Holly

Title: Holly

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 2023

Date read: 29th September 2023

Score: 5/5

Genre: Crime, Detective, Thriller

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Holly" by Stephen King is a standalone novel published in 2023, featuring the popular recurring character Holly Gibney as the primary protagonist. While Holly has appeared in previous King works (the Bill Hodges trilogy, "The Outsider," and the novella "If It Bleeds"), this is her first full-length novel centred entirely on her own detective work.

The story is set in the summer of 2021, amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Holly Gibney, now a co-director of the Finders Keepers detective agency (which she inherited after the death of her mentor, Bill Hodges), is struggling. Her partner, Pete Huntley, is laid up with COVID, and she's just had to attend the Zoom funeral of her difficult and complicated mother, Charlotte, who died from the virus after being a fervent denier and anti-vaxxer. Despite being on leave, Holly finds herself unable to resist taking a new case that comes her way.

A desperate woman named Penelope Dahl contacts Holly, seeking help in locating her 24-year-old daughter, Bonnie, who disappeared weeks ago. Bonnie's bicycle was found with a cryptic note saying "I'VE HAD ENOUGH," but her mother is convinced she wouldn't have run away.

As Holly begins her investigation, using her unique blend of intuition, meticulousness, and a touch of the obsessive-compulsive traits that define her, she uncovers disturbing patterns. She discovers other missing persons cases in the same general area and with similar baffling circumstances: a young boy, a college janitor, and others. The police have largely dismissed these as runaways or unrelated incidents, but Holly's "hunch" tells her otherwise.

The novel quickly reveals the antagonists to the reader, shifting from a "whodunnit" to a chilling "how and why" suspense thriller. The culprits are Professors Rodney and Emily Harris, an elderly, seemingly respectable, and highly intelligent couple in their eighties, both retired academics. They present as frail and harmless, but beneath their genteel exterior lies a horrifying secret: they are ruthless and calculating cannibals.

The Harrises believe that consuming human flesh, particularly that of younger individuals, possesses regenerative powers that can combat their own aging and ailments (such as Emily's sciatica and Rodney's early-stage Alzheimer's). They have developed a sophisticated and deeply disturbing method of luring, abducting, and holding their victims captive in a hidden, soundproofed basement chamber beneath their well-kept home.

Holly's investigation gradually, meticulously, and perilously leads her closer to the Harrises. She connects the dots between the various disappearances, observing details that others have missed. The tension mounts as she realizes the true nature of the evil she is up against, and that these seemingly benign octogenarians are far more dangerous than any supernatural monster.

The climax occurs when Holly, relying solely on her own sharp wits and courage, confronts the Harrises in their home. She is captured and imprisoned in their basement cage, becoming their next intended victim. However, even in this dire situation, Holly's resourcefulness and determination shine through. She manages to escape her confinement in a brutal, visceral struggle, ultimately defeating the depraved couple.

"Holly" is a dark, character-driven thriller that further develops Holly Gibney, showcasing her growth from a shy, anxious individual to a formidable and resilient private detective. It explores themes of aging, the nature of evil, and the societal impact of the pandemic and its associated divisions, all delivered with King's signature blend of grounded horror and psychological tension.

Comments:
Just fantastic, never thought that SK would write such amazing crime fiction, absolutely outstanding.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)