Stephen King Is Returning to Holly Gibney With a New Novel

Stephen King is bringing Holly Gibney back for another chilling adventure.

“I’m going to write about Holly again,” King revealed on Threads. “Happy New Year to me.”

Holly first appeared in 2014’s Mr. Mercedes and returned for its sequels, Finders Keepers (2015) and End of Watch (2016). She later played a major role in The Outsider (2018) and became the lead in If It Bleeds (2020), Holly (2023), and last year’s Never Flinch. Across the series, she has evolved from a shy, reserved recluse into a fearless private investigator navigating some of King’s darkest horrors.

“I could never let Holly Gibney go, from the Mr. Mercedes books,” King said in a 2022 interview. “I mean, she was supposed to be a walk-on character and she just kind of stole the book and stole my heart.”

On screen, Holly has been portrayed by Justine Lupe in Mr. Mercedes and by Cynthia Erivo in The Outsider.

Fans are divided on the quirky detective. Jenn Adams noted in her review of Never Flinch, “Some love the intrepid private investigator and her evolving confidence through horrific adventures, while others grow weary of her quirky catchphrases and cautiousness that occasionally veers into scolding.”

Before Holly’s next horror-filled journey, King is also expected to release a third novel in The Talisman saga, based on an idea from the late Peter Straub.