Never Flinch
A Novel
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4.1 • 109 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2025 by The New York Times Book Review, AV Club, Variety, The Boston Globe, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Vulture, Men’s Health, Book Riot, The New York Post, Goodreads, AARP, Paste, and more!
From master storyteller Stephen King comes an extraordinary new novel with intertwining storylines—one about a killer on a diabolical revenge mission, and another about a vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker—featuring the beloved Holly Gibney and a dynamic new cast of characters.
When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to “kill thirteen innocents and one guilty” in “an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man,” Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.
Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women’s rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate’s message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate’s bodyguard—a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and his belief in his own righteousness.
Featuring a riveting cast of characters both old and new, including world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and an unforgettable villain addicted to murder, these twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion—a feat of storytelling only Stephen King could pull off.
Thrilling, wildly fun, and outrageously engrossing, Never Flinch is one of King’s richest and most propulsive novels.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Fan-favorite sleuth Holly Gibney must track down two deranged criminals in this riveting crime thriller. A threatening letter to Holly’s police pal, Izzy Jaynes, reveals a budding serial killer searching for warped justice. Meanwhile, Holly’s landed a gig running security for a feminist activist with a maniac stalking her lecture circuit. Both tales intertwine beautifully thanks to Stephen King’s literary skills. The dogged Ms. Gibney has quickly become a standout among King’s stable of fantastic characters, and this gripping tale strains her sleuthing skills while showcasing her vulnerable side. We especially enjoyed Detective Jaynes, whose budding friendship with Holly is a highlight. However, their formidable abilities and keen minds might not be enough to catch two obsessive offenders unwilling to stop until the bloody end.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
King cements PI Holly Gibney's status as one of the great contemporary detectives in this thrilling sequel to Holly. When a letter arrives at the Buckeye City Police Department proclaiming that "the INNOCENT should be punished for the needless DEATH of an innocent," detective Izzy Jaynes is rattled. Soon afterward, a series of random citizens turn up murdered, each of them clasping a paper printed with the names of unknown people, and Izzy pulls her friend Holly, of the Finders Keepers detective agency, onto the case. Meanwhile, as controversial feminist writer and speaker Kate McKay embarks on a national tour, she and her assistant are targeted for assassination by far-right extremists. When Holly is hired to be part of Kate's security team, her two cases intertwine, and she works with Izzy and Kate to bring the bloodshed to a halt. Holly shines as a quirky but lovable beacon of hope amid the plot's grisly violence, and King never lets his Rube Goldberg–esque plot overshadow his characters' humanity. Elegantly structured and sharply written, this moody mystery from the master of horror is a must-read.
Customer Reviews
Holly Gibney!
A wonderful Holly Gibney story. It was lovely to spend time with her, Barbara, Jerome and Izzy again. I feel I know these people.
The book kept me interested cover to cover, as King always does. There are two villians and the tension builds as you realize thier evil will eventually converge. It was a fun read (can you say that about a horror novel?) and I would recommend it to any Stephen King fan. (To get the most from this no el, read the Bill Hodges trilogy: Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keeprs, End of Watch; then The Outsider, Holly, and Let it Bleed. But it stands alone just as well, in this reader’s opinion.)
I hope you like it as well as I did!
Ho-hum
Constant reader here. Honestly, getting a bit bored with Holly. SK’s switch to crime is getting played out. The pacing was slow and the characters pretty stock. I’ll read SK till the cows come home but I wish this had more umph.