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End of Watch is a 2016 crime thriller novel by American author Stephen King, published by Scribner on June 7, 2016. It is the third and final novel in King’s Bill Hodges trilogy, following Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers. The book combines detective fiction, psychological suspense, and supernatural horror, returning to the conflict between retired detective Bill Hodges, investigator Holly Gibney, and the dangerous killer Brady Hartsfield. King’s official site lists the release date as June 7, 2016, and the publisher as Scribner.

The plot of End of Watch begins with Bill Hodges no longer working as a police detective but still investigating cases through the private agency Finders Keepers, which he runs with Holly Gibney. Their partnership has become central to the trilogy: Hodges brings experience, instinct, and stubborn determination, while Holly contributes intelligence, technical skill, and an unusual but powerful way of seeing patterns others miss. At the same time, Hodges is facing a deeply personal crisis. He has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a fact that gives the novel its title a double meaning: it refers both to the end of a police shift and to the approaching end of Hodges’s life.

The case that pulls Hodges and Holly back into danger is linked to a series of suicides. At first, the deaths appear separate, but Hodges notices a disturbing connection: the victims have ties to Brady Hartsfield, the mass murderer known as the Mercedes Killer. Brady has been confined to a hospital brain-injury ward since the events of Mr. Mercedes, apparently unable to function normally after being stopped by Hodges and Holly. Yet strange signs suggest that he is not as helpless as he seems.

Brady Hartsfield’s return is what pushes End of Watch beyond a standard crime novel. He has developed the ability to influence other people’s minds, especially through old handheld game devices loaded with hypnotic visual patterns. Using this power, Brady manipulates vulnerable people, encouraging them toward self-destruction while hiding behind his hospital-bed condition. His hatred for Hodges remains intense, and his plan is not only to kill but to prove that he can still control events from the shadows.

As Hodges investigates, his worsening illness becomes impossible to ignore. The physical pain and limited time he has left add urgency to the story. He is not simply trying to solve another case; he is trying to stop Brady before more people die, while also confronting his own mortality. Holly, who has grown significantly since her first appearance in the trilogy, becomes more than a helper. She is one of the emotional centers of the novel, and her loyalty to Hodges gives the story much of its warmth.

Jerome Robinson, another important figure from the earlier books, also returns to help. Together, the characters trace the suicides back to Brady’s hidden method of control. The investigation becomes a race against time as Brady’s targets expand and his obsession with revenge becomes more dangerous. The novel balances police work, psychological tension, and supernatural elements, showing how evil can adapt even after it appears to have been defeated.

In the climax, Hodges and Holly confront the truth about Brady’s abilities and his plan. The struggle is both external and internal: they must stop a killer who no longer needs to act with his own hands, while Hodges must accept that this may be his final case. The ending closes the Bill Hodges trilogy with a mixture of suspense, grief, and resolution. End of Watch is therefore not only a thriller about catching a murderer, but also a story about friendship, courage, aging, illness, and the need to keep fighting even when the outcome is uncertain.