So, I find myself rewatching the SyFy series "Haven" on Amazon. This series is very loosely based on a certain book. As a result, I made the decision to reread that book. At this stage in the series, they have begun to focus on the mystery surrounding what happened to the Colorado Kid. I'm well aware that they don't follow the book precisely, but I wanted a refresher to be able to spot the differences.

Regarding the book itself, I must say I found it to be quite enjoyable. It was great fun to read about the adventures of Vince and Dave, those extraordinary newspapermen. As for the mystery within the book and its lack of resolution, well, that's just like the real world. There are numerous things in our lives that we wonder about and渴望 to know, but probably never will. Sometimes books are just like that too.

All I can do is recommend that you give "Haven" a watch. It is quite different from this book, but it does frequently make references to the Colorado Kid. In the third season, which I started last night, they embark on a search for his story. Does the series offer a resolution to the mystery? Honestly, I don't recall. I originally watched it over a decade ago when it was first broadcast. Sorry about that. I guess you'll just have to watch it for yourself. It's truly enjoyable, and I highly recommend it.

If I were a talented book-reviewer, I would probably be able to write a review of this novel without having to give pertinent details away. I’m not, so I can’t. Hence the spoiler alert.

The setting is a small, Maine island town. Two grizzled, old newspapermen are recounting local mysteries and cold cases with Stephanie, their beautiful and fresh-faced new intern and human interest writer. To them, the island's ultimate mystery is the tale of the Colorado Kid. Some thirty-odd years before, a man’s lifeless body turned up, propped against a waste basket at a local beach. He did not appear to have met with violence, and there was no ID to be found. The two newspapermen explain how the body, that of a man from Colorado, was finally identified after a year. They interview the man’s widow and talk to the last people to see him alive. But despite all this, they never discover what the victim was doing in Maine. And since the story takes place back when it was much easier to fly under an assumed name, no one can even say for sure how he got to the east coast in the first place.

Here’s where the spoiler comes in: Stephen King sets this whole mystery up, but then provides no resolution. We never learn what actually happened. This isn’t really much of a spoiler, since the main characters keep saying throughout the narrative that the mystery has never been solved. But one might think that the young intern hears or learns something from this retelling that ultimately sheds new light on the case.

As a fan of King’s fiction, especially his short fiction, I wouldn’t have a problem with a story without an ending. Fiction isn’t always neat. If this were a short story in one of his anthologies, I’d give it 3 ½ out of 5 stars. The characters were semi-interesting, if a little one-dimensional, and the dialogue was realistic. But my problem is that TCK was published stand-alone as part of the Hard Case Crime series. According to their website, Hard Case Crime is supposed to represent the best in hardboiled crime fiction in the grand pulp style. This brings to mind dames and bullets, Dashiell Hammett, Jim Thompson. But nothing about this meandering story told years after the fact by two muttering old men is hard-boiled. You could even conclude that there hasn’t even been a crime. The title, TCK, also makes one think of gangsters, card sharps and gun molls, when in reality it’s just the nickname the protagonists give the corpse until they learn his real name. And to make matters worse, they slap a classic noir cover on the book with the caption, “Would she learn the dead man’s secret?”, which suggests a story that is the opposite of this one.

So, if I’m Hard Case Crime and Stephen King wants to publish his grocery list on our imprint, of course I let him. And as I’ve said, on its own merits, TCK is not that bad. But as a neo-noir novel “in the grand pulp style,” this story completely misses the mark.

In a postscript to the book, King acknowledges that some readers will love it and some will hate it.

The book is, of course, a mystery. However, the charm of this book does not lie in it being another action-packed adventure because it isn't.

The wonderful aspect of the book is that it truly and effectively transports the reader into this small town on the coast. You get a genuine sense of the two old codger reporters who sit on the balcony with Intern Stephanie and tell her she's passed the test and is welcome into the fraternal order of reporters. They regale her with a mystery that hasn't been solved in twenty years about a body found on the beach by two high school students and how it's eventually identified. Despite the presence of the body, the book contains no sex or violence.

As other reviewers have kindly pointed out, it progresses at a slow pace, much like the waves on the beach of this small coastal town. But the slowness with which the tale is revealed seems to be deliberate, as if King wants you to internalize the rhythms of life there. Once I realized that the book was about the conversation between the two old reporters and the young intern, I could enjoy it immensely. I did ultimately desire more explanations, but that didn't subtract from the book's appeal.

