logo

55 pages 1 hour read

Stephen King

Mr. Mercedes

Stephen KingFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2014

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Background

Authorial Context: Stephen King and the Hard-Boiled Detective Story

King’s work spans many genres, and Mr. Mercedes is his first work of “hard-boiled” detective fiction, which features a down-and-out detective loner protagonist who has had a tough life and needs to get back his sense of self through solving a crime. The detective, Bill Hodges, became the main character in a trilogy that includes Finders Keepers (2015) and End of Watch (2016). A spin-off novel The Outsider (2018), features Holly Gibney, a character who aids Hodges in Mr. Mercedes. The Outsider is more a traditional detective story that also contains supernatural elements. To date, King has written three books for the Hard Case Crime imprint, which specializes in hard-boiled fiction: The Colorado Kid (2005), Joyland (2013), and Later (2021). These books blend traditional hard-boiled detective and mystery tropes with supernatural elements.

The hard-boiled crime genre focuses on human corruption rather than grand themes of good and evil. That, in itself, is something of a departure for King, who often pits protagonists against evil on a cosmic scale. However, even in his stories of cosmic evil, King always exposes the dark side of human nature. Brady Hartsfield, the killer in Mr.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 55 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,450+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools