Gwendy's Button Box

'A resonant novella set in one of King's signature locales: the small town of Castle Rock, Maine' Washington Post

The small town of Castle Rock, Maine, has witnessed some strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there is one story that has never been told...until now.

There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974 twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson takes the stairs, which are held by strong (if time-rusted) iron bolts and zig-zag up the cliffside.

One day, while Gwendy catches her breath and listens to the shouts of the kids on the playground and the chink of an aluminium bat hitting a baseball, a stranger calls out to her.

On a bench in the shade sits a man in a small, neat black hat. He offers Gwendy a mahogany box with coloured buttons. The buttons will produce gifts, such as chocolate which can make you slimmer. But he warns her that the gifts will be 'small recompense for the responsibility.'

Journey back to Castle Rock in this chilling new novella by Stephen King, bestselling author of THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS, and Richard Chizmar, award-winning author of A LONG DECEMBER

“It is a collaboration, and a seamless one at that...clear, idiomatic prose style and a flair for creating instantly recognizable characters...both a superior addition to the never-quite-finished saga of Castle Rock and a cautionary tale directed toward a world that grows crazier - and more incomprehensible - with every passing day.”

Extremely well-paced...a fun read that never loses momentum. - USA Today

Given the locale and overall tone of the book, it would be tempting to regard this as just another Stephen King story, but it isn't. It is a collaboration, and a seamless one at that. Chizmar, whose best short fiction was recently collected in "A Long December," is an excellent writer with a clear affinity for King's brand of storytelling, which includes a clear, idiomatic prose style and a flair for creating instantly recognizable characters. Together, he and King have created what is both a superior addition to the never-quite-finished saga of Castle Rock and a cautionary tale directed toward a world that grows crazier - and more incomprehensible - with every passing day. - Washington Post

This absorbing novella by horror giants King (End of Watch) and Chizmar (A Long December) revisits one of King's most popular locales. - Publisher s Weekly

STEPHEN KING is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. November 2017 saw SLEEPING BEAUTIES, co-written with Owen King, soar to No. 1 on the bestseller list. His crime thrillers featuring Bill Hodges were all No. 1 bestsellers with MR MERCEDES winning the Edgar Award for best novel, shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award and receiving the Goodreads Choice Award for the Best Mystery and Thriller of 2014. His second bestseller to feature Hodges.

Many of King's books have been turned into celebrated films and television series including The Shawshank Redemption.

King was the recipient of America's prestigious 2014 National Medal of Arts and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for distinguished contribution to American Letters. In 2007 he also won the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He lives with his wife Tabitha King in Maine.

RICHARD CHIZMAR's fiction has appeared in dozens of publications including Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. He has won two World Fantasy Awards, four international Horror Guild Awards, and the HWA's Board of Trustee's Award. His third short story collection, A LONG DECEMBER, was published to starred reviews and was featured in Entertainment Weekly.

'A resonant novella set in one of King's signature locales: the small town of Castle Rock, Maine' Washington Post The small town of Castle Rock, Maine, has witnessed some strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there is one story that has never been told...until now. There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974 twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson takes the stairs, which are held by strong (if time-rusted) iron bolts and zig-zag up the cliffside.One day, while Gwendy catches her breath and listens to the shouts of the kids on the playground and the chink of an aluminium bat hitting a baseball, a stranger calls out to her.On a bench in the shade sits a man in a small, neat black hat. He offers Gwendy a mahogany box with coloured buttons. The buttons will produce gifts, such as chocolate which can make you slimmer. But he warns her that the gifts will be 'small recompense for the responsibility.'Journey back to Castle Rock in this chilling new novella by Stephen King, bestselling author of THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS , and Richard Chizmar, award-winning author of A LONG DECEMBER

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