Finders Keepers (King novel)

Last updated
Finders Keepers
Finders Keepers 2015.jpg
First edition cover
Author Stephen King
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SeriesBill Hodges Trilogy
Genre Crime fiction
PublishedJune 2, 2015
Publisher Scribner (US)
Hodder & Stoughton (UK)
Media typePrint (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages434
ISBN 978-1-5011-0007-9
Preceded by Mr. Mercedes  
Followed by End of Watch  

Finders Keepers is a crime novel by American writer Stephen King, published on June 2, 2015. It is the second volume in a trilogy focusing on Detective Bill Hodges, following Mr. Mercedes . [1] [2] The book is about the murder of reclusive writer John Rothstein (an amalgamation of John Updike, Philip Roth, and J. D. Salinger [3] ), his missing notebooks, and the release of his killer from prison after 35 years. [4] The book's cover was revealed on King's official site on January 30. [5] An excerpt was published in the May 15, 2015 issue of Entertainment Weekly . [6]

Contents

Plot

In 1978, petty criminal Morris Bellamy and two accomplices break into the home of author John Rothstein, a reclusive author famous for his Jimmy Gold Runner trilogy. They force Rothstein to give them the combination to his safe, discovering a small fortune of cash and a large amount of notebooks. Rothstein pleads with the burglars to keep the cash but leave the notebooks. When Morris tells the others to take everything, Rothstein begins to insult him and is murdered as a result. After making their getaway, Morris kills his accomplices at a deserted rest area and drives to the home of his estranged mother.

The next morning, Morris visits an old friend, Andrew "Andy" Halliday, to show him the notebooks. When Morris asks how long he should wait until they can sell the notebooks to private collectors, Andy tells him to hide the notebooks until the turn of the twenty-first century. That night, Morris puts the cash and notebooks in a trunk and buries them underneath a tree behind the house. Later, he is jailed for violently attacking and raping a woman while drunk. Morris pleads guilty in the hopes of getting a reduced sentence but is given a life sentence instead. It isn't until 2014 when Morris is granted parole.

In 2010, Pete Saubers, a young boy who is now living in Morris' childhood home, has parents who are financially struggling. While they are arguing, Pete goes behind the house and comes across the half-buried trunk, eventually discovering the cash and notebooks. Over the next few years, he anonymously sends envelopes containing $500 to his parents every month, improving the family's fortunes. He also starts reading the notebooks and becomes a fan of the Jimmy Gold character. Pete researches Rothstein and learns about his unsolved murder, but assumes the culprit has died or been imprisoned since then.

Several years later, after the money finally runs out, Pete looks into how he can sell some of the notebooks. He goes to his favourite teacher, Mr. Ricker, saying he has a first edition of a Rothstein book and he wants to sell it. Pete shows him a list of book dealers which includes Andrew Halliday, asking him which would be best; Mr. Ricker warns to him to stay away from Halliday as he has a reputation for selling stolen property.

Pete goes to Halliday's shop using a fake name, showing him scanned copies of some of the pages of the notebooks. Halliday, who is deeply in debt, immediately recognizes them and tells him to bring the notebooks, realizing they are worth a fortune. Halliday uncovers Pete's real name and blackmails him, demanding that he give up the notebooks or be reported to the police. Pete hides the notebooks in the basement of a property his father is currently selling which used to be a recreation center.

Pete's sister Tina, who always suspected it was Pete sending the money, notices how distressed he has been lately. Through the sister of Jerome Robinson, he is put in touch with Bill Hodges and Holly Gibney. Meanwhile, Morris finds the empty trunk and suspects Halliday of stole the notebooks, as he was the only person who knew about them. He goes to Halliday's shop with an axe and threatens to kill him if he doesn't give him their whereabouts. Halliday tells him about Pete, but is killed anyway.

