I'm relatively new to the world of Bill Hodges and Holly Gibney, so I didn't quite know what to expect from the initial offering in this late-stage critical darling in King's career. While King had at this point written two works for the Hard Case Crime series, Mr. Mercedes fits the mold more comfortably than either. A retired detective is pulled into a hunt for the one that got away, and the ensuing chase is an absolute delight. 5/5