Now an HBO limited series starring Ben Mendelsohn! Evil has many faces…maybe even yours in this #1 New York Times bestseller from master storyteller Stephen King. An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is discovered in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens–Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, … League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon have DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.
As the investigation expands and horrifying details begin to emerge, King’s story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.
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I have to say, that this the first Stephen King book that I have read since Delores Clairborne. Loved his earlier books! But, decided after, all this time to give him another try! I wasn’t disappointed as this was definitely a “page-turner ” ! More of a mystery than horror and some wonderful characters!
Slow build but hot deliverance
As with all of Stephen King Reads, He keeps you guessing and not wanting to stop reading until the very endThis hefty book did not disappoint and I wholeheartedly recommend it to King readers,as well as to mystery buffs and anyone wanting a great novel!
Once again a new kind of story from S.K. which combines current day events with horror. I couldn’t stop reading!
Great Read ! Hard to put down.
Weird
This book is a different style for Stephen King, but he takes the unbelievable and makes it somewhat believable. As with any book he writes he incorporates prior characters. I liked the book especially the end which took on a different turn than his other books.
I really enjoyed this King novel. It was one of those books that kept me reading long after I should have put it down and gone to bed but I just couldn’t stop.
This book is pure King. If you are a regular reader you will recognize some characters. This book is haunting in the sense of making you wonder, and maybe worry a bit, about what is just beyond our ability to see and believe. When will the next inexplicable and disturbing thing will show up next. It also makes you wonder if ignorance is bliss.
Funny thing about this book: I bought it not long after it came out, and started reading it immediately. I got to the last hundred pages and had to put it down. Why? Because I was convinced Mr. King was going to kill off my favorite character. Those of you who have been reading Mr. King for a while know that I was totally justified in my conviction, because he does enjoy a well-placed heartbreak. So now, four months later, I finally worked up the guts to finish the book, and I’m glad I did. That is all I will say about that.
While I thoroughly enjoyed about 2/3 of the book, it changes gear at that point from mystery to weird and I didn’t like the end. I wish it hadn’t been billed as a mystery, but it was–and I read it. I’m not likely to fall for that next time.
Couldn’t put this book down
Horrific, gruesome, and engrossing. Even though I had to set it aside frequently I didn’t want to put it down. Oough! *shudders*
A bit of a departure for Stephen King (in some ways).
Awesome book! Stephen King is still the best!
Loved it, reminded me of the reasons I love SK. This book did bring in the great character of Holly Gibney from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy, it’s not at all necessary to red those – Holly stands on her own.
Good eerie story from the master of the creepy!
Pretty close to classic King. Couldn’t put down the first half, the setup–great hook. The monster, though? Eh.
The Outsider isn’t your normal King horror classic. Before reading this, I had read IT, The Shinning, and Insomnia. This book stands out among the ones I read because of the detective novel vibe– but with a twist. The characters, which I believe to be King’s strong suit, are each uniquely themselves and each likable, and yet you want to yell through the pages at them sometimes (in a good way). I consider myself a pretty slow reader, but I could not put this book down (much like King’s other books. IT, though it’s a 1200 page book, I read in two weeks).
King does horror well. Scary, yet not gruesome. Funny, yet not cheesy. Character development at its finest. Atmospheric, so you get sucked in.
Story of evil, but in a more supernatural way. Good story of how people can change their minds about what is reality when presented with facts and ideas that do not fit in with the way the “normal” world works. Even though I put the ideas together, in my own mind, the book kept me intrigued because I wanted to see how King resolved the issues.
Thoroughly enjoyed this story. When a little boy is murdered, all witnesses and evidence lead to a children’s baseball coach. But the coach has an airtight alibi, even camera footage of him in another part of the country. This is when the story gets really interesting. In true King style, things go from ordinary to downright weird, but always gripping. The Outsider is a great read with an appearance of a familiar character. Loved it!