Hodges questions Pete, but he refuses to tell him anything. Hodges and Holly try to follow him, but Pete manages to lose them and goes to Halliday's shop to tell him he is not giving up the notebooks. Instead finds Morris waiting for him and narrowly escapes. Pete finally calls Hodges for help and they start driving towards his house.

Morris shoots Pete's mother and kidnaps Tina, taking her to the recreation center (not knowing the notebooks are hidden there) and calling Pete to demand the notebooks. Pete goes to the recreation center to retrieve the notebooks, but when he discovers Morris there with Tina he threatens to burn the notebooks with lighter fluid if Tina isn't released. Hodges and Jerome arrive at the recreation center. When Hodges finds Morris, he throws a pair of shoes to create a distraction and tackles him. Pete is startled and drops the lighter, setting the notebooks alight. Morris goes to the notebooks to try to save them but dies in the blaze. Tina, Pete and Hodges escape out a basement window with the help of Jerome.

The novel ends with Hodges going to see Brady Hartsfield in the hospital. A picture of Brady and his mother mysteriously falls over while he is there. After Hodges leaves, the tap mysteriously switches on and the picture falls over again.

Reception

Finders Keepers received mixed to positive reviews. In her review for The Guardian , Alison Flood praised the book as "expertly plotted" and a "fresh take" on one of King's favorite subjects – "the relationship between a writer and their fans." [7] Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that while Finders Keepers "feels very much like a middle volume," it was still a page-turner, and praised the jumps between time periods and the "very appealing trio of crime-solvers who joined forces in 'Mr. Mercedes.'" [8] Nick Romeo of The Boston Globe was more critical, faulting the "somewhat outlandish plot" and how "Deeper themes about the power of fiction feel somewhat grafted onto the suspenseful story." [9]

Television adaptation

The third season of Mr. Mercedes retains the title from the first Bill Hodges book, and follows the events from Finders Keepers. As of April 2020 the TV show has an uncertain future, as the Audience Network closed and it was uncertain whether the show would return for a fourth season. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen King</span> American writer (born 1947)

Stephen Edwin King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", his books have sold more than 350 million copies as of 2006, and many have been adapted into films, television series, miniseries, and comic books. King has published over 65 novels/novellas, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, and five non-fiction books. He has also written approximately 200 short stories, most of which have been published in book collections.

<i>Dreamcatcher</i> (novel) 2001 novel by Stephen King

Dreamcatcher is a 2001 science fiction horror novel by American writer Stephen King, featuring elements of body horror, suspense and alien invasion. The book, written in cursive, helped the author recuperate from a 1999 car accident, and was completed in half a year. According to the author in his afterword, the working title was Cancer. His wife, Tabitha King, persuaded him to change the title. A film adaptation was released in 2003.

<i>The Call of the Wild</i> 1903 novel by Jack London

The Call of the Wild is a short adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named Buck. The story opens at a ranch in Santa Clara Valley, California, when Buck is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska. He becomes progressively more primitive and wild in the harsh environment, where he is forced to fight to survive and dominate other dogs. By the end, he sheds the veneer of civilization, and relies on primordial instinct and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild.

<i>Riding the Bullet</i> (film) 2004 film

Riding the Bullet is a 2004 horror film written, co-produced and directed by Mick Garris. It is an adaptation of Stephen King's 2000 novella of the same name. The film, which received a limited theatrical release, was not successful in theaters; it earned a domestic gross of $134,711.

William Weaks Morris was an American writer and editor born in Jackson, Mississippi, though his family later moved to Yazoo City, Mississippi, which he immortalized in his works of prose. Morris' trademark was his lyrical prose style and reflections on the American South, particularly the Mississippi Delta. In 1967 he became the youngest editor of Harper's Magazine. He wrote several works of fiction and nonfiction, including his seminal book North Toward Home, as well as My Dog Skip.

