Never Flinch

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did you feel about the intertwining storylines of Never Flinch? How effectively did Holly, Kate, Betty, Barbara, Trig, and Chris’s stories intersect to form a single, cohesive narrative? Would you have preferred to see these separated into distinct novels of their own?

2. What was your reaction to the two antagonists of the text: Trig and Chris/Chrissy? Did their backstories make them intriguing, or were their schemes implausibly malevolent?

3. How does Never Flinch compare to King’s other Holly Gibney books? Going back to the Bill Hodges trilogy, how does Holly compare to Bill as a protagonist?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. How did you react to Kate’s relationship with her employee, Corrie? Have you ever felt exploited or taken for granted by an employer? How did you handle that? 

2. Trig’s response to his own guilt is to blame others and punish them instead of himself. While extreme, lashing out because of guilt is a common response. Have you or someone you know ever lashed out because of feelings of guilt? How did you handle that?

3. Kate and Chris share an indomitable desire to act on their strong feelings of justice. Are there any causes that you could see yourself pursuing even if someone threatened your life? Are there any causes that you wish you could become more involved in without that threat?

4. Periodically, King inserts details regarding a post-COVID-19 world. Did any of the characters’ precautions remind you of your own life after the pandemic?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. One of the issues King addresses in the novel is accusations of inauthenticity in activism. Do you feel that Kate’s self-promotion interferes with the authenticity of her beliefs, or does she promote herself in order to promote the causes she champions more effectively? Where do you draw the line?

2. The contemporary setting of the novel allows King to capitalize on recent events, like COVID-19 and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. How effectively does the novel integrate these real-world events into its fictional world? How does it comment on the political and cultural significance of these events? 

3. One of the novel’s themes is The Corrosive Nature of Guilt. How do Trig’s actions illustrate the harm that comes from using guilt as a means to control others? How is guilt deployed in manipulative ways at a societal level?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The novel is structured in multiple plots and subplots, often packed within each chapter in sections. How did this structure affect your reading experience? What storylines did you find most interesting, and why?

2. Considering King’s stated love for Holly Gibney as a character, do you think she makes an effective addition to the canon of literary detectives? How is she similar to famous literary detectives like Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, or Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe? How does she break the mold? 

3. Buckeye City is a fictional city that characters call the “Second Mistake on the Lake,” referring to Cleveland as the “First.” “Mistake on the Lake” is in fact a common pejorative nickname for the city of Cleveland. How do the novel’s Midwestern settings contribute to its plot and themes? How does the novel either perpetuate or work against stereotypes about Midwestern cultural and economic stagnation?

4. Reflect on Kate’s two notable trademarks: her Borsalino hat and her “c’mon” gesture. Why does Kate refuse to buy a new Borsalino after Corrie’s attack? Why does she continue to do the “c’mon” gesture? What do these symbols represent for Kate’s character?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Both Justine Lupe and Cynthia Erivo play Holly Gibney in adaptations of King’s works. If you watched either adaptation, did you feel these actresses were a good fit for Holly’s character? While reading Never Flinch, did you picture either of them in Holly’s role, or did another actress come to mind?

2. The ending of Never Flinch implies that Trig’s spirit continues on after his death at Holman Rink. Do you want to see a sequel in which Trig’s spirit returns? What might Trig do in the afterlife, and how might Holly get involved in the case?