Book Review: Billy Summers by Stephen King

It took me a while to get into this book (I even set it aside for a couple of months) but once I got past the first 75 or so pages, I was hooked.

Billy Summers is a gun-for-hire who only kills bad people who deserve to be killed, and has just been hired for what he decides will be his last job. The glaring foreshadowing lets us know that something will go wrong, but it is a Stephen King book so we already know it's not going to be all rainbows and roses. While Billy is waiting for his target to be extradited his cover is as an author working on a new book. As he's writing his life story he realizes that he actually is a good story-teller and may want to pursue it further. Also while he's waiting, he creates another persona in case he needs a backup plan after the hit. Spoiler alert: He does.

Billy also develops relationships with the neighbors in both of his temporary homes as both of his aliases. As these relationships develop it's interesting to think about how his life might have been different had so many traumatic and tragic events in his life not happened.

After the hit another problem is dumped on his doorstep, almost literally. This “problem” ends up being his partner in crime and a little bit more. Their relationship develops as they try to avenge the wrongs that have been done to both of them.

One interesting part of the story, which makes me wonder if there's a sequel in the works, is the mention – several actually – of the Overlook Hotel. But don't get me wrong, “Billy Summers” is much more along the lines of “Dolores Claiborne” than “The Shining.”

As a native of Bradford, PA, I think it's obligatory for me to say I always love King's Zippo use.

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