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Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #1
Heartsick
Damaged Portland detective Archie Sheridan spent ten years tracking Gretchen Lowell, a beautiful serial killer, but in the end she was the one who caught him. Two years ago, Gretchen kidnapped Archie and tortured him for ten days, but instead of killing him, she mysteriously decided to let him go. She turned herself in, and now Gretchen has been locked away for the rest of her life, while Archie is in a prison of another kind---addicted to pain pills, unable to return to his old life, powerless to get those ten horrific days off his mind. Archie's a different person, his estranged wife says, and he knows she's right. He continues to visit Gretchen in prison once a week, saying that only he can get her to confess as to the whereabouts of more of her victims, but even he knows the truth---he can't stay away.
When another killer begins snatching teenage girls off the streets of Portland, Archie has to pull himself together enough to lead the new task force investigating the murders. A hungry young newspaper reporter, Susan Ward, begins profiling Archie and the investigation, which sparks a deadly game between Archie, Susan, the new killer, and even Gretchen. They need to catch a killer, and maybe somehow then Archie can free himself from Gretchen, once and for all. Either way, Heartsick makes for one of the most extraordinary suspense debuts in recent memory.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2007
About the author
Chelsea Cain
92 books3,734 followersChelsea Cain is the New York Times bestselling author of the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell thrillers Heartsick, Sweetheart, Evil at Heart, The Night Season, Kill You Twice, and Let Me Go. Her next book One Kick (August, 2014) will be the first in her Kick Lannigan thriller series. Her book Heartsick was named one of the best 100 thrillers ever written by NPR, and Heartsick and Sweetheart were named among Stephen King's Top Ten Books of the Year. Her books have been featured on HBO's True Blood and on ABC's Castle. Cain lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,236 reviews
August 11, 2022
Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell, #1: A genuinely deranged serial killer thriller centred round Gretchen Lowell, an alluring blond with a very high IQ, she is a manipulative killer who still appears to have so much power 0ver everyone despite being 'caught' and having totally ruined the life of Archie Sheridan, head of the serial killer squad. As this is all going on, a reporter, Susan Ward is asked to write Archie's story.
Chelsea Cain has created a fabulously evil and demented female antagonist, rarely seen in any media. This is a truly memorable and compelling read. A Four Star, 8.5 out of 12, read how Gretchen can make your heart sick!
2015 read; 2010 read
Chelsea Cain has created a fabulously evil and demented female antagonist, rarely seen in any media. This is a truly memorable and compelling read. A Four Star, 8.5 out of 12, read how Gretchen can make your heart sick!
2015 read; 2010 read
June 27, 2016
I have to say I found a new author, Chelsea Cain. She writes so well. This book is definately different than other mysteries. The characters are very well developed. I was not expecting the outcome of what the book was about. This surely isn't for the faint of heart. It has to do with serial killers.
Gretchen Lowell is a killer. She tortures her victims then kills them. She also has victims killing others, she had several of them.
Archie Sheridan becomes one of her victims. She tortures him for ten days, cutting his skin, then seduces him. She let's Archie go and turns herself in. Gretchen then ends up in prison.
Archie is changed into a different person and is hooked on Vicodens. He is now a cop and is in a search for the dead bodies that Gretchen has killed. He ends up going on many trips to prison to talk to Gretchen to find out about where the bodies are located. Archie thinks Gretchen is beautiful and can not get his mind off of her.
There are lots of missing girls and Archie is trying to find the killer that Gretchen is using to torture more victims that she wants killed. The next victim Archie is close too and he has to be fast before she ends up dead. Will Archie ever get Gretchen out of his mind? Will these tortured victims ever come to an end?
Most mystery series have two names of detectives, this mystery is different in the fact that Gretchen Lowell is the killer and Archie Sheridan is the cop detective to solve the case. Chelsea Cain makes this subject matter very interesting and I couldn't put it down. There were lots of twists, which made it a turn pager.
A Good Reads friend recommended me this series. I was looking for a series that was similar to the Smoky Barret Series and it was very close.
I am looking forward to reading the next book which is Sweetheart.
Gretchen Lowell is a killer. She tortures her victims then kills them. She also has victims killing others, she had several of them.
Archie Sheridan becomes one of her victims. She tortures him for ten days, cutting his skin, then seduces him. She let's Archie go and turns herself in. Gretchen then ends up in prison.
Archie is changed into a different person and is hooked on Vicodens. He is now a cop and is in a search for the dead bodies that Gretchen has killed. He ends up going on many trips to prison to talk to Gretchen to find out about where the bodies are located. Archie thinks Gretchen is beautiful and can not get his mind off of her.
There are lots of missing girls and Archie is trying to find the killer that Gretchen is using to torture more victims that she wants killed. The next victim Archie is close too and he has to be fast before she ends up dead. Will Archie ever get Gretchen out of his mind? Will these tortured victims ever come to an end?
Most mystery series have two names of detectives, this mystery is different in the fact that Gretchen Lowell is the killer and Archie Sheridan is the cop detective to solve the case. Chelsea Cain makes this subject matter very interesting and I couldn't put it down. There were lots of twists, which made it a turn pager.
A Good Reads friend recommended me this series. I was looking for a series that was similar to the Smoky Barret Series and it was very close.
I am looking forward to reading the next book which is Sweetheart.
October 2, 2007
Serial killer stories are a dime a dozen but Chelsea Cain's HeartSick is a cut above the rest (no pun intended). Not only is this novel a real page turner, but it's also very well-written with characters you believe in and sympathize with, even when they're doing things you suspect are definitely not in their best interests.
The book opens with Detective Archie Sheridan's moments-too-late realization that he's fallen into the clutches of a serial killer, the beautiful, sociopathic Gretchen Lowell who has tortured to death 199 people and plans to make Archie number 200. She drugs and imprisons Archie, then begins a brutal and flinch-worthy regimen of torture---and this is just in the first chapter. Archie knows he is probably going to die. He counts the days until he's either found alive by his task force, or finally murdered. Flash forward a few years (chapter two) and we discover that Archie did actually survive his ten-day ordeal at the hands of a psychopath---only after Gretchen called 9-1-1 and turned herself in. But did Archie really survive? His life in shambles and addicted to pain killers, Archie returns to detective work a very different man, breaking his work hiatus only because a new serial killer, one targeting sophomore girls, is on the loose in Portland. The chilling Gretchen Lowell sits behind bars in a maximum security prison, but every Sunday Archie goes to visit her and in a sick and symbiotic relationship, Gretchen reveals the location of more of the bodies she dumped years past while continuing to torture Archie mentally. As the current serial killer investigation team rushes to find the new murderer, Archie allows a young reporter, Susan Ward, to shadow him and write exclusives on the "hero cop" who has returned (addicted, as Susan soon learns) to the force. Susan has her own issues, Archie his, and the imprisoned Gretchen Lowell seems deadlier than ever as she manipulates the world from behind bars.
I was surpised at how absolutely satisfying this book was. I'd read and enjoyed Cain's first novel, a Nancy Drew parody for adults entitled Confessions of a Teen Sleuth which is just about as entirely different from HeartSick as one could possibly get, and I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy her second book. I did, I did, I did. And now I will be encouraging more people to go out and enjoy it too. I just looked up Chelsea Cain on amazon.com and there is an interview with her about HeartSick in which I learned that she has already written a second book in this series. Normally I'm not a series reader, but I will definitely be looking for Sweetheart when it becomes available.
