Genre master Stephen King is set to release his next horror novel, Never Flinch, on May 27 2025, with today bringing new plot details and even a first-look excerpt via Entertainment Weekly.
Told from the perspective of a mysterious, vengeful man named Trig, Never Flinch features intertwining storylines (more on that below) and a host of returning King characters including If It Bleeds‘ Holly Gibney.
The book’s description reads as follows, and details the two storylines, one involving a vigilante stalker and the other a diabolical revenge mission:
When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to ‘kill thirteen innocents and one guilty’ in ‘an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man,’ Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.
Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women’s rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate’s message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate’s bodyguard — a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and his belief in his own righteousness.
Never Flinch marks yet another horror string to King’s game-changing bow, capping off a year that has seen releases and announcements of film adaptations of many of his works, including HBO’s upcoming It prequel series Welcome to Derry, Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey, Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot and the announcement of Mike Flanagan’s Carrie series.
Grab Never Flinch next year wherever you get your books from, and head over to Entertaiment Weekly to read their exclusive excerpt of Never Flinch.
