Kill You Twice: An Archie Sheridan / Gretchen Lowell Novel [Hardcover]

Chelsea Cain (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 7, 2012 | Series: Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell (Book 5)

Nothing makes Portland detective Archie Sheridan happier than knowing that Gretchen Lowell—the serial killer whose stunning beauty is belied by the gruesome murders she’s committed—is locked away in a psych ward. Archie can finally heal from the near-fatal physical and emotional wounds she’s inflicted on him and start moving on with his life.

To this end, Archie throws himself into the latest case to come across his desk: A cyclist has discovered a corpse in Mount Tabor Park on the eastern side of Portland. The man was gagged, skinned, and found hanging by his wrists from a tree. It’s the work of a killer bold and clever enough to torture his victim for hours on a sunny summer morning in a big public park and yet leave no trace.

And then Archie gets a message he can’t ignore—Gretchen claims to have inside knowledge about this grisly murder. Archie finally agrees to visit Gretchen, because he can’t risk losing his only lead in the case. At least, that’s what he tells himself . . . but the ties between Archie and Gretchen have always been stronger, deeper, and more complex than he’s willing to admit, even to himself. What game is she playing this time? And even more frightening, what long-hidden secrets from Gretchen’s past have been dredged up that someone would kill to protect?

At once terrifying and magnetic, “Beauty Killer” Gretchen Lowell returns with a vengeance in Kill You Twice, Chelsea Cain’s latest razor-sharp psychological thriller.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Kill You Twice

“Utterly fresh and compelling. . .Cain hits the narrative throttle with all cylinders firing. Like the best thriller writers, though, she knows how to ease off the throttle, too, making room for subtle and satisfying character interplay but at the same time building tension as we wait for the narrative to burst into overdrive once again. Masterful on every level.”
—Booklist (starred review)

"Utter engrossing. . .Cain [creates] riveting character drama between two damaged souls."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Night Season

“Cain’s novel has headlong pacing, endearing characters, twisted humor, and scalpel-sharp descriptions of murder and mayhem. It grabs you like a deadly undertow and doesn’t let you go.”
—Parade Magazine

“High-octane ending. . .The world that Cain creates is as dark and ominous as ever.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Cain kept me perilously on edge at all times, teetering off a watery precipice from which there may have been no escape. I cannot recommend her immersive work highly enough.”
—Louisville Courier-Journal

“Cain’s prose is taut, tense, and terrifying as this strange case develops and shudders with new details and twists. You’ll never guess the ending.”
—Providence Journal

“Superb. . .Cain skillfully incorporates the details of the real-life Vanport flood into her story… Cain pinned readers to their seats with a unique mix of horror, black humor, and psychological tension. This time she adds another arrow to her narrative quiver: the interplay between landscape and mood. This may be the best thriller set in a flooding city since Donna Leon’s Acqua Alta.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“Superb. . .[Cain is] the new queen of serial-killer fiction.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Cain's fine fourth thriller. . .Cain easily weaves the history of the real-life Vanport flood with her trademark heart-stopping moments, and fans will be pleased to see the series flourishing without Gretchen on every page.”
—Publishers Weekly (Top 10 Mystery of the Year)

"Chelsea Cain fills her new novel with dark atmosphere, a quick-thinking, likable hero, fast-moving narrative and plenty of wit.”
—Associated Press

Evil at Heart

“You have to hand it to Cain, who’s made the serial-killer genre a thoroughly female-friendly experience. . .[She] churns stomachs with a delicate touch.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“She's the most twisted—and most beautiful—serial killer on the planet, and she's back... Cain's wonderfully over-the-top series takes a new turn when fans of Gretchen try their hand at killing. It's not to be missed.”
—USA Today

“Cain is among a new breed of women writers stepping way out of the stereotypical female comfort zones… serving up meatier and more gruesome stories. . .Cain knows how to keep readers fortified with psychological drama.”
—Chicago Sun Times

“The narrative bounces along with Cain’s trademark mix of tight plotting, creepy characters, and body parts.”
—Charlotte Observer

From the Back Cover

“Utterly engrossing.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Nothing makes Portland detective Archie Sheridan happier than knowing that Beauty Killer Gretchen Lowell is locked away in a psych ward. Archie can finally heal from the near-fatal physical and emotional wounds she’s inflicted on him and start moving on with his life. Or can he? His latest case, involving a man who was mutilated and murdered in a public park in broad daylight, bears the stamp of an expert killer…and before long, Archie gets a message from Gretchen, who makes him an offer he can’t refuse.