The book opens with Detective Archie Sheridan's moments-too-late realization that he's fallen into the clutches of a serial killer, the beautiful, sociopathic Gretchen Lowell who has tortured to death 199 people and plans to make Archie number 200. She drugs and imprisons Archie, then begins a brutal and flinch-worthy regimen of torture---and this is just in the first chapter. Archie knows he is probably going to die. He counts the days until he's either found alive by his task force, or finally murdered. Flash forward a few years (chapter two) and we discover that Archie did actually survive his ten-day ordeal at the hands of a psychopath---only after Gretchen called 9-1-1 and turned herself in. But did Archie really survive? His life in shambles and addicted to pain killers, Archie returns to detective work a very different man, breaking his work hiatus only because a new serial killer, one targeting sophomore girls, is on the loose in Portland. The chilling Gretchen Lowell sits behind bars in a maximum security prison, but every Sunday Archie goes to visit her and in a sick and symbiotic relationship, Gretchen reveals the location of more of the bodies she dumped years past while continuing to torture Archie mentally. As the current serial killer investigation team rushes to find the new murderer, Archie allows a young reporter, Susan Ward, to shadow him and write exclusives on the "hero cop" who has returned (addicted, as Susan soon learns) to the force. Susan has her own issues, Archie his, and the imprisoned Gretchen Lowell seems deadlier than ever as she manipulates the world from behind bars.
I was surpised at how absolutely satisfying this book was. I'd read and enjoyed Cain's first novel, a Nancy Drew parody for adults entitled Confessions of a Teen Sleuth which is just about as entirely different from HeartSick as one could possibly get, and I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy her second book. I did, I did, I did. And now I will be encouraging more people to go out and enjoy it too. I just looked up Chelsea Cain on amazon.com and there is an interview with her about HeartSick in which I learned that she has already written a second book in this series. Normally I'm not a series reader, but I will definitely be looking for Sweetheart when it becomes available.
Shelved as 'read-audiobooks'
March 1, 2023 ** I do not give star ratings to audiobooks b/c I cannot analyze the prose **
Audiobook rating: enjoyed it | Performance: 4/5 | Plot: 3.5/5 | Ending: I?? /5
Trying to make my way through my physical TBR but utilizing audiobooks via Libby. Yes, this doesn't make sense because I own the book... but how my concentration is set up these days, this is the best I can do 😂
Tbh I'm glad I used the earholes for this one. It was giving me UNSUB vibes, which was a book that annoyed me when I read it with my eyeballs because it was doing tew much. Yeetage of disbelief required. Even with the earholes, I noticed there was a lot of filler text aka closed caption ass writing. Also, this was gory. I'm very squeamish though, so take it with a grain of salt.
I can't see myself continuing this series because the relationship between Archie and Gretchen is simply TOO unbelievable and I don't need six books of that. See, this is the difference between Nordic Noir and US thrillers. While Nordic Noir would've been balls deep in psychoanalysis, Chelsea reduced this complex captive/captor relationship some weird sexual shit that never went beyond the surface. Disappointing to say the least.
Anyways, this was a Honda Civic Reliable popcorn police procedural (say that 10x fast) but it didn't have me clamouring for more.
Audiobook rating: enjoyed it | Performance: 4/5 | Plot: 3.5/5 | Ending: I?? /5
Trying to make my way through my physical TBR but utilizing audiobooks via Libby. Yes, this doesn't make sense because I own the book... but how my concentration is set up these days, this is the best I can do 😂
Tbh I'm glad I used the earholes for this one. It was giving me UNSUB vibes, which was a book that annoyed me when I read it with my eyeballs because it was doing tew much. Yeetage of disbelief required. Even with the earholes, I noticed there was a lot of filler text aka closed caption ass writing. Also, this was gory. I'm very squeamish though, so take it with a grain of salt.
I can't see myself continuing this series because the relationship between Archie and Gretchen is simply TOO unbelievable and I don't need six books of that. See, this is the difference between Nordic Noir and US thrillers. While Nordic Noir would've been balls deep in psychoanalysis, Chelsea reduced this complex captive/captor relationship some weird sexual shit that never went beyond the surface. Disappointing to say the least.
Anyways, this was a Honda Civic Reliable popcorn police procedural (say that 10x fast) but it didn't have me clamouring for more.
July 15, 2014
Posted to The Literary Lawyer.ca
A Guilty 5 Stars
I enjoyed Heartsick as much as any thriller I have read in a few years. The main character was damaged and broken but managed to be effective and rational. The counterpoint was the jailed serial killer Gretchen who was pulling on some psychological and mental strings in Archie's mind and soul. I found it to be engaging, entertaining and chilling. That said, there are issues with novel. The "holier than thou" reviewer in me want to give this four stars but the reader inside of me says that I enjoyed this too much to give it less than for stars. The reader inside of me won out, or maybe Gretchen has ahold of me as well......
Plot Outline
When I saw this was a cop and serial killer story, I immediately assumed we were going to have a Silence of the Lambs relationship. Thankfully, that is not the case and in fact, the author takes some time to poke fun at that notion.
In the story, a series of young girls have been murdered. As they appear to be related, Archie Sheridan is called out of a medical leave to lead a taskforce to solve this crime. Archie has previously lead this same task force for 10 years as he sought to catch another notorious serial killer. We immediately learn that Archie was captured and tortured by that serial killer. He survived the ordeal and the serial killer was put behind bars. Despite surving, the reader knows that the Killer, Gretchen Lowell, is still exerting some control over Archie. The detail of this are not immediately clear.
Given the high profile nature of the case and Archie's history, Susan Ward, a reporter, is tasked to follow Archie and write a profile on him, his past history, and his current condition. The investigation becomes personal for all parties involved and the storylines coalesce in an exciting and original finish.
The Good
Into the Mind of a Killer and Victim
This story dealt exceptionally well with psychological condition of the characters. As the story progresses, we learn bits and pieces of Archie's experience at the hands of Gretchen Lowell. As this occurs, we get begin to understand his current mental condition while we get a glimpse into the depraved and broken mind of Gretchen Lowell.
Since we are talking about Gretchen, I have to say that she is one of the most interesting characters I have read in recent memory. Although it takes a while for us to be introduced to this character, we glimpse her legacy and personality thorough Archie. When we do meet her, she is everything we hoped for. She is well drawn, well imagined and both charming and frightening, intoxicating and nauseating. I have high hopes for this series and these characters make for exciting counterparts.
No Plot Abandonment
While I was absorbed in the Gretchen and Archie storyline, I was equally interested in the murder mystery which was the parallel storyline. The other characters that moved this story along were interesting and well drawn. The character of Susan Ward, the reporter, was well drawn and interesting. Portions of the story were told from her perspective which made for multiple interesting perspectives to the issues. The subplot, which was the relationship between Archie and Gretchen, was nicely balanced with main plot allowing each to be dealt with and understood.
The Bad
I Don't Believe You
Some of the plots elements were difficult to believe. Multiple times I found myself saying that I couldn't see the character doing that and some of the elements felt contrived. Even the initial set up (a reporter following around the lead investigator while he was searching for a serial killer) was contrived and hard to believe. Additionally, the final reveal of the main plot felt a bit contrived. While some readers will have issue with some plot development, expertly drawn characters trumped any plot issues for me.
Final Thoughts
This is not a perfect novel but it is a very entertaining novel. The flaws were completely overshadowed by my enjoyment of the story and the characters. If the rest of the series is written in such an entertaining way, this will threaten to become a favorite series. *Fingers Crossed*
It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading. *Disclaimer* I do not take note or count the occurrences of adult language as I read. I am simply giving approximations.
Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest
Sex - 2
There were a few sexual elements in the story. One character is actively involved in an affair. There is some sex between them but it is not graphic. There are other sexualized elements but nothing is graphic or explicit.
Language - 3
There is a moderate amount adult language. Moderate usage of mild obscenities and low to moderate use of the f-word.
