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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I have needed to read this for so long. So very, very long.
I love a good crime thriller. I love a good serial killer. I love a messed up police officer. This book was everything I love rolled into one. Meaning it is surprising to know how long it sat on my to-read list. Honestly, it should not have been sitting there for as long as it was. Unfortunately, for some strange reason, I could never find it in any bookstores – and whenever I did find it, the price seemed to be ridiculous. I shouldn’t admit to being cheap, but I had no wish to pay extortionate amounts when I knew I would be able to buy it at an afford price at some point in my future.
Fortunately that time came!
And by gosh, was the wait worth it.
Okay. So I need to take a deep breath. Relax. Do not go overboard on the fangirling. Okay… I cannot promise that. I’ll try to hold it back, but I’ll probably let all my fangirling out throughout this review. Don’t worry, though, I’ll make sure I prevent the review from being the nearly two thousand words long essay that my review of The Martian turned out to be.
So yeah, the good stuff.
Heartsick arrived along with a handful of other books, thanks to an offer I found online. Whilst the other books interested me, I had to start with Chelsea Cain book. I had needed this book in my life for so long. Instantly I picked it up, throwing myself straight into the world of Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell.
I’m a lover of flowery writing. Lyrical prose are my best friend. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against simple writing – I merely favour the kind of writing that screams with style. Due to this, at first, I wasn’t quite as pulled into the story as I had hoped to be. Lyrical prose pull me in quicker. Whilst there is nothing wrong with Chelsea Cain’s style of writing, I couldn’t really find any real identifiers. There didn’t seem to be anything to make it truly hers. This did not prevent my enjoyment in any way at all, yet it meant I had to wait for the story to really get going before I was pulled in as deep as I had hoped to be.
Some will probably be questioning what I mean by the waiting for the story ‘to really get going’ considering how we open with Archie already in Gretchen’s grip, with him playing the role of victim and her playing the role of torturer. Oh, that was fun. But at first the victim and torturer dynamic isn’t really anything new. It was enough to leave you interested, but it wasn’t as messed up as I had hoped it was going to be. At least not at first. At first it starts rather mundane. It lets you know things are going to be bad. You know the worst is yet to come.
Thus, I only really became pulled in once the story was going in present time. We constantly flicker back to the time in which Archie was Gretchen’s prisoner, and I loved those moments (they really did escalate in so many ways, growing more interesting with each new scene), yet the present day story is what really pulled me in. The character of Archie was wonderful. He is so beautifully broken. Quite often authors fail to show just how broken their characters are – we’re told to believe such is the case by other characters – yet in this we are shown. Archie is perfectly flawed due to the damage Gretchen caused him, and it is wonderful to see.
Whilst the story itself is nothing overly special, the mystery being nothing new, the way in which the story of Archie and Gretchen is intertwined into the present day mystery makes everything all the more wonderful. It certainly fulfilled my desires for the book. It certainly pulled me in.
I really need the next book. I cannot begin to explain how much I enjoyed it. Admittedly it was not a perfect read, but I’m well and truly on the Archie and Gretchen bandwagon!
I love a good crime thriller. I love a good serial killer. I love a messed up police officer. This book was everything I love rolled into one. Meaning it is surprising to know how long it sat on my to-read list. Honestly, it should not have been sitting there for as long as it was. Unfortunately, for some strange reason, I could never find it in any bookstores – and whenever I did find it, the price seemed to be ridiculous. I shouldn’t admit to being cheap, but I had no wish to pay extortionate amounts when I knew I would be able to buy it at an afford price at some point in my future.
Fortunately that time came!
And by gosh, was the wait worth it.
Okay. So I need to take a deep breath. Relax. Do not go overboard on the fangirling. Okay… I cannot promise that. I’ll try to hold it back, but I’ll probably let all my fangirling out throughout this review. Don’t worry, though, I’ll make sure I prevent the review from being the nearly two thousand words long essay that my review of The Martian turned out to be.
So yeah, the good stuff.
Heartsick arrived along with a handful of other books, thanks to an offer I found online. Whilst the other books interested me, I had to start with Chelsea Cain book. I had needed this book in my life for so long. Instantly I picked it up, throwing myself straight into the world of Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell.
I’m a lover of flowery writing. Lyrical prose are my best friend. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against simple writing – I merely favour the kind of writing that screams with style. Due to this, at first, I wasn’t quite as pulled into the story as I had hoped to be. Lyrical prose pull me in quicker. Whilst there is nothing wrong with Chelsea Cain’s style of writing, I couldn’t really find any real identifiers. There didn’t seem to be anything to make it truly hers. This did not prevent my enjoyment in any way at all, yet it meant I had to wait for the story to really get going before I was pulled in as deep as I had hoped to be.
Some will probably be questioning what I mean by the waiting for the story ‘to really get going’ considering how we open with Archie already in Gretchen’s grip, with him playing the role of victim and her playing the role of torturer. Oh, that was fun. But at first the victim and torturer dynamic isn’t really anything new. It was enough to leave you interested, but it wasn’t as messed up as I had hoped it was going to be. At least not at first. At first it starts rather mundane. It lets you know things are going to be bad. You know the worst is yet to come.