Wayne Robson was a Canadian television, stage, voice and film actor known for playing the part of Mike Hamar, an ex-convict and sometime thief, on the Canadian sitcom The Red Green Show from 1993 to 2006, as well as in the 2002 film Duct Tape Forever.

<i>The Ice Harvest</i> 2005 American film

The Ice Harvest is a 2005 American neo-noir black comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, written by Richard Russo and Robert Benton, based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Scott Phillips and starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Connie Nielsen, with Randy Quaid and Oliver Platt in supporting roles. It was distributed by Focus Features, and it was released on VHS and DVD on February 28, 2006, making it the last Focus Features film released on VHS format. The Ice Harvest grossed $10.2 million worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Reilly</span> UK soap opera character, created 2006

Tina Reilly is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Leah Hackett. Since making her first appearance in August 2006 as part of the McQueen family, Tina has been involved in storylines including sexual harassment and surrogacy. Tina was killed off in a church explosion on 17 October 2008, shortly after Hackett decided to leave the serial. Tina briefly appeared in a flashback on 20 November 2014 when the McQueen family remember her half-sister Carmel Valentine at her funeral.

<i>Blaze</i> (novel) 2007 novel by Stephen King

Blaze is a novel by American writer Stephen King, published under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. King announced on his website that he "found it" in an attic. As stated in the afterword of Different Seasons, it was written before Carrie. King offered the original draft of the novel to his Doubleday publishers at the same time as 'Salem's Lot; the latter was chosen to be his second novel and Blaze became a "trunk novel." King rewrote the manuscript, editing out much of what he perceived as over-sentimentality in the original text, and offered the book for publication in 2007. The book also contains "Memory", a short story that was first published in 2006 and which King has since worked into Duma Key.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russ Owen</span> UK soap opera character, created 2004

Russ Owen is a fictional character in the Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks, played by Stuart Manning. He first appeared in the episode first broadcast on 22 August 2004 with the Owen family and has been involved in storylines including being diagnosed with testicular cancer and kidnapping his son Max McQueen. It was announced in April 2009 that Manning had quit the role and Russ departed in the episode first broadcast on 3 June 2009. Nine years later, it was confirmed that Manning would reprise the role. Russ returned on 13 August 2018 and was killed-off on 16 November 2018 after being murdered by Breda McQueen.

<i>Blockade Billy</i> Novella by Stephen King

Blockade Billy is a 2010 novella by Stephen King. It tells the story of William "Blockade Billy" Blakely, a fictional baseball catcher who briefly played for the New Jersey Titans during the 1957 season.

<i>11/22/63</i> 2011 novel by Stephen King

11/22/63 is a novel by Stephen King about a time traveller who attempts to prevent the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy, which occurred on November 22, 1963. It is the 60th book published by Stephen King, his 49th novel and the 42nd under his own name. The novel was announced on King's official site on March 2, 2011. A short excerpt was released online on June 1, 2011, and another excerpt was published in the October 28, 2011, issue of Entertainment Weekly. The novel was published on November 8, 2011 and quickly became a number-one bestseller. It stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for 16 weeks. 11/22/63 won the 2011 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Mystery/Thriller and the 2012 International Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel, and was nominated for the 2012 British Fantasy Award for Best Novel and the 2012 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.

<i>Joyland</i> (King novel) 2013 novel by Stephen King

Joyland is a novel by American writer Stephen King, published in 2013 by Hard Case Crime. It is King's second book for the imprint, following The Colorado Kid (2005). The first edition was released only in paperback, with the cover art created by Robert McGinnis and Glen Orbik. A limited hardcover edition followed a week later. The novel was nominated for the 2014 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original.

<i>Mr. Mercedes</i> Book by Stephen King

Mr. Mercedes is a novel by American writer Stephen King. He calls it his first hard-boiled detective book. It was published on June 3, 2014. It is the first volume in a trilogy, followed in 2015 by Finders Keepers, the first draft of which was finished around the time Mr. Mercedes was published, and End of Watch in 2016.