Violence - 4
Violence is a pervasive theme and some elements are graphic. There are multiple murder and the descriptions of the condition of the bodies is at time explicit. There is extensive use of flashbacks to Archie's capture and it involves elements of torture. This occurs throughout the book and it is graphic at times. The fact is, there is violence or descriptions of violence in most every chapter. If you don't like violence, you won't like this book
A Guilty 5 Stars
I enjoyed Heartsick as much as any thriller I have read in a few years. The main character was damaged and broken but managed to be effective and rational. The counterpoint was the jailed serial killer Gretchen who was pulling on some psychological and mental strings in Archie's mind and soul. I found it to be engaging, entertaining and chilling. That said, there are issues with novel. The "holier than thou" reviewer in me want to give this four stars but the reader inside of me says that I enjoyed this too much to give it less than for stars. The reader inside of me won out, or maybe Gretchen has ahold of me as well......
Plot Outline
When I saw this was a cop and serial killer story, I immediately assumed we were going to have a Silence of the Lambs relationship. Thankfully, that is not the case and in fact, the author takes some time to poke fun at that notion.
In the story, a series of young girls have been murdered. As they appear to be related, Archie Sheridan is called out of a medical leave to lead a taskforce to solve this crime. Archie has previously lead this same task force for 10 years as he sought to catch another notorious serial killer. We immediately learn that Archie was captured and tortured by that serial killer. He survived the ordeal and the serial killer was put behind bars. Despite surving, the reader knows that the Killer, Gretchen Lowell, is still exerting some control over Archie. The detail of this are not immediately clear.
Given the high profile nature of the case and Archie's history, Susan Ward, a reporter, is tasked to follow Archie and write a profile on him, his past history, and his current condition. The investigation becomes personal for all parties involved and the storylines coalesce in an exciting and original finish.
The Good
Into the Mind of a Killer and Victim
This story dealt exceptionally well with psychological condition of the characters. As the story progresses, we learn bits and pieces of Archie's experience at the hands of Gretchen Lowell. As this occurs, we get begin to understand his current mental condition while we get a glimpse into the depraved and broken mind of Gretchen Lowell.
Since we are talking about Gretchen, I have to say that she is one of the most interesting characters I have read in recent memory. Although it takes a while for us to be introduced to this character, we glimpse her legacy and personality thorough Archie. When we do meet her, she is everything we hoped for. She is well drawn, well imagined and both charming and frightening, intoxicating and nauseating. I have high hopes for this series and these characters make for exciting counterparts.
No Plot Abandonment
While I was absorbed in the Gretchen and Archie storyline, I was equally interested in the murder mystery which was the parallel storyline. The other characters that moved this story along were interesting and well drawn. The character of Susan Ward, the reporter, was well drawn and interesting. Portions of the story were told from her perspective which made for multiple interesting perspectives to the issues. The subplot, which was the relationship between Archie and Gretchen, was nicely balanced with main plot allowing each to be dealt with and understood.
The Bad
I Don't Believe You
Some of the plots elements were difficult to believe. Multiple times I found myself saying that I couldn't see the character doing that and some of the elements felt contrived. Even the initial set up (a reporter following around the lead investigator while he was searching for a serial killer) was contrived and hard to believe. Additionally, the final reveal of the main plot felt a bit contrived. While some readers will have issue with some plot development, expertly drawn characters trumped any plot issues for me.
Final Thoughts
This is not a perfect novel but it is a very entertaining novel. The flaws were completely overshadowed by my enjoyment of the story and the characters. If the rest of the series is written in such an entertaining way, this will threaten to become a favorite series. *Fingers Crossed*
It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading. *Disclaimer* I do not take note or count the occurrences of adult language as I read. I am simply giving approximations.
Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest
Sex - 2
There were a few sexual elements in the story. One character is actively involved in an affair. There is some sex between them but it is not graphic. There are other sexualized elements but nothing is graphic or explicit.
Language - 3
There is a moderate amount adult language. Moderate usage of mild obscenities and low to moderate use of the f-word.
Violence - 4
Violence is a pervasive theme and some elements are graphic. There are multiple murder and the descriptions of the condition of the bodies is at time explicit. There is extensive use of flashbacks to Archie's capture and it involves elements of torture. This occurs throughout the book and it is graphic at times. The fact is, there is violence or descriptions of violence in most every chapter. If you don't like violence, you won't like this book
June 3, 2018
This is my second go around with this series and this time I'm reading it in its proper order. I started this series years ago but for some reason or another I never finished it, so I've made it my mission to read the whole series before the end of summer. This is easier said then done because I have a jam packed summer reading list.
The first time I read this series I as I mentioned earlier read it out of order, I actually bought the second book Sweetheart and was halfway through it before it dawned on me that I was reading the second book in a series. So naturally after I finished Sweetheart I went out a bought book one Heartsick and book 3 Evil At Heart and read them too. I don't remember why I never finished reading the series, I know I always intended to but...Life.
Heartsick is my kind of book its very dark and its extremely disturbing. An added bonus is that this book features an evil but brilliant female serial killer. Why aren't there more thrillers featuring female serial killers?
Gretchen Lowell our killer plays a cat and mouse game with Detective Archie Sheridan reminiscent of Hannibal Lector and Will Graham. In Heartsick we find Archie returning to work 2 years after he was kidnapped and tortured for days but Gretchen Lowell, to hunt another serial killer. Archie is not a well man, he is battling a serious addiction to pain pills and severe psychological problems. As he hunts this new killer named "The After School Killer" because he kidnaps 15 year old brunettes as they make their way home from school, he is joined by eager but self conscious reporter Susan Ward who has been assigned to write a puff piece about him.
Heartsick is a "can't put it down" read. Chelsea Cain is an incisive and terrifying writer. This book is fast paced, the characters are compelling even the B-characters. This is a very dark and gory read so if that's not your thing, I'd avoid this one. For everyone else please add this to your TBR you won't be sorry.
Around The Year In 52 Books: A book with a body part in the title..Hooked On Books & YA Bookaholics Read-A-Thons
The first time I read this series I as I mentioned earlier read it out of order, I actually bought the second book Sweetheart and was halfway through it before it dawned on me that I was reading the second book in a series. So naturally after I finished Sweetheart I went out a bought book one Heartsick and book 3 Evil At Heart and read them too. I don't remember why I never finished reading the series, I know I always intended to but...Life.
Heartsick is my kind of book its very dark and its extremely disturbing. An added bonus is that this book features an evil but brilliant female serial killer. Why aren't there more thrillers featuring female serial killers?
Gretchen Lowell our killer plays a cat and mouse game with Detective Archie Sheridan reminiscent of Hannibal Lector and Will Graham. In Heartsick we find Archie returning to work 2 years after he was kidnapped and tortured for days but Gretchen Lowell, to hunt another serial killer. Archie is not a well man, he is battling a serious addiction to pain pills and severe psychological problems. As he hunts this new killer named "The After School Killer" because he kidnaps 15 year old brunettes as they make their way home from school, he is joined by eager but self conscious reporter Susan Ward who has been assigned to write a puff piece about him.
Heartsick is a "can't put it down" read. Chelsea Cain is an incisive and terrifying writer. This book is fast paced, the characters are compelling even the B-characters. This is a very dark and gory read so if that's not your thing, I'd avoid this one. For everyone else please add this to your TBR you won't be sorry.
Around The Year In 52 Books: A book with a body part in the title..Hooked On Books & YA Bookaholics Read-A-Thons
July 24, 2014
*****3.5 " BITCH IS CRAY-CRAY" STARS****
"I want them to know that I'm hurting you.
I want them to know that and not be able to find you.
And then I want to kill you."
Gretchen,
...I fucking loved your serial killer ass. Okay, why am I talking to a fictional character?... Whatever !.. Gretchen is psychotic......Psychotically entertaining. UNFORTUNATELY there wasn't enough of Gretchen in the story.. Wait, I'm lying. There are a lot of fucked up memories regarding her wrong doing---> THANK YOU Archie, but I wanted more. Had the story solely been about Gretchen and Archie's 10 days of fantastic torture, this would be 5 stars...EASILY. I found myself not giving a rats ass about the current killing spree... DON'T JUDGE me, Gretchen is that fucking badass..
