Chelsea Cain Evil at Heart
Plot: Gretchen Lowell is still on the loose. These days, she’s more of a cause celebrity then a feared killer, thanks to sensationalist news coverage that has made her a star. Her face graces magazine covers and there have been sightings of her around the world. Most shocking of all, Portland Herald reporter Susan Ward has uncovered a bizarre fan club which celebrates the number of days she’s been free…Archie Sheridan hunted Gretchen for a decade, and after his last ploy to catch her went spectacularly wrong, he remains hospitalized months later. When they last spoke, they entered a détente of sorts - Archie agreed not to kill himself if she agreed not to kill anyone else. But when a new body is found accompanied by Gretchen’s trademark heart, all bets are off and Archie is forced back into action. Is the Beauty Killer back - or has the cult surrounding her created a whole new evil?
My Review and Thoughts
This is the beat series of crime thriller fiction I have ever graced my mind with. All three books come together like a complete book. A superb read that never falters the imagination and the mystery and suspense of this tense tale of good and bad. The unflinching reality of perfect characters give the story a true experience like no psychological book has ever done.
Cain is a writing god when it comes to building the perfect base to a story by forming the beautiful twisted world of characters. Henry the big brother type detective to Archie. Susan the young naïve explore to the end reporter. Debbie the sane ex-wife. Archie the lost soul seeking the ultimate high called death and Gretchen the true spider that weaves the web to complete the base and weave the plot to a dangerous and sensual and sick and disgusting drama that lasts upon the one reading.
Cain gives moments you will never forget. Cain has created a new world in which she has brought the female world into the serial killer reality. She has taken an old story plot and refreshed it with true originality.
The plot thickens once more. Archie is in an asylum, body parts are being left, Susan is trying to write a book and is swept again into another setting of murder. Gretchen still taunts and haunts.
This is the weakest of the series, the first two books grabs the reader in the first ten pages making you hooked, this one is more drawn out and predictable and even after a hundred pages the book still does not hook. The book is a great read just not spectacular like the other two. You as the reader start to question how much more of this can take place without it being silly or non-reality based.
Yes Gretchen is this sadistic smart genius, Hannibal like Lector character but after a while your scratching your head and saying does she have super powers, is she a mutant with invisibility and mind control powers. The first two books explored the sadistic nature of a perfect psycho serial killer, this one starts to over lap itself into the basic simple crime thriller that any author could write. I feel the worst reality to the story is making Susan and Archie almost this Laurel and Hardy type of sleuths. The concept of Archie being deeply disturb and Susan’s quest for the truth the first two books had made them unique and wonderful written characters and now it’s like it’s been washed away and hidden from the story.
Cain seemed to walk away from what made the story the best written. With all the negative said it’s still a ve3ry interesting read with many psychos from copycat crazies to the queen herself Gretchen. The story is outrageous and very over the top to the point it’s not believable, but it still maintains the reader.
Finally on Chapter 56 which is page 262 of the paperback all the way till the end of page 324 it’s when the book really takes off with impact and leaves finally that lasting reality that you had with book one and book two.
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