Heartsick
by Chelsea Cain
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Book Reviews of Heartsick
Book Review: Stockholm Syndrome comes to Portland
Summary: 4 Stars
Archie Sheridan is a famous homicide detective. He tracked down Portland's most notorious serial killer (and, as Cain says repeatedly, it doesn't hurt that the serial killer was a beautiful woman). Of course, he only managed to catch her because she tricked him, kidnaped him, tortured him, and then called 911 on herself when it looked like he might die.
The oddly twisted bond between this kidnap/serial killer and her victim/pursuer is the foundation oh which the surface plot of Heartsick unfolds--what appears to be a brand new serial killer is now loose in Portland, and only Archie can catch him/her(?).
Layered on all of this is a newspaper feature writer (as she states many times, NOT a reporter--she has an MFA, not a journalism degree) who is assigned to do a feature on Archie in the middle of this new investigation.
Exactly who among this triangle (cop, killer, reporter) is using who, and to what end, is what gives this story tension, and the ending is superb.
My only qualm is that it took far too long before we figured out who was who, and what the story was all about. I found the first 50 or so pages hard going--but I'm REALLY glad I didn't give up!
In sum, Heartsick is a powerful read. Good, spunky characters; some interesting development of the Stockholm Syndrom theme; just enough to make us care about the people, so as the mystery unfolds we keep on going.
Book Review: Decent
Summary: 4 Stars
Tormented detective Archie Sheridan is summoned to head up a task force to find a serial killer who is kidnapping teenage girls. But Archie is battling his own demons, including an addiction to painkillers, as he races the clock before another girl is taken and murdered. He is haunted by his own abduction and torture at the hands of serial killer Gretchen Lowell, who turned herself in to authorities upon releasing Archie. Many reviewers have compared Heartsick to Silence of the Lambs and the Hannibal/Clarice dynamic, but while there were a few minor parallels, this story stood on its own. I thought it effectively humorous that Gretchen references Hannibal Lecter when emphasizing that she is not in a role to assist in Archie's investigation. However, she is equally as manipulative and evil as Lecter and her portrayal is chilling. Also in the mix is quirky reporter Susan Ward, who plays a key role in the plot, though I felt she was peripheral to the more engaging aspect of the story, which is the relationship between Archie and Gretchen. Overall, it was a good story, especially Archie's recollections of his captivity two years prior, but the hunt for the current killer was a bit tedious. It would have been more fulfilling if it has a more psychological edge to it that made the unnerving feeling linger.Book Review: Sounds derivative, BUT...
Summary: 4 Stars
So, a traumatized cop comes back to hunt a new serial killer, but finds himself drawn to the imprisoned killer who did the damage in the first place. Sound familiar? There's no way to read Heartsick without being acutely aware of the influence that Thomas Harris had on it (whether Cain thinks it was conscious or not), but in the end, that's okay. Why? Because Heartsick ends up working solidly on its own merits. Admittedly, the main hunt of the book is a little average, but the consequences are high enough and the clues interesting enough to keep the reader involved. But, much like Harris's work, the heart of the book lies in the twisted relationship between Archie (the lead detective) and Gretchen, the serial killer he put away...sort of. Their bizarre, unsettling relationship and the depths of Archie's damaged psyche give the book a unique feeling that sets it apart, one that infuses the rest of the book nicely. It's not flawless - like I said, the main killer storyline is good but nothing special, and there's no really memorable twists. But the writing is solid, the violence brutal and unflinching, and the characters complex and intriguing. It's definitely got me to go pick up the next book, and that's something.Book Review: Dark Hearts
Summary: 5 Stars
A chilling, original thrillride. I read 'Heartsick' in two days and plan to dive right into the second one!
Tortured police detective Archie Sheridan is the most interesting "good guy" (note the quotes) since John Rebus, and Gretchen Lowell positively chills the blood as the Beauty Killer, a serial killer who turned herself in two years before the story starts. The relationship between Gretchen and Sheridan, the officer she captured and then let go after 10 days of torture, is one of the most interesting and complex to come along in years, and is only one of the dynamics explored in this multifaceted novel.
Ostensibly the story of how a new serial killer is tracked and caught, told partially through the eyes of up and coming writer Susan Ward, 'Heartsick' quickly becomes a character study of the relationships between killer and victim, between hunter and hunted, and between journalist and subject, and how each of these can be manipulated. Its rare that a thriller truly digs into the dark heart that beats within, but Chelsea Cain does so with gusto, and the result is truly a marvelous beginning.
'Heartsick' is highly recommended, and left me thirsting for more!
Book Review: Good first novel
Summary: 4 Stars
I like serial killer books, both fictional and nonfictional. It's a dark flaw in my character, I'm sure, but there you go. So when I read the blurb on this book--female serial killer tortures lead detective on her case for ten days then calls 9-1-1 and releases him--I was intrigued.
I was a little put off by the "literary thriller" description because I thought that might open the door to loads o' pretentiousness, but for the most part, my fears weren't justified. The writing is straightforward and not overly impressed with itself. The story pulls you in and pulls you forward.
The great strengths of the book are the characters. They are fascinating and (mostly) sympathetic, whether they appear for only a few pages or throughout. They're the kind of characters who stay with you.
I did think the mystery of the new serial killer was a little too transparent, and the ending a little too tidy for my taste, but this was an overall good read. When I heard that Ms. Cain had written another book with these characters, I definitely wanted to read it. And I guess that's the bottom line for any book, isn't it? Did it leave you with a sense of closure, and yet wanting more?