" You'll still dream about me.
You won't be able to touch another woman
without thinking of me.
You'll think about me tonight, won't you?
When you're all alone in the dark.
Your cock in your hand"
Okay,
....Whatever, Gretchen is the Bombloondizzle.
If you're in the mood to read about a woman that can give Hannibal Lecter a run for his money, your quest ends here.
"I want them to know that I'm hurting you.
I want them to know that and not be able to find you.
And then I want to kill you."
Gretchen,
...I fucking loved your serial killer ass. Okay, why am I talking to a fictional character?... Whatever !.. Gretchen is psychotic......Psychotically entertaining. UNFORTUNATELY there wasn't enough of Gretchen in the story.. Wait, I'm lying. There are a lot of fucked up memories regarding her wrong doing---> THANK YOU Archie, but I wanted more. Had the story solely been about Gretchen and Archie's 10 days of fantastic torture, this would be 5 stars...EASILY. I found myself not giving a rats ass about the current killing spree... DON'T JUDGE me, Gretchen is that fucking badass..
" You'll still dream about me.
You won't be able to touch another woman
without thinking of me.
You'll think about me tonight, won't you?
When you're all alone in the dark.
Your cock in your hand"
Okay,
....Whatever, Gretchen is the Bombloondizzle.
If you're in the mood to read about a woman that can give Hannibal Lecter a run for his money, your quest ends here.
March 4, 2010
Serial killer thrillers are a dime a dozen anymore, but this one added just enough of a twist to make it halfway interesting. It will also make you cringe slightly whenever you have to handle a bottle of drain cleaner for a while after reading.
The main mystery is pretty conventional with a quirky female reporter getting pulled into a police investigation. If that's all there was too it, then it wouldn't be worth reading.
However, the more interesting portion revolves around the relationship between a female serial killer, Gretchen Lowell, and the detective, Archie Sheridan, that she tortured before being captured. The author reportedly got tips on writing violence from Chuck Palanhuik, the author of Fight Club, and that may explain why the gore in the torture flashbacks seems more horrific than the rest of the book.
To the author's credit, she avoids turning this into a Silence of the Lambs type of story, and the mystery of what happened while Archie was Gretchen's captive is what will keep you turning the pages rather than the weaker main story.
The main mystery is pretty conventional with a quirky female reporter getting pulled into a police investigation. If that's all there was too it, then it wouldn't be worth reading.
However, the more interesting portion revolves around the relationship between a female serial killer, Gretchen Lowell, and the detective, Archie Sheridan, that she tortured before being captured. The author reportedly got tips on writing violence from Chuck Palanhuik, the author of Fight Club, and that may explain why the gore in the torture flashbacks seems more horrific than the rest of the book.
To the author's credit, she avoids turning this into a Silence of the Lambs type of story, and the mystery of what happened while Archie was Gretchen's captive is what will keep you turning the pages rather than the weaker main story.
February 18, 2021
Wow! This book was an awesome read!
A small backstory:
Detective Archie Sheridan has his own personal demons to contend with as he tries to solve a case of young women disappearing and being murdered. While he is on the hunt for the killer, he has to relive another case he worked on that included a psycho serial killer, Gretchen Lowell who is now in prison.
That case took a lot out of him as he spent a few years on it trying to catch Gretchen and he also had to endure some torture, not only physically, but emotionally and mentally along the way. He is still enduring the emotional and mental state as he still is wrapped up with Gretchen. He can't seem to break free from her as he still takes the time to go see her in prison, which makes the book more intriguing as it gives the book more depth of just what Archie went through as he hunted her down.
A reporter, Susan, wants to do a feature article on Archie and what he went through to capture Gretchen, so she kind of tags along with him while he tries to solve the murder case of the young women. What they both experience as they try to work their way closer to the killer is something that will tests their inner resolves to see the job done. They both have to come to grips with their own demons from the past to get through to the closing chapter of their present lives.
Thoughts:
There are many twists and turns along the way throughout the whole book. Very gripping, suspenseful, and in some parts of the book twisted! Also there are a few characters to get attached to in this book and the book moves along at a great pace along with an opening bang in the first chapter.
A small warning for readers: There is some torture and gore in this book, so if you cannot handle it then this book might not be for you, but for those of you that like those kind of books, then by all means pick this one up as you will not be disappointed! Five "gripping" stars!
A small backstory:
Detective Archie Sheridan has his own personal demons to contend with as he tries to solve a case of young women disappearing and being murdered. While he is on the hunt for the killer, he has to relive another case he worked on that included a psycho serial killer, Gretchen Lowell who is now in prison.
That case took a lot out of him as he spent a few years on it trying to catch Gretchen and he also had to endure some torture, not only physically, but emotionally and mentally along the way. He is still enduring the emotional and mental state as he still is wrapped up with Gretchen. He can't seem to break free from her as he still takes the time to go see her in prison, which makes the book more intriguing as it gives the book more depth of just what Archie went through as he hunted her down.
A reporter, Susan, wants to do a feature article on Archie and what he went through to capture Gretchen, so she kind of tags along with him while he tries to solve the murder case of the young women. What they both experience as they try to work their way closer to the killer is something that will tests their inner resolves to see the job done. They both have to come to grips with their own demons from the past to get through to the closing chapter of their present lives.
Thoughts:
There are many twists and turns along the way throughout the whole book. Very gripping, suspenseful, and in some parts of the book twisted! Also there are a few characters to get attached to in this book and the book moves along at a great pace along with an opening bang in the first chapter.
A small warning for readers: There is some torture and gore in this book, so if you cannot handle it then this book might not be for you, but for those of you that like those kind of books, then by all means pick this one up as you will not be disappointed! Five "gripping" stars!
November 10, 2016
A doctor who is a serial killer kidnaps a detective who is working on the very case to catch her, the serial killer. He has been getting her help as a consultant on the case for months. The man who walked into her trap will never be the same man ever again.
A great but gruesome story that goes back and forth in time until it all comes together at the end. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
A great but gruesome story that goes back and forth in time until it all comes together at the end. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
July 2, 2016
I'm not a big reader of books in the crime genre, but I was in the mood for this sort of thing after bingeing my way through the last few seasons of Dexter on Netflix. Heartsick had one of those gripping and exciting sounding blurbs. The story never quite matched the promise of the blurb, but I did find the plot engaging and the characters the right mix of likeable and intriguing.
The main focus of this story was on two characters, though we did get multiple scenes from lesser characters along the way. Archie Sheridan led the Beauty Killer task force for over ten years before they finally caught the killer. Only it was not so simple as that as the killer, Gretchen Lowell, actually caught Archie and tortured him for 10 days before turning herself into the police. Archie survived the ordeal, but was left badly damaged by it. He has spent the last two years on medical leave and has an addiction to his pain pills. Worse still he still has to deal with Gretchen as she has spent the time feeding the police more names and locations of her victims, and she will speak to no one but Archie. Archie is convinced to return to lead another task force when a new serial killer starts leaving a trail of bodies in Portland. Susan Ward is a young and hungry newspaper reporter who catches a break when she is given the task of writing a feature report on Archie and his return to active duty.
The story was engaging enough. There was plenty going on to keep the attention of the reader between the investigation into the current killings, the flashbacks to Archie's time as a victim of Gretchen's, and with Susan's own story.
All in all this was an entertaining story and I'll definitely be reading the sequel.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: Carolyn McCormick did an excellent job with the audio narration.
