Mr Mercedes, from Stephen King

When the retired cop Hodges he receives a letter from the mass murderer who took the lives of ten people, without ever having been arrested, he knows that it is undoubtedly him. It is no joke, that psychopath throws him that letter of introduction and offers him a chat with which to "exchange impressions"

Hodges soon discovers that the killer stalks him, observes him, knows his routines, and apparently just wants him to end up committing suicide. But what happens is just the opposite, Hodges rejuvenates at the idea of ​​closing the old case of the killer known as Mr. Mercedes, who ran over dozens of people queuing to get a job.

At the same time we meet Brady Hartsfield, an intelligent and moonlighting young man. Ice cream seller, computer technician and psychopath hidden in the basement of his house. It is curious how, in some way, we find a justification for his criminal performance, or at least that seems to follow from the development of his personal background. A dead father accidentally electrocuted, a dependent psychically handicapped brother who absorbs his life and that of his mother, and a mother who in the end gives herself fiercely to alcohol after the death of the least gifted of her children.

Brady and Hodges engage in a chase, in a conversation on the net during which both are throwing their baits. Until the conversation gets out of hand and the actions of both announce an explosive development.

While Hodges takes up the case of Mr Mercedes, his life, which seemed doomed to a dark end mired in depression, acquires an unknown vitality, between the family of one of the victims of Mr Mercedes finds a new love, and Brady (Mr Mercedes) he can't bear that what was going to be a plan to destroy the cop ends up being an offer to his happiness.

Madness approaches Brady then fiercely, he is ready for anything. And only the possible intervention of Hodges, fiercely punished by Brady in his nascent happiness, can stop him before he commits his greatest folly. Thousands of people are at imminent risk.

The truth is that, recognizing the mastery of one of my literary references, this novel does not seem to me to be as good as so many others. The plot progresses agile but there is not that level of depth with the characters. Either way it is entertaining.

You can buy the book Mr mercedes, the novel of Stephen King, here: