Customer Reviews

Evil at Heart (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell)

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(31)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

In Chelsea Cain's "Evil at Heart," forty-year old homicide detective Archie Sheridan has taken up residence in the Providence Medical Center psychiatric ward in Portland, Oregon. After being victimized by serial killer Gretchen Lowell and becoming addicted to pain pills, Archie signed himself in voluntarily. Because of Gretchen's hold over him, Archie wrecked his marriage and is on leave from his job. His goal is to rid himself of his twin obsessions: Vicodin and Gretchen. In spite of Lowell's cruelty, Archie admits that he craved the company of this gorgeous but deadly predator. He has progressed enough to concede that he has serious issues to work through before he can be considered "cured." Unfortunately, Gretchen is still at large and the mayhem has not yet ended. Human bodies and body parts begin to show up all over town; either Gretchen is back at work or a copycat is emulating her.

This is Cain's best work to date. Instead of playing it straight and simply grossing us out with descriptions of nauseating gore, the author injects elements of dark humor that enliven the proceedings enormously. It seems that Lowell, known popularly as the "Beauty Killer," has become something of a folk heroine. Although she has slaughtered and mutilated many men and women, her image is everywhere: She has a Wikipedia page, there are fan sites devoted to her on the Web, and people are wearing T-shirts with her face on them. Gretchen memorabilia is being sold on eBay, and there is even a "Beauty Killer Body Tour. Thirty-five bucks. Twenty crime-scene stops." How did this madwoman become an icon? Cain implies that we live in a warped society whose values have become seriously perverted. At one point, Archie says to some young Lowell groupies, "Gretchen Lowell is a psychopath. She is not some sort of antihero." He wants them to give up their adulation of this monster, but his plea falls on deaf ears.

"Evil at Heart" is a suspenseful and entertaining thriller in which Archie is forced to once again to confront his demons with the help of journalist Susan Ward and Detective Henry Sobol, Archie's close friend and colleague. They are seeking either Gretchen herself or acolytes attempting to mimic her activities. Cain's prose is witty and crisp, her dialogue is clever and often hilarious, the tidy plot is fast-paced, and the conclusion is as satisfying as can be expected, considering the unpleasant subject matter. Susan has a major role in this novel and she is a riot. With her purple hair, tendency to wisecrack, and rebellious personality, she is the poster girl for nonconformity. Even as she mocks herself for being stupid, Susan puts herself in harm's way to get material for her forthcoming book. Cain's themes are that a person can be both physically beautiful and mentally unbalanced, many individuals take a perverse pleasure in violence, and those whom we place on a pedestal are often morally bankrupt. "Evil at Heart" is highly recommended for fans who have read the first two installments in this series.

Seductive serial killer Gretchen Lowell is back and detective Archie Sheridan has her! Or maybe I should say that he STILL has her (and can't get rid of her). More precisely, it's actually Gretchen who has Archie! Together, they form the heart of Chelsea Cain's third installment in her bloody "Heart" series--"Evil at Heart." Introduced in the disturbing thriller "Heartsick," Gretchen Lowell is a delightfully diabolical villain--a sexy version of Hannibal Lector--who uses her charm, intelligence, and feminine wiles to commit the most heinous of crimes. But it is the twisty and co-dependent relationship between her and her victim/pursuer Archie that provides the most satisfaction in "Heartsick" and its follow-up "Sweetheart." The ultimate in dysfunctional relationships, these two toy with one another in a dance of enormous physical and psychological torment. Got to love it!

"Heartsick" and "Sweetheart" were slick and fun entertainment--pretty standard serial killer material raised to new levels of interest with the Gretchen/Archie dynamic. If you enjoyed these novels, I suspect that "Evil at Heart" will also keep you turning pages. Gretchen's actual presence is less than one might expect, but her influence permeates every page. When body parts start to surface at some of Gretchen's old murder sites (she is an escaped fugitive), the old team must try to piece together their significance. Trying to end Gretchen's hold on him once and forever, Archie must get himself out of a mental ward and back into action. And the only thing more disturbing than Gretchen herself is the legion of fans she seems to have inspired.

