In Stephen King’s novel Joyland, Devin Jones works at the amusement park called Joyland.
Devin takes a summer job at Joyland in 1973 while attending college and recovering from a painful breakup. He joins the park’s seasonal staff and learns the specialized language and routines of carnival entertainment. The setting gives the novel its distinctive combination of nostalgia, mystery, and coming-of-age drama.
Joyland is also the site of a past murder involving a young woman named Linda Gray, whose ghost is said to haunt the Horror House ride. Devin becomes involved in investigating the crime while working among the park’s attractions and employees.
The novel was published in 2013 by Hard Case Crime. Unlike many of King’s best-known books, Joyland is primarily a crime and mystery novel with supernatural elements. Its fictional amusement park should not be confused with real parks using the same name.