Heartsick

Author: Chelsea Cain
Genre: Crime Fiction
337 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books

Synopsis
Portland detective Archie Sheridan spent years tracking Gretchen Lowell, a beautiful and brutal serial killer. In the end, she was the one who caught him…and tortured him…and then let him go. Why did Gretchen spare Archie’s life and then turn herself in? This is the question that keeps him up all night–and the reason why he has visited Gretchen in prison every week since.

Meanwhile, another series of murders is tearing up the Portland streets. Archie seems to be getting closer to solving this high-profile case…until he finds himself in a fatal collision course with the killer–one that inevitably leads him back to his former captor. Gretchen may be the only one who can help do justice. The only thing she can’t do, this time, is save Archie’s life.

My review
Heartsick is the first installment in Chelsea Cain’s Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell crime fiction series. Originally published in 2007, this older series somehow flew under my radar until recently, and I’m glad I finally discovered it. I was immediately drawn in and pleasantly surprised by just how compelling this novel turned out to be. There’s a lot to admire here and very little to criticize. Cain brings a fresh and unsettling angle to the serial-killer thriller, breathing new life into a familiar genre.

At the heart of the novel is Gretchen Lowell, one of the most chilling antagonists I’ve encountered in crime fiction. Cain has crafted a fabulously demented female killer who radiates calm, calculated menace. Even from behind prison bars, Gretchen continues to exert terrifying control over her victims. She is a sadistic torturer and murderer, and in some cases, she manipulated others into killing on her behalf. Detective Archie Sheridan led the decade-long hunt for the so-called Beauty Killer and he became one of her most notable victims. Over ten days, Gretchen tortured him, cut his skin, seduced him, and then inexplicably let him go, turning herself in shortly afterward. Gretchen is finally behind bars and Archie survived at a devastating cost.

The storyline alternates between the current investigation to find another serial killer, and Archie’s time in captivity. While the current investigation is engaging enough, it’s the twisted relationship between Archie and Gretchen that completely dominates the narrative. Cain writes their closeness, this warped blend of fear, desire, and dependency, with enough precision to that made me genuinely uneasy. It serves as a powerful counterbalance to the fairly conventional rape-and-murder current storyline that hits the familiar genre tropes.

Heartsick is a strong and exciting introduction to the series, and I’m thrilled to know there are five more books waiting. This novel checks all the crime-thriller boxes: a fast pace, intriguing characters, visceral violence, and chilling darkness. After that ending, I’m more than ready to see what happens next.

My recommendation: great serial killer novel with promise for an exciting series ahead!