If It Bleeds Synopsis
A collection of four uniquely wonderful long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to the No. 1 bestseller THE OUTSIDER.
News people have a saying: 'If it bleeds, it leads'. And a bomb at Albert Macready Middle School is guaranteed to lead any bulletin.
Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency is working on the case of a missing dog - and on her own need to be more assertive - when she sees the footage on TV. But when she tunes in again, to the late-night report, she realises there is something not quite right about the correspondent who was first on the scene. So begins 'If It Bleeds', a stand-alone sequel to the No. 1 bestselling THE OUTSIDER featuring the incomparable Holly on her first solo case - and also the riveting title story in Stephen King's brilliant new collection.
Dancing alongside are three more wonderful long stories from this 'formidably versatile author' (The Sunday Times) - 'Mr Harrigan's Phone', 'The Life of Chuck' and 'Rat'. All four display the richness of King's storytelling with grace, humour, horror and breathtaking suspense. A fascinating Author's Note gives us a wonderful insight into the origin of each story and the writer's unparalleled imagination.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781529391572 |
| Publication date: |
10th June 2021 |
| Author: |
Stephen King |
| Publisher: |
Hodder Paperback an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
416 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Crime and Mystery
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| Other Genres: |
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Stephen King Press Reviews
One of the greatest storytellers of the past century...If you read only one thriller this summer, make it this one - Daily Mail (on The Outsider)
A genuinely intriguing mystery, one that uses many of the tropes of both so-called grip-lit thrillers and more conventional forensics-driven crime fiction... The Outsider gives King fans exactly what they want - Guardian (on The Outsider)
King is rightly acclaimed as one of the greatest - and most inventive - storytellers of our time and The Institute is a dazzling achievement - Daily Express (on The Institute)
'The iconic author will keep you up late at night engrossed in four tales about our dreams and our frailties' - USA Today
'Four new, exceptionally compelling novellas that reaffirm his mastery of the form... stories that cover a surprising amount of emotional territory but can still be read in a sitting.... King's affection for [Holly] is evident on every page ...deeply empathetic and compulsively readable' - Washington Post
'The straightforward cadences of King's voice, paired with his signature sit-down-and-let-me-tell-you-a-story style, were immediately soothing. And the stories he was telling - about the seductions and corruptions of technology, the extremes of beauty and depravity in even the most ordinary life, the workings of a universe we can never entirely understand - were somehow exactly what I wanted to read right now... As sirens blare outside my Brooklyn window and the headlines grow more apocalyptic by the day, I might start working my way through King's backlist. He's good company in the dark' - New York Times
'You are drawn in immediately and kept guessing until the end' - the Sun (On the audiobook)
You'll fly through IF IT BLEEDS - Daily Telegraph
You may wonder if the great yarn spinner of the supernatural possesses psychic abilities of his own because this collection of short stories is so timely... Spine-chillingly brilliant. - The People
The titular novella is...an impeccably judged whodunnit...the other three [are] readable, engaging studies of male lives at different stages - The Sunday Times
The horror writer is at his familiar best with four suspenseful and sometimes surprisingly tender novellas... If It Bleeds brings together four new stories, all offering vintage King themes with their own particular twist...King, as always, is right on the money. - Observer
About Stephen King
Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1973, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 40 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers.
Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.
Stephen King received the National Medal of Arts from US President Barack Obama on 10th September 2015. This is the highest award for artists given by the US government. Ahead of the ceremony Stephen King said, “I’m amazed and grateful.” Previous recipients of the National Medal of Arts include Ray Bradbury, John Updike, Philip Roth, Maurice Sendak, Harper Lee and Maya Angelou.
Stephen King photo © Shane Leonard
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