The main focus of this story was on two characters, though we did get multiple scenes from lesser characters along the way. Archie Sheridan led the Beauty Killer task force for over ten years before they finally caught the killer. Only it was not so simple as that as the killer, Gretchen Lowell, actually caught Archie and tortured him for 10 days before turning herself into the police. Archie survived the ordeal, but was left badly damaged by it. He has spent the last two years on medical leave and has an addiction to his pain pills. Worse still he still has to deal with Gretchen as she has spent the time feeding the police more names and locations of her victims, and she will speak to no one but Archie. Archie is convinced to return to lead another task force when a new serial killer starts leaving a trail of bodies in Portland. Susan Ward is a young and hungry newspaper reporter who catches a break when she is given the task of writing a feature report on Archie and his return to active duty.
The story was engaging enough. There was plenty going on to keep the attention of the reader between the investigation into the current killings, the flashbacks to Archie's time as a victim of Gretchen's, and with Susan's own story.
All in all this was an entertaining story and I'll definitely be reading the sequel.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: Carolyn McCormick did an excellent job with the audio narration.
October 27, 2016
Excellent story and writing, reading the whole series and loving it.
August 26, 2011
Heartsick accomplishes something that no novel to come before it has: it literally lowers the bar as to the depths publishers will sink to to publish horrible material. It is actually that bad.
While other novels before it have been guilty of wandering aimlessly (Tommyknockers) or being offensive (Darkly Dreaming Dexter), Heartsick is horrible on a far greater level: it is thinly veiled plagiarism.
Cain has managed to almost directly rip off the plot to the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris. I'll give you an example: in the first Hannibal book (Red Dragon), Hannibal is already in jail. He had been acting as a profiling consultant alongside Will Graham, when he had in fact been the killer all along. Graham catches Lecter, but is severely injured in the process. Having retired after the incident, Graham is called back into duty to catch a new serial killer with Lecter's help, as Lecter feels he has a special connection to Graham.
Here's the plot to Heartsick: the killer is already in jail, as they'd been helping the detective on her own case as a medical consultant. The detective caught the killer but was severely injured in the process and was forced into retirement. He is called back into active duty to catch a new serial killer and enlists the killers help, as she feels she has a special relationship with the detective.
I'm not kidding, it's that blatant. All Cain changed was the gender.
Other changes are suprivilous or different forms of plagiarism. For example: the detective is addicted to vicodin as a result of his injury. This has potential, except that it's blatantly ripped off of House.
Anouther change is the sexual relationship between killer and detective, which is ripped off of the NEXT Harris book, Silence of the Lambs. This is a particular point of contention, as it rips off the basic idea but had none of the style and finesse that Harris has. I mean, I had no idea you could walk into a maximum security prison at midnight and get molested by an imprisoned serial killer. Who knew?
Oh, and killer has purple hair. I'm sure Cain threw that if to titillate fanboys who will never be laid.
It's Red Dragon. Just go read Red Dragon. Don't read this. Ever. If a friend recommends this to you, ignore them. It's like someone took the plot to Red Dragon, scene for scene, and gave it to the stupidest person on the planet with the directive to ruin it, scene for scene. The only new elements it adds detract from the story. I'm dumber for having read this.
The sequels to this are also ripoffs of the sequels to Red Dragon.
What's worse is an author I used to respect, Chuck Palinuk (Fight Club) praised it as being "the most original serial killer since Hannibal Lecter"... I have to wonder if he was being tongue in cheek with that.
It's horrible. Don't read it. I wish I had a grade lower than 1. 1/5.
While other novels before it have been guilty of wandering aimlessly (Tommyknockers) or being offensive (Darkly Dreaming Dexter), Heartsick is horrible on a far greater level: it is thinly veiled plagiarism.
Cain has managed to almost directly rip off the plot to the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris. I'll give you an example: in the first Hannibal book (Red Dragon), Hannibal is already in jail. He had been acting as a profiling consultant alongside Will Graham, when he had in fact been the killer all along. Graham catches Lecter, but is severely injured in the process. Having retired after the incident, Graham is called back into duty to catch a new serial killer with Lecter's help, as Lecter feels he has a special connection to Graham.
Here's the plot to Heartsick: the killer is already in jail, as they'd been helping the detective on her own case as a medical consultant. The detective caught the killer but was severely injured in the process and was forced into retirement. He is called back into active duty to catch a new serial killer and enlists the killers help, as she feels she has a special relationship with the detective.
I'm not kidding, it's that blatant. All Cain changed was the gender.
Other changes are suprivilous or different forms of plagiarism. For example: the detective is addicted to vicodin as a result of his injury. This has potential, except that it's blatantly ripped off of House.
Anouther change is the sexual relationship between killer and detective, which is ripped off of the NEXT Harris book, Silence of the Lambs. This is a particular point of contention, as it rips off the basic idea but had none of the style and finesse that Harris has. I mean, I had no idea you could walk into a maximum security prison at midnight and get molested by an imprisoned serial killer. Who knew?
Oh, and killer has purple hair. I'm sure Cain threw that if to titillate fanboys who will never be laid.
It's Red Dragon. Just go read Red Dragon. Don't read this. Ever. If a friend recommends this to you, ignore them. It's like someone took the plot to Red Dragon, scene for scene, and gave it to the stupidest person on the planet with the directive to ruin it, scene for scene. The only new elements it adds detract from the story. I'm dumber for having read this.
The sequels to this are also ripoffs of the sequels to Red Dragon.
What's worse is an author I used to respect, Chuck Palinuk (Fight Club) praised it as being "the most original serial killer since Hannibal Lecter"... I have to wonder if he was being tongue in cheek with that.
It's horrible. Don't read it. I wish I had a grade lower than 1. 1/5.
February 12, 2018
I find it difficult to rate this one. It was like two books in one. The backstory of Detective Archie Sheridan and his "relationship" with Gretchen Lowell, the most gorgeous, intelligent and downright evil serial you'll ever come across was incredibly compelling. But the actual mystery, the case Archie is currently working on in the book, I found extremely weak and obvious. From the moment they were introduced, there was no question in my mind who the killer was. I really laboured through those chapters, and I only did so because I wanted more of Gretchen.
I will be checking out the next in the series in hopes that the mystery is stronger and am really looking forward to seeing where the Archie/Gretchen storyline goes from here, but my expectations have most definitely been lowered.
3.5/5 Stars
I will be checking out the next in the series in hopes that the mystery is stronger and am really looking forward to seeing where the Archie/Gretchen storyline goes from here, but my expectations have most definitely been lowered.
3.5/5 Stars
September 14, 2019
Archie Sheridan is a police detective, and he is a broken man.
He spent 10 years hunting a serial killer only to be caught by her and tortured almost to death. He has recovered to some degree, but is addicted to Vicodin and his wife has left him. He's tapped to head a new task force to catch a new killer, one who is preying on young girls. 3 bodies have been found so far, and the killer has just abducted girl number 4.
Archie has a bizarre connection (that borders on obsession) with Gretchen, the serial killer who caught him. After bringing him to the brink of death she called 911 and performed CPR on him until the police and paramedics arrived. She was convicted and is in prison, where he visits her weekly—this is the deal she worked out: she will continue to give information on where she's hidden bodies of people that she's killed so long as Archie keeps visiting her. The book alternates between present time and the current crime, and Archie's ordeal with Gretchen. This relationship with his captor is creepy and weird, and is a unique hook that sets this book apart. In addition, Gretchen is able to aid him in his current investigation...in order to find the new killer he has to continue to visit her and it seems he will never be free.
This book was compelling with a unique premise and lots of twists—very exciting and hard to put down. I just found out it's book one of a series, so I'm thrilled and I'm ordering all the other books!
He spent 10 years hunting a serial killer only to be caught by her and tortured almost to death. He has recovered to some degree, but is addicted to Vicodin and his wife has left him. He's tapped to head a new task force to catch a new killer, one who is preying on young girls. 3 bodies have been found so far, and the killer has just abducted girl number 4.
