Heartsick [Paperback]

 

 

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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.

Book 1 in the Archie and Gretchen series

The story explores what make up a psychopath and the relationship between a serial killer and his/her victims. "Heart Sick" is a gruesome tale of torture and manipulation, a fiction depicting a twisted and creepy serial killer.

Detective Archie Sheridan (main character) has spent ten years on a task force hunting a beautiful serial killer named Gretchen Lowell. Gretchen eventually turned the table and the hunter became the hunted. She lured him into a trap, tortured him for several days and contrary to her M.O. she mysteriously sets him free, leaving him haunted in many ways by the experience for the rest of his life.

The story picks up two years later with Gretchen in prison and Archie recently off medical leave and returned to duty. Still on strong medication he quickly finds himself deeply involved in another case of multiple abductions and murders. Many teenage girls have mysteriously gone missing in the Oregon area.

During this period, Detective Archie Sheridan's experiences attract the attention of the press and Susan Ward, a young eccentric journalist, is assigned the task of writing his story. In her research, she tags along and records every move he makes but unknown to her, this action leads her straight into the serial killer's web...

The gruesome torture Archie endured at the hands of Gretchen is rehashed in flashback sequences and the gory details create a graphic and violent atmosphere at times. Archie, one of the main characters, is overshadowed by the strong characterisation of Gretchen, a beautiful serial killer. The story only comes alive when she appears and dims when she is off stage. It leaves the reader wondering if this is a suspense thriller or a twisted love story between a cop and a serial killer. Susan Ward the pink hair journalist is thrown into the mix to add a touch of colour and help tell the story. This novel is riddled with old clichés, very basic suspense and is rather unrealistic at times. This does not measure up to other thrillers I read this year

I went back and forth on whether to give this book four or five stars. Look up - I gave it five stars, though the ending was disappointing compared to the rest of the story. Excellent characters (I remember thinking so when reading the sequel, too), excellent prose from Cain. This is one of my favourite reads of the year.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Great Suspense, filled with twists!
What I like about it is there's actually a female serial killer this time and she acts close to Hannibal Lecter with some minor differences. Read more

Published on Nov 3 2009 by Karoline

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesom
I thought this book was very well written...a real page turner. The author's imagination was amazing and I hope she keeps writing more like it.

Published on Nov 22 2008 by jaycee 2

5.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing and Fascinating
This one didn't necessarily keep me up at night, but it was disturbing. The detective is linked to his torturer in ways that constantly surprise you as you read. Read more

Published on Nov 17 2008 by Paul D. Leney

4.0 out of 5 stars Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
The Shadow knows, and he also knows that said evil lurking isn't the exclusive territory of men. In this creepy thriller, Chelsea Cain introduces a heartless female serial killer... Read more

Published on Aug 24 2008 by Amanda Richards

2.0 out of 5 stars I don't get it.
It seems everyone else has found this novel 'new' and 'refreshing'. To me it is just a rehash of any other cop/serial killer novels with the twist that there is a woman serial... Read more

Published on Nov 15 2007 by J. Greening

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