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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
“I gave up everything I had in that basement” Archie’s voice was low, controlled. “My children. My wife. My work. My life. I was going to die. In her arms. And I was all right with that. Because she would be there” He looked right at Anne. “Taking care of me”
“She’s a psychopath”
A yellow cab pulled into the small parking lot behind the office. “Yeah”, Archie said, taking a step towards it. “But she’s my psychopath”
Wow in some fucked up way this caught me off guard.
I accidentally read the third book before I realised it was a series.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Instantly fell hook line and sinker into this.
Loved most of it. Gretchen is a complete and utter brilliant psychotic character, so clever!
Chelsea Cain just gets it completely right and captivates my full attention.
2 things I wasn’t keen on. The side plot for Susan’s other story... not interested. Also the twist at the end.... could see that coming a mile off
Loved this though, so I’m going to jump straight into the next one
“She’s a psychopath”
A yellow cab pulled into the small parking lot behind the office. “Yeah”, Archie said, taking a step towards it. “But she’s my psychopath”
Wow in some fucked up way this caught me off guard.
I accidentally read the third book before I realised it was a series.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Instantly fell hook line and sinker into this.
Loved most of it. Gretchen is a complete and utter brilliant psychotic character, so clever!
Chelsea Cain just gets it completely right and captivates my full attention.
2 things I wasn’t keen on. The side plot for Susan’s other story... not interested. Also the twist at the end.... could see that coming a mile off
Loved this though, so I’m going to jump straight into the next one
Second time reading this book and I loved it just as much as the first.
I'm between a three and a four for this one. It kept me engaged, however, I like the story of the detective and Gretchen more than the actual story. Good, fast read though!
This one really didn't do it for me. The characters never came alive and the central mystery of the After School Strangler is far less interesting than the weird relationship between Archie and Gretchen, though I found neither plotline satisfying. All throughout, I couldn't help but wonder how much better the Gretchen/Archie dynamic would have been if someone like Gillian Flynn had written it. Gretchen's villainy is cartoonish (200 kills? Really?) and Archie is so easily manipulated and pathetic that I never understood why she was so fixated on him.
The audio narration was so affected that it took me out of the story. The narrator has a weird, husky purr of a voice that I found really distracting, so maybe check out this one in print.
The audio narration was so affected that it took me out of the story. The narrator has a weird, husky purr of a voice that I found really distracting, so maybe check out this one in print.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very quick read, but kind of boring. I never felt any real tension in the story, and it just seemed too easy. I don't read too many books from this genre, so I am trying to branch out a bit. I guess I was hoping to be more absorbed than I was. I thought the idea of female serial killer as vicious as Gretchen was an intriguing idea. However, the "current day" serial killer that made up the book's main mystery was not very interesting, and I could care less about the reporter as a character. I wanted more about Archie and Gretchen, so I am hoping that the sequel will flesh out their characters a bit more.
This is a VERY bizarre book! At times I had to force myself to finish (I hate leaving things undone) and at other times I had to force myself to put it down.
This is a story about a detective named Archie and a seriel killer named Gretchen. The story line is very "Silence of the Lambs" like, only with a female terrorist. The characters are well developed and for her first book, I think Ms. Cain did a good job. My only recommendation for her is to write the book without all the foul language!
I thought I had "figured this book out" several times but was wrong everytime. I tried to get into the mind of Gretchen while reading this, because her knowledge of the medical field interested me. She is very skilled (or unskilled, depending on how you look at it) for a nurse her age.
The ending was a bit unexpected too but I won't tell you about that. You just have to read the book!
This is a story about a detective named Archie and a seriel killer named Gretchen. The story line is very "Silence of the Lambs" like, only with a female terrorist. The characters are well developed and for her first book, I think Ms. Cain did a good job. My only recommendation for her is to write the book without all the foul language!
I thought I had "figured this book out" several times but was wrong everytime. I tried to get into the mind of Gretchen while reading this, because her knowledge of the medical field interested me. She is very skilled (or unskilled, depending on how you look at it) for a nurse her age.
The ending was a bit unexpected too but I won't tell you about that. You just have to read the book!
If you like serial killer books, this is a pretty good one. It had enough tracks to throw you off on, that I didn't guess the killer til almost the end. That is great!
M
M
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
This was a re-read for me, but I honestly couldn't remember a thing that happened, so it all felt new. I really love the whole female serial killer aspect and the psychology behind a victim obsessed with his abductor/torturer. I will be moving on to the rest of the series and we will see if my enthusiasm holds.