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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I am withholding the fifth star from my rating for one reason: the ending was weak. There's a scene where you just *know* who the killer is even before the person is revealed as such. So from then on, the suspense was gone. And the killer's capture was a little too neat as well.
With that said, however, I still really enjoyed this book. The actual hunt for the serial killer took a back seat to what seemed to me to be the main theme in the book: the aftermath of Det. Archie Sheridan's kidnapping and torture at the hands of Gretchen Lowell and his subsequent dependence on both her and prescription meds.
He's high on pills while at the same time leading the task force that's looking into the deaths of three sophomore girls. His life's in shambles - he's lost his wife and children (though not by their choice) and has a complex system of pill-popping that he's managed to make into a science.
He was the 200th victim of psychopathic, sadistic serial killer Gretchen Lowell, who's sitting in prison for infinity for her crimes. But she's still pulling Archie's strings from behind bars, meting out the locations of bodies in exchange for weekly visits from Archie.
The flashbacks (written in present tense) of Archie's torture that are scattered throughout the book are riveting. Gory, yes, but absolutely riveting. And I cared more about that whacked-out relationship than I did the hunt for the present-day serial killer.
I also could have done without, for the most part, the pink-haired writer (not journalist, mind you, but writer). Except, as it turns out, she's integral to the plot. Overall though, I found her to be the stereotypical tough-as-nails bitch whose insides are nothing but mush and whose internal damages manifest themselves in the obvious ways: pink hair, a quirky wardrobe, pot smoking, and multiple affairs with unattainable, married men. She even seems to fall (a little) for poor, damaged Archie.
Oh, and there's an obvious red herring where the supposed killer has been found, but guess what?, it's not the killer! Kind of obvious; I mean, there was still a good third of the book left. Duh!
Read this book for Archie & Gretchen and skim the rest.
More great things than bad; I liked it.
With that said, however, I still really enjoyed this book. The actual hunt for the serial killer took a back seat to what seemed to me to be the main theme in the book: the aftermath of Det. Archie Sheridan's kidnapping and torture at the hands of Gretchen Lowell and his subsequent dependence on both her and prescription meds.
He's high on pills while at the same time leading the task force that's looking into the deaths of three sophomore girls. His life's in shambles - he's lost his wife and children (though not by their choice) and has a complex system of pill-popping that he's managed to make into a science.
He was the 200th victim of psychopathic, sadistic serial killer Gretchen Lowell, who's sitting in prison for infinity for her crimes. But she's still pulling Archie's strings from behind bars, meting out the locations of bodies in exchange for weekly visits from Archie.
The flashbacks (written in present tense) of Archie's torture that are scattered throughout the book are riveting. Gory, yes, but absolutely riveting. And I cared more about that whacked-out relationship than I did the hunt for the present-day serial killer.
I also could have done without, for the most part, the pink-haired writer (not journalist, mind you, but writer). Except, as it turns out, she's integral to the plot. Overall though, I found her to be the stereotypical tough-as-nails bitch whose insides are nothing but mush and whose internal damages manifest themselves in the obvious ways: pink hair, a quirky wardrobe, pot smoking, and multiple affairs with unattainable, married men. She even seems to fall (a little) for poor, damaged Archie.
Oh, and there's an obvious red herring where the supposed killer has been found, but guess what?, it's not the killer! Kind of obvious; I mean, there was still a good third of the book left. Duh!
Read this book for Archie & Gretchen and skim the rest.
More great things than bad; I liked it.
dark
mysterious
tense
This was a very interesting thriller. The author does a great job with the characters and their emotional problems. Everyone in this book is damaged in some way, and it all matter's and depends on the next victim's safety. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a nice sleuth.
I love watching serial killer movies, but it just doesn't work in this book for me. I need a book a little more in depth...
Very graphic but also worth reading. Could not put this down.
Very talented author. Graphic descriptions...quite frightening. I loved that the main characters weren't perfectly put together but were struggling with their own demons. Great read!
I said in a recent review that plotting takes practice and I want to know where Chelsea Cain took her lessons. Heart Sick is more than a catch-the-killer detective story. It plays with your mind.
What would happen if the serial killer you were chasing captured you and then tortured you for ten days before calling 911 and giving herself up just in time to save your life?
How would you cope if after two years a reporter shadows you and asks you questions about secrets that only you and your torturer share as another person is killing young girls and you’re running out of time?
I’m seriously impressed by how Cain explores these ideas. Not only does she put the reader in minds of the Archie, she also shows us him through the eyes of a reporter, at the same time as keeping up the pace on an investigation into a serial killer.
It’s just one more chapter reading until you come to the twisted end, which isn’t even where the ending should be. You need to know what comes next. Cain is a perfect poker player laying out the right cards at the right time but giving nothing away.
Cain has left plenty of scope to explore the strange (sick) relationship between Gretchen and Archie in a sequel.
It can’t all be good right? If I was being picky I could say something about the lack of development time for the secondary characters but that only because the pace doesn’t let up and Cain has made them interesting enough to want to know more about them and I hope they appear again in a future book.
Cain’s kicked off her career with a sky high performance. They don’t get much better than this.
What would happen if the serial killer you were chasing captured you and then tortured you for ten days before calling 911 and giving herself up just in time to save your life?
How would you cope if after two years a reporter shadows you and asks you questions about secrets that only you and your torturer share as another person is killing young girls and you’re running out of time?
I’m seriously impressed by how Cain explores these ideas. Not only does she put the reader in minds of the Archie, she also shows us him through the eyes of a reporter, at the same time as keeping up the pace on an investigation into a serial killer.
It’s just one more chapter reading until you come to the twisted end, which isn’t even where the ending should be. You need to know what comes next. Cain is a perfect poker player laying out the right cards at the right time but giving nothing away.
Cain has left plenty of scope to explore the strange (sick) relationship between Gretchen and Archie in a sequel.
It can’t all be good right? If I was being picky I could say something about the lack of development time for the secondary characters but that only because the pace doesn’t let up and Cain has made them interesting enough to want to know more about them and I hope they appear again in a future book.
Cain’s kicked off her career with a sky high performance. They don’t get much better than this.