Billy Summers

As Stephen King has gotten older, he’s been more and more willing to step out of his comfort zone, finding new and interesting stories to tell and areas on which to focus. Until now, the most obvious example of this was Mr. Mercedes, in which King tried his hand at a serial killer novel, but found a way to do it that made it feel undeniably his own. That’s not to say that Mr. Mercedes was bad, mind you – I enjoyed it – but it definitely felt like King trying his hand at something different, and stretching it all to fit his ideas and tropes. But now comes Billy Summers, an “assassin with one last job” tale, and what’s remarkable is the fact that it’s simultaneously a superb, faithful entry in the genre that hits all the needed beats, but also unmistakably a King book, with the character development, relentless pacing, and set pieces he’s so capable of delivering when he’s at his peak. What’s more, Billy Summers finds King focusing his abilities in a way he hasn’t in a while, paring back some of his verbal tics and overly large characters in favor of a well-observed, surprisingly internal story about a very bad man reckoning with the choices he made that led him here. And the result is one of King’s best books in years – probably since 11/22/63, and that was a decade ago. As you’d expect from the “one last job” mention I gave, the setup of Billy Summers sounds formulaic: an assassin (one who argues that he only kills “bad men”) agrees to take a job that sounds off (if nothing else, he’s going to have to live “undercover” in a small town for months while waiting on the job to happen) because it’s time to get out, and he can’t turn down the money. Classic, right? But even early on, it’s clear that King has more on his mind than just the tropes. There’s the way that Billy, our assassin, is so clearly putting on a front of his stupidity, using that to lull people around him into letting down their guard. There’s the fact that Billy is all too aware that his “only bad guys” excuse is just that – an excuse that he’s using to justify his own actions. And there’s the fact that this last job doesn’t turn out to be the set piece of the book, or the climax…but something that happens at only a third of the way through our pages. So what’s left after that? Well, quite a bit, it turns out, as Billy Summers turns into something wholly different in many ways, all while never losing its focus on Billy’s development, as this very bad man begins to grapple with his identity – not just the choices that led him to this job, but his upbringing, his time in Iraq, his first jobs, and so much more. And thanks to some unexpected developments, Billy finds himself viewing himself in a new light – and a wholly more complicated one. Part of what’s so good about Billy Summers is watching the book evolve and change in front of you, so I’m trying to be coy about so much of what unfolds here. But what I’ll say is that the book does what King does best: marry genre thrills (in this case, a relentless thriller about an assassin) with strong, complex character work. And what he pulls off here is some of his best effort on both of those fronts. The plotting is tense but effective, using King’s gifts for pacing and tension to maximum effect, but also knowing when a much-anticipated event should subvert our expectations, or knowing when things can be best left off the page. And at the same time, King finds a way into Billy’s mind in a way that allows him to find even more of a voice than usual for a King character, eschewing King’s normal verbal tics and running catchphrases and instead giving us a complex individual who doesn’t really fit into easy categories. And the cast around him measures up to that, as King takes archetypal roles (ones almost demanded by the genre) and makes them individualistic and believable, down to the ending, which is one of King’s best and sidesteps his famed iffiness on nailing the dismount. Look, I’m a King fanboy, to be fair, and you can take this review knowing that I’ve liked way more King books than not. But to me, Billy Summers is a knockout, one that finds King focused and taut and showing a confidence in this (for him) unfamiliar genre that he’s earned. The book is tighter than he’s often gone, wasting little time but never forgetting the complexity of its cast, and it does right by both its thriller story and its complex protagonist. I absolutely loved it, and it’s a treat to see King still delivering knockouts this late into his career. And if you’ve always wanted to try King but weren’t into horror, well, do I have a treat for you.

This latest work from King is another thriller/crime novel. There are 24 chapters, and about 515 pages of story. Billy is a troubled Iraq war vet sniper, who has now become a very professional hitman. He uses several identities as cover, one of which is a writer. The pacing is pretty slow for the first half of the book, as Billy's character is established. We learn about his past traumas, and his skillful, observant, and clever nature. Billy seems to get some cathartic benefit from using his cover as a writer to express his inner thoughts, and some of my favorite parts of the book were his early writing efforts. Halfway through the book, we meet Alice, another troubled character that has suffered through her own brutal traumas. From the point that Billy meets Alice, the book morphs into more of a revenge quest; hunting down the bad guys to make them pay for their crimes. This shift in pace and motivation almost makes it seem like a different story, and I wonder if this part was written after the pandemic? There are also a few cool easter eggs, or references to places from other King books, that I'm sure Constant Readers will appreciate. Overall I enjoyed this book even more than “Later”, King's other crime novel released this year. I thought the pacing was a little slow in the first part of this book, but it did give some depth to the main character; and reading Billy's struggles and development as a writer was entertaining. I enjoyed the ending of the book so much, that I feel like it more than makes up for a slow start to the book. Overall another good book from King, and I think that fans of his that recognize some of the references might enjoy it even more.

There are several phases to King's career. The first phase, the second phase, the third phase and the one he's in now. I became enamoured of his work in the first phase, when he wrote some of his best-known and best-loved books. I still think that's his greatest phase, generally speaking although he still managed to put out some genius work in the second phase. The last two phases haven't been all that consistent. However, he is still capable of writing good stuff that matches the early work. Books like 23.11.63, Under The Dome and Joyland for example. Billy Summers is one of those. I was curious to read it as it seemed like a 'straight' novel, that is one without a supernatural component. And so it turned out to be. It's no big secret that King has often yearned to turn away from supernatural 'horror' stories and has done so with the series starting with Mr Mercedes. I think Billy Summers is the best example of a non-horror story since the work he did under the Richard Bachman pseudonym, specifically the highly underrated novella, Roadwork. It's a great story, well told and any fan of Mr King should read it. I won't bother to get into the details of the story, you can find that out for yourself easily enough. Suffice to say it's one of those that moves along very swiftly. I won't use the old hackneyed phrase but you'll want to get back to it until it's done. I found myself purposely putting it down so I didn't read it too fast. I'm sure he had just as much fun writing it as I had reading it. Take it from someone who has been reading S. King since he was in high school -- this is one of the good ones and it showcases all of his considerable talents. The characters are vivid, the story is well plotted and paced, the details are right on point. There are a couple of odd things to do with weaponry (like the idea you can silence a revolver) but that's nothing major. If you love a good story well told, you'll enjoy it immensely. I know I did.

Muito boa qualidade

Billy Summers- “The story of a lost man”. Stephen King meets Robert Ludlum in this veteran turned hired assassins' tale. Just when you think you have seen all the facets of Stephen King in over 60 books and 50 years, he springs up another side. Billy Summers is projected as the "Houdini" in one final act of hired shooting- as he mentions, he only kills bad folks. It's always the final one which brings about a downfall! The books explores three periods- his past, the wait for the hit and the period after the hit and there's something for everyone. The Iraq portions though well researched and critical to getting into the psyche of Summers, wasn’t my cup of tea. I particularly enjoyed the wait, his relationship with the neighbors and the kids- and the sections with Alice, her relation with Billy (be it stockholm syndrome). These are the sections where you truly see the transformation or the gentle aspects of the man. The relationship between Alice and Billy or with Bucky was a gem and how the whole act unfolds towards the final 100 odd pages is a masterstroke. A lot of criticism about the author is how he delves into the character’s past which in some cases seem forced. Here this was woven beautifully into the narrative.Was it dark? Yes- That's what you expect out a Stephen King book. Did it have Horror? Depends on what you call horror. There are certain references to the Shining universe which would keep his fans happy. But come to think of it, Carrie was about the horrific side of human beings, Shining was according to me, the dark side of addiction- Misery was the dark side of obsession. The Iraq portions, the paedophilic references show the dark side of humans here. Leave aside the political references which might nudge a few the wrong way, this was a solid 4.5 star.

I envy you, I really do. You haven't read this yet - you've got that pleasure ahead of you and, believe me, you're going to enjoy it. I've read everything by Stephen King except the Dark Tower stuff but recently I've not liked his newer fare quite as much. Always readable with that easy style that keeps you interested but they've not made me care quite as much as I used to. In fact, I put off reading this for a while because it didn't appear on the surface to be much of a story. I was wrong on that score - it's excellent. First off there's next to nothing supernatural or scary except a few nods to previous work so don't expect any horror. Instead you get a homage to the "one last job" sub-genre of crime and King certainly pays his respects to it. I won't bore you with the plot details (you can get that from the publisher blurb) but what elevates this above anything he's done in years is the character development. I really cared about Billy, Alice and the others probably more that any other characters since his golden years of The Stand, IT, Christine etc etc. The pacing is excellent - there's enough going on to keep it moving forward and there isn't anything that sags or drags. Tension builds and because of the way he builds these characters I was invested in what happens to them. We're talking pretty high stakes in the games they play. I know a lot of people will say they thought this so good they demolished it in a day or two, couldn't put it down etc etc and I could have easily done the same but I wanted to stretch this out and enjoy the best book Stephen King has written in years. Any constant reader will know he's been branching out into the crime genre with the Bill Hodges books and The Outsider and, for me, this hits the mark better than any of them. If this is his new direction then I'm all for it.

Loved this latest book by Stephen King, he really is an Evergreen writer. It is a great story and in true King style it mixes a number of different genres. What starts off as a sniper story takes some very interesting twists and turns and even involves a few nods to a previous book. Little of the supernatural themes that run through his work but a brilliant well told story. Is over 400 pages but I couldn’t put it down and ripped through it in just over two days. King writes so well with so many little details about American life and culture that it is a joy to read. If you have enjoyed any of Stephen King’s previous book you shouldn’t miss this…..a cracker!

📦 Shipping & Delivery I ordered this edition of Billy Summers from the U.S. to Brazil, and it arrived in approximately 10 days, way before the estimated delivery date. Packaging was solid, and the book came in perfect condition — a great experience overall. 📕 About This Edition This is the Pocket Books edition from Simon & Schuster, just as described on the website. It’s a mass market paperback, so you can expect the usual: thin pages, small font, and a compact, lightweight size. It’s a perfect choice for readers who want something affordable and easy to carry, especially for reading on the go. Nothing fancy — just a practical edition that gets the job done. It was exactly what I was looking for. 💬 Final Thoughts If you’re after a budget-friendly, portable version of Billy Summers, this is a great option. No surprises — just a reliable edition with the bonus of fast international delivery.