Mr. Mercedes

The hard-boiled detective genre typically deals with human corruption and sin rather than profound existential evil. Would you say that Brady Hartsfield was corrupted, or was he born a monster, already evil by nature? Or is it a combination of factors? Is the character believable? Why or why not?

Compare Mr. Mercedes to one or more classic examples of the hard-boiled detective genre. How does Mr. Mercedes fulfill or diverge from the expectations of the genre?

Crime writers often play the game of hiding clues in plain sight, giving the reader every opportunity to solve the case along with the detective. King does the opposite. The reader knows everything from the outset, and the detective is playing catch-up. How does this impact the reader’s feeling of suspense? How does it change the focus of the story?

Do you find it plausible that Hodges and Pete blamed Olivia for allowing her car stolen? Why or why not? Are there other plot or character elements in the novel that might seem farfetched?

In your opinion, was Hodges reckless for not turning the case over to the police? Did King give persuasive reasons for Hodges to have taken the actions into his own hands as he did? Why or why not?

Compare/contrast this book with one of King’s other novels—either his other hard-boiled detective stories or his horror stories. Which themes do they have in common, and how does each work express those themes differently?

In Mr. Mercedes, King relies on some character tropes from the hard-boiled detective genre. In your opinion, does King fully develop the characters in this book as three dimensional? Provide examples from the text to support your response.

Neurodiverse characters, such as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, often appear as crime solvers in the detective genre. How does King’s characterization of Holly compare to the representation of neurodiversity by other authors, either in detective stories specifically or other genres?