by Stephen King

Hard Case Crime, out now

Jamie Conklin has a unique gift that can be a blessing and a curse – he can see and talk with dead people…

As Conklin (or King) himself acknowledges very early on, yes, this is the same conceit as is at the centre of the M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense but it’s taken in a different, and more horrific, direction by King. This is a lean tale by King’s gargantuan standards, but it’s also one of the best, if not the best, of his books this century.

It’s a crime story, but not like the first of the Bill Hodges novels where the supernatural elements are near to non-existent. We know from the start what Jamie’s gift is, and there’s plenty of forewarning that things are going to get messy – later. King once again demonstrates his ease at depicting younger characters and getting credibly inside their heads, and there are times when you – as well as the older Jamie’s who narrating – want to berate the younger boy for his naivety.

King doesn’t hold back on the gore – the dead present themselves exactly how they were at the moment of death, so in a story that also involves torture, you can imagine some of the scenes (and if you can’t, King helpfully provides hints!). And the horror element extends right to the end…

Verdict: Classic Stephen King – highly recommended. 10/10

Paul Simpson

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