Billy Summers ★★★★★
Stephen King
Scribner
Authors rarely change from the genre that brought them success. King is an exception, switching from horror to thrillers some 35 years ago. Since then he has written wildly successful suspense novels, psychological thrillers, murder mysteries, science fiction, fantasy — as well as horror. Escaping the genre vice turned out to be a good move, unleashing a burst of creativity in King, with his latest novel, Billy Summers, being one of his best. Summers is a good man in a bad job, a war hero turned hired assassin. Summers’ last hit goes spectacularly wrong. Instead of retirement, he swerves onto a wild ride of survival and retribution. King’s skill is in convincing us that a hired killer can be a good man. Along the way, King delivers insights into parenting, love, and the compulsion to write — rich veins from a writer at the top of his game in a nuanced novel. — William Saunderson-Meyer @TheJaundicedEye