Part of the reason Billy Summers reminds me of ‘Dolan’s Cadillac’ are the gangsters. Of course, Billy is not, for the most part, an idiot. He is asked to pretend to be a writer – which is big yuks to the people hiring him who all think Billy is an idiot who just happens to be a deadshot. Billy is asked to take up residence in the town where the hitman, it is thought, will eventually go on trial. A fellow hitman has got a bit itchy with the old trigger finger, slapping up a celebrated feminist and then doing away with a couple of card game sorts. He’s thinking about retiring when he’s tempted by one last big job (knowing, as he is tempted, that the last big job is a cliché and inevitably things pan out badly for all concerned). A bad ass former marine who only rubs out bad guys. The title character, Billy Summers, is a hitman. Pacey and tight (despite being almost novella length). If you’re familiar with the story, you’ll more than likely know it’s a good story. The King story it reminded me of the most (for the most part) was ‘Dolan’s Cadillac’ from Nightmares and Dreamscapes. But to all intents and purposes it’s straightsville daddy-o. There is an Easter egg, rather late in the day, that will undoubtedly give joy to those readers who like to connect different novels across the King universe. There is not much here for the King fan who only likes horror. In some respects, Billy Summers is another straight Stephen King novel.
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