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Chelsea Cain is the author of The New York Times bestselling Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell thrillers. Her novels have been published in over 30 languages, appeared in episodes of 'True Blood' and 'Castle', named among Stephen King's top ten favourite books of the year, and included in NPR's list of the top 100 thrillers ever written.
Author photo © Laura Domela
Detective Archie Sheridan just has to get through the next few days, then his birthday and Halloween will be over. But with escaped serial killer Gretchen Lowell on the loose, the investigation into the murder of a DEA agent demanding his attention, and journalist Susan Ward showing up at his apartment needing a favour, it's going to be a long weekend. Soon Archie finds himself crashing a masked ball on a private island owned by Jack Reynolds, a notorious local drug kingpin. By morning, Archie is back on pain killers, a guest is dead and Archie quickly realizes that little is what it seems. One thing is clear: Gretchen is back, and Archie's nemesis and sometimes lover has something special in mind for the birthday boy, something she's been planning for a long, long time. On Halloween Eve, with time running out, and the life of someone close to Archie on the line, Archie knows his only chance is to give Gretchen exactly what she wants. But Gretchen will prove more horrifying, and unpredictable, than Archie could ever imagine...
A Maxim Jakubowski selected title. A new series by the popular author of the chilling Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell novels introduces Kick (once Kit) Lannigan. The tough as nails survivor of an abduction in her childhood, Kick is now an angel of retribution and a simmering vat of damaged sensibilities. When two children disappear in close proximity, she is, against her will, recruited by a mysterious mercenary to assist in hunting them and their kidnappers down. The trail inevitably leads back to her own past and the matter quickly becomes intensely personal. Sharp tongued, gun and knife literate, Kick is a great if immensely conflicted character and this initial outing is a bracing page turner of a thriller. It's made for the small screen, and I'm already looking forward to another instalment where the character will not only kick ass but confront more of her own demons. Sarah Broadhurst's view.. Famed for her serial killer Gretchen Lowell series, this very talented author takes us into a new sick area, paedophilia. Kit/Beth, now Kick, was six when captured, twelve when rescued and is now 13 when we get to know her. This is going to be a terrific series and I do urge you therefore to start it now, at the beginning. As part of her mending process Kick learns to fight so she will never be a victim again. She is quite a character, you’ll love her. Naturally when a couple of kids go missing she is the obvious choice to help the police and so we get a flood of emotions as the poor girl faces her past. This is very difficult to put down indeed.
'Turn yourself in,' Archie said. He pressed the fingers of one hand into his right temple, trying to slow the pulse of blood that beat against his skin. Susan was taking notes, recording everything. He didn't care. 'I'll do anything you want,' he said. 'You know what I want.' She let that linger in the air between them. 'Tell me,' he said. 'I want you,' Gretchen said. 'I've always wanted you.' Investigative journalist Susan Ward is about to print the story of her career -- proving long-rumoured allegations about a respected senator's affair with a young girl. But the day before her story is published, the senator is killed in a car crash. Detective Archie Sheridan is trying to rebuild a life with his family. But he remains haunted by beautiful, ruthless serial killer Gretchen Lowell -- the woman who tortured him then saved his life. Now she is safely behind bars, Archie is determined to stay away from her. And when a mysterious child leads him to two bodies in Forest Park, Archie must focus his attention on the case. But then the unthinkable happens: Gretchen escapes. The only thing this gorgeous psychopath cares about is Archie -- and with her on the loose, everyone he loves has become a target ...
A city on flood alert, a killer on the rampage Heavy rains have burst the banks of the WillametteRiver; several people have died in the furiously rising waters but the latest victim didn't drown: She was killed before she went into the water. Soon, other victims are found, and Police Detective Archie Sheridan realizes that Portland has a new serial killer on its hands. Reporter Susan Ward is on the story, but she's also got other leads to chase, and some secrets can be too frightening for prying eyes with Archie following a bizarre trail of evidence, and Susan close behind, the pair must unearth the identity of a vicious murderer, and uncover the truth behind a mystery more than sixty years old.
April 2010 Book of the Month. The third in a series featuring a serial killer, Gretchen Lowell, who has acquired quite a cult following. These are gruesome, sick and totally addictive – wide open for a fourth but I do feel that should be the last for Gretchen. It is time she was caught and the series detectives had something else to get their teeth into, for they are good, rounded characters, ready to step forward. But don’t get me wrong, this is still terrific stuff. Comparison: Tess Gerritsen, Karen Rose, Richard Montanari. Archie and Gretchen series:1. Heartsick2. Sweetheart3. Evil at Heart
September 2009 Book of the Month. We have championed Chelsea Cain from the start and quite deservedly. In this third instalment of the series, about evil serial killer Gretchen Lowell, there is no let up on the action. Just when you thought Archie Sheridan had suffered enough at the hands of this woman there is more to come. Not for those with a sensitive stomach as some of the torture gets quite graphic but this is excellent, unputdownable writing.