"Evil at Heart" is a fast and easy read that fans of the series should definitely check out. I don't know how plausible it all is, but it's an effective enough thriller. I, myself, don't like to think that anyone can be turned into a demented killer--but Gretchen seems to be able to convert a whole battalion of weak-willed souls to do her evil bidding (and in three books, there has been a battalion)! One major warning, however. Cain's book presupposes that you are familiar with her story and its characters. This is not a stand-alone novel. So little time is spent with back story or character development, I think a new reader would likely be lost or simply loathe the superficiality of the tale. I give it a pass and a recommendation because I'm already hooked into the Gretchen/Archie dance. Anyone not familiar with these two and their history will undoubtedly find less to love about "Evil at Heart."

I really enjoyed the first book in this series. I thought the second one was very repetitive and I guess I have no one to blame but myself since I bought the third one. Please stop the insanity!!
I think this is a talented author, but she's in a rut! I guess since this doesn't really resolve the Gretchen issue, there will, of course, be a fourth in the series. Please! It's time to go in a different direction!

Evil at Heart is the third book by Chelsea Cain that showcases the barely forty year old homicide detective Archie Sheridan who fell victim to serial killer Gretchen Lowell. For two years Gretchen has been Archie's everything. She has been in his thoughts, much like a drug that he craves everyday even though he knows if he has her, she will be the death of him. She almost killed him once, by holding him captive for ten days and torturing him in the worst ways imaginable to the human mind. Archie lived through it and has been trying to get his life on track. In Heartsick we were given a small piece on why Archie was so obsessed with Gretchen and she with him. In Sweetheart we saw Archie brought down by this sick and evil woman because of his own stupidity. I won't go in great detail why my opinion of Archie changed after reading Sweetheart, because it's a big spoiler, but let's just say his physical and emotional suffering and guilt is enough for the wrongs he felt he has done against his wife, family and co-workers.

At the end of Sweetheart, Gretchen, who is known as the Beauty Killer, escaped from prison and lead Archie on a merry chase. She is now on the loose because of a pact Archie made with her. As long as he doesn't kill himself, she won't kill any other people. Now two months later Archie is in a mental hospital recovering and Gretchen has become a media superstar. She is a celebrity idol whose face is on billboards and countless magazine covers. There is even a bus tour that takes tourists to the various places where she killed. Even with all this exposure, you would think someone would spot her. But Gretchen is an untraceable phantom. Suddenly, bodies start piling up and are found in very sickening ways. Is this Gretchen at play again or perhaps a copycat? A copycat could be a good possibility because Gretchen has a fan club and many of her fans want to be just like her.

Archie's former partner Henry Sobol is called on this case and Susan Ward, reporter for the Herald, who thinks of Archie as a friend and has seen Gretchen's work up close thinks there are more to the killings than meets the eye. And because Archie is the only one who knows about Gretchen and her crimes in everyway possible, Henry asks him to help with the case. Archie doesn't think Gretchen is the one doing the killings and he rather stay at the hospital drifting away where he has no responsibilities.

Gretchen wants Archie back into the game and because she is a master manipulator, she is able to get to him even though he is under lock and key. He has no choice but to join the investigation in a different way where the rules no longer apply to him. He doesn't care if he `s putting himself in harm's way because he know Gretchen won't allow anyone to hurt him unless she can be the one holding the knife against his throat herself.

Chelsea Cain has written another suspenseful and riveting thriller with many twists and turns. Evil at Heart is a bit more gruesome than her last two novels because the way the victims are killed are told in great detail. This time Archie is a bit more pathetic. He has lost everything, from his wife to his job, as well as the person he thought he was. He comes across a bit too weak and stupid. I used to hold Archie in high regard even though he was obsessed with Gretchen. But because the dynamics of their relationship changed in Heartsick, I lost a bit of respect for him. I actually feel pity for this man and I am at the point where I've begun to question why Gretchen is obsessed with Archie as he is with her. Gretchen likes to prey on weak men. Archie seems very weak and I believe he didn't he may have been this way from the start.

Gretchen is always an interesting character to read. She is a very masterful character who brings forth a great deal of confusion. Gretchen's "screen time" is very slim. Just by the characters and public keeping her first and foremost, she comes alive. This is so very surprising because even though Grechen doesn't make many appearances, she is the most important part of Evil at Heart.

