by Stephen King
Part of Bill Hodges, book 2
First published 2015
Morris Bellamy worships novelist John Rothstein and his creation Jimmy Gold, a rebellious character who embodied nonconformist values. When Rothstein stops publishing and Jimmy Gold sells out to work in advertising, Morris snaps. He kills the reclusive author and steals cash from his safe, but the real prize is a collection of notebooks containing unpublished Jimmy Gold stories. Morris stashes his haul and gets imprisoned for an unrelated crime. Thirty-five years pass. Young Pete Saubers discovers the hidden treasure while his family struggles financially. The notebooks and money seem like salvation, but Morris gets released from prison. He wants his stolen goods back, and his obsession has only grown more twisted during his decades behind bars. Detective Bill Hodges, along with Holly Gibney and Jerome Robinson, must protect Pete and his family from Morris's escalating violence. The case forces them to confront how far a reader's devotion can spiral into dangerous madness.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, obsession
Setting: United States
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
434 pages · Hardcover · Scribner
Content warnings: violence