Although leading on from the author’s first novel, Heartsick, this can be read alone, and read it you must. I do believe Chelsea Cain one of the most exciting finds in the macabre area since Thomas Harris gave us Hannibal Lecter, only here our serial killer is a woman and the detective a man – but the relationship between them is bizarre. This one is a little more predictable than the first but still first rate. Highly recommended. Comparison: Thomas Harris, Michael Marshall, Tess Gerritsen. Archie and Gretchen series:1. Heartsick2. Sweetheart3. Evil at Heart
July 2008 Book of the Month. Chelsea Cain is back with the follow up to her brilliant first novel Heartsick. Psychotic serial killer Gretchen Lowell and the cop she captured, tortured and set free at her own expense, Archie Sheridan, are back pitting wills against each other. Gretchen has been safely locked away and although she still haunts Archie’s every waking moment at least he, and everyone else, is safe from her sadistic lust for killing, that is until she escapes while being transferred to another prison. Wonderfully gruesome and totally chilling this is a thriller that will stay with you a long time after you have read the last page.
This is pretty frightening stuff. The descriptions of the torture and horror inflicted on the central character are particularly unpleasant, not for the squeamish. It is about the psychology of pain and fear and dependency and it is utterly gripping. The sort of thing that makes the skin on your skull tighten.Comparison: Thomas Harris, Tim Willocks, Michael Marshall. Archie and Gretchen series:1. Heartsick2. Sweetheart3. Evil at Heart
A brilliant thriller from this new crime writer. Heart Sick has pace and action and a fantastic psychopathic serial killer, something you feel all the more because the killer is a woman. Tension mounts brilliantly, the past and present stories are revealed cleverly. All in all one of the best crime thrillers I have read in a long long time, completely unputdownable.
Twelve-year-old, Maude, has a case of puberty-induced pantherism, a missing friend, a detective dad who thinks she may be a killer, a mom with a big secret, a unicorn hiding in her bedroom, and a plan to overthrow the patriarchy. From the creative team that brought you the groundbreaking and Eisner-nominated series Mockingbird, this trade paperback collects the second arc of the unconventional coming-of-age tale-including the mental hygiene guide for girls, WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME AND HOW CAN IT BE STOPPED? Collects MAN-EATERS #5-8
Book Riot's Best Comics of 2018 It's a horror comedy about a girl who thinks she's a monster and it's brilliant. -Kelly Sue DeConnick, Bitch Planet Adolescent girls can be real monsters. Maude is twelve, about the age some girls turn into flesh-eating wild cats. As her detective dad investigates a series of strange mauling attacks, Maude worries she may be the killer. Collects #1-4 Includes the informative survival handbook, Cat Fight! A Boys' Guide to Dangerous Cats. Plus never-before-published extra content.
Since serial killer Gretchen Lowell went on the run, following Detective Archie Sheridan's latest near-fatal encounter with her, the city of Portland has descended into Beauty Killer hysteria. Even fan sites have sprung up online, where admirers of Gretchen can congregate to discuss their heroine. When a spleen is discovered at a local rest stop, Detective Henry Sobol is at first sceptical it is Gretchen's work. It is only when he sees the rest stop's wall -covered in hundreds of tiny red hearts that Henry realises its time to contact Archie . . . Archie Sheridan has spent the last few month's in the city's psychiatric hospital, battling with his addiction to painkillers and his strange obsession with the woman who tortured him. But soon he, along with the Beauty Killer taskforce and journalist Susan Ward, find themselves investigating a new spate of killings -when bodies start to turn up at local beauty spots, their eye-balls removed. Could this be the work of a copy-cat? Or has Gretchen really returned? One thing is certain, whoever is behind these brutal murders, they will do whatever it takes to get to Archie . . .
A city on flood alert, a killer on the rampage Heavy rains have burst the banks of the WillametteRiver; several people have died in the furiously rising waters ... but the latest victim didn't drown: She was killed before she went into the water. Soon, other victims are found, and Police Detective Archie Sheridan realizes that Portland has a new serial killer on its hands. Reporter Susan Ward is on the story, but she's also got other leads to chase, and some secrets can be too frightening for prying eyes ... with Archie following a bizarre trail of evidence, and Susan close behind, the pair must unearth the identity of a vicious murderer, and uncover the truth behind a mystery more than sixty years old ...
