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Holly by Stephen King

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Holly is a 2023 crime/horror novel by Stephen King that centers on the private investigator Holly Gibney as she pursues a seemingly respectable, elderly, and cannibalistic couple in a M ...

Holly is a 2023 crime/horror novel by Stephen King that centers on the private investigator Holly Gibney as she pursues a seemingly respectable, elderly, and cannibalistic couple in a Midwestern town.

Synopsis

The story is set in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Holly Gibney, still grieving her mother's death and with her partner out sick with COVID, is reluctant to take on a new case. However, the desperate plea of Penny Dahl, whose daughter Bonnie has gone missing, convinces Holly to investigate. Her search leads her to a seemingly harmless, semi-retired academic couple, Professors Rodney and Emily Harris, who live nearby.

The reader knows from early on that the seemingly respectable octogenarians are serial kidnappers and cannibals who lure their victims, often as a way to sustain themselves and stave off the effects of old age. The novel's tension comes from watching Holly piece together the clues—such as a single earring found near Bonnie's abandoned bike and other seemingly unrelated disappearances—while grappling with the complexities of the pandemic and her personal grief. Ultimately, Holly must use all her formidable talents to outwit the cunning and ruthless couple and escape their clutches.

Key Details and Themes

Genre: The novel is primarily a crime thriller with significant horror elements, but it lacks the supernatural focus of some of King's other works.
Character Development: The book is the first full-length novel with Holly Gibney as the sole main character, having previously appeared in the Mr. Mercedes trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch), The Outsider, and the novella "If It Bleeds".
Real-World Context: The story is grounded heavily in the social and political atmosphere of 2021, incorporating the COVID-19 pandemic, mask mandates, and political commentary, which has been a point of mixed opinion among readers.
Publication: Holly was first published on September 5, 2023, by Scribner and is approximately 448-464 pages in print length, depending on the edition.