Ephemeris of the Mind (Book Review) Finders Keepers
Time to read: 2 min read
Book Cover
Shit don't mean shit.
Past Stephen King reviews:
- Mr. Mercedes
- Night Shift
- Four Past Midnight
- Different Seasons
- The Stand
- Under the Dome
- Bag of Bones
- The Dead Zone
- 11/22/63
- It
- Dreamcatcher
- Misery
- The Institute
Review
Famous American author John Rothstein is murdered in 1978 and decades worth of his unpublished manuscripts are stolen along with cash. The culprit stashes the manuscript but is arrested for a different crime. In 2010, Pete Saubers, a boy from the financially struggling family discovers the stash and uses the money to secretly help his family while he himself becomes enthralled in Rothstein’s unpublished works. In 2014, the original robber is released from prison and is looking to reclaim his stash.
Unlike Mr. Mercedes where Bill Hodges is the protagonist, Hodges only appears heavily in the story in the second half of the book and to be honest, his character feels shoehorned in. The book could have been a standalone without Hodges and it wouldn't have made been tremendously different. I did like reading about Hodges' sidekick Holly Gibney's character development from the first book. Her and Hodges have become business partners which makes aspects of the story seem like a buddy cop.
My favourite aspect of the book is how King develops the characters of the protagonist, Pete Saubers, and the antagonist. In particular both characters' love for literature made them relatable (albeit in a macabre way) for me because I also enjoy reading. The story structure is the same as Mr. Mercedes where all perspectives are explored simultaneously as the story progresses. King, like with the previous book, sprinkles in close misses and encounters.
Conclusion
Another entertaining detective fiction.