The #1 national bestseller about a woman who escapes an abusive marriage is “one of Stephen King’s most engrossing horror novels. Relentlessly paced and brilliantly orchestrated…fueled by an air of danger immediate and overwhelming” (Publishers Weekly).
After surviving fourteen years of hell in a violently abusive marriage, Rosie Daniels has finally summoned the courage to flee for her life. But leaving her husband Norman for a new city and a new start is a very daunting prospect. It’s hard for Rosie not to keep looking over her shoulder, and with good reason—Norman’s a police officer with the instincts of a predator, a force of relentless terror and savagery…a man almost mythic in his monstrosity.
He’s very good at finding people, even if he is losing his mind. Rosie’s only hope for salvation may lie in a far more dangerous place, where she must become her own myth and the woman she never knew she could be.
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"Stephen King is soooo amazing! I mean, it's so cool how he creates his characters and plot. Norman is a total psycho-sicko lol. The entire book was like enigmatic, and I loved it. The ending was beautiful, and...wow, I just really liked it, and it was one of the best reads I've had in a while."
— Latoya (5 out of 5 stars)
" I have read this book many times over the years. Listening to it on audio has been wonderful. Blair Brown is an awesome narrator. Really brings the characters to life! "
— April, 4/5/2018" My absolute favorite King novel, and by far one of his most underrated. Brilliant and mad tale of a woman's survival from her monstrous husband, and marked the shift in King's conciousness from the splatter-genre horror to the more psycological terror. Amazing. "
— Sezin, 2/7/2014" One of his best. Definitely his best female portrayal. Thanks to my friend Natalie ; I recently found out a movie is being made... awesome! "
— Nathan, 2/4/2014" Once in a while Stephen King gets so caught up in telling you how nice his characters are that by the time one of them is getting smashed in the face with a hammer, he forgets that you're trying to read about how the teeth shattered and just keeps on telling you how nice his/her smile was before hand (I mean hammer). On top of that, he's so into the feminist thing here (which he handled so well in the previouse twin novels Gareld's Game and Delores Clayborn) that he may have simply answered the reader's question 'why' with 'Y' in spelling the word womyn. "
— Che, 2/2/2014" I've been reading SK for several years, catching up on all the work he's written that I was too young to read. At the conclusion of this book, I assumed this had to have been one of his earlier books, when he was still on drugs, but it published in 1995 which is after he got clean, I believe...anyway...parts of it seemed a little coke fueled. Sorry--they just did. But the title character I loved. He wrote her beautifully and realistically, doing justice to abused women everywhere. Good book. Probably not a re-read, but good. "
— Laura, 1/13/2014" I pretty much loved this book; however, I disliked the complications at the last couple of papers. Not a big deal, anyway. I think King did a great job on this one. Spectacular as always. "
— Jailan, 1/8/2014" One of my all time Stephen king books! "
— Lynne, 1/7/2014" 1st book of his i read. could not put this one down neither "
— Melissa, 1/1/2014" I loved how he brought up characters from other books in this one! "
— Suzanne, 12/29/2013" good but the ending is too far-fetched so ruins it a bit. "
— Lewis, 11/30/2013" Another great read by Stephen King. This one starts pretty gruesome, but by far did this book was more suspenseful and less bloody than some of his others. "
— Corrie, 11/19/2013" this was an awesome book! stephan king is the best! "
— Naomi, 11/3/2013" My favorite of all time "
— Diana, 10/22/2013" Just as expected. Stephen King is a number 1 in mystery/horror book. Love this book. "
— Amel, 6/4/2013" l loved it.....Definately a MUST READ "
— Maria, 5/28/2013" King thinks this isn't one of his best, but on re-reading it after 10 years have passed, I have to disagree. "
— AmbushPredator, 3/15/2013" OMG!So riveting and well-written, I was on edge throughout every page. "
— Claudette, 1/11/2013" Excellent opening. The rest is rubbish. "
— David, 10/10/2012" Not my favorite from Stephen King but interesting none the less. King's style is so good that you keep reading even if you don't really like it. I'm not sure how he does that. "
— Erin, 10/1/2012" I usually don't read Stephen King, he just gets too-weird for me. My sister said I would enjoy this book and I really did-until he went out in left field and lost me in about the middle of the book. Overall, it was a good story, I just don't like when he gets me lost by going all weird on me "
— Shelly, 7/22/2012" I love this book, talk about revenge. I am inspired by this lady. "
— Natasha, 7/1/2012" My favorite SK book. A MUST read if you have ever been the victim of domestic violence... I love Rose <3 "
— Tammy, 6/7/2012" Seems like a combinationed of Duma Key and Gerald's Game "
— Magic, 4/24/2012" I expected something different. Maybe my fault that I didn't like it. :-( "
— Brent, 12/8/2011" This book was touching in a very odd way. I admire the main character for finally getting the gumption to leave her psycho husband. "
— Indigo.plume, 8/2/2011" I thought this was one of King's more unique tries at mixed genre horror; I think he pulls it off pretty well -- along with focusing on a protagonist that is a woman. "
— Bobby, 6/19/2011" Not his best, but not time totally wasted. Nominally about domestic abuse and King doesn't flinch from descriptions. It was fairly predictable. "
— Kitty, 5/25/2011" mind of an abuser and an abused women with some weird goddess alter reality stuff too. "
— Carla, 5/9/2011" I literally read this book in one day. It was impossible to put down. Strange ending... but it's King... what else is to be expected? :D "
— Kimberly, 5/2/2011" Readable until King starts in with a painting that has magical powers. I've got to stop reading crap like this. "
— Steve, 4/16/2011" One of my favorite King books of all time. I'm not even sure why, but I just love it! Fantastic story! "
— Jennifer, 4/11/2011" I thought this was a very good Stephen King book. It was similar to Lisey's Story in some respects but I was captured right away by the characters. This is a really good story about an abused wife and her insane husband, with a twist of supernatural! "
— Bryan, 3/29/2011" Thought is quite good. Couldn't work out the ending though. "
— Michelle, 3/19/2011Stephen King has written more than sixty books, many hitting the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list. He has won the World Fantasy Award, several Bram Stoker Awards, and the O. Henry Award for his story “The Man in the Black Suit.” He is the 2003 recipient of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2007 he received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. His epic works The Dark Tower and It are the basis for major motion pictures.
Blair Brown is an award-winning narrator and a Tony Award–winning actor. Besides earning several AudioFile Earphones Award, she received the prestigious Audie Award for Best Fiction Narration in 2020. She has appeared on Broadway, in film, and on television in numerous miniseries and TV movies and received five Emmy Award nominations for her starring role in The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd.