfying close. --Chris Schluep, The Amazon Book Review
Críticas
Praise for Finders Keepers

“Stephen King’s superb new stay-up-all-night thriller, Finders Keepers, is a sly,often poignant tale of literary obsession that recalls the themes of his classic 1987 novel Misery…a love letter to the joys of reading and to American literature… wonderful, scary, moving.” (Elizabeth Hand, The Washington Post)

“As in Misery and TheShining, King swan dives into the looniness lurking at both ends of thewriter-reader transaction…the narrative hums and roars along like ahigh-performance vehicle…a rip-snortingentertainment; one that also works as a sneaky-smart satire of literarycriticism and how even the most attentive readers can often miss the wholepoint.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"The new book is so good, being at least mildly obsessed with it is understandable. The finest thing about it, however, is that the author has another story to tell before the finale of this excellent series.” (USA Today)

Praise for Mr. Mercedes

"Classic Stephen King. Creepy, yet realistic characters that get under your skin and stay there, a compelling story that twists and turns at breakneck speed, and delightful prose that, once again, proves that one of America’s greatest natural storytellers is also one of its finest writers." (Associated Press)

“Think of Mr. Mercedes as an AC/DC song: uncluttered, chugging with momentum, and a lot harder to pull off than it looks. . . . King has written a hot rod of a novel,perfect for a few summer days at the pool. Mercedes-Benz commands drivers to demand ‘the best or nothing.’ In pop-fiction terms, that motto still applies to Stephen King, too. With apologies to AC/DC, the highway to hell never felt so fun.” (Christian Science Monitor)

“A taut, suspenseful race-against-time book . . . [King is] in reliably fine form.” (The New York Times)

“No one can create a villain quite like King. . . . [A]ll the elements come together in a very public, potentially explosive finale (with a surprising post script). King fans may find themselves furiously turning pages long into the night.” (Seattle Times)

Praise for End of Watch

“King has dealt before with this novel’s different themes—endowment with dangerous supernatural powers, the zombifying effect of modern consumer electronics—but he finds fresh approaches to them and inventive ways to introduce them in the lives of his recurring cast of sympathetic characters, whose pains and triumphs the reader feels. King’s legion of fans will find this splice of mystery and horror a fitting finale to his Bill Hodges trilogy.” (Publishers Weekly, STARRED review)

“[A] tense, thrilling conclusion to King’s Bill Hodges trilogy…One would assume that a writer like King, who has been at the top of his game for decades, would eventually run out of ideas. Instead, he serves up one of the most original crime thrillers to come along in years…A spectacular, pulse-pounding, read-in-one-sitting wrap-up that will more than satisfy King’s Constant Readers.” (Library Journal, STARRED review)

“Few of King's myriad terrors feel as visceral and close to home as the sense of human mortality that looms over his new book, End of Watch… an undeniable page-turner… Throughout his tale, King nimbly pulls together numerous plot threads and characters…and for good measure throws in a final nail-biting chase through a blizzard. One finishes this novel feeling great empathy for its resolute protagonist, and even greater trepidation about that next round of Candy Crush.” (Elizabeth Hand, The Washington Post)

“A deliciously savory conclusion to King’s phenomenal hard-boiled Mr. Mercedes trilogy…gripping… as strong a King series as The Dark Tower in terms of characterization and pure storytelling. When it comes to the gumshoe genre, though, fingers crossed King’s not yet closed for business.” (Brian Truitt, USA Today)

“King works his customary storytelling magic, unspooling the plot threads almost as quickly as readers can turn the pages… If you're wrapping up the trilogy, enjoy. If you're just getting started, you're in for a thrilling ride.” (Rob Merrill, The Associated Press)

“Keeps readers on edge... King stitches together threads from these events to weave a taut conclusion to the tale of Brady Hartsfield. But — and with King you never know — he does leave open the chance that some of the characters will be back. Because in Stephen King’s world, is anyone ever really gone for good?” (Amanda St. Amand, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

“Stephen King’s Bill Hodges Trilogy has proved to be a welcome change of pace for the best-selling Maine author… The wintery, blood-soaked climax of the novel provides a fitting resolution not only to the action at hand but to the trilogy as a whole. King will always be best known for his tales of supernatural horror, but it’s great fun to watch him experiment with form, genre and subject matter. He has more than his fair share of laurels, but he never seems to rest on them. Here’s hoping King can maintain the creative momentum of the Bill Hodges Trilogy as he heads into the next uncharted literary territory.” (Michael Berry, The Portland Press Herald )

“A satisfying conclusion to this crackerjack detective series… As the book’s title suggests, there is finality and loss in the final pages. Readers may find themselves wiping away a few tears as this well-written, involving series comes to an end.” (Doug Knoop, The Seattle Times)

“Outstanding… ‘End of Watch’ gives us King at the height of his powers. Masterfully plotted, the novel is propelled toward its page-blurring conclusion by two deadly forces: Hodges’ advancing disease and Brady’s relentless murderous impulse.” (John Wilwol, Newsday)

“The book leaves a surprisingly deep, melancholy mark, crystallizing the themes that have become prevalent in King’s recent work...’End of Watch’ hurtles toward a conclusion you anticipate and dread in equal measure — that wonderful, terrible anxiety King’s constant readers have been relishing for more than four decades now. ‘He’s not done with you yet,’ reads an ominous message Hodges receives on his computer in End of Watch. We’re lucky. King isn’t done with us either.” (Rene Rodriguez, The Miami Herald)

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