“DELIVERS THE SHOCKS.”—MIAMI HERALD

Gretchen claims to have inside knowledge about the grisly Mount Tabor Park murder—and Archie can’t risk losing his only lead in the case. At least, that’s what he tells himself after he agrees to visit Gretchen…But the ties between Archie and Gretchen have always been stronger, deeper, and more complex than he’s willing to admit, even to himself. What game is Gretchen playing this time? And even more frightening, what long-hidden secrets from her past have been dredged up that someone would kill to protect?

 “Masterful on every level.”—Booklist

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (August 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312619782
• ISBN-13: 978-0312619787
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (153 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chelsea Cain is the author of The New York Times bestselling thrillers HEARTSICK, SWEETHEART, EVIL AT HEART, THE NIGHT SEASON, and KILL YOU TWICE. Her Portland-based thrillers, described by The New York Times as "steamy and perverse," have been published in over 25 languages, recommended on "The Today Show," appeared in episodes of HBO's "True Blood" and ABC's "Castle," named among Stephen King's top ten favorite books of the year, and included in NPR's list of the top 100 thrillers ever written. According to Booklist, "Popular entertainment just doesn't get much better than this."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A big step forward June 11, 2012

By Brian Baker VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I won't rehash the story line as you can get that from the Amazon product page.

In this fifth installment of the series, author Cain continues to move protagonist Archie Sheridan forward in his character development in a very satisfying way.

He's no longer in thrall to the devices and "charms" of antagonist Gretchen Lowell. In fact, he's now taking pleasure in his control over her now that she's in prison, a very healthy development. This frees him emotionally to start acting like a real cop as he takes on a series of killings that seem to stretch back over a number of years, and parallel Gretchen's activities while she was operating in her heyday.

The story is well plotted; the characters are fully developed and three-dimensional; the pacing is excellent. I have to say, I think the sidekick character of Susan is an absolute hoot; she's the "comedic foil" that rounds these stories off to a T.

I can't go into any detail as to the resolution, as that would be a huge spoiler, but suffice to say that Gretchen's still involved.

Which leads me to my thoughts on the direction this series will take moving forward. One of the truly satisfying aspects of this book is Archie's liberation from Gretchen's control. But we've already had five books that basically revolve around their relationship. How long does Cain intend to milk this?

First of all, just from a dramatic aspect, at some point there needs to be a final resolution that provides emotional reward to the reader. Archie has to kill her or something. Whatever.

But more importantly, look at any of the long-running series out there: Sanford's "Prey" books; Connelly's Bosch series; Burke's Robicheaux novels.... In all of them, the protagonists face a pantheon of different opponents, making those series successful and long-lived due, at least in part, to their variety.

If Cain plans on limiting the Sheridan series to simply one antagonist - Lowell - she's limiting her future development and, in my opinion, viability. How many times can one eat pizza before one becomes tired of it?

Even the one series I can think of offhand that revolves around one villain - Hannibal Lecter - comes to an end after a few books, and only involves Clarice Starling in two of them.

Anyway, a pretty good book, perfect for summer reading by the pool. Four stars. Read more ›

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best in the series June 25, 2012

By titania86 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Archie Sheridan has been living a Gretchen Lowell free life while she is locked in a mental institution. For years after she tortured him, almost killed him, and then saved him, Archie's life has revolved around her and been basically ruined as a result. Now, he no longer pops Vicodin like they were candy and has begun to move on and heal emotionally away from her manipulation. He throws himself into solving a new case involving a serial killer who tortures the victims and leaves them in very public places, leaving no traces behind. With a string of victims with no real leads, Archie can no longer ignore Gretchen when she says she knows something about the current killings. Although he's treading carefully, she can be very manipulative and dangerous even drugged up and restrained in a mental institution. Can she actually help in the case or does she just aim to destroy Archie again? Will Archie find the killer before he/she kills again?

