Finally, King also writes boring books. Writing can be a challenging task, and it seems that even King, a well-known author, sometimes struggles to create engaging works. Boring books can be a disappointment for readers who are looking for excitement and entertainment. However, it's important to remember that every author has off days or projects that don't quite hit the mark. Maybe King will come back with a new and exciting book in the future that will capture the hearts and imaginations of his readers once again. Until then, we can only wait and see what he has in store for us.

I'm not really sure how to define it.

It's a very short and rather dull book, a non-story, a premise without an end, almost a sketched-out idea left there, but well-written and pleasant to read.

I would have liked it more if at least King had taken care of his characters as he knows how to do. But here, besides not having the time for it (it's very short), clearly he didn't want to make a character-driven book, but rather the important thing is the story. Or the non-story.

Because, as the narrators (a couple of elderly rural journalists telling an old story to a young scholarship recipient) say well, there is no story here, it would be unpublishable. Because there is no premise, no knot, and no resolution. Above all, there is no resolution. There is a series of facts, and many unknowns. It's like a detective novel in which the part of the clairvoyant detective who guesses the whole story from four unconnected data is missing. Here there are only the unconnected data. You can't even make theories, because the possible theories that one could imagine have already been refuted, and in the end only the unknown remains. What happened? Why? Who knows...

Life itself, in many cases, but writing a novel like this is, at the very least, brave. But to Mr. King, after decades in the business, hundreds of novels written, and tens of millions earned, all that is easy, forgive me. He does what he feels like doing, and he does it well. And, moreover, he does it well.

One of these books by King that departs from his more well-known narrative and serves to express the nostalgia for the good old days that he showcases in his later works.

That remembrance of eras where everything was simpler and people were more innocent.

Two old glories of journalism, who dedicated their lives to a small and extremely modest local newspaper, instruct a young student in the essence of journalism. To do this, they resort to unraveling an unresolved mystery in their locality. A true mystery that would make for a good story but which went unnoticed because in today's society (and in today's journalism), stories that make you think or that don't have an easy or predetermined ending have no place.

The book is entertaining although King abuses the caricature in the two main characters and what they are supposed to be as two endearing and cantankerous old men ends up being a bit tiresome.

It is recommendable in the sense that it can be read in one sitting and leaves you thinking a little, which is not at all bad.

I hardly can call this a novel!

For a typical Stephen King book, this is just some sort of "draft", considering its size of just about 180 pages. Nonetheless, it is one of the most interesting books in King's catalogue.

To me, this is not so much a mystery (which we have) and detective (which we don't have) story but more a study of the nature of mysteries and their effect on those who try to solve them. The telling of the story is more important in The Colorado Kid than the mystery in itself. It’s a story within a story, about a mystery, and the specific facts that make it, well a mystery.

If anyone is expecting an action detective novel or the usual King's supernatural horror twist, forget it. However, this is not a simple "whodunnit detective novel". There is none of it and that was done on purpose. It is one of Stephen King's most finely crafted works that showcases his mastery while playing with the urban folktale or legend format. It serves as a thought-provoking piece for the reader to ponder over it because King was much more concerned with the power of stories over people and the drive to make sense of unsolvable and confusing puzzles and the need for a resolution. Here he really excels as a storyteller while discussing the desire readers have for a clean story with a beginning, middle, and end, particularly for something involving a mystery.

The story is narrated by an omniscient voice that freely expresses opinions and judgments. As we all, King's fans know, his writing is engaging, with compelling chemistry between the main characters and intriguing hypotheses, making the story a mystery completely absorbing and captivating instead of boring. What can come as a surprise for some readers is that The Colorado Kid doesn’t have a large supply (hardly any) of answers. King leaves a lot of things open-ended for readers to interpret.

The Colorado Kid was the base for a loose adaptation into the TV series "Haven".

„Пък к’вото не знае Чичо Сам, не го и засяга.“

Stefani has a great desire to be a reporter and is seeking an unsolved mystery to write about in the local newspaper. She talks to two eccentric old men who surely know various strange stories. They decide to tell her about the mysterious case around the death of the Coloradan, resulting in a long and interesting conversation... Whether it is a plausible but unexplained mystery or a journalistic speculation - the ending remains open... The book is not among King's strongest works, but it somehow became sympathetic to me and I am satisfied that I read it!

„— Well, then I'll reveal a secret to you, that almost everyone in the industry knows: in real life, the number of real stories, those with a beginning, middle, and end, is minimal. But if you can give the readers at least one unknown thing — at most two — and then add that „subsequently“, as David Bowie calls it, the reader will tell himself a story. Amazing, isn't it?“

The setup is as follows: In a small town in Maine, we encounter Vince & Dave, two extremely senior newspaper men, and a young, bright-eyed, and eager novice-journalist-journeyman named Steffi, who is their fledgling Lois Lane.

During a single afternoon, and inspired by the ineffective investigative efforts of an outside journalist trying to gather information on some of Maine's 'unsolved mysteries,' Vince & Dave slowly (and I emphasize slowly) disclose to Steffi the events surrounding the mysterious death of a man known as "The Colorado Kid." These are events they deliberately concealed from Mr. Interloper Journalist. Vince and Dave are not about to share their local mystery with just anyone, no sir! The two old guys have a deep sense of proprietary protectiveness regarding the story of the Colorado Kid, a dead man discovered on a local beach by two local kids approximately twenty years earlier.

However, on this particular day, they decide to impart to Steffi the few facts they uncovered, as well as some theories, about who the Colorado Kid was and how he came to die on their local beach. What begins as a chatfest among three people evolves into the initiation of one of them.

But let's return to that'mystery':

I believe I have a better chance of solving the mystery surrounding the Colorado Kid's death than I do of figuring out what the hell this book cover, featuring an alluringly clothed babe with a come-hither expression on her face and (what appears to be) a recording device in her hands, has to do with the story that unfolds behind its cover.

Oh wait!!!!!! Perhaps the cover is intended to hint at a second, surreptitious story #2, a parallel mystery running beneath that of the Colorado Kid! In the surface story #1 of the book, we are informed that the Colorado Kid is found dead with only $17 and a Russian coin in his pocket. There were only three females involved in the Colorado Kid's storyline: the teen runner who discovers him, the waitress who sells him some fish & chips, and his "poor thing left behind" wife. So, there really isn't a female figure who is part of the Colorado Kid's backstory that corresponds to the image on the cover. Maybe the cover babe is truly meant to depict a scene from story #2, in which a sultry Steffi is provocatively perched on a chair, saucily holding up a mic, with an expression that challenges Vince with the following query: "Is this the mic you say you had in your pocket? Or are you just happy to still be breathing?"

Then, almost as inexplicable as the pretty young thing on the cover is the blurb that teases: "Would she learn the dead man's secret?" Hmmmmmm. Well, it has been widely publicized that there is no solution or revelation to the "dead man's secret." Assuming the dead man being referred to is the Colorado Kid.

Oh wait!!!!! Maybe the 'dead man' with the'secret' is actually Vince, who we learn dies six months after this particular day's conversation, and not the Colorado Kid. Hmmmmmmm.

And perhaps the secret that the enigmatic "she" learns is that it wasn't a mic in Vince's pocket! Of course!!!!

While it's true that we never find out if Vince also had an autopsy, similar to the one given the Colorado Kid, at which a strong smell of vinegar was detected.

But I betcha if Vince was autopsied, it sure as shit wasn't the smell of vinegar that filled the room.

AYAH!!!!

Mystery SOLVED!

"Sooner or later, everything old is new again." This statement holds true in many aspects of life, and it seems to apply to this particular book as well.

This was an unusual book, indeed. It deviated significantly from King's typical style, which made it both interesting and challenging. I found myself engaged with the story initially and did enjoy certain aspects of it.

The characters were well-developed and their interactions added depth to the narrative. The mystery surrounding the Colorado Kid was captivating and kept me turning the pages. However, as I reached the end, I was left with a sense of unfulfillment.

I understand the point that the author was trying to make - that not everything in life has a neat and tidy answer. But in this case, it just left me feeling frustrated more than anything. I wanted more closure, more resolution.

Overall, while there were definitely positives to the book, such as the engaging characters and intriguing story, I'm left with a bit of a meh feeling about it all. It didn't quite hit the mark for me, but perhaps others will find it more satisfying.

This is an outstanding character study that delves deep into the realm of mystery and explores its profound significance in our lives.

It offers a captivating and concise reading experience that quickly engages the reader's curiosity.

The author skillfully weaves together the elements of mystery, making it not just a simple exploration but a thought-provoking journey.

