Billy Summers

By Stephen King, Scribner, 2021, 515 pages
Reviewed by Dave Kern

Billy Summers is a hit man with a heart. You see, he kills only really bad people.

And along the way he picks up friends and rescues an assault victim. He can’t be all bad, right?

His killings started early, and he perfected his art as a Marine sniper in Iraq.

This tale sped along for me, but the conclusion seemed forced.

Billy’s jobs have Mafia connections and involve big paydays. But will the money be there when the job is completed?

His memories of Iraq are vivid. The author acknowledged Bing West for “his extraordinary account of the two battles of Fallujah.” Bing is a Marine, an author and a former assistant secretary of defense.

As he waits to assassinate, Billy becomes a writer, chronicling his life. This seemed odd to me.

His relationship with a 21-year-old woman also is both touching and hard to believe.

This is the tenth Stephen King book I’ve read. The other nine were superior, particularly “Hearts in Atlantis.” Perhaps I loved that book because it was about King entering college in 1966, the same year I did. Scenes from the college dorm rang true, with marathon games of Hearts.

Billy Summers was worth the time, just not outstanding