Stephen King - The Colorado Kid (2005)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
Stephen King, the world’s best-selling novelist, continues the innovation that has been a hallmark of his career with another surprise: his first mystery novel. The Colorado Kid, now out from upstart “pulp” publisher Hard Case Crime, is a curious book, a mystery with no detective and maybe not even a crime.
The plot, to the extent there is one, is simple: a pair of weathered old newspapermen spend an afternoon on a Maine island telling a young reporter the town’s best unsolved mystery: the story of the Colorado Kid.
The title character turned up dead one morning on the beach several years before, with few clues to his life or death. As the story unfolds, the elderly reporters reveal how they tracked the story for years and eventually discovered the victim’s identity, but they never understood what brought him to Maine or how he died.
Ultimately, The Colorado Kid isn’t much of a mystery, but it is a fascinating piece of narrative. Whether or not the lack of a real plot or any resolution frustrates readers will largely depend on their fondness for a well-spun yarn. What’s certain is that King has yet again defied expectations and done something new.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
Comments
very good novel book!
Posted by: Krista Costa | Dec 12, 2005 8:17:37 AM
