Detective Archie Sheridan is still haunted by Gretchen
Lowell, the seductive serial killer who once kidnapped and
tortured him. Gretchen is in prison, but Archie has
continued to see her on a regular basis. He tells himself
it's to get details to help identify at least some of
Gretchen's many victims and that he must do it because he
is the only person Gretchen will talk to. Archie avoids too
much examination of the darker, less noble motives for his
visits, even as his morbid fascination with this beautiful
woman slowly destroys his marriage, his health, and
possibly his sanity.
Reporter Susan Ward worked with Archie on a previous case,
and they are brought together again when one of her fellow
reporters is killed, along with a U.S. Senator, in a
suspicious accident. The accident occurs just as Susan is
about to break a story about the senator's affair with an
underage girl named Molly Palmer, who has grown up and is
ready to tell her story. When Molly is then found dead,
Susan enlists Archie's help to find the killer even as she
fights to get the truth out about the senator, who is now
being mourned as a respected public figure.
But then Gretchen Lowell escapes from prison and the entire
game changes. She wastes no time in coming after Archie's
family and friends -- including Susan, who is drawn into
danger by her insatiable reporter's curiosity. Gretchen
always seems to be just beyond the reach of the police, but
Archie puts a plan in motion using the one lure that he
knows Gretchen finds irresistible... himself.
I loved Chelsea Cain's first book, HEARTSICK, which
introduced these characters. New readers might not fully
understand the strange relationship between Gretchen and
Archie (as much as such a thing can be understood) without
that background. However, I think this book will still
satisfy readers with a wild ride through some dark and
disturbing places, and just enough humor to allow a breath
before the next twist. I also find it intriguing that even
though Gretchen Lowell has been a major player in two books
now, there is much about her that remains a mystery.
Chelsea Cain definitely deserves a place on any
thriller lover's shelf!
With HEARTSICK, Chelsea Cain took the crime world by
storm, introducing two of the most compelling characters in
decades: serial killer Gretchen Lowell and her obsessed
pursuer Portland Detective Archie Sheridan. The book spent
four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and
garnered rave reviews around the world. But the riveting
story of Archie and Gretchen was left unfinished, and now
Chelsea Cain picks up the tale again.
When the body of a young woman is discovered in Portland’s
Forest Park, Archie is reminded of the last time they found
a body there, more than a decade ago: it turned out to be
the Beauty Killer’s first victim, and Archie’s first case.
This body can't be one of Gretchen's — she’s in prison —
but after help from reporter Susan Ward uncovers the dead
woman's identity, it turns into another big case. Trouble
is, Archie can't focus on the new investigation because the
Beauty Killer case has exploded: Gretchen Lowell has
escaped from prison.
Archie hadn't seen her in two months; he'd moved back in
with his family and sworn off visiting her. Though it
should feel like progress, he actually feels worse. The
news of her escape spreads like wildfire, but secretly,
he's relieved. He knows he's the only one who can catch
her, and in fact, he has a plan to get out from under her
thumb once and for all.
Chelsea Cain has topped her own bestselling debut
thriller with this unputdownable, unpredictable, edge-of-
your-seat read.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy