To celebrate the release
of Stephen King’s crime thriller NEVER FLINCH in paperback, Hodder and
Stoughton have kindly offered readers of Shots Magazine three copies in a
competition.
But first, we wrote last
year on the release of NEVER FLINCH –
Though the undisputed master of the horror genre, after
this latest release perhaps Stephen King will be anointed the king of crime
fiction. Never Flinch features the return of Private Investigator Holly Gibney,
tasked to bodyguard the controversial feminist speaker Kate McKay. It seems
McKay is being stalked by a deranged brother [and sister] duo from a radical
religious sect intent on disrupting her promotional book tour.
Add to the mix a serial killer referred to as Bill Wilson
[aka ‘Trig’] whose intention is to '…..kill thirteen innocents and
one guilty…’ in retribution for the murder of an innocent man [wrongly
incarcerated] in the Ohio state penitentiary.
Read the full review HERE
In order to win one of
three copies of NEVER FLINCH in paperback name three previous works [Novella,
Novel, or Story Appearance] by Stephen King that also feature the character of
Holly Gibney.
Email your answer to shotseditor@yahoo.co.uk by midnight on Tuesday 30th of June 2026 – three winning
entries will be picked at random and full terms and conditions of entry are
noted at the bottom of this article.
GOOD LUCK!
And Hodder and Stoughton in conjunction with Stephen King present a short extract from NEVER FLINCH >
It’s April now. In the Second Mistake on
the Lake, the last of the snow is finally melting.
Izzy Jaynes gives a one-knuckle courtesy
knock on her lieutenant’s door and goes in without waiting. Lewis Warwick is
tilted back in his chair, one foot resting on the corner of his desk, hands
loosely clasped on his midsection. He looks like he’s meditating or dreaming
awake. For all Izzy knows, he is. At the sight of her he straightens and puts
his foot back on the floor where it belongs.
‘Isabelle Jaynes, ace detective. Welcome
to my lair.’
‘At your service.’
She doesn’t envy him his office, because
she’s aware of all the bureaucratic bullshit that comes with it, accompanied by
a salary bump so small it might be called ceremonial. She’s happy enough with
her humble cubicle downstairs, where she works with seven other detectives,
including her current partner, Tom Atta. It’s Warwick’s chair that Izzy lusts
after. With its high, spine-soothing back and reclining feature, it’s
meditation-ready.
‘What can I do for you, Lewis?’
He takes a business envelope from his
desk and hands it to her. ‘You can give me an opinion on this. No strings
attached. Feel free to touch the envelope, everybody from the postman to Evelyn
downstairs and who knows who else has had their paws on it, but the note should
maybe be fingerprinted. Partly depending on what you say.’
The envelope is addressed in capital
block letters to DETECTIVE LOUIS WARWICK at 19 COURT PLAZA. Below the city,
state, and zip, in even larger capitals: CONFIDENTIAL!
‘What I say? You’re the boss, boss.’
‘I’m not passing the buck, it’s my baby,
but I respect your judgement.’
The end of the envelope has been torn open. There’s no return address. She carefully unfolds the single sheet of paper inside, holding it by the edges. The message has been printed, almost certainly on a computer.
To: Lieutenant Louis Warwick
From: Bill Wilson
Cc: Chief Alice Patmore
I think there should be a corollary to
the Blackstone Rule. I believe the INNOCENT should be punished for the needless
DEATH of an innocent. Should those who caused that death be put to death
themselves? I think not, because then they would be gone and the suffering for
what they did would be at an end. This is true even if they acted with the best
will in the world. They need to think about what they did. They need to ‘Rue
the Day.’ Does that make sense to you? It does to me, and that is enough.
I will kill 13 innocents and 1 guilty. Those who caused the innocent to die will therefore suffer.
This is an act of ATONEMENT.
Bill Wilson
NEVER
FLINCH by STEPHEN KING - EXTRACT FOR SHOTS MAGAZINE
Chapter 1 (p.5 – p.6 in Never Flinch paperback)
TEXT © 2025 – 2026 Stephen King and Hodder and Stoughton
More information available HERE
Terms and conditions for the NEVER FLINCH competition
# Closing date for
entries is midnight 30.06.2026
# All correct entries
will be entered into a prize draw and will be picked at random on 01.07.2026
# Entry is restricted to
UK and Ireland.
# The winners will be
notified by email within 3 days of the promotion closing date and are required
to accept their prize by email or phone call within 7 days of notification.
# In the event of
non-acceptance within the specified period, the promoter reserves the right to
reallocate the prize to the next randomly drawn correct and valid entry.
# No responsibility can
be accepted for lost or misplaced entries
# The prizes are
non-transferable and there is no cash alternative
# Only one entry per
person
# Incorrect or illegible
answers or entries received after the entry date will not be entered into the
prize draw
# The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Stephen King reads from Never Flinch via Simon & Schuster
Shots Magazine wish to thank Stephen King, Kallie Townsend, Louise Court,
Francesca Russell and Philippa Pride of Hodder and Stoughton Publishing for organising this competition.
Jacket Cover Images used
from Hodder and Stoughton and Simon & Schuster
Stephen King Readings © Simon
& Schuster
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