Archie has a bizarre connection (that borders on obsession) with Gretchen, the serial killer who caught him. After bringing him to the brink of death she called 911 and performed CPR on him until the police and paramedics arrived. She was convicted and is in prison, where he visits her weekly—this is the deal she worked out: she will continue to give information on where she's hidden bodies of people that she's killed so long as Archie keeps visiting her. The book alternates between present time and the current crime, and Archie's ordeal with Gretchen. This relationship with his captor is creepy and weird, and is a unique hook that sets this book apart. In addition, Gretchen is able to aid him in his current investigation...in order to find the new killer he has to continue to visit her and it seems he will never be free.
This book was compelling with a unique premise and lots of twists—very exciting and hard to put down. I just found out it's book one of a series, so I'm thrilled and I'm ordering all the other books!
June 4, 2022
Oooohh... this was good. Salacious, twisted and dark, dark, dark.
Heartsick is another serial killer/cop procedural, but there are interesting differences. The serial killer is 1) a gorgeous woman who a year ago 2) trapped the lead cop on her case. 3) She held him captive for 10 long days of torture while simultaneously addicting him to painkillers. Her intention was to kill him, but 4) she had a change of heart once he went into cardiac arrest. She called the paramedics, an act of mercy that got her arrested.
Fast forward to the present. The above-mentioned cop is Archie Sheridan, a former hot shot on the fast track before the above-mentioned maniac, Gretchen Lowell, damaged him beyond repair, physically and mentally. Unfortunately, Portland is going through another bout of murders and the PD desperately needs Detective Sheridan's special talents. His doctor doesn't think he's ready; his shrink doesn't think he's ready; his family and friends would say he wasn't ready except he alienated them all. He returns anyway to try and catch the latest killer.
Oh, there's one more thing. He visits Gretchen at prison every Sunday, rain or shine. Sometimes she reveals one of her victim's locations, and at other times a certain tension develops in the room. Hmm...
This book ticked all the crime thriller boxes: fast pace, interesting characters, lots of action and gore, and more than a touch of the tawdry. Delish - and it's only book #1 of 6 in the series!
Heartsick is another serial killer/cop procedural, but there are interesting differences. The serial killer is 1) a gorgeous woman who a year ago 2) trapped the lead cop on her case. 3) She held him captive for 10 long days of torture while simultaneously addicting him to painkillers. Her intention was to kill him, but 4) she had a change of heart once he went into cardiac arrest. She called the paramedics, an act of mercy that got her arrested.
Fast forward to the present. The above-mentioned cop is Archie Sheridan, a former hot shot on the fast track before the above-mentioned maniac, Gretchen Lowell, damaged him beyond repair, physically and mentally. Unfortunately, Portland is going through another bout of murders and the PD desperately needs Detective Sheridan's special talents. His doctor doesn't think he's ready; his shrink doesn't think he's ready; his family and friends would say he wasn't ready except he alienated them all. He returns anyway to try and catch the latest killer.
Oh, there's one more thing. He visits Gretchen at prison every Sunday, rain or shine. Sometimes she reveals one of her victim's locations, and at other times a certain tension develops in the room. Hmm...
This book ticked all the crime thriller boxes: fast pace, interesting characters, lots of action and gore, and more than a touch of the tawdry. Delish - and it's only book #1 of 6 in the series!
August 24, 2017
Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE a good serial killer thriller novel. That's why this book made it onto my "favorite series firsts" shelf - it was freaking amazing!
The characters, the build-up, the tension (sexual and otherwise) was intense. I loved every second of this book.
Not to mention that the serial killer is bat-nuts cuckoo and vicious! Even as I review this I'm torn between wanting to read this one again or moving on to the next book in the series, Sweetheart.
The characters, the build-up, the tension (sexual and otherwise) was intense. I loved every second of this book.
Not to mention that the serial killer is bat-nuts cuckoo and vicious! Even as I review this I'm torn between wanting to read this one again or moving on to the next book in the series, Sweetheart.
June 16, 2017
This was a long-time-later reread for me and since i'd forgotten most of the pertinent points, still managed to surprise. The main plot leaves something to be desired, there's nothing particularly special about it, but the relationship between Archie and his murderer/saviour Gretchen Lowell is both novel and intriguing. That blend of fear and desire, that closeness, was well written enough to make the reader feel genuinely uncomfortable, a real counterbalance to a rape/murder plot that ticks all the cliche boxes.
It's probably more like a 3.5 but I rounded up because even 10 years after it's publication, I still haven't read anything like Cain's disturbing killer/cop match up.
It's probably more like a 3.5 but I rounded up because even 10 years after it's publication, I still haven't read anything like Cain's disturbing killer/cop match up.
September 11, 2016
FANTASTIC CRAZY BOOK!!!
July 8, 2020
OMG!!! I loved this book. I can't wait to get the second book.
September 30, 2016
Talk about a psychological thriller! Wow! Archie Sheridan was a detective who was happily married and daddy to a little boy and little girl. He spent a decade trying to find and capture the Beauty Killer who killed 200 people. What a shock he got when instead of a man it turned out to be a gorgeous woman named Gretchen Lowell, a sociopath who manipulated Archie into thinking she could help him solve the murders only to capture him and torture him to death only to revive him. She's in prison now and he is hooked on pills, lost his marriage and sees Gretchen every Sunday in prison. This is how this book begins!
Now Archie and his task force have a new task- find out who is killing brunette high school sophomores at the 3 local high schools. Is it one of Gretchen's minions? A teacher? A student? A parent? A cop? This is a very unique book, very different characters than you've seen before, an unusual story, plenty of emotion and drama and police work. This time the task force is working with a writer Susan Ward who is doing articles on Archie. Susan has some dangerous secrets of her own and Gretchen has a secret reason to want to meet her.
This book will pull you in and not let you go.
Now Archie and his task force have a new task- find out who is killing brunette high school sophomores at the 3 local high schools. Is it one of Gretchen's minions? A teacher? A student? A parent? A cop? This is a very unique book, very different characters than you've seen before, an unusual story, plenty of emotion and drama and police work. This time the task force is working with a writer Susan Ward who is doing articles on Archie. Susan has some dangerous secrets of her own and Gretchen has a secret reason to want to meet her.
This book will pull you in and not let you go.
September 1, 2012
I read thsi book for research on a book that I am writing... and this realy just blew me away!
I mean goodness this is just so great!! Loved it!
It did take time to get into the book...more like five chapters...but holy wow wow. . .once I got in it just blew my mind and captivated me!
I really enjoyed the concept of both serial killers...the twist..the romane...the character development was outstanding.
I'm purchasing the next book right now.
I mean goodness this is just so great!! Loved it!
It did take time to get into the book...more like five chapters...but holy wow wow. . .once I got in it just blew my mind and captivated me!
I really enjoyed the concept of both serial killers...the twist..the romane...the character development was outstanding.
I'm purchasing the next book right now.
January 21, 2016
This was right up my alley. Loved the complex relationship between Archie, a pill-popping, damaged cop, and his former tormentor Gretchen, the beautiful serial killer who let him live at the expense of her freedom.
The sick and twisted chemistry between these two flawed characters is well done and what makes this so special. It takes Stockholm Syndrome to a whole new level (a deeply disturbing one). Susan's character was also intriguing, though her story takes a back seat to Archie's. In fact, I thought all the characters were multi-layered and interesting, which is what earned this a fifth star. I was left wanting more and can't wait to read the next book.
The sick and twisted chemistry between these two flawed characters is well done and what makes this so special. It takes Stockholm Syndrome to a whole new level (a deeply disturbing one). Susan's character was also intriguing, though her story takes a back seat to Archie's. In fact, I thought all the characters were multi-layered and interesting, which is what earned this a fifth star. I was left wanting more and can't wait to read the next book.
