Horror Book Club - Elite (with SOME Fantasy)

Meet in thee Starbucks cafe

#1 New York Times Bestseller * New York Times Notable Book * NPR Best Book of the Year

Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and resourceful characters, returns in this chilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope.” —BILL HODGES

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

“I could never let Holly Gibney go. She was supposed to be a walk-on character in Mr. Mercedes and she just kind of stole the book and stole my heart. Holly is all her.” —STEPHEN KING

Summary by Barnes & Noble
Please come prepared to discuss the entire book. We will share our ideas; likes, dislikes, and perspectives. Be ready to back up your opinions with the "Why”. Please be ready to both share and listen.

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Hello Fellow Horror Book Lovers!

I meant to share this a few days ago—so apologies for the delay—but I wanted to let everyone know that Holly by Stephen King is, in fact, connected to the Bill Hodges Trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, and End of Watch), as well as The Outsider and If It Bleeds.

The main character, Holly Gibney, plays a key role in all of these stories. While Holly can be read as a standalone, it’s highly recommended to read the books in the following order to fully appreciate her character development and the nuances of the story:

1. Mr. Mercedes
2. Finders Keepers
3. End of Watch
4. The Outsider
5. If It Bleeds
6. Holly

Another member of our group, who’s also making their way through the series, reached out to suggest we push the meeting back—and I agreed! This gives everyone a bit more time to dive deeper into Holly’s journey.

I’m just about to wrap up the Hodges Trilogy myself and will continue on until I finally finish Holly.

New meeting date: April 28th, 2025
Happy reading, everyone!