In this story, two elderly, small town newspaper men relate the story of a twenty-five year old unsolved death in their town to a young woman who is an intern at their newspaper. (The girl's description doesn't fit the babe who graces the cover.) To call this book a Hard Case Crime novel feels like a ruse and is certainly stretching truth-in-advertising. It is neither Hard Case nor a Crime novel in my opinion. It is a quick read and mesmerizing to the end, as only Stephen King can accomplish, but then there is the non-ending...

I felt the same way when Stephen didn't finish the much touted internet serial, The Plant. I subscribed in good faith and with high anticipation and then, of course, after a few short chapters, the project was simply abandoned.

"I think for many people there'll be no middle ground on this one," King states at the beginning of the Afterward. He's right...you'll either hate it or love it, and I thought it was a shame that he even had to write an explanation to defend this book.