Book will be published in March.
This is the third book King has written for Hard Case Crime, following 2005’sThe Colorado Kidand 2013’sJoyland.
Laterwill be published March 2 and the standard editioncan be pre-ordered now.
Credit: Shane Leonard
Both covers feature artwork by Gregory Manchess.
Exclusively read an excerpt fromLaterand see those two hardback covers below.
Ours was the fanciest one.
Hard Case Crime
His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was all crazied up in gray spikes.
I always called him mister, but he was actually Professor Burkett, and taught something smart at NYU.
English and European Literature, I later found out.
Hard Case Crime
Mrs. Burkett was dressed in a nightgown and her feet were bare.
That nightgown was pretty thin.
I could see most of her stuff right through it.
My mother said, Marty, whats wrong?
Before he could say anything back, I showed him my turkey.
Look, Mr. Burkett!
I made a turkey!
Look, Mrs. Burkett!
Mr. Burkett paid no attention.
I dont think he even heard me.
Tia, I have some awful news.
Mona died this morning.
Tell me thats not true!
He began to cry.
She got up in the night and said she wanted a drink of water.
He really broke down then.
That was when Mrs. Burkett spoke to me.
She said, Turkeys arent green, James.
Well mine is, I said.
My mother was still holding Mr. Burkett and kind of rocking him.
Mr. Burkett said, I called Dr. Allen and he came and said she probably had a soak.
At least thats what I thought he said.
He was crying so much it was hard to tell.
He called the funeral parlor.
They took her away.
I dont know what Ill do without her.
And sure enough, he did.
I could smell the singeing hair, a kind of beauty shop smell.
I thought that was a groady thing to do, extreme litterbugging, but I didnt say anything.
I got that it was a special situation.
I also knew that talking to Mrs. Burkett any more would freak him out.
Even a little kid knows certain basic things if hes not soft in the attic.
Later on I got better at telling the difference, but back then I was just learning.
It was her nightgown I could see through, not her.
Dead people look just like living people, except theyre always wearing the clothes they died in.
Meanwhile, Mr. Burkett was rehashing the whole thing.
Conveyed her hence was what he actually said, which I didnt understand until Mom explained it to me.
And at first I thought he said beautician, maybe because of the smell when he burned Moms hair.
His crying had tapered off, but now it ramped up again.
Her rings are gone, he said through his tears.
Both her wedding ring and her engagement ring, that big diamond.
Lanolin is basically sheep dip, but it really helps.
I nodded to show I understood but didnt say anything.
and on the bathroom sink, because sometimes she leaves them there…Ive lookedeverywhere.
Theyll turn up, Marty, dont you worry about that.
I miss her so much!
I miss her already!
Mrs. Burkett flapped a hand in front of her face.
I give him six weeks before hes asking Dolores Magowan out to lunch.
Lots of noise, in other words, so I took a chance but kept my voice low.
Where are your rings, Mrs. Burkett?
They have to tell you the truth when theyre dead.
Of course back then I also believed Goldilocks was a real girl.
Call me stupid if you want to.
At least I didnt believe the three bears actually talked.
Top shelf of the hall closet, she said.
Way in the back, behind the scrapbooks.
I asked, and my mother gave me a strange look.
I dont have the slightest idea, Mrs. Burkett said.
By then I suppose I was having the stroke.
My thoughts would have been drowning in blood.
Thoughts drowning in blood.
I never forgot that.
Except what he actually said wasourplace, like Mrs. Burkett was still alive.
Which she wasnt, even though she was there.
By then youll have found her rings, Mom said.
She took my hand.
Come on, Jamie.
Well see Mr. Burkett later, but for now lets leave him alone.
Mrs. Burkett said, Turkeys arent green, Jamie, and that doesnt look like a turkey anyway.
It looks like a blob with fingers sticking out of it.
I started to be mad at her, but just then she started to cry and I couldnt be.
I should smile and kiss a pig.
She kissed his cheek…or kissedatit, I couldnt really tell which.
I loved you, Marty.
I suppose thats what he thought it was.
