We both read the Bill Hodges trilogy, by Stephen King, featuring Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers and End of Watch. After reading this, we had some questions and curiosities. It is always more fun to read a book and discuss it with a friend who has also read the same book. Below you will find a simple Q&A of some questions we asked each other. We urge you to join along in the comments and answer as well. Treat this as a digital book club. With that, please read at your own caution as some answers do contain spoilers.
Roxy’s Questions on the Bill Hodges Trilogy
Would you say this trilogy demonstrates the creativity so often seen in Stephen King’s more gorey, horror centered novels?
I would not say these books are as gory as King’s other books but they are creative. These books to me are not his usual horror books. They are more like the classic detective novels but with a twist. The second book, however, seemed to take a little inspiration from Misery where an obsessed fan goes too far with the writer of a book.
For those who really enjoyed this book, what other novels would you recommend?
If you liked these books and have not read much of Stephen King’s work I would recommend some more of his books. I think Carrie is a good intro to Stephen King’s horror. I have not read many mystery books but, I would recommend Agatha Christie’s, And Then There Were None.
What character did you most relate to and why?
I relate to Holly the most. She has her problems but by the end of Mr. Mercedes she is a whole new person. She might be anxious or scared but she can still get stuff done and is a very productive member of the group.
Who could you see yourself being friends with from the novel: Hodges, Jerome, or Holly?
Out of all the characters from the books, I think Jerome and I would be best friends. He is a clown and loves making everyone laugh and just seems like a good friend to have.
Who could you see yourself being friends with from the novel: Hodges, Jerome, or Holly?
Out of all the characters from the books, I think Jerome and I would be best friends. He is a clown and loves making everyone laugh and just seems like a good friend to have.
Where do you think this novel fell short and how could it have been better?
The biggest issue I had comes from the third book. Hodges just accepts Brady has mind powers. In the real world this would be way far fetched to accept so in that aspect it lacks realism. Maybe if Hodges saw first hand how Brady can manipulate people, it would make a little more sense.
Jonas’ Questions on the Bill Hodges Trilogy
What do you think is the importance of fish in End of Watch?
Outside of the obvious purpose of the fish, I think the fish represent our lives.Brady uses the Fishin’ Hole app demo to access the brains of its users. In a sense our lives are much like fish in an aquarium or fishing hole. We spend so much time scrolling social media or other platforms. This opens our lives up to many predators or villains we may not even suspect. We are often playing with baited hooks without realizing it.
For those who do not enjoy reading as much do you think they can skip the second book in the trilogy? Why or why not?
I am very traditional in my reading habits, meaning I think authors write books for a purpose and that purpose should be honored. While Finders Keepers introduces a new plot line to the Bill Hodges trilogy, it’s introduction holds importance. This book connects in smaller pieces to the trilogy. Those pieces allow a glimpse into different happenings both before the Mercedes killing and before the events of End of Watch. All in all, it is up to the reader if they want to read this book or not. I believe it allowed me to see more of the picture, but if you do not fear missing a couple corner pieces then I am sure you will be fine.
Writing is all about making your audience believe, what do you think was the most unbelievable thing in Mr. Mercedes?
I think the book as a whole was gripping and realistic. Many crime or detective novels can hold unrealistic themes and for the most part, Mr. Mercedes is not one of those. One thing I have held onto is the ending of this book. While leading up to finding Brady tracked with the plot, the official capturing of him seemed to come out of nowhere. As Holly and Jerome make their way into the Round Here concert, Holly is able to take the description of there killer and quickly identify him. Without double checking she subdues him with her self-named ‘happy slapper’. This is unrealistic to me but perhaps it plays into the personality development of Holly.
Is it important to the story that Hodges is not close with his family?
It is repeated throughout the book that Hodges does not have a close relationship with his family. While at first this may seem to be simple remarks, I think it plays into a bigger picture. Hodges does not have a close community. He does not have people to rely on or to check on him. When he gets sucked into the Mr. Mercedes case, he is practically on his own until people start showing up for him. This community he builds would not have had the impact it does without the background of knowing his isolation from family. We see Hodges develop trust in these people after watching how is trust was dissolved in his past. So yes, it is important to the story as well as to Hodges overall character development.
Is this a trilogy you would reread eventually?
There are lot of factors to go into rereading a book, let alone a series of books. At this moment I do not see myself rereading the Bill Hodges trilogy. Not to say it isn’t worth reading, but I think it made a lasting impact on me. There are many books I would like to read, so I will carry the impact of this series into the next detective or mystery novel I read.
Final Rating
We hope you enjoyed our small Q&A. Once again, if you read the Bill Hodges trilogy, feel free to leave your own opinions to some or all of these questions. We love hearing from you. Overall, Jonas would rate the series a 7/10. Roxy would agree.