Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 22, 2018
Publisher: Scribner
Source: Bought
Genre: Crime | Horror
An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. At a time when the King brand has never been stronger, he has delivered one of his most unsettling and compulsively readable stories.
An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.
As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King’s propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.

THE OUTSIDER first legitimate novel I've ever read by Stephen King. My dad is an avid reader too and when I was maybe 14, I started reading this anthology and the last story was The Mist, which I found to be such BS because of the ending, afterwhich I vowed that I will never read SKing again because I don't want to be toyed like that (fool's vow).
Fast forward to today and I'm married to a SKing fan even if he gets literal nightmares from reading his books and can't sit through any of the movies (he will pee himself while having a heart attack I kid you not). And as I'm not a big blurb reader, I foolishly thought that this was a straight-up true crime-ish novel so I pre-ordered it and got excited that my DH & I can bond over THE OUTSIDER.