The final showdown, yet again between Archie and Gretchen, will have you a scratching your head. What Archie goes through to find Gretchen or the killer responsible for the copy cat Beauty Killings gets a bit ridiculous. How much more suffering is Archie going to go through for the sins of his past? I'm surprised he wasn't in a vegetative coma by the amount of abuse his body goes through. Gretchen always comes out smelling like roses. Everything rolls off her back and we still don't know her motivation for things and why she has such strong feelings for Archie. What is about Archie that makes him stand out from all the rest of her victims? I think it's about time Chelsea gives us some insight on what makes Gretchen tick.

Overall, Evil at Heart is a fast read that many readers will enjoy. Things are left in such a way that things are not over between Archie and Gretchen and I do believe Chelsea has a few more tricks up her sleeves. These tricks may come as a surprise because she may have a new centralized story where Archie and Gretchen may finally become supporting characters instead of being the main ones.

I know if Chelsea were to write another book, with or without Archie and Gretchen, I will be there to read it.

Katiebabs

Heartsick
Sweetheart

I really loved the first book "Heartsick". At "Sweetheart", it was getting a little repititious. But this third entry got boring. Archie, the lead detective wasn't very likable by this one.
It feels that the author had a 3 book commitment and she was just typing the words . Maybe her heart wasn't in it anymore. I'll pass on any more in this series.

I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, and picked this one up with much anticipation. AS I read through the novel, two thoughts continued to trouble me. First, and probably least important, enough already. How long can Ms Cain milk the same storyline? I have read other series where killers pop back in a few novels later, but again, and again, and again. Enough!

The second, and more troubling thought, was that this series gets more and more disturbing. I read many mystery writers, so I am not some lightweight who can't take a little gore here and there, or some strange relationships. But this series seems to be lowering itself into nothing but. The nature and description of very warped, sick, torture seems to have sunk to a new low. I am no psychiatrist, but I am starting to actually get uncomfortable wondering what is in the mind of the writer who feels the need to get so into that. And by deduction then, what is in the minds of all the readers who rated this book so high?

I personally am tired of the repetition, tired of the sickness of the protaganist/antagonist sexual relationship, and tired of the continuation of nauseating new ways to torture. I will stick with other writers who can take on similar subjects without sinking to such tactics to sell books.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book- and even the second. I was really looking forward to Ms. Cain's next novel, but I was very disappointed. It's time to move on to something else. It's getting a bit tired and humdrum.

I really enjoyed the first two books in the series but the third book is getting tiresome. Especially with respect to Gretchen's superhuman ability to charm EVERY person she ever meets. I just don't buy that at all. I can understand that a guard, posted to watch her every day for more than 2 years, could eventually be persuaded to help her. But a deputy that has only been in the transport van with her for 15 minutes? Suddenly he'd kill for her and help her escape? Why? And the orderly at the hospital where Archie is trying to recover from his addiction? Per the timeline Archie has only been in the facility 2 months, at most. So how is Gretchen able to convince the orderly to spy on Archie, kill an innocent teen and cut out her eyeballs, and then KILL HIMSELF???!!!

Is she some sort of vampire? A witch with the powers of hypnosis? I just don't get it, and it's the only irritating part of the series but it's EXTREMELY irritating. It was really a good plot twist in the first book: "OMG! She has a partner!". Now every third person introduced in the book is secretly a servant of Gretchen Lowell.

Sorry, this plot device is overused and just not believable anymore. You end up spending more time playing "Spot the mole" than following the actual mystery.

This is the third in a series about a detective who is obsessed by a beautiful female serial killer who is vicious to the max. All the violence and gore in the book can be a bit upsetting but I love the character of the detective who suffers from a condition similar to the Stockholm Syndrome because of the brutal crimes against him by the serial killer, and we are talking serial killer here. As did the others, the book holds me from word one to the end. My only complaint is I wish for the detective and the journalist to get together. A very good read.

The third book in this _Silence-of-the-Lambs_-esque series felt short. The plot wasn't as detailed and there was only minimal character growth. And considering the ending, it doesn't look like this will be the last we hear of the Beauty Killer. I will look out for the fourth book, but I must admit that I was a little disappointed with this one. The resolution was loose and there were a lot of flashbacks that seemed more like filler than anything else...