Stephen King may be the "master of horror," but with BLAZE he proves that he's also just a plain ole good writer. This story is a mixture of a thriller, a mystery, a police procedural, and a personal struggle to figure out who you are.

Blaze, aka Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., is a dummy, and he knows it. Ever since his father threw him down a flight of stairs (and then hauled him back up and did it a couple of more times), Blaze hasn't had the brains for learning. The dent in his forehead might make him look scary, but we soon learn that Blaze isn't much of a threat -- except when he's really angry. He might look like a giant at 6'7" and nearly 300 pounds, but this man's heart is as soft as his mind.

Blaze has pretty much drifted through life by skirting the law and mostly (with exceptions) avoiding trouble. When he meets George Rackley, Blaze learns the art of the con. The two of them (or, rather, George) have been planning one big job for awhile now. That big job would be kidnapping the baby of a rich couple, collecting the ransom, and living the high-life somewhere with white sandy beaches and lots of sun.

But we soon learn that things aren't going quite the way either man had expected. For one, George is dead, even though he's still helping with the kidnapping plot. For another, Blaze, as we've already learned, isn't the smartest guy around.

What follows is a mixture of present day mystery/thriller as Blaze carries out the kidnapping of little Joey, mixed with the flashbacks of his life that show how Blaze ends up where he's at.

King (aka Bachman..does it really matter the name?) shows great control in the pacing of BLAZE, and expertly weaves the present with the past. You'll also be surprised (and entertained) by the joy that is Blaze, who is a wonderful, fully-developed character. ( )

Stephen King admits in the foreword titled “Full Disclosure” that this is a trunk novel, and one that’s a bit purple. He says he cleaned up the writing, and the for the most part, it is clean, spare writing. But it is still purple, and I say it should have remained in the trunk. Mr. King, please give us new material or nothing at all. ( )

I really enjoy Stephen King's books and this was not an exception. I really felt sorry for this guy, and I think that he did the best with this baby that he knew how. ( )

Unfortunate title refers to main character's name not any fiery action. Echos of other authors' and King's books throughout. Many evocative scenes. Predictable ending. ( )

Unfortunate title refers to main character's name not any fiery action. Echos of other authors' and King's books throughout. Many evocative scenes. Predictable ending. ( )