Billy Summers by Stephen King

In recent years, King has developed a habit of writing thrillers. Even in books that are supposed to be true horror, there are more elements of suspense than horror. Take The Institute or Later, with their supernatural children; they’re more thriller than horror, despite the marketing. But this year, I finally picked up Billy Summers, which is indeed advertised as a thriller. And I can confirm, it is exactly that — a thriller, and one that doesn’t disappoint.

Sooner or later, bad people do bad things. Even a kid can figure that out.

Plot

Billy Summers is a former army sniper, now a contract killer, on the verge of retirement. He decides to take on one final job due to a huge payout. His mission? Relocate to a small town and wait for his target to appear at the local courthouse.

This operation might take anywhere from several months to half a year, so his employers set him up with a cover — an aspiring writer. And Billy, who’s always dreamed of writing, figures, why not actually start a book? He decides to write an autobiography. And as it turns out, he’s got plenty to say.

One key moment is the shot itself, the one Billy is waiting to take. It happens around a third of the way into the book. And then there are at least two more major twists that I won’t spoil for you.

Structure

As for the book itself: though Billy Summers is a sizable read, King’s trademark style and short chapter breaks make it very easy to get through.

Is this the “classic” King? Not exactly. In his recent work, telling a good story seems more important than the actual plot; King moves at a slower pace, savoring every detail.

Plot Development

Preparation for the hit, the getaway plan, and the actual kill only make up the first third of the book. King uses one of his favorite devices — posing a “what if” scenario: What if a hitman spent half a year waiting around for his target? What would he do? What if he actually tried writing a book? What would he write about?

In Billy Summers, like in Misery, we get a book-within-a-book. Here, it’s not just a side story. Billy periodically plays “the dumb guy,” to keep people from realizing he’s actually very smart and well-read. When he writes his “dumb” character’s story, knowing he’s being watched, he writes it in that voice. The “dumb voice” technique isn’t new — Daniel Keyes used it, for example — but Billy’s story is compelling and crucial to the main plot, even if the part about Billy’s military service in Iraq felt a bit excessive for me. Yes, King describes shootouts masterfully, but that’s just not my thing.

Then, King employs another favorite device — a sudden event that shifts the story in a new direction, like the bomb in The Stand. Here, that “bomb” is a girl. I won’t give more details to avoid spoilers.

This twist reveals a new side of Billy, showing that the book is much more layered and complex than it initially seems. Although, in the last quarter, the book does turn into a kind of action thriller. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t quite match the quality of the rest of the book.

Book Ideas

King doesn’t shy away from criticizing Trump — his mutual disdain for the 45th president is well-known. More importantly, though, King subtly critiques changes in American life and reflects on different types of love and humanity through the perspective of a man who kills people. And yet, despite these themes, the book remains a solid thriller. In other words, King sets the bar high (he raised it with Mr. Mercedes) and easily clears it. By the way, contrary to popular opinion, I actually liked Mr. Mercedes quite a lot.

Links to King’s Other Works

Along with his familiar narrative techniques, King includes direct references to his other works. Honestly, I thought Billy would lose it in isolation, like Jack Torrance in The Shining. Instead, King makes another Shining reference, slipping the Overlook Hotel into the story. Why? I’m not sure — maybe just to remind us that all of King’s books are part of one big universe, infinite and interconnected.

Summarizing…

In the end, I really enjoyed this book. I generally like King’s recent works (except Sleeping Beauties, of course), but I truly savored every chapter and every page of Billy Summers, like the old classics. For those unfamiliar with King’s style, Billy Summers might seem slow and a bit long-winded.

And in conclusion, writing this review, I realized that Billy Summers feels like a “greatest hits” album from a favorite musician. You’ve heard it all before…in this case, you’ve read it before, but it’s done so well.