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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
I've been looking for some more good mystery/thrillers that centre around a serial killer or serial killers so I thought I would give Heartsick a go.
I felt like the first part of the book was a little bit slow going, it took me a while to get into it so I was a little slow in reading it. When I got further into the book however, I really started to enjoy it.
The characters weren't really what interested me in this book. Basically, I was interested in what had happened between Archie and Gretchen Lowell, but I wasn't super sympathetic towards him. Really, I felt like the novel wasn't completely character driven. Or at least, I wasn't completely focused on that part of it.
I found the mystery aspect to be really interesting. It's more of a thriller than a straight up mystery so there aren't really clues to follow along to find out who the killer is. It's more of a following the detective and reporter along as the case unfolds. Which is fine. I was kind of expecting it to focus a little more on that aspect but I was happy enough.
I've heard a lot of people comparing this to Silence of the Lambs and I can see why, but honestly I felt like it didn't really remind me of Silence of the Lambs. The only similarity is that Gretchen is a serial killer that Archie goes to visit in prison. The rest of it is a bit different.
Overall, I quite enjoyed Heartsick. It wasn't completely what I was expecting but I did enjoy what I read and so I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Sweetheart in the near future.
I felt like the first part of the book was a little bit slow going, it took me a while to get into it so I was a little slow in reading it. When I got further into the book however, I really started to enjoy it.
The characters weren't really what interested me in this book. Basically, I was interested in what had happened between Archie and Gretchen Lowell, but I wasn't super sympathetic towards him. Really, I felt like the novel wasn't completely character driven. Or at least, I wasn't completely focused on that part of it.
I found the mystery aspect to be really interesting. It's more of a thriller than a straight up mystery so there aren't really clues to follow along to find out who the killer is. It's more of a following the detective and reporter along as the case unfolds. Which is fine. I was kind of expecting it to focus a little more on that aspect but I was happy enough.
I've heard a lot of people comparing this to Silence of the Lambs and I can see why, but honestly I felt like it didn't really remind me of Silence of the Lambs. The only similarity is that Gretchen is a serial killer that Archie goes to visit in prison. The rest of it is a bit different.
Overall, I quite enjoyed Heartsick. It wasn't completely what I was expecting but I did enjoy what I read and so I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Sweetheart in the near future.
Totally an audiobook I can get behind. It had a little bit of everything that I like. A good narrator, interesting characters, not cheesy dialogue, and a damn fine plot. The setting was also perfect - strange, rainy Portland. Sometimes it's easier to believe that all crimes happen in urban areas, but Portland worked here. It was easier to imagine parents locking their kids up and the whole community being turned upside down by a serial killer. I cruised through this (unlike the last couple of audiobooks I listened to) desperate to find out who was the killer and how Gretchen Lowell was involved and what would happen with Susan's story. I liked the ending, though I thought it was a little optimistic. I will definitely read the others in the series.
Wow. It’s been a while since I’ve been so impressed by quality writing, but there you go. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
I never gave a crap about the mystery, but fortunately, it was never really the point of the book. The point was more about the protagonist’s recovery (or lack thereof) from a horrible event that isn’t really over. Archie still meets with his torturer on a weekly basis, and is still completely under her spell.
The torture in this book was graphic, but not extended or embellished. It was straightforward and almost clinical. It was a way to show the horror of Archie’s experience, rather than torture porn.
My only complaint - and it’s minor - was the homogeny of the cast and the 1950s naming scheme. Archie, Gretchen, Susan, Henry, Paul, c’mon man!
I never gave a crap about the mystery, but fortunately, it was never really the point of the book. The point was more about the protagonist’s recovery (or lack thereof) from a horrible event that isn’t really over. Archie still meets with his torturer on a weekly basis, and is still completely under her spell.
The torture in this book was graphic, but not extended or embellished. It was straightforward and almost clinical. It was a way to show the horror of Archie’s experience, rather than torture porn.
My only complaint - and it’s minor - was the homogeny of the cast and the 1950s naming scheme. Archie, Gretchen, Susan, Henry, Paul, c’mon man!
Somewhat gruesome but extremely interesting read. This is the first of a series and it pulls you in. I got so involved in listening to the audio, like I would during a TV show or a movie - I yelled at the characters when I felt they were making poor decisions (look at you Susan Ward).
Archie and Gretchen's relationship is crazy to witness as a reader. As Gretchen says in the book - violence makes you extremely intimate with someone. I enjoyed the characters and the murder mystery of the story. I could do with less details on the torture though.
Archie and Gretchen's relationship is crazy to witness as a reader. As Gretchen says in the book - violence makes you extremely intimate with someone. I enjoyed the characters and the murder mystery of the story. I could do with less details on the torture though.
Set in damp Portland, Oregon, this thriller rises above the pack and draws comparisons to Thomas Harris' Silence of the Lambs. Cain has penned a fascinating and macabre study of the relationship between a serial killer and the cop that chased her - yes, her - for ten years. Detective Archie Sheridan headed the task force until Dr. Gretchen Lowell offered to help. Turns out her idea of help was to kidnap and torture Archie for ten long days. But instead of making him her 200th victim, she turns herself in. Archie is put on medical leave and develops a serious pain killer addiction, but two years later is asked back to work when a few teenage girls are murdered and the task force is resurrected. Hoping to spin news coverage their way, a newcomer is added to the task force; Susan Ward, a crime reporter with pink hair that hides a very sharp mind. The story swings back and forth between those ten days of torture and the current case, creating a very interesting juxtaposition and a book that is impossible to put down. First in a series.
Wow!
This is an amazing thriller, with some of the creepiest torture scenes, both physical and psychological, that I have ever read. I'm pretty jaded, but there's one scene in particular in this book that really got to me, and I've read my share of "twisted serial killer" books. Gretchen Lowell is right up there with Hannibal Lecter in the diabolical department, and though the idea of these characters going on for 4 (and counting?) more books would normally be a turn-off (I hate authors who can't end a story...I'm talking to you, Frank Herbert), I'm dying to see what else we can learn about Gretchen and her sick, sick relationship with Detective Archie Sheridan. What really makes this book a success is that, though it's quite a page-turner, aspiring to the fluidity of Michael Connelly, and, at his best, Stephen King, Cain is extremely adept at characterization, building complex personalities you really want to know more about. And it's got some extremely funny stuff in it. It reminded me of Gillian Flynn's morbid and sardonic first novel, Sharp Objects. Though ti took me about four years to get around to this once I put it on my Amazon wish list, it was well worth the wait. Highly, highly recommended!
This is an amazing thriller, with some of the creepiest torture scenes, both physical and psychological, that I have ever read. I'm pretty jaded, but there's one scene in particular in this book that really got to me, and I've read my share of "twisted serial killer" books. Gretchen Lowell is right up there with Hannibal Lecter in the diabolical department, and though the idea of these characters going on for 4 (and counting?) more books would normally be a turn-off (I hate authors who can't end a story...I'm talking to you, Frank Herbert), I'm dying to see what else we can learn about Gretchen and her sick, sick relationship with Detective Archie Sheridan. What really makes this book a success is that, though it's quite a page-turner, aspiring to the fluidity of Michael Connelly, and, at his best, Stephen King, Cain is extremely adept at characterization, building complex personalities you really want to know more about. And it's got some extremely funny stuff in it. It reminded me of Gillian Flynn's morbid and sardonic first novel, Sharp Objects. Though ti took me about four years to get around to this once I put it on my Amazon wish list, it was well worth the wait. Highly, highly recommended!
This terrible book was sheer tedium peppered with disgusting torture porn and other elements of the Ew factor. No redeeming qualities. So bad.