Stephen King has spent his entire career creating fascinating and complex characters that fill the worlds of his books, but there are some that the author favors over others, and that very much describes his relationship with Holly Gibney. Introduced in the 2014 novel Mr. Mercedes, she became a critical part of the trilogy that emerged – with Mr. Mercedes followed by 2015's Finders Keepers and 2016's End Of Watch. After that, she became a central figure in 2018's The Outsider before being utilized as the main protagonist in "If It Bleeds," one of the four novellas featured in the 2020 collection of the same name.
Fans of Stephen King adaptations will know Holly from the TV shows Mr. Mercedes (where she is played by Justine Lupe) and The Outsider (where she is played by Cynthia Erivo), and if she's a presence you enjoy, we have some good news for you: another story is on the way.
While Constant Readers are still waiting for what has been announced as Stephen King's next book (Fairy Tale, hitting stores on September 6), the legendary writer has already revealed details about what his subsequent tome will be. Doing a guest spot on The Kingcast, he not only revealed that he's completed working on another novel about Holly Gibney, but that it will be named after her too. Said King,
I could never let Holly Gibney go from the Mr. Mercedes books. I mean, she was supposed to be a walk-on character, and she just kind of stole the book and stole my heart. And so I just finished a novel that's called Holly, and it's all her, man.
When first introduced in Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes, Holly Gibney is described as being an introverted, shy woman who is on the autism spectrum and has a number of mental health conditions, including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and sensory processing issues. The bond she forms with Mr. Mercedes' lead character, retired Detective Bill Hodges, winds up changing her life, and she becomes an effective investigator in part because of the different way she views the world. She is well-experienced in the realm of supernatural encounters, and she has proven herself a talented monster slayer.
Will Holly Gibney face off with another shape changing monster like in The Outsider and "If It Bleeds"? Could the story end up being used as source material that continues either Justine Lupe's or Cynthia Erivo's run with the character? We don't have answers to those questions now, but we'll be excited to get them.
If you're not already familiar with Holly Gibney, now is the time to get acquainted. Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End Of Watch, The Outsider, and If It Bleeds are all in print and widely available. And on the television front, you can watch all three seasons of Mr. Mercedes with a Peacock subscription (it's a show Stephen King calls "unbeatable entertainment"), and check out The Outsider streaming on HBO Max. Both are among the best examples of modern King adaptations.
Stephen King's latest book, Gwendy's Final Task, co-written with Richard Chizmar, arrived in stores last month, and it is a wonderful novel that concludes the story of Gwendy Peterson, the character first introduced in 2017's Gwendy's Button Box. Go pick up a copy at your local bookstore, and to keep track of all the adaptations that are currently in the works, head over to our Upcoming Stephen King Movies and TV guide.