Meet Gretchen Lowell, the stunningly beautiful psychopath The Huffington Post called "e;the most diabolical female serial killer in fiction,"e; and Archie Sheridan, the police detective whom she caught and tortured...and then let go. Here together for the first time in a fabulous eBook bundle are books 4-6 in Chelsea Cain's New York Times bestselling Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series.THE NIGHT SEASONHeavy rains have flooded Portland's Willamette River, and several people have drowned in the rising waters. And then the medical examiner discovers that four of the drownings were actually murders. Portland has a new serial killer on its hands, and Archie and his task force have a new case.KILL YOU TWICEA corpse has been discovered in Mount Tabor Park in Portland, and Gretchen claims to have inside knowledge about the grisly murder. What game is she playing this time? And more frightening, what secrets from Gretchen's past would someone kill to protect?LET ME GOUndercover in an investigation, Archie attends a party thrown by a notorious local drug kingpin. By morning, Archie is back on pain killers, a guest is dead and Archie quickly realizes that only one thing is clear: Gretchen is back in his life.
Meet Gretchen Lowell, the stunningly beautiful psychopath The Huffington Post called "e;the most diabolical female serial killer in fiction,"e; and Archie Sheridan, the police detective whom she caught and tortured...and then let go. Here together for the first time in a fabulous eBook bundle are the first three thrillers in Chelsea Cain's New York Times bestselling Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series.HEARTSICKArchie Sheridan finally put Gretchen Lowell, the Beauty Killer, in prison, but he can't seem to forget her. Now, he realizes that even behind bars, Gretchen might be the only person who can help him find the serial killer he's currently tracking.SWEETHEARTWhen the body of a young woman is discovered in Portland's Forest Park, Archie can't focus on the new investigation because the Beauty Killer case has exploded again: Gretchen Lowell has escaped from prison.EVIL AT HEARTGretchen Lowell is still on the loose, and is developing her own bizarre kind of fan club. When Archie and Gretchen last spoke, he 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.
Detective Archie Sheridan just has to get through the next few days, then his birthday and Halloween will be over. But with escaped serial killer Gretchen Lowell on the loose, the investigation into the murder of a DEA agent demanding his attention, and journalist Susan Ward showing up at his apartment needing a favour, it's going to be a long weekend. Soon Archie finds himself crashing a masked ball on a private island owned by Jack Reynolds, a notorious local drug kingpin. By morning, Archie is back on pain killers, a guest is dead and Archie quickly realizes that little is what it seems. One thing is clear: Gretchen is back, and Archie's nemesis and sometimes lover has something special in mind for the birthday boy, something she's been planning for a long, long time. On Halloween Eve, with time running out, and the life of someone close to Archie on the line, Archie knows his only chance is to give Gretchen exactly what she wants. But Gretchen will prove more horrifying, and unpredictable, than Archie could ever imagine...
He thinks he sees a flash of emotion in her eyes. Sympathy? Then it's gone. 'Whatever you think this is going to be like,' she whispers, 'it's going to be worse.' When beautiful serial killer Gretchen Lowell captured her last victim - the man in charge of hunting her down - she quickly established who was really in control of the investigation. So why, after ten days of horrifying physical and mental torture, did she release Detective Archie Sheridan from the brink of death and hand herself in? Two years on, Archie now returns to lead the search for a new killer, whose recent attacks on teenage girls have left the city of Portland reeling. Shadowed by vulnerable young reporter Susan Ward, Archie knows that only one person can help him climb into the mind of this psychopath. But can Archie finally manage to confront the demons of his past without being consumed by them? 'Dark, distressing and disturbing . . . Just pray you never meet Gretchen' Val McDermid 'What may be the creepiest serial killer ever created. This is an addictive read!' Tess Gerritsen 'Move over Thomas Harris, there's a new kid on the block . . . Compelling, highly believable and very sexy' Daily Mirror
From the author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell thrillers: The first in a nail-biting new series featuring Kick Lannigan, a young woman whose complicated past has given her a very special skill set.Famously kidnapped at age six, Kick captured Americas hearts when she was rescued five years later. Now, twenty-one, she finds herself unexpectedly entangled in a missing child case that will put her talents to the test. Trained as a marksman, lock picker, escape artist and bomb maker by her abductor, Kick could not return to the life of the average young girl after her release. So, in lieu of therapy, she mastered martial arts, boxing, and knife throwing; learned how to escape from the trunk of a car, jimmy a pair of handcuffs, and walk without making a soundall before she was thirteen. Kick has trained herself to be safe. But then two children go missing in three weeks, and an enigmatic and wealthy former weapons dealer approaches her with a proposition. John Bishop uses his fortune and contacts to track down missing children. Not only is he convinced Kick can help recover the two childrenhe wont take no for an answer. With lives hanging in the balance, Kick is set to be the crusader she has always imagined herself. Little does she know that the answers she and Bishop seek are hidden in one of the few places she doesnt want to navigatethe dark corners of her own mind. A heart-stopping, entertaining, thrill ride, One Kick announces the arrival of a blistering new series by a stunning talent in the thriller realm.