Thus, I only really became pulled in once the story was going in present time. We constantly flicker back to the time in which Archie was Gretchen’s prisoner, and I loved those moments (they really did escalate in so many ways, growing more interesting with each new scene), yet the present day story is what really pulled me in. The character of Archie was wonderful. He is so beautifully broken. Quite often authors fail to show just how broken their characters are – we’re told to believe such is the case by other characters – yet in this we are shown. Archie is perfectly flawed due to the damage Gretchen caused him, and it is wonderful to see.
Whilst the story itself is nothing overly special, the mystery being nothing new, the way in which the story of Archie and Gretchen is intertwined into the present day mystery makes everything all the more wonderful. It certainly fulfilled my desires for the book. It certainly pulled me in.
I really need the next book. I cannot begin to explain how much I enjoyed it. Admittedly it was not a perfect read, but I’m well and truly on the Archie and Gretchen bandwagon!
A real disappointment - I read "Sweetheart" first, and it was amazing. This one, not so much.
Little quick psychological thriller. She gets pretty graphic in some parts but otherwise ok.
What a sick and twisted story! Gretchen is a psycho woman to be sure, but she really draws you in and you want to listen to her, need to listen to her... The entire cast of characters in this novel are interesting and intriging. From Archie Sheridan, the cop Gretchen held hostage and tortured to his partner Henry. From the young and exciting reporter, Susan Ward, to her wayward mother, Blis. Every last one of them will keep you turning the pages at mach speed! You'll not be able to put this book down!
A book by an author with the same first or last name as you - - Popsugar 2018 Reading Challenge
When I first began reading I was almost turned off because of the direct similarity to Red Dragon. Here is a cop searching for a serial killer, he enlists the help of a psychiatrist and low and behold...the psychiatrist is the serial killer! Just like Harris' Lecter and Graham. As I continued reading I was drawn in by Cain's main character, Archie. Such a tortured and interesting character as we watch him hunt for the current killer and flash back to his captivity at the hands of Gretchen. Ah, Gretchen...woman is crazy and scary and hats off to Cain for creating this character and making me scared! Yes, there are major similarities to Harris' Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs (I have not read Hannibal), but don't all serial killer/crime novels have a similar link/format/formula? It's Cain's characters that really make the story rich and exciting. AND, she pays homage to Silence of the Lambs which is awesome. Read this book in 3 days and headed to the library right now to pick up #2 and #3 in the Lowell/Sheridan series. I am getting both because I am optimistic that I will read these two books just a quickly as I read Heart Sick. Be warned, the torture scenes are brutal and graphic, and the description of the victims bodies are detailed. p.s. Setting the story in Portland is brilliant as the city becomes a character of its own.
I wrote to a librarian friend looking for a book that was "fast and fun" after reading a few stinkers. She recommended this series and I was hooked. It might not be "fun" for everyone. They're pretty dark and fairly graphic. But that comes with the serial killer territory.
Genre: Adult books for young adults; Pacific Northwest fiction; Psychological suspense
Themes: Real life monsters; Urban police
Character: Flawed; Twisted
Storyline: Intricately plotted
Pace: Fast-paced
Tone: Darkly humorous; Gruesome; Menacing; Strong sense of place; Suspenseful
Writing Style: Compelling; Gritty
Genre: Adult books for young adults; Pacific Northwest fiction; Psychological suspense
Themes: Real life monsters; Urban police
Character: Flawed; Twisted
Storyline: Intricately plotted
Pace: Fast-paced
Tone: Darkly humorous; Gruesome; Menacing; Strong sense of place; Suspenseful
Writing Style: Compelling; Gritty
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've read quite a few serial killer type books because I find the psychology fascinating so I was interested in the Gretchen Lowell books since they focused on a female serial killer. I have to tell you, this book was definitely better than the vast majority of serial killer type books that I've read. It was SO good. I was so impressed with this book - it was well written, the storyline was compelling and the characters were outstanding!
I read this one via audiobook and definitely recommend this particular audiobook. It was SO well done and the narrator was excellent! I think that having the book told to me rather than reading it really helped it come alive for me.
The characters are really what made this book special for me. They are the foundation upon which the entire story is built and it is done so effectively that I found myself amazed at how quickly I found myself falling into the book's world. The story was compelling - rather different than most of the 'serial killer' type books out there. And, Gretchen Lowell is without a doubt one of the most memorable, sadistic characters that I've ever come across. Wow. You just won't believe this woman! She gets under your skin and makes it CRAWL!
I really can't recommend this book AND this audiobook more. It really is good. Very interesting and kept my interest throughout. I just downloaded the audiobooks to the next two books in this series and I can't wait to devour those as well!
I read this one via audiobook and definitely recommend this particular audiobook. It was SO well done and the narrator was excellent! I think that having the book told to me rather than reading it really helped it come alive for me.
The characters are really what made this book special for me. They are the foundation upon which the entire story is built and it is done so effectively that I found myself amazed at how quickly I found myself falling into the book's world. The story was compelling - rather different than most of the 'serial killer' type books out there. And, Gretchen Lowell is without a doubt one of the most memorable, sadistic characters that I've ever come across. Wow. You just won't believe this woman! She gets under your skin and makes it CRAWL!
I really can't recommend this book AND this audiobook more. It really is good. Very interesting and kept my interest throughout. I just downloaded the audiobooks to the next two books in this series and I can't wait to devour those as well!
This book was definitely different. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be continuing the twisted journey of Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell. Can't wait to see what's going to happen next.