Had high hopes as always, nice read but did not pull me in. ( )

A different and interesting story from the master King. A dead man is found on a beach in Maine by two high school students about 25 years ago. The mystery of the man, the locals nicknamed the Colorado Kid, is told by two older men who run the local newspaper to their young apprentice. I was skeptical of whether or not I would like this book because it hasn’t scored the best reviews. I was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed it. It’s not just about the story of the Colorado Kid; it’s about a place in Maine, the relationships between the newspaper people, and the reality of mysteries. ( )

I picked this for the Maine setting, and because it's one of the 3 books King wrote for the Hard Case Crime series. I did like the setting, but it's more of a short story s t r e t c h e d to novella length. The main characters were agreeable but hackneyed, and the older men constantly calling the younger female intern "dear" and "darlin'" was grating. Luckily, the other 2 of his Hard Case Crime books (Later and Joyland) were much better. ( )

“Ayuh, the story of the Colorado Kid is a confusing tale, all right,”

And it is told by Vince, with little additions by Dave, to Steffi, the new gal who writes ads for their newspaper on a little island off of the Maine coast. It basically is this - how did a man from Colorado come to be dead on a beach in Maine? And with the details that the men know, it really, truly is a mystery that seems to border on the impossible!

I really enjoyed the interplay between Vince and Dave as they told the story. It read like a real, authentic friendship and made me feel a little bit sad that I don’t have someone to banter with like that in my own life. They roll the story out to Stef, but it felt like I was right there at the table with them! And even though I don't like books that end like this, in this case, I didn't really mind! It is a very enjoyable mystery! And a pretty dang 'hard case' to figure out! ( )

Sometimes, the best thing an author can do is leave you hanging. Life is a mystery without a solution and that's why people want their fiction, especially crime fiction, tied up in a neat little bow. That's also why it's called fiction. This is the best short fiction I've read in a long time. The crime doesn't have to be solved for the book to be good. The writing is what matters and this is one of King's best. The three main characters become your friends by the time you finish. You know something about the island and how it's inhabitants feel about it and the mainland. What more do you need? ( )