Blaze: A Novel

Stephen King

Jun 2007 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this eBook

Master storyteller Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) presents this gripping and remarkable New York Times bestselling crime novel about a damaged young man who embarks on an ill-advised kidnapping plot—a work as taut and riveting as anything he has ever written.

Once upon a time, a fellow named Richard Bachman wrote Blaze on an Olivetti typewriter, then turned the machine over to Stephen King, who used it to write Carrie. Bachman died in 1985 (“cancer of the pseudonym”), but this last gripping Bachman novel resurfaced after being hidden away for decades—an unforgettable crime story tinged with sadness and suspense.

Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., was always a small-time delinquent. None too bright either, thanks to the beatings he got as a kid. Then Blaze met George Rackley, a seasoned pro with a hundred cons and one big idea. The kidnapping should go off without a hitch, with George as the brains behind their dangerous scheme. But there's only one problem: by the time the deal goes down, Blaze's partner in crime is dead. Or is he?

Ratings and reviews

Just read 3 chapters and had to FORCE myself to put my phone down cuz I was ALREADY that much into it. The King does it AGAIN! He is the only author who can make me feel as if I'm actually THERE with the characters. I LOVE EVERYTHING he's written so far. My favorite writer of all time!!! Thank you, kind sir for all the years of suspense, horror, shocking twists, GREAT plots and just plain good entertainment!!! Thank you again; I will forever remain your Constant Reader! Nola

With Stephen King novels I cannot describe to anyone else. The way they make me feel and think, if articulated, would sound flat and average to anyone (except the author!!) I was attempting to describe. To King's avid followers each novel provokes a totally different effect for each one of us

This is my favourite Bachman book. It is so moving, and the character development is much better than some of the early "Bachman" books. I'm stunned that it was a "trunk" novel for so long; I wonder what would have happened if "Bachman" would have published it just after it was written?

About the author

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.