Fully sick
There’s
nothing quite like a good serial killer story where a woman is
the ‘sick and twisted’ murderer. Actually, to be honest,
I don’t think I have ever read a thrilling crime novel where
a female played this role. Well for those who like to read an
original take on this genre, Heart Sick is for you –
but be prepared, what this femme fatale does is really, really
‘sick’!
For over ten years, lead detective Archie Sheridan
worked on the Beauty Killer Task Force, hell bent on tracking
and finding the Northwest’s most prolific serial killer,
Gretchen Lowell. Unfortunately he was eventually kidnapped and
tortured for 10 whole days…by Gretchen herself.
“Are you scared?” Gretchen asks.
She dabs his forehead with the cloth, his cheek, the back of
his neck, his collarbone. Then 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.’
Strangely enough though, when Archie eventually
dies, Gretchen starts CPR, rings an ambulance and gives herself
up!
Two years later…
A new serial killer is loose and Archie is called
back to command his old ‘team’. This time a writer
for the press, Susan Ward, is asked to follow and capture Archie’s
every move. Why this is an important aspect of the case and just
how the two serial killing stories collate, is all revealed within
the gripping pages of Heart Sick.
What makes Heart Sick work so well is
not only the innovative play on the classic serial killer genre,
but also the characterisations and the interesting sequence of
events that allow the reader to delve deeper into the thoughts
and emotions of these characters. At times Archie has flashbacks
of his tortured time with Gretchen, which seems to add another
dimension to both the plot and characters. Of course, Archie is
one messed up character, given all that he goes through –
but it is this depth of characterisation that makes this novel
so appealing, enticing and enjoyable to read. The relationship
between Archie and Gretchen is intense, weird yet wonderful. Even
while Gretchen is in jail, Archie still visits, focused on the
task of finding all the bodies Gretchen ever buried throughout
her ‘reign’ as a serial killer. At times power is
in his hands, but so many times it is firmly in hers.
But this is not all…even the relationship
between Archie and Susan is original, fresh, complicated and reveals
itself alluringly throughout the story. The reader will thoroughly
enjoy uncovering the several layers and dimensions to the young,
spunky Susan.
Heart Sick is a spine-tingling read, perfectly
placed in the serial killer genre – but it is so much more.
Cain has added a breath of fresh air to the ‘norm’
and has filled the pages with love, lust, death, torture, drama,
suspense and most importantly depth. It will completely satisfy
any lover of this type of genre.
Michele Perry
