Stephen King - Joyland

“Mr. King makes palpable the longing and regret that arise out of calamity, and deftly renders the kindness and pettiness that can mark small-town life.”

“King is a master at crafting a story and creating a sense of place.”

“A thoroughly compelling thriller.”

“Don’t start this one on a school night… You’ll be up till dawn.”

“As brilliant a dark dream as has ever been dreamed in this century.”

“A great book… A landmark in American literature.”

“Stephen King is an immensely talented storyteller of seemingly inexhaustible gifts.”

“A rare blend of luminous prose, thought-provoking themes and masterful storytelling.”

“Not only immensely popular but immensely talented, a modern-day counterpart to Twain, Hawthorne, Dickens.

“He’s a master storyteller. Gather around the pages of his literary campfire and he’ll weave you a darn good yarn.”

“King surpasses our expectations, leaves us spellbound and hungry for the next twist of plot.”

“Top shelf. You couldn’t go wrong with a King book.”

“Stephen King is the Winslow Homer of blood.”

“King has invented genres, reinvented them, then stepped outside what he himself has accomplished… Stephen King, like Mark Twain, is an American genius.”

“Stephen King is much more than just a horror fiction writer. And I believe that he’s never been given credit for taking American literature and stretching its boundaries.”

“To my mind, King is one of the most underestimated novelists of our time.”

“King possesses an incredible sense of story… [He is] a gifted writer of intensely felt emotions, a soulful writer in control of a spare prose that never gets in the way of the story… I, for one (of millions), wait impatiently to see where this king of storytellers takes us next.”

“An absorbing, constantly surprising novel filled with true narrative magic.”

“It grabs you and holds you and won’t let go… a genuine page turner.”

“Blending philosophy with a plot that moves at supersonic speed while showcasing deeply imagined characters… an impressive sensitivity to what has often loosely been called the human condition.”

“You surrender yourself… King engulfs you… and carries you away to 4 AM page-turning.”

“Enthralling… superb.”

“A spellbinder, a compulsive page-turner.”

“Faultlessly paced… continuously engrossing.”

“A literary triumph… Read this book.”

“Superbly crafted… extraordinary.”

“His writing has a lyricism, an evocative descriptive sweep… It’s a gift.”

“Dazzlingly well written.”

“King is a terrific storyteller.”

“By far the world’s most popular author… He never seems to use up the magic.”

FIFTY-TO-ONE by Charles Ardai

KILLING CASTRO by Lawrence Block

THE DEAD MAN’S BROTHER by Roger Zelazny

THE CUTIE by Donald E. Westlake

HOUSE DICK by E. Howard Hunt

CASINO MOON by Peter Blauner

FAKE I.D. by Jason Starr

PASSPORT TO PERIL by Robert B. Parker

STOP THIS MAN! by Peter Robe

LOSERS LIVE LONGER by Russell Atwood

HONEY IN HIS MOUTH by Lester Dent

QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE by Max Allan Collins

THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES by Jonny Porkpie

THE VALLEY OF FEAR by A C. Doyle

MEMORY by Donald E. Westlake

NOBODY’S ANGEL by Jack Clark

MURDER IS MY BUSINESS by Brett Holliday

GETTING OFF by Lawrence Block

QUARRY’S EX by Max Allan Collins

THE CONSUMMATA by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins

CHOKE HOLD by Christa Faust

THE COMEDY IS FINISHED by Donald E. Westlake

BLOOD ON THE MINK by Robert Silverberg

FALSE NEGATIVE by Joseph Koenig

THE TWENTY-YEAR DEATH by Ariel S. Winter

THE COCKTAIL WAITRESS by James M. Cain

SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT by Max Allan Collins

WEB OF THE CITY by Harlan Ellison

A HARD CASE CRIME BOOK

(HCC-112)

First Hard Case Crime edition: June 2013

Published by Titan Books

A division of Titan Publishing Group Ltd

144 Southwark Street

London SE1 OUP

in collaboration with Winterfall LLC

Copyright © 2013 by Stephen King

Cover painting copyright © 2013 by Glen Orbik

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ISBN 978-1-78116-264-4

Design direction by Max Phillips

www.maxphillips.net

The name “Hard Case Crime” and the Hard Case Crime logo are trademarks of Winterfall LLC. Hard Case Crime books are selected and edited by Charles Ardai.

Printed in the United States of America

Visit us on the web at www.HardCaseCrime.com