Ever since Heartsick, the first book in the series, I have found Gretchen Lowell to be one of the most magnetic and interesting antagonists in literature and one of the only fictional female serial killers. Each book uncovered a little more about her, mostly in the context of her relationship with Archie. The fourth book in the series, The Night Season, had only the barest mention of her character. I understood that Gretchen isn't the whole series and maybe Chelsea Cain wanted to move away from her and make Archie stand alone. I couldn't help but be a tiny bit disappointed. It is so nice to have Gretchen back in a way we have never seen her. Kill You Twice delves into part of her origin story. Not her childhood or her biological family, but her inception as a serial killer in her teenage years, the start of the Beauty Killer.... In the present, she has lost her infamous beauty and remains incapacitated by medication, which is pure torture for her as it takes away the some of her essential tools of manipulation. Seemingly desperate and less possessed of her mental faculties, Gretchen can still has that magnetic personality that both draws in and repels the reader. Like Archie, I have a love/hate relationship with Gretchen. I love her deeply twisted mind and her glee for what she does, but I also want her to be punished for what she has done. It allows me to understand her hold over Archie and his even more complex feelings about her. The conclusion leaves the story open to peel away more layers of the the mystery that is Gretchen.

The other characters are engaging and interesting in their own ways. Archie is much different than his Gretchen-obsessed self. He has completely cut her out of his life at this point and has started to form and maintain much more healthy relationships with people. Even when he eventually interacts with her, he holds his own much better, not allowing himself to be manipulated by her despite his conflicted feelings. Susan Ward of the ever changing hair is an awesome character as well with a spunky attitude and killer fashion sense. She pieces together some essential aspects of the case despite Archie's reluctance to involve her in another dangerous case. The new serial killer is brutal and interesting, bringing a religious dimension to the murders.

I absolutely love this entire series. I think this book is actually a teensy bit better than Heartsick, my previous favorite and the first book. I love all the characters and enjoy seeing them develop throughout each installment. I can't wait for the next book in the series and what the future holds of Gretchen and Archie. Read more ›

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Archie Sheridan and Grechen Lowell may have finally worn out their welcomes! August 14, 2012

By Ray J. Palen Jr. VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Over the course of four novels author Chelsea Cain has done something thrilling and unique with the serial killer genre. She broke tradition by making the serial killer and villain of the series --- gasp --- a female!

Gretchen Lowell is the female counter-part of Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lecter, complete with the genius-level I.Q. and near indestructible make-up. She has targeted, among others, Detective Archie Sheridan. Much like the afore-mentioned Hannibal Lecter and his `muse' Clarice Starling, Gretchen Lowell continues to taunt and toy with the damaged hero, Archie Sheridan, and finds it almost unheard of to ever consider ending his life.

Now, four novels into the series, I'm betting Archie Sheridan wished she would! The first two books in this series, HEARTSICK and SWEETHEART are sheer brilliance and Sheridan is obsessed with taking down the woman who tortured and nearly killed him. In the third novel, EVIL AT HEART, the roles change and Archie actually uses the now imprisoned Gretchen to help him stop another killer and kidnapper.

With the release of her latest novel, KILL YOU TWICE, the beleaguered Archie is a mere shell of himself and barely recognizable from the first two novels. Gretchen is drugged beyond belief behind bars and all but useless to Archie. Nevertheless, Archie and his partner, Henry, are tasked with stopping another violent killer terrorizing the Portland, Oregon area.

This killer is taking particular pleasure in mistreating his victims --- skinning and burning them alive at times. The only clue Archie is able to glean from Gretchen is a name --- a pseudonym for a man called Colin Beaton. Colin shares a past with Gretchen and they both shared foster parents at one point.... Archie now realizes the extent of the damaged individual's psyche that he is up against. Before the reader can blink an eye from that revelation --- Gretchen escapes from prison.

The question for Archie becomes --- is Gretchen going to help him catch and stop Colin or is she planning to join up with her former foster bro and join him in his sick killing spree? To make matters worse, Colin believes he is on a spiritual mission and this makes him doubly difficult to stop. As with all Chelsea Cain novels, all the peripheral characters play a role and the surprises do not stop as each of their individual agendas is revealed.

On its' own merit, KILL YOU TWICE is a solid thriller and above-average for the serial killer genre. Having read all four of the novels in the Archie/Gretchen series, I am beginning to tire of the relationship and wish Cain would write a stand-alone novel or spin the series into a completely different direction. Besides, there's not much left of Archie either mentally or physically for Gretchen to do damage to. Time to move on!

Reviewed by Ray Palen for New Mystery Reader Read more ›