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Never Flinch

From the No. 1 Bestselling author of HOLLY

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Never Flinch

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Jessie Mueller
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From master storyteller Stephen King comes a thrilling new novel with intertwining storylines - one about a killer on a diabolical revenge mission, and another about a vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker - featuring the beloved Holly Gibney and a dynamic new cast of characters.

When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to 'kill thirteen innocents and one guilty' in 'an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man', Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realises that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.

Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women's rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate's message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate's bodyguard - a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and unhinged righteousness.

Featuring a riveting cast of characters both old and new, including world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and an unforgettable villain addicted to murder, these twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion - a feat of storytelling only Stephen King could pull off.

Thrilling, wildly fun and outrageously engrossing, Never Flinch is one of King's richest and most propulsive novels. ©2025 Stephen King Editors Select Horror Mystery Private Investigators Supernatural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Celebrity Exciting Feel-Good Funny Revenge
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Critic reviews

Stephen King's favourite detective gets another case . . . and it is, as ever, a joy to see her brilliant leaps of intuition and to watch her warm relationships with her small but devoted group of friends.
Holly is one of the most appealing investigators in contemporary crime fiction . . . Never Flinch contains plenty of King's trademark chilling moments, with the two storylines expertly entwined.
Among his most exuberant outings.
An action-packed climax that plays out hour by hour, then minute by minute.
The master storyteller has lost none of his grasp of the dark heart in the soul of Middle America: the result is simply superb.
A genuine page-turner guaranteed to keep you reading long into the night . . . Jam-packed with wonderfully drawn heroes and villains and a sinuous plot guaranteed to have you perched on the edge of your seat.
So quintessentially King that I absolutely adored every second of reading it.
With two dramatic storylines in one book, Never Flinch is a double treat for Stephen King's fans.
What makes the book unnerving and impossible to put down is how real and plausible everything described can be.
A nailbiter . . . the propulsive plot will keep you turning pages long past your bedtime
Action packed
King raises the stakes . . . and the body count
The cinematic style we crave from a Stephen King novel
A writer of towering brilliance
All stars
Most relevant
This was too much hard work to finish, and not at all what I expected from a Holly novel… The narrator didn’t help the story at all, and she made it impossible to listen with head phones. She loves to yell, she makes Barbara be a shrieking, annoying girl, all the male voices are grating and when she does the jazz…yikes! At times she reads so fast it’s hard to catch every word, and the story is even harder to follow and believe. Sorry, but this was just a disappointing end to the novels about Holly, I really loved all the previous.

Hard work…

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I like the fact that King is now writing more novels that involve little or no supernatural themes; he is too good a writer to be ghettoised into a niche genre. Perhaps because of this, I felt this book had more warmth than the vast majority of his novels; despite being about two serial killers (!). As for the plot; OK it involves some humungous coincidences to contrive the ultimate finale, but the pacing is strong and the characterisation is superb.

Easily the most salient point about this book, though, is the narration. Jessie Mueller not only reads the book with a solid craft(wo)manship, bringing much of that warmth I described, but is called upon to sing acapella quite often in this book. Were she to fluff that, it would have tarnished an otherwise brilliant performance. She sings superbly and lifts it onto a different level altogether.

Stunning narration

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Just disappointing. The story was predictable, nothing new, just ok. Not a patch on Mr Mercedes or the Outsider.

The narrator is great

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I listened at 0.85 speed to make it last longer. What else should I add?!

Another one from the Master

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Really liked the storyline and the continuation of Holly’s story. Good twists and turns. Brilliant narrator with a fabulous singing voice

Fantastic

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