Never Flinch: A Novel

by Stephen King Narrated by Jessie Mueller, Stephen King

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The king of horror has returned — along with a few old friends. Holly Gibney is back to investigate a terrifying threat and serve as a bodyguard to an activist with a target on her back. Taut, immersive and chilling, this is Stephen King at his best.

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2025 by The New York Times Book Review, AV Club, Variety, The Boston Globe, The Minnesota Star Tribune, Vulture, Men's Health, Book Riot, 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.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The murders are swift. Unceremonious. Random. Executed with a chilling detachment... the cinematic style we crave from a Stephen King novel.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Classic... Readers will enjoy the very Kingly ending.” —Associated Press

“The master of horror has proven to be scarily good at the mystery thriller, too. He’s not the King for nothing.” —USA Today

“A real narrative fireworks show... a page-turner.” —Vanity Fair

"Cinematic, propulsive." —Elisabeth Egan, The New York Times

“Holly is, in a way, the quintessential King protagonist: an ordinary (albeit quirky), unprepossessing person who, in the clutch, discovers untapped reserves of smarts and, most important of all, courage.” —Laura Miller, Slate

“Gripping... the master of the macabre has done it again with his latest novel—Never Flinch is a pulpy, fast-paced mystery in King’s unmissable style.” —AARP

“You always get your money’s worth with mega-bestselling author Stephen King.” —The Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Stephen King writes too many books for so many of them to continue to be this good... witty and propulsive.” —The Boston Globe

“A nailbiter... the propulsive plot will keep you turning pages long past your bedtime. King’s evocative prose still makes characters come alive and ensures that they linger long after their stories are over... I couldn’t put it down.” —The Washington Post

“Stephen King is a writer of towering brilliance whose fiction appeals to a reading public both popular and serious.” —The Spectator

“Breathtaking... King shines when it comes to depicting evil, so it’s no surprise that he’s created two chilling killers... haunting.” —BookPage

“As both narratives unfold, they barrel toward an explosive collision with a thrilling conclusion.” —AV Club

“There's no doubt he's still at the top of his game.” —Screen Rant

“King does some great work here... the threads pull together more and more tightly as the story comes to an (almost) heart-stopping conclusion... an outstanding contribution to American fiction.” —Crime Fiction Review

“King has proven over and over again that you simply can’t miss whatever he comes up with next.” —Paste Magazine

“Explosive and shocking.” —Men’s Health

“The indisputable king... a new Stephen King novel is a special event.” —Den of Geek

“Fascinating.” —Vulture

“There is real suspense in the dual narratives and the actions of an increasingly off-kilter villain. Fans will find a lot to love here.” —Library Journal

“A dark, fast read... will keep King fans turning the pages.” —Variety

“Chilling... another goosebump-worthy ride...” —Her Campus

“King keeps us in a constant state of edge-of-our-seat suspense. This is Stephen King at his finest, and an absolute must-read for his fans.” —Booklist

“Elegantly structured and sharply written, this moody mystery from the master of horror is a must-read.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

 AudioFile magazine Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award

"Jessie Mueller provides a rich, satisfying performance that should please fans of King’s audiobooks, particularly his most recent works. By now, King has fully embraced the detective genre. Private investigator Holly Gibney is back—with her dizzying intellect, ability to think through tough cases, and relatable quirks. The story is a revenge plot that has the murderer announcing to law enforcement a plan to kill “13 guilty and one innocent.” Along the way, Gibney hits the road, serving as protection for a famous women’s rights activist who also attracts credible, dangerous threats. Mueller fully embodies the many diverse voices that make up Gibney’s world of the Finders Keepers detective agency, including characters who break into song. Mueller’s tone embraces the mounting tension."

Kirkus Reviews

2025-02-01
Two killers are on the loose. Can they be stopped?

In this ambitious mystery, the prolific and popular King tells the story of a serial murderer who pledges, in a note to Buckeye City police, to kill “13 innocents and 1 guilty,” in order, we eventually learn, to avenge the death of a man who was framed and convicted for possession of child pornography and then killed in prison. At the same time, the author weaves in the efforts of another would-be murderer, a member of a violently abortion-opposing church who has been stalking a popular feminist author and women’s rights activist on a publicity tour. To tell these twin tales of murders done and intended, King summons some familiar characters, including private investigator Holly Gibney, whom readers may recall from previous novels. Gibney is enlisted to help Buckeye City police detective Izzy Jaynes try to identify and stop the serial killer, who has been murdering random unlucky citizens with chilling efficiency. She’s also been hired as a bodyguard for author and activist Kate McKay and her young assistant. The author succeeds in grabbing the reader’s interest and holding it throughout this page-turning tale of terror, which reads like a big-screen thriller. The action is well paced, the settings are vividly drawn, and King’s choice to focus on the real and deadly dangers of extremist thought is admirable. But the book is hamstrung by cliched characters, hackneyed dialogue (both spoken and internal), and motives that feel both convoluted and overly simplistic. King shines brightest when he gets to the heart of our darkest fears and desires, but here the dangers seem a bit cerebral. In his warning letter to the police, the serial killer wonders if his cryptic rationale to murder will make sense to others, concluding, “It does to me, and that is enough.” Is it enough? In another writer’s work, it might not be, but in King’s skilled hands, it probably is.

Even when King is not at his best, he’s still good.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940193569947
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	05/27/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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