The Outsider by Stephen King

"The world is insane, but he didn't do it. He has an alibi as strong as the S on Superman's chest." "Why did they arrest him, then?" "Because they believe they have proof as strong as the S on Superman's chest."



When a boy is found mauled and molested (and dead, in case that wasn't very clear) in a small town in Oklahoma, the overwhelming evidence points with big flashing arrows to Terry Maitland, beloved husband and father of two, English Teacher and Little League coach. Detective Anderson then decides to arrest him very publicly, before interrogating him, in the middle of a baseball game, in front of thousands of people, as an attempt to humiliate him. Anderson had a solid case but Terry had a strong alibi which will lead to an investigation on a path towards the supernatural and will impugn the detective's very beliefs about the universe (and the capacity of a person to be in two places at once).

I can say with certainty that this is on my Top Five Favorite Mysteries list for three reasons. 
The first reason is that the book, yes, is a slow burn but King manages to use that to his advantage and impregnate every single page with tangible, creepy suspense, like only he knows how. To say that it's "unputdownable" would be an understatement.
The second reason is the clear and compelling portrayal of the Butterfly Effect that one bad, reckless decision created and how it influenced our characters and their decisions, raising many questions on morality.
The final reason is the way King is able to adapt his writing style in every chapter to express each character's voice independently from all the others, making multiple POVs, well, really fun.
The insight on police procedures and abuse of power is definitely a big bonus!  



My ratings:
Plot: 5/5
Conclusion: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Movie Potential: 5/5






'Who should play them in the movie' :



Hugh Jackman - Movies, Biography, News, Age & Photos | BookMyShow
Hugh Jackman as Terry Maitland
     

Eric Dane - Bio, Facts, Family Life of Actor
Eric Dane as Detective Ralph Anderson



Do you agree with my casting? 
Please leave your own suggestions below in the comments.

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