I must say that, throughout history, the only unsolved mysteries that have truly captivated my interest were those hosted by Robert Stack. I have a deep aversion to movies like Memento and others of its ilk.

That being the case, I absolutely adored this book. The mystery at its core is indeed outlandish and remains unexplained, yet it is also incredibly intriguing. And a huge kudos to the author, for it is not the mystery that lingers in my mind, but rather the remarkable cast of characters and their fascinating interactions. This is Stephen King doing what he does best, creating a world that draws you in and refuses to let go.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. I couldn't agree more with King when he says that those who become fixated solely on the mystery are missing the point. There is so much more to this story than just the enigma at its center. It's a masterclass in character development and storytelling that will leave you spellbound from beginning to end.

King himself stated that there would be no middle ground for this book.

People would either detest it or adore it. Well, M. King, count me among those in the love camp.

I suppose it is possible to have a story without a continuous throughline.

This approach creates a genuine mystery, and it most certainly appealed to me.

The lack of a clear, linear narrative keeps the reader on their toes, constantly guessing and trying to piece together the various elements.

It adds an element of intrigue and excitement that many traditional stories lack.

Rather than being spoon-fed a straightforward plot, the reader is forced to engage with the text on a deeper level, using their imagination and deductive skills to make sense of it all.

In my opinion, this is what makes the book truly special and worthy of being loved.

I'm fairly certain that this diminutive book is rather divisive. King himself even speculates as much in his afterward. Initially, I didn't envision myself enjoying it. However, as the narrative advanced, I found myself liking it more and more. By the time I reached King's afterward, I was wearing a smile.

This is a fine story. It's incredibly short, the kind you can devour in one sitting, and well worth picking up. The mystery is captivating, leaving you eager to know more. In fact, you almost feel compelled to conduct research based on the scant information King has provided to you, his loyal Constant Reader. But you can't, and for once, that's perfectly okay. In fact, it's precisely what makes this book succeed. Television shows and novels typically present the story with all the information neatly laid out and accounted for, and they often conclude with an explanation that satisfies. Discovering the truth behind the mystery is one of the most gratifying feelings, at least in my view. But life isn't always so straightforward, and that's the very point King is making here. Sometimes, all you're given is a series of facts without any explanation, and that's all you'll ever have.

This minuscule book strikes a chord with me because it features interesting characters and a plot device that is one of my all-time favorites. Essentially, it's like someone saying, "Sit down, I have an amazing story to share," and then you, as the reader, are given a seat and get to partake in the unfolding tale. This time around, it doesn't matter that King doesn't neatly wrap up the case with a tidy answer. The story is engaging enough on its own.

Unfortunately, this was sort of boring.

It was a rather uninteresting experience that didn't really capture my attention or engage me in any meaningful way. However, on the flip side, I am somewhat happy that it was so short.

Had it been a long and drawn-out affair, the boredom would have been even more excruciating. As it was, the brevity meant that I didn't have to endure the dullness for an extended period of time.

Still, it would have been nice if there had been something more exciting or stimulating about it. But perhaps this was just a one-off and I can look forward to more interesting things in the future.

Stephen King is a renowned author, but this particular book of his is a disappointment.

It is a very short book, and perhaps one of the most boring ones he has ever written.

The mystery presented within the pages seems to have no solution, leaving the reader feeling unsatisfied.

Personally, this book just didn't work for me, and I really don't have much more to say about it.

However, on a positive note, the afterword is actually the best part of the entire book.

It offers some interesting insights and thoughts that might make the reader reflect on the story in a different light.

Overall, while the main content of the book may not be up to par, the afterword does provide a glimmer of hope and makes it worth at least skimming through.

I really liked this book.

It is a short story that at first may seem very simple, but as you read through the pages, it gets more and more complicated until it ends up in a rather complex case.

The plot is simple and the pace is very good. It is a mystery that was unsolved years ago, told by two people who lived close to it. The way the information is revealed chapter by chapter is fantastic.

I really liked the characters. They are very well developed and have that endearing quality that makes you smile every time they say an ingenious phrase.

The ending seemed very good to me and I never thought I could say this about an ending like this. I thought it was the right one and the one that corresponded to this story. Although it is not his best book, it is well worth reading.

I have the feeling that Stephen King can get a good story even from the label of a medicine. I think that is his greatest gift. That and the fact that he leaves no one indifferent.

This was a reread for me, as I had read a digital version years before.