December 3, 2018
3 and a half, junk food reading stars.
What better book to read as the world explodes in Valentine’s Day stuff than a police procedural about a sexy female murderer who likes to carve hearts in her victims’ chests with a box cutter? I don’t read a lot of thrillers (they are usually not weird enough for my taste), but this book caught my eye at the used bookstore because I couldn’t remember ever having read a story about a female serial killer before.
Archie Sheridan was kidnapped and tortured by Gretchen Lowell, a serial killer he had been chasing for the better part of ten years. But instead of killing him, she turned herself in – albeit, after torturing him for days. Now Archie is damaged and obsessed: why did she let him go? Unable to stop thinking about Gretchen and the horrible things she did to him, he lost his family and is now severely addicted to pain killers. Starved for closure, he goes back to work on a task force investigating a new series of brutal killings, hoping that he can find some sort of peace by catching another murderer. A spunky journalist is tasked with writing a profile on Archie, and becomes entangled in the complicated and dangerous game of cat and mouse.
There is a lovely little wink to “Silence of the Lambs” in this book, with the relationship of attraction/repulsion between a murderer and the investigator, but I was afraid it would go down a cheesy or predictable road. And some of it does get a bit predictable, by way of a far-fetched coincidence, but it’s still a lot of twisted fun.
The relationship between Archie and Gretchen, and the strange hold she has on him, is what really drives the book forward; the current investigation seemed less interesting to me than the flashbacks to Archie’s captivity, and I would have really liked some more of those! In fact, more character development of Archie and Gretchen would have brought this book from good to awesome, but alas… Nevertheless, it is very well written, almost cinematic, and it’s easy to get attached to all the characters, even when they are being spectacularly dumb. It’s also perfectly paced to keep you glued to the page so you end up missing your metro stop.
A very entertaining little thriller I am very happy I picked up! I hope my used books haunt has the rest of the series!
What better book to read as the world explodes in Valentine’s Day stuff than a police procedural about a sexy female murderer who likes to carve hearts in her victims’ chests with a box cutter? I don’t read a lot of thrillers (they are usually not weird enough for my taste), but this book caught my eye at the used bookstore because I couldn’t remember ever having read a story about a female serial killer before.
Archie Sheridan was kidnapped and tortured by Gretchen Lowell, a serial killer he had been chasing for the better part of ten years. But instead of killing him, she turned herself in – albeit, after torturing him for days. Now Archie is damaged and obsessed: why did she let him go? Unable to stop thinking about Gretchen and the horrible things she did to him, he lost his family and is now severely addicted to pain killers. Starved for closure, he goes back to work on a task force investigating a new series of brutal killings, hoping that he can find some sort of peace by catching another murderer. A spunky journalist is tasked with writing a profile on Archie, and becomes entangled in the complicated and dangerous game of cat and mouse.
There is a lovely little wink to “Silence of the Lambs” in this book, with the relationship of attraction/repulsion between a murderer and the investigator, but I was afraid it would go down a cheesy or predictable road. And some of it does get a bit predictable, by way of a far-fetched coincidence, but it’s still a lot of twisted fun.
The relationship between Archie and Gretchen, and the strange hold she has on him, is what really drives the book forward; the current investigation seemed less interesting to me than the flashbacks to Archie’s captivity, and I would have really liked some more of those! In fact, more character development of Archie and Gretchen would have brought this book from good to awesome, but alas… Nevertheless, it is very well written, almost cinematic, and it’s easy to get attached to all the characters, even when they are being spectacularly dumb. It’s also perfectly paced to keep you glued to the page so you end up missing your metro stop.
A very entertaining little thriller I am very happy I picked up! I hope my used books haunt has the rest of the series!
October 31, 2007
I’ve seen reviews of this novel ranging from calling it "the thriller of the year" to "not a very suspenseful read". For me, both seemed to paradoxically be true. At it’s core, it is a decent psychological thriller centering around Detective Archie Sheridan who was captured by a female serial killer, and is forced back onto the job two years afterwards to catch another serial killer. Cain does not follow a strict chronological sequence in her storytelling, and there are two major stories at play here: 1) Sheridan’s experiences and thoughts while in captivity of a serial killer and 2) his struggle to find another serial killer two years later while operating in a majorly dysfunctional manner as a result of his torture and eventual release while in captivity. Cain intersperses scenes from the first story into the second (main) story throughout the novel, and she switches back and forth whenever Sheridan experiences a heightened level of stress or turmoil during his search for the current serial killer.
If that is not enough, Cain sets the story in Portland during the late winter/early spring time period. This is something that I’m sure was more than intentional as she not so subtly alters the weather to reflect what Sheridan is thinking and how is feeling during the investigation and his subsequent flashbacks. While it seems like this could be an all too obvious scene tactic, it actually does not backfire on Cain and works very well throughout the novel.
While the plot was certainly one of the more original ones I’ve seen in a while, I figured out the ending about two thirds of the way through it (i.e. who the killer was and how each main character fit into the "big picture"), but that could just be a product of my line of thinking and/or current studies. ;) I finished the novel in a hurry once I thought I had it figured out to see whether I was correct in my predictions hoping that I had been led astray and there was actually a big surprise in store for me at the end. There wasn’t, and while that did detract from my overall impressions of the story, I can still recognize the decent effort Cain made to prevent people like myself from accurately predicting the ending.
If that is not enough, Cain sets the story in Portland during the late winter/early spring time period. This is something that I’m sure was more than intentional as she not so subtly alters the weather to reflect what Sheridan is thinking and how is feeling during the investigation and his subsequent flashbacks. While it seems like this could be an all too obvious scene tactic, it actually does not backfire on Cain and works very well throughout the novel.
While the plot was certainly one of the more original ones I’ve seen in a while, I figured out the ending about two thirds of the way through it (i.e. who the killer was and how each main character fit into the "big picture"), but that could just be a product of my line of thinking and/or current studies. ;) I finished the novel in a hurry once I thought I had it figured out to see whether I was correct in my predictions hoping that I had been led astray and there was actually a big surprise in store for me at the end. There wasn’t, and while that did detract from my overall impressions of the story, I can still recognize the decent effort Cain made to prevent people like myself from accurately predicting the ending.
March 23, 2017
this book is my kind of BOOK. I love the characters, i love how twisted the stories on it. I just hate the way the story written. It was pretty slow for me, and i need more about Gretchen Lowell. Well, i hope they explores her on the next book, which is already on my kindle.
August 8, 2018
Love this series
October 10, 2016
“Whatever you think this is going to be like," she whispers, "it's going to be worse.”
This surprised me alittle due to the fact on the front cover it states 'Up there in the same league as Silence of the Lambs' The main story was a little boring/slow at times, but the relationship between serial killer Gretchen Lowell and detective Archie Sheridan was interesting enough to keep me reading. This is read in different perspectives, generally Archie or Susans with a few chapters to separate the two- this is little confusing at first but you get used to it as you read along.
The violence in this novel is pretty full on and down right torture to an extreme, i couldn't help but cringe, especially when it came to the drain cleaner scenes. This book will definitely come to mind next time i have to pick up this product and use it; not in a good way.
Detective Archie Sheridan was the lead investigator in the Beauty Killer Task Force who was captured and tortured to the brink of death by Gretchen Lowell, a psychopathic serial killer, before she was captured and sent to life in prison, barely escaping the death sentence.
Archie's life changed forever, divorced from his wife, barely seeing his kids and now addicted to abusing prescription medication. Not to mention his weekly visits with said serial killer, in return gaining knowledge of more hidden/unknown victims, and their final resting places.