A Maxim Jakubowski selected title. A new series by the popular author of the chilling Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell novels introduces Kick (once Kit) Lannigan. The tough as nails survivor of an abduction in her childhood, Kick is now an angel of retribution and a simmering vat of damaged sensibilities. When two children disappear in close proximity, she is, against her will, recruited by a mysterious mercenary to assist in hunting them and their kidnappers down. The trail inevitably leads back to her own past and the matter quickly becomes intensely personal. Sharp tongued, gun and knife literate, Kick is a great if immensely conflicted character and this initial outing is a bracing page turner of a thriller. It's made for the small screen, and I'm already looking forward to another instalment where the character will not only kick ass but confront more of her own demons. Sarah Broadhurst's view.. Famed for her serial killer Gretchen Lowell series, this very talented author takes us into a new sick area, paedophilia. Kit/Beth, now Kick, was six when captured, twelve when rescued and is now 13 when we get to know her. This is going to be a terrific series and I do urge you therefore to start it now, at the beginning. As part of her mending process Kick learns to fight so she will never be a victim again. She is quite a character, you’ll love her. Naturally when a couple of kids go missing she is the obvious choice to help the police and so we get a flood of emotions as the poor girl faces her past. This is very difficult to put down indeed.
'Turn yourself in,' Archie said. He pressed the fingers of one hand into his right temple, trying to slow the pulse of blood that beat against his skin. Susan was taking notes, recording everything. He didn't care. 'I'll do anything you want,' he said. 'You know what I want.' She let that linger in the air between them. 'Tell me,' he said. 'I want you,' Gretchen said. 'I've always wanted you.' Investigative journalist Susan Ward is about to print the story of her career -- proving long-rumoured allegations about a respected senator's affair with a young girl. But the day before her story is published, the senator is killed in a car crash. Detective Archie Sheridan is trying to rebuild a life with his family. But he remains haunted by beautiful, ruthless serial killer Gretchen Lowell -- the woman who tortured him then saved his life. Now she is safely behind bars, Archie is determined to stay away from her. And when a mysterious child leads him to two bodies in Forest Park, Archie must focus his attention on the case. But then the unthinkable happens: Gretchen escapes. The only thing this gorgeous psychopath cares about is Archie -- and with her on the loose, everyone he loves has become a target ...
Beautiful killer Gretchen Lowell tightens her grip on Detective Archie Sheridan in Let Me Go, New York Times bestseller Chelsea Cain's newest nail-biter.Detective Archie Sheridan is about to receive a birthday present from the last person he ever wants to see again: serial killer Gretchen Lowell.The investigation into Jack Reynolds's drug enterprise is heating up and has Archie heading off to attend a masked Halloween party on Jack Reynolds's island, where Susan is a reluctant guest. But the next morning one of the guests is found murdered, and Archie quickly realizes that nothing is what it seems. Only one thing is clear: Gretchen is back, and she's been closer than anyone thinks. On Halloween Eve, with time running out, Archie will have to risk everything, and choose wisely whom to trust, if he and his loved ones are going to live through the night.
Archie Sheridan should be recovering from his past run-ins with serial killer Gretchen Lowell, yet he's just as haunted as the day she let him go. But when a cyclist comes across a corpse in Mount Tabor Park on the eastern side of Portland, Archie suddenly has a new case to focus on. Then comes a call from an unlikely source. After months of ignoring calls from a doctor at the mental hospital where Gretchen is supposed to be locked away forever, Archie hears that she might have inside knowledge about the new investigation. But is she bluffing just to get close to him, and can he risk losing his only lead? One thing is for sure: Gretchen Lowell is back, and Archie must decide if catching a killer is worth facing his demons one more time.
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, "e;Beauty Killer"e; Gretchen Lowell returns with a vengeance in Kill You Twice, Chelsea Cain's latest razor-sharp psychological thriller.