When rating stories, I usually do so with only the author's previous work in mind and with an understanding of the type of novel the writer intended to create.

The Colorado Kid is supposed to be a mystery that bucks the mystery formula. It's about the frustration of an unsolved thing, and it achieves this to great effect. Grounded by the three central characters, it makes for an enjoyable read that can be devoured in one sitting.

The Colorado Kid by Stephen King marks a new era for the King of Horror. Now that Roland has finally reached The Dark Tower in the final book of that series, it's the first time in over twenty years that King doesn't have the weight of completing that series on him. He's free to write whatever he wants without worry. Additionally, he's on the other side of a car accident that nearly killed him and left him healing through pain. That physical healing period is over, and he's free to reflect. Naturally, the first book out of the gate is an idea King has already explored - an unexplained mystery.

The Colorado Kid is just that. Despite being an idea he explored recently with From A Buick 8, it feels fresher here. The writing has a lightness that makes what is already a breezy tale fly by. The story relies on King's trope of having a character in the present communicate a story that occurred years before, which is the heart of the tale. This storytelling method is borrowed from From A Buick 8, but this is the better told of the two, mainly due to its slightness (Buick could lose a few hundred pages) and its memorable characters (something Buick struggles with).

So, what is the story at the heart of this book? Why, it's a mystery, of course. The Kid is the story of a dead man found on an island off the coast of Maine, a man whose identity is unknown to anyone on the island, at least at first. But as anyone who has read this story before knows, it's not really about that. Nor is it about the three central characters, all journalists, two of whom are telling the younger up-and-comer this tale of local mystery. It's about the mystery itself and how sometimes mysteries go unsolved. This is the major complaint most readers have with this story, especially as it was published as a Hard Case Crime novel, known more for pulpy tales.

I've listened to an interview with Grady Hendrix where he talked about how much King's writing changed after his accident. His theory was that stories like this and From a Buick 8, with their unsolved mysteries, are King's attempt to work out the randomness of the accident that almost killed him. I agree with his theory, especially considering King included the accident in his last novel, The Dark Tower, seemingly giving his survival meaning.

While the unsolvable mystery doesn't bother me (it gives you the chance to make up whatever you want), its slight length and King's decision to indulge in a favorite trope of his (having a character tell a story through dialogue) work against it.

***NO SPOILERS***

(Full disclosure: book abandoned at page 66, out of 184 pages)

Although I do appreciate Stephen King's attempt to write in a different style as part of the “Hard Case Crime” series, that very style turns out to be one of the book's biggest drawbacks. The Colorado Kid doesn't really feel like a true Stephen King book. By that, I mean all the elements that have earned King legions of fans over the decades, all that is distinctly King, are simply not present here. I didn't even need to read past page 66 to know this for sure. I truly hope that readers new to King don't make the mistake of choosing this book as their starting point.

As for the plot, it involves three characters that readers simply can't bring themselves to care about. There are two rather unlikable older men and one cardboard-thin young woman who spend their time discussing crimes. The main topic of their discussion is the mysterious 1980 case of the “Colorado Kid.” Here, “discuss” is the key word. This is a dialogue-heavy story, which is quite unfortunate because the dialogue itself is extremely irritating. The men constantly dominate the conversation and frequently address their female intern not by her name but by condescending terms like “darlin’,” “dear,” or “dearheart.” Discussing something in such a passive way makes for deathly boring storytelling.

The book is short, and from what I understand, it has an unsatisfying ending. This leads me to believe that King simply whipped this one up quickly without much real investment. I had read 11/22/63 not long before this, and as far as his efforts go, these two books couldn't be more opposite. Where 11/22/63 is strong and complex, The Colorado Kid is feeble. Potential readers should really take note of the poor average rating of this laziest of King's efforts and steer clear.

A smart exploration of the nature of mysteries and stories unfolds as two seasoned reporters decide to test their intern by sharing a perplexing hard case crime mystery. This particular mystery has had them completely stumped for over 25 years.

The third-person narrative, which has an old-school Stephen King feel to it, delves into the investigation of an unidentified male corpse that was discovered on a small island off the Maine coast. With no identification or obvious clues, the case repeatedly hits dead ends.

However, this story seems to promise more than it delivers. What begins as a potentially compelling mystery quickly devolves into what feels like inane chatter from two old men, which is exactly what it turns out to be! It's a very weak offering compared to King's usual works. I would rate it 5 out of 12, a two-star marmalade.

Read in both 2017 and 2007.