Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

Pub. Date: July 2008
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352pp

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 Portland murders has Archie working on a brand new task force...and heading straight into the line of fire. The local news is covering the case 24/7, and it's not long before Archie enters a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with the killer-and his former captor. But this time, it's up to Archie to save himself....

OMG, what to say about this book? Words can not describe my exact feeling of the book. I fear if I do, I be babbling senseless and bored you to death. Anyone who know me, would know that if I like a book so much than it be so hard for me to write a review for it. I discover Chelsea Cain when I was visiting Katie from Babbling About Books, and Etc, who blog I checked for updated on daily basic. She posted the new cover art for Evil At Heart, the 3rd book to thriller of Gretchen Lowell Series and than wrote what the book is about and added her thought on it too. I was interested, so I visited Chelsea Cain's website to find out more about it. Later I brought the first two books of the series. Read Heartsick and got hooked. I of course share this info with my friend, Melody from Melody's Reading Corner, who jointed read this book with me (thanks Melody!) and she also hooked. Thanks to Katie, I weren't have discover this book! You can read Katie's reviews on the books here

Here we have a damaged tortured cop, Archie Sheridan who is asked to return to work after 2 years of recovering from a past injuries. Even though Archie is still fragile and weak, he became the lead detective of a new task force, a serial 'After School Strangler' case. Most of his former officers who had work with him from the 'Beauty Killer Task Force' case in the past were also reconvened to work on the new case as well. He used his medicines to survived and it keep him from being weak. It also kept his appearance alert from those who eyed him with concern. But his mind and heart never forget the psychopath serial killer, Gretchen Lowell who tortured him, killed him and mess with his mind. Why did he spare his life?

Archie is to lead the case on 'After School Strangler' under the condition that he allowed Susan Ward to follow him while he working on the case. Susan, a journalist for the Herald was assigned to write his story on the Beauty Killer Task Force case. It was the story that could win her a Pulitzer. Despite her past issues, she work hard to get where she want to be. No matter how bad it can get. But as she get closer to learning about Archie, she realized that he not what he seem to be.

As the young teenager girls murder continue and cop are working hours trying to catch the killer before the next victims is dead, in between the middle of all the chaos Archie, Susan and Gretchen had a twisted agendas in their own mind. And they use it to get what they want.

Heartsick is one of the story that is just not perfect but is sick and damaged to the soul and the heart. It's strange, twisted and psychopath crazy. Not the usual suspense I normally read. It different but in good way, the book is thrilling and promising GREAT! It really hard for me to put in words what I think of the book. Interesting stuff happen and it drawn me in, even when I don't want to be. It complex, graphically gruesome, intriguing, chilling, frighten and made my heart thump. But yet, it kept me turning the pages and wanting more. Even when my heart can't take it and my stomach felt ill. The characters are all remarkable interesting, that you will be glue to them as you see each players lives walked alive through the pages. THAT what kept me reading the book. The characters. Susan was a surprising character, that made me look at her in a different light. In good way. And I'm especially tempted to figure out what exactly kind of sick relationship is going on between Archie and Gretchen.

This book isn't for the weak of the heart, so this won't be for you. Otherwise read it at your own risk! Even though this isn't the normal thriller book I would read, I like this book a lot. I highly recommend the book for those who like thrilling suspense with spin of Hannibal Lecter mixed in.

Grade: 5 stars

Please visit Melody's review, here. As always, Melody I enjoy our joint-reading together and hope to do more reading with you in future! :)