If It Bleeds - MXHDR BookWyrm

No cover — Stephen King: If It Bleeds (2020, Scribner)

448 pages

English language

Published July 26, 2020 by Scribner.

ISBN:: 978-1-9821-3799-1

(1 review)

A collection of four uniquely wonderful long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to the No. 1 bestseller THE OUTSIDER.

News people have a saying: 'If it bleeds, it leads'. And a bomb at Albert Macready Middle School is guaranteed to lead any bulletin.

Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency is working on the case of a missing dog - and on her own need to be more assertive - when she sees the footage on TV. But when she tunes in again, to the late-night report, she realises there is something not quite right about the correspondent who was first on the scene. So begins 'If It Bleeds', a stand-alone sequel to the No. 1 bestselling THE OUTSIDER featuring the incomparable Holly on her first solo case - and also the riveting title story in Stephen King's brilliant new collection.

Dancing alongside are three more wonderful long stories …

A collection of four uniquely wonderful long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to the No. 1 bestseller THE OUTSIDER.

News people have a saying: 'If it bleeds, it leads'. And a bomb at Albert Macready Middle School is guaranteed to lead any bulletin.

Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency is working on the case of a missing dog - and on her own need to be more assertive - when she sees the footage on TV. But when she tunes in again, to the late-night report, she realises there is something not quite right about the correspondent who was first on the scene. So begins 'If It Bleeds', a stand-alone sequel to the No. 1 bestselling THE OUTSIDER featuring the incomparable Holly on her first solo case - and also the riveting title story in Stephen King's brilliant new collection.

Dancing alongside are three more wonderful long stories from this 'formidably versatile author' (The Sunday Times) - 'Mr Harrigan's Phone', 'The Life of Chuck' and 'Rat'. All four display the richness of King's storytelling with grace, humour, horror and breathtaking suspense. A fascinating Author's Note gives us a wonderful insight into the origin of each story and the writer's unparalleled imagination

9 editions

David Bruce reviewed If It Bleeds by Stephen King

Review of 'If It Bleeds' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Thoroughly enjoyable connection of short stories, or perhaps novellas. I had picked this up thinking it was one novel, and with each story, I was more confused about how he might tie all these characters together, until I realized my assumption was incorrect.

Still I enjoyed this, more maybe than some of the older collections. King has stretched into other genres here with the piece about Chuck, and it was a pleasant surprise.

I also thought his Holly Gibney dialog was more realistic in this incarnation vs that of The Outsider.

Subjects

Fiction, horror
Fiction, suspense