<i>The Bazaar of Bad Dreams</i> Short story collection by Stephen King

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is a short fiction collection by Stephen King, published on November 3, 2015. This is King's sixth collection of short stories and his tenth collection overall. One of the stories, "Obits", won the 2016 Edgar Award for best short story, and the collection itself won the 2015 Shirley Jackson Award for best collection. The paperback edition, released on October 18, 2016, includes a bonus short story, "Cookie Jar", which was published in 2016 in VQR.

<i>End of Watch</i> (novel) 2016 novel by Stephen King

End of Watch is a crime novel by American writer Stephen King, the third volume of a trilogy focusing on Detective Bill Hodges, following Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers. The book was first announced at an event at St. Francis College on April 21, 2015 under the title The Suicide Prince. On June 10, the new title End of Watch was announced. At the 2015 Edgar Awards, while accepting the award for Best Novel for Mr. Mercedes, King announced that the novel's antagonist, Brady Hartsfield, would be making a return in this book.

<i>Finders Keepers</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film

Finders Keepers is a 2015 documentary film by Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel. The story details John Wood's attempts to recover his mummified leg from Shannon Whisnant, after Whisnant found the leg in a grill purchased at a storage unit auction.

<i>Mr. Mercedes</i> (TV series) 2017 American crime drama television series

Mr. Mercedes is an American crime drama television series based on the Bill Hodges novel trilogy by Stephen King, which consists of Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, and End of Watch. The series premiered on Audience on August 9, 2017. It was developed by David E. Kelley and stars Brendan Gleeson and Harry Treadaway. In November 2018, it was announced that Audience had renewed the series for a ten-episode third season, which premiered on September 10, 2019. In May 2020, the show was discontinued, with no indication of whether the show had been officially canceled or that it would return for a fourth season. Its existing three seasons were later picked up in September 2020 by streaming service Peacock.

<i>If It Bleeds</i> 2020 collection of four novellas by Stephen King

If It Bleeds is a collection of four previously unpublished novellas by American writer Stephen King. The stories in the collection are titled "Mr. Harrigan's Phone", "The Life of Chuck", "If It Bleeds", and "Rat". It was released on April 28, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly Gibney</span> Fictional character

Holly Gibney is a fictional character created by American author Stephen King. Originally appearing in the Bill Hodges trilogy of novels, she later appears as a major supporting character in The Outsider and as the main character in "If It Bleeds", a novella included in the collection of the same name. She has been portrayed on screen by Justine Lupe in the television adaptation of the Hodges trilogy and by Cynthia Erivo in the miniseries adaptation of The Outsider.

References

  1. McClurg, Jocelyn (2015-06-10). "Stephen King rules at No. 1". USA Today . Retrieved 2016-07-31.
  2. "Stephen King Shares a Few More Details on Finders Keepers and Honors the Victims of Mr. Mercedes". Dread Central. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  3. "Finders Keepers by Stephen King – writers, beware your fans". TheGuardian.com . 28 May 2015.
  4. "Lilja's". liljas-library.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  5. "StephenKing.com - Recent News: Finders Keepers Cover Reveal". stephenking.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  6. "Lilja's Library - The World of Stephen King [1996 - 2015]". liljas-library.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  7. Flood, Alison (2015-06-15). "Finders Keepers – Stephen King's gripping sequel to Mr Mercedes". The Guardian . Retrieved 2017-01-23.
  8. Maslin, Janet (2015-05-31). "Review: Stephen King Leaps Through Time in 'Finders Keepers'". The New York Times . Retrieved 2017-01-23.
  9. Romeo, Nick (2015-06-18). "Stephen King revisits psychotic fandom in 'Finders Keepers'". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2017-01-23.
  10. Nemetz, Dave (9 January 2020). "AT&T to End Audience Network, Originals Like Mr. Mercedes in Limbo". TV Line. TV Line Media llc. Retrieved 23 May 2020.