Through this character study, we are able to gain a better understanding of how mystery can both intrigue and elude us, and how it shapes our perception of the world around us.

It is a quick read that packs a punch, leaving a lasting impression on the reader's mind.

Overall, this is a remarkable piece of work that is well worth the time and effort to read.

Just a few thoughts here about this book.

First, I listened to the audio version. It was well done and the narrator did a good job. I haven't checked how many pages the text version is, but at just over 3 1/2 hours for the audio version, I consider this a short story. So, I consider the Audible $21.27 "regular" price and $14.89 member price to be seriously overpriced.

The cover pic has absolutely zero to do with the story and implies (to me) a story of a certain flavor and genre which this story does not meet. This is not a detective noir story. There's no sultry redhead. There's no hardboiled detective. Neither the characters nor the tale they tell are set in the 30's or 40's. While there is nothing wrong with this cover as a cover, there is a lot wrong with it for this book since it may mislead people into reading it or not reading it, assuming it's a different kind of story than it actually is.

Instead, it's a story set in a small town with two long-time residents who also run the town paper. These men have a conversation with a new resident newspaper intern about a mystery and possibly unsolved murder that occurred in the town's past.

As has been mentioned in other reviews, this story presents a mystery without a resolution. I knew that going in, thankfully, so I wasn't annoyed by it as I would have been if I hadn't expected that. Not only is there no resolution to the mystery, but there aren't really any likely plausibilities presented for what really happened. We get to wonder. We get to think. We get to come up with our own ideas. What we don't get is to know or any real answers.

I picked this up because a TV series I've been enjoying, the SciFi Channel's "Haven", states it's based on this story. For others who may be taking a look for that same reason, you'll probably want to know that this story has about zero to do with the plot of the TV show. It has two characters in common, and the name of a restaurant. That's it.

That being said, I did enjoy this story. I think the writing is King outdoing himself. It's better writing than King usually is when at his best. Perhaps because of the short format, the story is tighter and more concise than King usually is. I think typical King novels could be cut by about 1/3. Perhaps also because this is basically a character study, a conversation between three people, two of whom have a fascinating "real life" mystery to tell. And characters are something King does very well.

The enjoyment for this one comes from the characters, the way we get a feel for their personalities as the telling of the mystery unfolds, and the interesting mystery itself. This one is about the journey, rather than the destination, and I'm glad I took the diversion.

What a teaser!

This book is extremely slow-paced. It took me nearly half of the entire book to finally get into it.

However, once it managed to capture my attention, the story became truly great.

Now, I am left with a plethora of questions.

It's quite astonishing how a book can start off so sluggishly and then suddenly become so engaging.

I find myself constantly thinking about the events and characters in the story, trying to piece together the answers to my many questions.

Despite the slow start, I'm glad I persisted because now I'm completely hooked.

I can't wait to see how the author will answer all of my burning questions and bring this story to a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, this book has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but one that I'm enjoying nonetheless.

I'm truly surprised to express that I had an extremely enjoyable experience reading this book.

It was a relatively short read, and I managed to finish it within just two days.

Given all the negative reviews I had previously heard about it, I initially expected to dislike it.

However, to my pleasant surprise, it turned out to be a really good mystery.

The story not only kept me on the edge of my seat with its engaging plot but also delved deep into the nature of mysteries.

Even now, after finishing the book, the character of the Colorado Kid will remain firmly in my mind for quite a few days.

Maybe it will even linger for 25 years.

Who can really predict how long this memorable story will stay with me?

All in all, this book has exceeded my expectations and left a lasting impression.

In Stephen King’s Afterword, he writes and I quote “Depending on whether you liked or hated The Colorado Kid (I think for many people there’ll be no middle ground on this one, and that’s fine with me).

I couldn’t have said it better! There was definitely no middle ground for me either. I didn’t like the book at all. Hate? That’s really a strong word and doesn’t really apply here. I simply didn’t enjoy the story. It moved at an excruciatingly slow pace for my taste. There wasn’t any action to speak of. The characters were flat, dull and boring. They lacked depth and personality.

I think Mr. King needs to stick to writing books such as The Shining (which I consider his best), Misery, Carrie and Christine. These books were really scary and kept me on the edge of my seat. They had engaging plots, well-developed characters and a sense of mystery and suspense that was truly captivating.