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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I had basically given up on the murder/cop genre because of the formulaic nature of those books that eventually emerges. But Heartsick shucks the formula and has great character development and depth. I'll be reading more in the series.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I haven't read many fictional serial killer books, a few [a:Karin Slaughter|12504|Karin Slaughter|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1202439539p2/12504.jpg] books and that's mostly it. I picked up a hardback edition of this book on a trip and thought it would be a good way to pass time. It came home and sat on a shelf for over a year until I came across it the other day. Before I started reading, I checked a few reviews and the top three were saying this is one of if not THE best fictional serial killer series.
With high expectations I sat down and made it about 80 pages in, bored to tears until the few pages of a flashback would come up for poor Archie. Now this may indicate some sadism on my part, but that's really the only time I found myself enjoying the book. It did start getting better toward the middle, and I ended up finishing in about two days so I guess I can't say it was HORRIBLE but I guess I was expecting more. If [a:Chelsea Cain|48557|Chelsea Cain|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1203002854p2/48557.jpg] writes (or already has--this was the first time I had really heard of her or her novels) an entire 336 pages on what exactly the gorgeous and twisted Gretchen Lowell put Detective Sheridan through, I will be thoroughly entertained. I am however, interested in Sheridan and Lowell's relationship enough to at least head to the library tomorrow to find [b:Sweetheart|6580772|Sweetheart|Chelsea Cain|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nocover/60x80.png|3014061] and give it a try.
With high expectations I sat down and made it about 80 pages in, bored to tears until the few pages of a flashback would come up for poor Archie. Now this may indicate some sadism on my part, but that's really the only time I found myself enjoying the book. It did start getting better toward the middle, and I ended up finishing in about two days so I guess I can't say it was HORRIBLE but I guess I was expecting more. If [a:Chelsea Cain|48557|Chelsea Cain|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1203002854p2/48557.jpg] writes (or already has--this was the first time I had really heard of her or her novels) an entire 336 pages on what exactly the gorgeous and twisted Gretchen Lowell put Detective Sheridan through, I will be thoroughly entertained. I am however, interested in Sheridan and Lowell's relationship enough to at least head to the library tomorrow to find [b:Sweetheart|6580772|Sweetheart|Chelsea Cain|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nocover/60x80.png|3014061] and give it a try.
my expectations were pretty high, given how much praise i'd heard. ultimately, it seems too high, because i didn't find it nearly as compelling, original or well-done as so many. in fact the "twist" struck me as convoluted/cliched/manipulative/stupidly eye-rolling and made me sort of hate the entire book. which is a just a darn shame.
I love to read page-turning thrillers on cold nights in the winter. This is a different take on the serial killer/police procedural genre. I like that the protagonist becomes more complex as the series proceeds and that the darkest character is a woman. It becomes a bit formulaic as I move through the books but keeps my interest peaked enough that I keep reading. A fun thrill-ride.
I think I’ll pick up this series every time I visit Portland
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to like this book a lot. Not even really for the plot or even the protagonist, but because the protagonist suffers at the hands of a psychopath. Definitely one of the few accurate representations I've seen in fiction, which was refreshing, but all the other characters were kind of meh. I guess their flaws were supposed to make them more human, but they were pretty stock flaws as far as detective mysteries go, no new or uncharted territory.
The book itself is told through a very sparse narration style, making the book an extremely quick read but not an especially immersive one. Archie especially remained at quite a distance to me and I felt I could never totally understand his motives for things. Granted, maybe he doesn't either, but it was to the point that the ending just disappointed me. Considering this series features his and Gretchen's name in the title, I expected more of them on the page. It really felt more like Susan was the protagonist of this novel and Archie's existence was just an excuse to follow her around. Given Susan's job, this book very easily could have been a PI novel with just her looking into things and I doubt much would have changed plot-wise at all. I saw the ending coming at about 50%, though I didn't know the exact identity of the murderer until later.
I don't know if it's the year in which this book was published, but it also felt pretty sexist to me, to the point I kept thinking the author was male, until the focus on clothes kept being sprinkled in. It had that very "male author who can't write female characters" vibe to it. And, if you're trans, be prepared for the term "trannies" to be used in a relatively negative context, but again I think that's more when the book was published than anything. I would hope that would improve in successive books as they are published in progressively recent years, but the minute I saw the synopsis for the second book I knew I wouldn't be reading it. The minute a psychopath is involved and they're in containment, it's only a matter of time before they escape, making the second book sound just as formula as the first.
The book itself is told through a very sparse narration style, making the book an extremely quick read but not an especially immersive one. Archie especially remained at quite a distance to me and I felt I could never totally understand his motives for things. Granted, maybe he doesn't either, but it was to the point that the ending just disappointed me. Considering this series features his and Gretchen's name in the title, I expected more of them on the page. It really felt more like Susan was the protagonist of this novel and Archie's existence was just an excuse to follow her around. Given Susan's job, this book very easily could have been a PI novel with just her looking into things and I doubt much would have changed plot-wise at all. I saw the ending coming at about 50%, though I didn't know the exact identity of the murderer until later.
I don't know if it's the year in which this book was published, but it also felt pretty sexist to me, to the point I kept thinking the author was male, until the focus on clothes kept being sprinkled in. It had that very "male author who can't write female characters" vibe to it. And, if you're trans, be prepared for the term "trannies" to be used in a relatively negative context, but again I think that's more when the book was published than anything. I would hope that would improve in successive books as they are published in progressively recent years, but the minute I saw the synopsis for the second book I knew I wouldn't be reading it. The minute a psychopath is involved and they're in containment, it's only a matter of time before they escape, making the second book sound just as formula as the first.
This book grabbed from the very outset. It soon after relinquished its grip to introduce the main characters, which wasn't done in as exciting a fashion but was far from dry, felt quite natural and sped along in rather short chapters. The typical flawed hero is present in this novel, but it too feels natural and the events that brought it about are unfurled as the story goes on.
I'm not usually one for crime novels, but this book was sold to me on the merits of the horrors held within, and In this area it did not disappoint. Such moments were lightly sprinkled throughout the novel to increasing effect and demonstrates the inhumanity of the serial killer, Gretchen Lowell.
It didn't feel like a typical crime novel, but something more or different. It read like it could be the prologue to something much bigger. I'm aware this is the beginning of a series, and it read like that was a possibility. There is much room for character development, successes and failures in future stories and I feel a close enough connection to the characters to continue reading and see what these might be.
I'm not usually one for crime novels, but this book was sold to me on the merits of the horrors held within, and In this area it did not disappoint. Such moments were lightly sprinkled throughout the novel to increasing effect and demonstrates the inhumanity of the serial killer, Gretchen Lowell.
It didn't feel like a typical crime novel, but something more or different. It read like it could be the prologue to something much bigger. I'm aware this is the beginning of a series, and it read like that was a possibility. There is much room for character development, successes and failures in future stories and I feel a close enough connection to the characters to continue reading and see what these might be.
