Billy Summers is a thriller-crime-noir story about a hit man who is asked to one final job, then he plans to retire. Billy is a sniper who will only shoot “bad men”, but this leads to many moral dilemmas since he works for bad people and to not get caught, he has to undertake many questionable roles, leading a life of lies just to survive. The first third of the novel follows the weeks of taking the job, going undercover in the set up, completing the hit, and engineering his own escape. Then, the story changes when he meets Alice, a victim of sexual assault.
By the end of the novel there are really three stories and similar to most Stephen King books, there is deep and complex building of character, past lives, and a strong sense of place. The story is a “slow burn,” but compelling and rich. It is a tragedy with themes of revenge, integrity, and redemption. We follow Billy and Alice on their journeys from damaged people to a path of restoration, finding their purpose in life, taking a stand, living with the consequences, accepting who they are.
As a long-term fan of Stephen King’s stories I read this one with anticipation. I was caught up in the narrative right away, and I followed the tale with a close reading, savoring the rich storytelling.
A recommended book – [4.6/5]
