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A review by jrmama42
Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
4.0
Move over, Hannibal Lecter! This book has a "bad guy" (actually a woman) who is at least as twisted as you. Knowing that this book is the beginning of a series almost gives me the willies! But that won't stop me from following the story....
I listened to the audio version of this book, and really loved the way it was presented by a narrator who makes her voice reflect the very different characters in the story. Sultry-voiced Gretchen is a sadistic but beautiful serial killer who has been incarcerated for a string of earlier murders. Raspy-voiced Archie, the detective who was physically- and psychologically-damaged by Gretchen before her capture, is leading a task force to track down a new serial killer targeting high school girls. And the young reporter Susan, who is following the investigation while trying to get insights on Archie's history with Gretchen, has a voice that is innocent but with a hardened "edge".
The story alternates between the current investigation and Archie's horrific experiences as Gretchen's captive. Archie's character flaws become almost forgivable in light of what he went through. He really comes across as a very sympathetic character. Susan's character grows in complexity as the story progresses, and I found myself cheering her on at times.
As a bonus, the audiobook has an interview with the author at the end, giving some insight into her creation of the book. Always good to hear an author speak!
If you enjoy this genre (serial killers/detective stories) and don't mind some gruesome details along the way, this is a very good start to what I imagine will be a good series.
I listened to the audio version of this book, and really loved the way it was presented by a narrator who makes her voice reflect the very different characters in the story. Sultry-voiced Gretchen is a sadistic but beautiful serial killer who has been incarcerated for a string of earlier murders. Raspy-voiced Archie, the detective who was physically- and psychologically-damaged by Gretchen before her capture, is leading a task force to track down a new serial killer targeting high school girls. And the young reporter Susan, who is following the investigation while trying to get insights on Archie's history with Gretchen, has a voice that is innocent but with a hardened "edge".
The story alternates between the current investigation and Archie's horrific experiences as Gretchen's captive. Archie's character flaws become almost forgivable in light of what he went through. He really comes across as a very sympathetic character. Susan's character grows in complexity as the story progresses, and I found myself cheering her on at times.
As a bonus, the audiobook has an interview with the author at the end, giving some insight into her creation of the book. Always good to hear an author speak!
If you enjoy this genre (serial killers/detective stories) and don't mind some gruesome details along the way, this is a very good start to what I imagine will be a good series.