The notorious "Beauty Killer," Gretchen Lowell, has escaped
from prison and seems to have wasted no time in savagely
claiming more victims in the Portland, Oregon, area. Archie
Sheridan, the detective who is Gretchen's only surviving
victim, is in a psychiatric hospital, scarred mentally and
physically from their last encounter, shortly after her
escape. Gretchen has developed a "relationship" with him in
her own twisted way, and when it becomes obvious that
Archie is no longer safe in the hospital, he checks himself
out to join the task force. As the only person who has
spent any length of time with Gretchen and survived, he's a
valuable asset in the case, even as he risks his own life
and sanity.
But something about the recent murders is different -- out
of character for the meticulous, creative Gretchen. She
seems to be revisiting her crime scenes, and Archie begins
to suspect that one of her "fans," inspired by the media
frenzy surrounding the charismatic killer, may be following
in Gretchen's bloody footsteps. Now he and the task force
are not only looking for Gretchen, but for a similarly
unbalanced and violent copycat.
The third book in this chilling series is just as graphic
and disturbing as fans have come to expect. Not for the
squeamish, the story is kept from complete grimness by
dark "cop humor" and Susan Ward's welcome return as an
overly curious reporter. It's probably best to read the
first two books -- HEARTSICK and SWEETHEART -- before this
one to fully appreciate the characters, and particularly
the relationship between Archie and Gretchen, which is
horribly fascinating -- like a bad car accident that you
can't help but stare at. I have to admit, as good as this
series is, I'm starting to feel that Archie deserves to
move on and get some closure and that sometimes "less is
more" in regard to torture details. But as long as Gretchen
is on the run and Archie is after her, I'll be following...at
a safe distance.
Gretchen Lowell is still on the loose. These days, she’s more of a cause célèbre than a feared killer, thanks to sensationalist news coverage that has made her a star. Her face graces magazine covers weekly and there have been sightings of her around the world. Most shocking of all, Portland Herald reporter Susan Ward has uncovered a bizarre kind of fan club, which celebrates the number of days she’s been free.
Archie Sheridan hunted her for a decade, and after his last ploy to catch her went spectacularly wrong, remains hospitalized months later. When they last spoke, they entered a détente of sorts--- Archie agreed not to kill himself if she agreed not to kill anyone else. But when a new body is found accompanied by Gretchen’s trademark heart, all bets are off and Archie is forced back into action. Has the Beauty Killer returned to her gruesome ways, or has the cult surrounding her created a whole new evil?
Chelsea Cain continues to deliver heart-stopping thrills and chills in the latest entry in this dynamic bestselling series.
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