

This is due to the fact most of the climax is devoted to another side antagonist manipulated into insanity by the main villain. Furthermore, the ultimate final battle between our heroes and the creature felt quite weak as it was defeated extremely easily. Once the supernatural threat is finally unveiled, I felt the potential for more mystery surrounding its existence and overall mythos was squandered. The final act of this story disappointed me the most. Her quirky personality is fun to read and she quickly became one of my personal favorite characters. There is also a returning character, Holly Gibney who makes a cameo from another trilogy of novels by King. Ralph Anderson is a likable (if somewhat bland) police detective who plays well off Howard Gold and Bill Samuels, two lawyers assigned to the case. Here, there is a nice diversity in the main cast.

I find King has a tendency to write a lot of the same protagonists that often feel slightly like a self-insert. I also enjoyed the characters in this story. Therefore, the gradual destruction of their core beliefs and continued blundering toward increasing danger provide true tension within the story. Additionally, while the reader can easily accept the supernatural elements, our characters within the story cannot. It’s not necessarily difficult to figure out yourself but it’s the specifics surrounding each crime that keep you turning the page. King does a great job of setting up characters while weaving a competent mystery. The first act in particular is especially strong. The Outsider certainly doesn’t suffer from this and stays consistent to the end. The other two novels I’ve read ( 11/22/63 and The Dark Tower) by King are a mix of many other genres that I felt often didn’t match well with the overall prose and led to awkward tonal shifts. These types of supernatural thrillers and horror novels are certainly where King shines the most as an author. Over the course of the narrative, the case gradually becomes more and more uncertain with explanations leaning towards the supernatural. Upon the initial arrest, Terry pleads his innocence. Forensic evidence found at the scene easily places the culprit of the crime as a youth baseball coach named Terry Maitland. The plot investigates the brutal murder of a young boy by the name of Frank Peterson.

The story of The Outsider is set in the small southwestern town of Flint City. Unfortunately, The Outsider didn’t do much to change my opinion of his work, but I do think it’s a solid read overall. While I do think he is a skilled writer, I often find myself underwhelmed by his work or put off by certain aspects of the story. As of completing this book, I’ve read a total of three books by him.

King is an author that I have a complicated relationship with. The novel was adapted into a television show on HBO in 2020. The Outsider is a 2018 novel written by renowned author Stephen King.
