Review of "The Outsider: A Novel" by Stephen King

'The Outsider' begins as a police procedural and morphs into a horror story. Both elements of the novel are well-written and compelling, as expected from a Stephen King book.

*****

The residents of Flint City, Oklahoma are horrified when eleven-year-old Frank Peterson is found in the park - covered in blood, sexually violated with a stick, with his neck ripped out. Very quickly, the perpetrator is identified as Terry Maitland, the town's well-liked English teacher and Little League Coach.



The evidence against Terry consists of witnesses - including a woman who saw Terry offer Frank a ride in a white van and a girl who saw a blood-covered Terry emerge from the park; and physical evidence - such as Terry's fingerprints on the rape stick and his DNA on Ralph's body.

Police detective Ralph Anderson - who's enraged by the fact that Terry not only assaulted a child, but has ongoing access to kids.....



.....has the teacher arrested during a big baseball game, in front of a huge crowd.



This public apprehension incites the populace to high levels of fury. Thus Terry is threatened, and his wife and two daughters are tormented on social media, harassed by reporters, and spurned by (former) friends.



Terry vehemently protests his innocence and hires ace defense attorney Howie Gold to represent him.



Terry tells his lawyer that - on the day Frank was killed - he and several other teachers were at a writer's conference far from Flint City. Gold's private investigator, Alec Pelley, checks out Terry's alibi.....AND IT HOLDS UP. The teachers aver that Terry was at the symposium with them, and videotape of the conference shows Terry listening to a talk by the writer Harlan Coben, and then asking Coben a question. Moreover, the notion that Terry sent a lookalike is quashed by the fact that Terry examined a one-of-a-kind book in the gift shop, and left his fingerprints.

Detective Anderson is baffled by the conflicting evidence, but plows on regardless, determined to get Terry off the streets.



Thus, Anderson incautiously takes Terry up the front steps of the courthouse for his arraignment, and the tumult is enormous (think the Michael Jackson trial times a hundred).





As lawyer Gold and investigator Pelley try to figure out what the contradictory evidence means, they learn that the stolen white van used to abduct Frank Peterson was in Ohio at one point. Thinking this might be important, Pelley hires midwestern private detective Holly Gibney (from 'The Bill Hodges' trilogy) to make inquiries in Ohio.



Holly, who's likable but eccentric, says she won't get involved if things might get violent....and Pelley assures her that won't happen. (Ha ha ha. Famous last words! 😏) In any case, Holly takes the job....and the story enters typical Stephen King territory, with paranormal elements that are the stuff of horrific nightmares. 😳

The book has an interesting array of characters, including: District Attorney Bill Samuels - who seriously considers destroying exculpatory evidence; Detective Anderson's wife Jeannie - who encourages him to keep an open mind;



Anderson's cop partner, Yune Sablo - who makes jokes about his Mexican heritage; Frank Peterson's distraught family - whose suffering is intense; and more.

My favorite character is Holly Gibney, who probably has Asperger Syndrome. Holly meticulously prepares for every single thing she does; goes to the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) when she's stressed; is prepared for any and all contingencies; and is the smartest person in any room. I love Holly (and IHOP). 💖



The story rolls along to a dramatic climax, with plenty of death and destruction along the way. I liked the book, and recommend it to readers who enjoy mystery/horror stories, especially Stephen King fans.

Rating: 4 stars