When a serial killer starts brutally raping and murdering teenage high school girls, all of the same description Archie and the Beauty Killer Task Force are back to bring the culprit to justice.
Reporter Susan Ward, must follow Archie around for a 4 part news exclusive on the hero detective. Her eyes opened to a totally different world, a world of bodies and death, all in hopes to uncover the truth and secrets behind Archie and the trauma he faced when in he was in the hands of Gretchen Lowell; Trauma he still faces every single day.
“I wanted you to understand right away how committed I am to you...That you are the only one”
I think the most interesting parts of this book was the torture/relationship between Archie and Gretchen, first chapter, BANG! We are in the middle of the torture and the games, then are thrown back to the present Archie. I couldn't wait to read more about what made Archie turn away from the life he had, what Gretchens sick mind had done to him and why he still remained attached to her at all. This was probably the most brutal, in your face, made you feel sick torture i've read in a while, but i just couldn't put it down until i understood why it was the way it was. WHAT IS HE THINKING? kept running through my mind when it came to Archie.
Archie's drug use makes us question his ability to do his job throughout, his attraction to Gretchen personally made me uncomfortable, but i understood having read all the way through what this novel is really about besides a current serial killer and a detective's obsession with another who is still playing games with him.
“Our relationship is complicated by the fact that I am emotionally retarded.”
I liked and hated Susan, the reporter at the same time. With her pink bubblegum hair , her intent for the truth and her determination, i liked her. The sleeping around with married men and her stupid decisions at times, i hated her.
I understand after reading this novel why her character was the way she was, but i dont have to like it or respect it. It is not okay to sleep around with someone who is married, no matter what your reasoning behind it is. Do not drag someone else down with you. No i dont blame just her, but the men she sleeps with as well, they had a choice after all, and are the ones who are married. So fair to say i didn't like these characters either, and they had no excuses at the end of the day.
If it wasn't for the Archie/Gretchen/Susan sub-storyline in this book i probably wouldn't have stuck with it based on the fact the main story like is a little flat, and nothing really new/special for me. 'Same league as Silence of the Lambs' I think is solely based on the violence and the psychopathic parts of the story, not the story as a whole.
The ending of the main plot was a little surprising, but a little like really? No One worked this out? not a single person, are you kidding me?.. It just didn't do it for me.
The Archie/Gretchen ending did though, i was like HOLY SHIT! So i am curious to see where Archie goes, and what happens from there on with him and this psycho killer.
Recommend to anyone liking: Mystery/ Thriller/ Adult Fiction/ Suspense
December 5, 2008
A deadly nightmare you can only pray to wake up from…
Archie Sheridan is a detective with the Portland PD. During his rookie year as a detective, eleven years ago, he’d joined the task force that had been set up to capture the serial killer known as The Beauty Killer. For years, they tried to capture the killer, who evaded them, until a beautiful woman came into the picture. She approached the task force, introduced herself as a psychologist, and baited Archie until she kidnapped him, and tortured him. She kills Archie, but, unlike her previous victims, she brought him back, dialed 9-1-1 and turned herself in. And yet, she’s not done torturing Archie, and he knows it.
Two years later, divorced from his wife, refusing to see his kids and addicted to prescription drugs, Archie is asked to head a new task force for a new serial killer, one who kidnaps teenage girls, strangles them, rapes them, douses them with bleach and dumps them in the river. With barely any clues or leads, they are on the hunt for the After School Strangler.
Meanwhile, Susan Ward, feature writer for the Herald, is assigned to follow Archie and write a feature about him. Dogging his heels, Susan sees things most reporters wouldn’t unless they were to stumble upon a body themselves. For Susan, the After School Strangler hits close to home, for, years before, she’d actually gone to one of the murdered teenagers.
And all the while, hunting for a new serial killer, Archie continues his visits with Gretchen in prison every Sunday. The reason? Supposedly because she will give up a body of one of her victims; name and location of burial, but it has to be Archie. Does he go simply for closer to her victims families, or is there something more? Will they catch the After School Strangler before the fourth victim is found dead?
Incredible novel! Throughout the book, we visit Archie’s past, during the time when Gretchen tortures him. The torture is described as such that the reader feels it, and it’s gut-wrenching! She not only does a number on his body, but fractures his mind as well. Gretchen is such the narcissistic psychopath that just listening to the way she talks gives you the shivers while your stomach jumps in revulsion. Archie is very much now a broken person in mind as well as body, for her marks may heal, but they scar, both ways.
Susan, the reporter, is as screwed up as Archie, in a totally different manner. Having lost her father at 15, she rebelled, and hasn’t been the same since.
And while this new serial killer is nowhere as bad as Gretchen, the killer is just as screwed up in the head as she is.
There may not be much action in this novel except at the end, it’s the mind games and past torture that really grip you. You continue reading, as fascinated as you are repulsed, and even though you close the book, thinking there’s no way you can continue reading it, you’ll pick it right back up, wondering what else Gretchen does to Archie, wondering who the new serial killer is. I sooooo can’t wait to get my hands on Sweetheart, book #2 in the series.
Archie Sheridan is a detective with the Portland PD. During his rookie year as a detective, eleven years ago, he’d joined the task force that had been set up to capture the serial killer known as The Beauty Killer. For years, they tried to capture the killer, who evaded them, until a beautiful woman came into the picture. She approached the task force, introduced herself as a psychologist, and baited Archie until she kidnapped him, and tortured him. She kills Archie, but, unlike her previous victims, she brought him back, dialed 9-1-1 and turned herself in. And yet, she’s not done torturing Archie, and he knows it.
Two years later, divorced from his wife, refusing to see his kids and addicted to prescription drugs, Archie is asked to head a new task force for a new serial killer, one who kidnaps teenage girls, strangles them, rapes them, douses them with bleach and dumps them in the river. With barely any clues or leads, they are on the hunt for the After School Strangler.
Meanwhile, Susan Ward, feature writer for the Herald, is assigned to follow Archie and write a feature about him. Dogging his heels, Susan sees things most reporters wouldn’t unless they were to stumble upon a body themselves. For Susan, the After School Strangler hits close to home, for, years before, she’d actually gone to one of the murdered teenagers.
And all the while, hunting for a new serial killer, Archie continues his visits with Gretchen in prison every Sunday. The reason? Supposedly because she will give up a body of one of her victims; name and location of burial, but it has to be Archie. Does he go simply for closer to her victims families, or is there something more? Will they catch the After School Strangler before the fourth victim is found dead?
Incredible novel! Throughout the book, we visit Archie’s past, during the time when Gretchen tortures him. The torture is described as such that the reader feels it, and it’s gut-wrenching! She not only does a number on his body, but fractures his mind as well. Gretchen is such the narcissistic psychopath that just listening to the way she talks gives you the shivers while your stomach jumps in revulsion. Archie is very much now a broken person in mind as well as body, for her marks may heal, but they scar, both ways.
Susan, the reporter, is as screwed up as Archie, in a totally different manner. Having lost her father at 15, she rebelled, and hasn’t been the same since.
And while this new serial killer is nowhere as bad as Gretchen, the killer is just as screwed up in the head as she is.
There may not be much action in this novel except at the end, it’s the mind games and past torture that really grip you. You continue reading, as fascinated as you are repulsed, and even though you close the book, thinking there’s no way you can continue reading it, you’ll pick it right back up, wondering what else Gretchen does to Archie, wondering who the new serial killer is. I sooooo can’t wait to get my hands on Sweetheart, book #2 in the series.
December 10, 2015
I may have found a new favorite thriller author, right up there with Michael Robotham, Harlan Coben, and Brian Freeman. Chelsea Cain is one sick, twisted woman...and I think that's her best feature. Loved HEARTSICK and had that sad, sad feeling one has when one comes to the last page of a book that was simply superb. I'll be seeking out more of her work soon.
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