Book Review: Never Flinch by Stephen King

While he will likely always be best known for his massively successful horror novels, Stephen King does often write outside of the genre, especially in his more recent books. His interest in penning a more straightforward suspense novel began with Mr. Mercedes and carried through several other books featuring characters from that story and its follow-ups, leading to what might be his most “horror-free” thriller yet, Never Flinch.

That isn’t to say that bad things don’t happen in these pages. Several people fall victim to the serial killer stalking this book, but their deaths aren’t lingered over and the violence is instead concise and matter of fact, with King seemingly interested in building suspense in other, less grisly ways. Despite that, this is in some ways still vintage King, starring a group of well-drawn, likable characters who cross paths in a variety of ways as they are all inexorably hurtling towards a large-scale, dangerous event. That the threats this time are entirely human being the chief difference from some of his earlier work.

Holly Gibney, who has quickly become one of King’s favorite characters to write, finds herself wrapped up in a pair of dangerous cases, following her run in with the Harrises in 2023’s Holly. After a series of murders in and around Buckeye City appear to be connected, detective Izzy Jaynes reaches out to Holly, in the hopes that she can provide some insight into what is looking more and more like the work of a very determined serial killer. While Holly can’t help but find the case interesting and provides what assistance she can, she is otherwise preoccupied however, having taken on bodyguard duties for the well-known but very controversial women’s rights activist Kate McKay, who has found herself being targeted by an increasingly dangerous stalker.

Holly remains a very engaging character to follow, making King’s affinity for her understandable, and she is surrounded by an equally endearing cast. It’s honestly even enjoyable following the two baddies, despite their unlikability; a good thing since we know “whodunnit” from the onset. The suspense here comes from wondering where this all will end up, as we spend time getting closer with these people and grow progressively more concerned for their survival.

Some of the numerous side plots don’t work as well as others, most notably the charity baseball game between the local police and fire departments which 100% should have been cancelled given events in the region. Even the characters understand that fact and comment on it frequently, which I suppose was King’s way of excusing it but which instead only serves to make looking past it more challenging, though still not impossible. Additionally, one character ends up being dispatched so quickly and inconsequentially that it leaves the reader wondering why they were included here at all.

That said, King has crafted a (mostly) satisfying conclusion, tying everything together in a way that he sometimes struggles to do. While the killers’ motivations explicitly touch on a variety of issues that plague our society, some new and some old, it’s more interesting observing him use the small-town stories at the heart of Never Flinch as a sort of “modern USA” in microcosm. There is a long-simmering rage coursing just below the surface of modern civilization, that is bursting forth into the light with increasing regularity, sometimes for good reason and sometimes not so much. It’s a vibe that is hard to ignore and he captures it well in these pages, reminding us that even his “lesser” work is still well worth reading. ★★★★