WithNever Flinchcoming out in May, it’s a good time to revisit whichStephen Kingbooks to read beforehand.Holly Gibney has become ubiquitous in Stephen King’s booksin the past decade. As he transitioned into his crime and thriller era, it initially appeared that it would be Bill Hodges, the central figure of the Bill Hodges trilogy, who would be the focal point of King’s crime thrillers. And for the first three books, he was. However, Holly Gibney has supplanted him, and now she’s set to return inStephen King’s upcoming bookNever Flinch.
The upcoming book is set to release on June 16, 2025. It’s another serial killer case, with Holly being called in for help. What we know about it so far is that it will involve two intertwining storylines. In one, Holly’s friend, police detective Izzy Jaynes asks Holly for help in a case that involves a mysterious suspect threatening a mass killing. In the other, Holly is hired to be the bodyguard of women’s rights activist Kate McKay, who has been getting increasingly dark threats from a stalker. The two storylines will twine together with Holly as the glue, and as such, it would be an interesting experiment to go back and read some key books to prep forNever Flinch’s release and Holly Gibney’s new arc.
6Mr. Mercedes
Book #1 in the Bill Hodges Trilogy
Holly Gibney was first introduced in 2014 inMr. Mercedesand no one knew at the time how integral she would become to Stephen King’s crime thriller era. While it was the first book of the Bill Hodges trilogy, it was clear Stephen King loved the character ofHolly Gibney, despite her being a bit controversial with readers. As such, it would end up being as much Holly’s trilogy as Bill’s moving forward. Bill might have been the main protagonist of the trilogy, but Holly was the deuteragonist with development of her own.
10 Best Protagonists In Stephen King Books, Ranked
Stephen King is well-known for creating memorable villains like It and Randall Flagg, but he has also written many compelling protagonists.
Holly’s first encounter with Bill is a chance one as they meet at the funeral of Janey and Olivia Trelawney’s mother. Bill recognizes that Holly is awkward and uncomfortable, and she is later revealed to have obsessive-compulsive disorder and is on the spectrum, with the synesthesia and sensory processing disorders that often come with autism. But she’s also sharp and smart. Once she joins his investigation, Bill appreciates her observational skills and keen intelligence and comes to rely on her as an ally.
5Finders Keepers
Book #2 in the Bill Hodges Trilogy
Holly takes a bigger role inFinders Keepers, the middle book in the trilogy, and that expanded role hints at things to come. Namely, it set the stagefor Holly Gibney to rival Randall Flagg in terms of number of appearances, anchoring Stephen King’s second-biggest interconnected universe and becoming the throughline for all his crime books.
Constant Readers may argue that every Stephen King book exists in the same universe, and it’s a fair argument to make. But for the sake of this piece, his interconnected Dark Tower world can be considered to exist in one universe, and his crime thriller era books in another.
It’s not necessarily the most impactful book, nor is it the best in the trilogy. But for the sake of completion and thoroughness,Finders Keepersis a book to be read beforeNever Flinchas it shows how far Holly has come. Thanks to Bill’s friendship and mentorship, Holly really starts to grow and come into her own as an independent woman, and a skilled private investigator. She’s not fully stepped out from under her manipulative mother’s shadow, but the seeds are there of the great person she’ll become.
4End of Watch
Book #3 in the Bill Hodges Trilogy
End of Watchcompletes the transition of Holly Gibney from merely being Bill Hodges' sidekick, to his friend and equal, to the one who eventually takes over his Finders Keepers private investigation agency. It serves as its own transitional book, in a way, asEnd of Watchcompletes the first cycle of Holly’s growth as a character. Holly comes far at Bill’s side, and by the end of the final book in the series, she’s in a position to strike out on her own without needing Bill as a security net. She has yet to lead a group of her own in an investigation, but she’s now proven to herself and others that she’s ready to. She gets the chance to do just that in the next few books.
3The Outsider
Holly Gibney Strikes Out On Her Own
The Outsideris an interesting book as it’s a standalone story and Holly isn’t the main protagonist, but it’s still integral to her story and evolution as a character. For the first time, she’s on her own without Bill’s help, brought in as an outside consultant to investigate a strange string of murders where the suspected killer always appears to be in two places at once.
Stephen King’s 2025 Book Should Copy One Great Element Of His Best Holly Gibney Story
Stephen King’s upcoming book Never Flinch features the return of Holly Gibney, but needs to incorporate one element from his 2018 book The Outsider.
As a major character, but not the main one, Holly’s challenge is to learn how to work with a whole new group of people after finally getting comfortable with Bill, Jerome, and the others in the Bill Hodges trilogy.Never Flinchis also hinting that there may be some sort of supernatural element, andThe Outsideris a good way of preparing a reader for how Holly handles that kind of scenario.
2If It Bleeds
The Novella In The Collection Of The Same Name
If It Bleedsis an interesting addition to the stories featuring Holly Gibney, as it’s a novella in a collection of the same name, not a full novel. And yet, it’s the first time that Holly is the protagonist and leading her own investigation as the leader. Holly will once again be calling the shots inNever Flinch, andIf It Bleedsis the first time she truly steps out of her comfort zone as the one expected to have the answers and solve the case. LikeThe Outsider,If It Bleedsalso deals with a supernatural antagonist, so it’s another good prequel book to read, whether or notNever Flinch’s killer is supernatural in origin or proves to just be a disturbed human being.
1Holly
Holly’s First Full Book As The Main Character
Holly’s first full story as the protagonist and the leader is an important one to read for anyone who wants to get a true sense of who she is beforeNever Flinchis released. Her eponymous novel is the culmination of her entire journey so far, and her toughest case to date. In fact, it’s so hard on her and so harrowing that she contemplates retiring from being a private investigator and pursuing a new path. While she obviously doesn’t, as theStephen Kingfavorite will return inNever Flinch, it’s a difficult storyline to see her so conflicted after the terrible things she sees, and is forced to do. It will be fascinating to see where Holly is this May when the new book releases.
