The Outsider by Stephen King

Once again, he is on the best sellers list. If you are looking for a good read, you can’t go too wrong by picking up a novel by this writer. Sure, there have been a few that are a bit disappointing, but this one is worthy of his skills.

All writers worth their salt, so to speak, seem to slow down as they age and put out a few books to keep their name before the public. That is especially true of those the world deems authors of best sellers.

King likes to write in the genre of horror. That is, mostly. He has also written in the mystery realm (End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes) as well as the western realm (The Dark Tower trilogy). But he seems to be more at home in the horror realm.

He has tried to make a statement about the environment (Under the Dome) using the horror motif. He has lots of short story anthologies in print of his works. So, we know he can produce.

This story starts with an arrest. Did they arrest the right person? What are the repercussions of that event? Who gets hurt? Is it possible there is a supernatural element at work?  What is going on?

Kings use of senses and his use of words, not large or complicated, move the tale along. He has control, as he should after writing all these years. It is something to admire his craft about. You can sense the rewrites to find just the right verbiage.

He has said in the past in his book ‘Danse Macabre’, a book explaining this writing technique, he likes to shock people. In this book, as the reader gets involved in the flow and texture of the tale, he is pleasantly rewarded by spurts of uneasiness.

 King is weaving his magic.

I enjoy finding out in each book what kind of monster it contains. In Cujo it was a rabid dog. In Misery it was a zealous fan. In this one; No, I will not do a spoiler.

When you finish this book, you are satisfied. And isn’t that why you read books?

It is published by Simon & Schuster, Inc and can be found at your local bookstore or online. It may even be in your local library. That way you can save some money and enjoy the tale at the same time.

The Theory of Death by Faye Kellerman

  

 Here it is- another Decker/ Lazarus Mystery. It is a welcome addition to the series which has seen Decker and Rita join together as husband and wife and raise a family while Decker solves murder cases for the LA Police department and Rina provides the wisdom from the Torah to the cases.

   Now Decker has retired from the LAPD and relocated to Greenbury, New York on their police force. He still confronts murder cases.

   This time it concerns the death of a math student found nude in the snow. A loaner. Very bright. A Mennonite. It looks like suicide, but is it?

   This time Decker is joined by Tyler McAdams, a former Greenbury detective who is now in his first year of law studies who is using the Decker house as a place to finish up his study for a law exam.

Tyler finds himself more interested in the case than in his studies.

   Together they penetrate the echelons of higher education when it comes to the area of mathematics and the mathematical prodigies at Kneed Loft College.

   Another nude body is found, this one is an adviser in the math department. Decker and McAdams must find and bring the murderer to justice.

   As always it is told using multiple viewpoints. Most mysteries work well when this viewpoint is used.

I enjoy this series and look forward to each new addition. Kellerman is still able to present a good story.