Every Stephen King Book You Should Read Before Never Flinch

With Never Flinch coming out in May, it’s a good time to revisit which Stephen King books to read beforehand. Holly Gibney has become ubiquitous in Stephen King’s books in the past decade. As he transitioned into his crime and thriller era, it initially appeared that it would be Bill Hodges, the central figure of the Bill Hodges trilogy, who would be the focal point of King’s crime thrillers. And for the first three books, he was. However, Holly Gibney has supplanted him, and now she’s set to return in Stephen King’s upcoming book Never Flinch.

The upcoming book is set to release on May 27, 2025. It’s another serial killer case, with Holly being called in for help. What we know about it so far is that it will involve two intertwining storylines. In one, Holly’s friend, police detective Izzy Jaynes asks Holly for help in a case that involves a mysterious suspect threatening a mass killing. In the other, Holly is hired to be the bodyguard of women’s rights activist Kate McKay, who has been getting increasingly dark threats from a stalker. The two storylines will twine together with Holly as the glue, and as such, it would be an interesting experiment to go back and read some key books to prep for Never Flinch‘s release and Holly Gibney’s new arc.

6

Mr. Mercedes

Book #1 in the Bill Hodges Trilogy

Holly Gibney was first introduced in 2014 in Mr. Mercedes and no one knew at the time how integral she would become to Stephen King’s crime thriller era. While it was the first book of the Bill Hodges trilogy, it was clear Stephen King loved the character of Holly Gibney, despite her being a bit controversial with readers. As such, it would end up being as much Holly’s trilogy as Bill’s moving forward. Bill might have been the main protagonist of the trilogy, but Holly was the deuteragonist with development of her own.

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Holly’s first encounter with Bill is a chance one as they meet at the funeral of Janey and Olivia Trelawney’s mother. Bill recognizes that Holly is awkward and uncomfortable, and she is later revealed to have obsessive-compulsive disorder and is on the spectrum, with the synesthesia and sensory processing disorders that often come with autism. But she’s also sharp and smart. Once she joins his investigation, Bill appreciates her observational skills and keen intelligence and comes to rely on her as an ally.

5

Finders Keepers

Book #2 in the Bill Hodges Trilogy

Holly takes a bigger role in Finders Keepers, the middle book in the trilogy, and that expanded role hints at things to come. Namely, it set the stage for Holly Gibney to rival Randall Flagg in terms of number of appearances, anchoring Stephen King’s second-biggest interconnected universe and becoming the throughline for all his crime books.

It’s not necessarily the most impactful book, nor is it the best in the trilogy. But for the sake of completion and thoroughness, Finders Keepers is a book to be read before Never Flinch as it shows how far Holly has come. Thanks to Bill’s friendship and mentorship, Holly really starts to grow and come into her own as an independent woman, and a skilled private investigator. She’s not fully stepped out from under her manipulative mother’s shadow, but the seeds are there of the great person she’ll become.

4

End of Watch

Book #3 in the Bill Hodges Trilogy

End of Watch completes the transition of Holly Gibney from merely being Bill Hodges’ sidekick, to his friend and equal, to the one who eventually takes over his Finders Keepers private investigation agency. It serves as its own transitional book, in a way, as End of Watch completes the first cycle of Holly’s growth as a character. Holly comes far at Bill’s side, and by the end of the final book in the series, she’s in a position to strike out on her own without needing Bill as a security net. She has yet to lead a group of her own in an investigation, but she’s now proven to herself and others that she’s ready to. She gets the chance to do just that in the next few books.

3

The Outsider

Holly Gibney Strikes Out On Her Own

The Outsider is an interesting book as it’s a standalone story and Holly isn’t the main protagonist, but it’s still integral to her story and evolution as a character. For the first time, she’s on her own without Bill’s help, brought in as an outside consultant to investigate a strange string of murders where the suspected killer always appears to be in two places at once.

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As a major character, but not the main one, Holly’s challenge is to learn how to work with a whole new group of people after finally getting comfortable with Bill, Jerome, and the others in the Bill Hodges trilogy. Never Flinch is also hinting that there may be some sort of supernatural element, and The Outsider is a good way of preparing a reader for how Holly handles that kind of scenario.

2

If It Bleeds

The Novella In The Collection Of The Same Name

If It Bleeds is an interesting addition to the stories featuring Holly Gibney, as it’s a novella in a collection of the same name, not a full novel. And yet, it’s the first time that Holly is the protagonist and leading her own investigation as the leader. Holly will once again be calling the shots in Never Flinch, and If It Bleeds is the first time she truly steps out of her comfort zone as the one expected to have the answers and solve the case. Like The Outsider, If It Bleeds also deals with a supernatural antagonist, so it’s another good prequel book to read, whether or not Never Flinch‘s killer is supernatural in origin or proves to just be a disturbed human being.

1

Holly

Holly’s First Full Book As The Main Character

Holly’s first full story as the protagonist and the leader is an important one to read for anyone who wants to get a true sense of who she is before Never Flinch is released. Her eponymous novel is the culmination of her entire journey so far, and her toughest case to date. In fact, it’s so hard on her and so harrowing that she contemplates retiring from being a private investigator and pursuing a new path. While she obviously doesn’t, as the Stephen King favorite will return in Never Flinch, it’s a difficult storyline to see her so conflicted after the terrible things she sees, and is forced to do. It will be fascinating to see where Holly is this May when the new book releases.

Stephen King

Birthdate

September 21, 1947

Birthplace

Portland, Maine, USA

Professions

Author, Screenwriter, Producer, Director, Actor