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Kill You Twice (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #5)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 2,642 ratings · 471 reviews

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 hims...more

ebook, 336 pages

Published August 7th 2012 by Minotaur Books (first published January 1st 2012)

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Aug 22, 2012 Lisa Morgan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

another fantastic read by Chelsea Cain!!

This book was, again, outstanding! Cain tells a tale that leaves you guessing right to the very end. When you hit that last page, you will shake the book, looking for those pages you're sure are there because its just too soon for the book to be over.

Archie, Susan, Gretchen... I'm totally hanging out with these guys!

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Oct 19, 2012 Naomi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read my full review @ http://bit.ly/UfOmjB

My opinion: Although I enjoyed the latest release in the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell saga, it wasn't as twisted as I have seen Chelsea Cain or this series go. I have literally had moments where, due to the "graphicness", my face was crunched in pain thinking of the pain the victims were going through. Gotta say I love a twisted sister!

On that note thought, Ms. Cain's characters continue to be strongly written with a rockin' storyline and she adds som...more

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May 29, 2012 Katie(babs) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’ve never been a big fan my mystery thrillers, but I’m beyond addicted to Chelsea Cain’s Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series. Chelsea publishes one book a year for this series and each and every time I get my hands on the latest book, it feels like it’s my birthday. The latest, Kill You Twice is the fifth book in this very addicting and at times disturbing series. The main protagonist, Portland detective, Archie Sheridan is still trying to get over his torture by the hands of Gretchen Lo...more I’ve never been a big fan my mystery thrillers, but I’m beyond addicted to Chelsea Cain’s Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series. Chelsea publishes one book a year for this series and each and every time I get my hands on the latest book, it feels like it’s my birthday. The latest, Kill You Twice is the fifth book in this very addicting and at times disturbing series. The main protagonist, Portland detective, Archie Sheridan is still trying to get over his torture by the hands of Gretchen Lowell, a beautiful serial killer who he also had a sexual affair with. Archie’s life has been destroyed thanks to Gretchen who is obsessed with him. He’s the only man she ever loved, even though she mutilated him and tortured him for days. Archie survived, and through great willpower on his part, he’s living each day as it comes. He’s actually in a good place although he can’t sleep well at night, but at least he’s off his medication and has his work. Gretchen has been locked away and now she’s on heavy medication and is losing her looks and can’t see Archie, which is her own personal torture.

Kill You Twice begins a few months after the deadly flood that almost destroyed parts of Portland. Former newspaper reporter Susan Ward is living with her eccentric mother and she’s barely making ends meet. She’s involved with Leo Reynolds, a handsome and rich business man who may or may not be involved in shady dealings because his father is in the mob. Susan misses the interaction she used to have with Archie and he’s always on his mind. But then there is another murder that Archie is investigating and one Susan wants to help out on, not only for her chance to write about the crime and gain recognition and money, but to be with Archie. And as the evidence piles up, he figures out that Gretchen is involved again in some way. Now he has to see her and interact with her, which is what she wants. She has a way of sneaking into Archie’s psyche and mind because no matter what he does, they’ll always be connected. But there’s hope Archie is getting over Gretchen because he has a new woman in his life, a younger, attractive woman who has moved into his building and wants to help give him peace of mind. Archie takes it, although he's wary because of everything that has happened with Gretchen and how the crimes he tries to solve, including this one does a number on his mental state because Gretchen again could be the one responsible for the killer’s actions.

Kill You Twice is one tension filled book with so many twists and turns you won’t see coming. Chelsea is a master at writing on the edge of your seat action and she gives such depth to her characters, even that of Gretchen who I can’t get enough of. Their relationship is beyond messed up but keeps you riveted. Their interactions and almost cat and mouse game isn’t stale and as fresh as the first book. You want Archie to get better and he is, but there’s always Gretchen lurking around, more than willing to make him suffer and claim him as her own. Gretchen is Archie’s ultimate demon he must destroy, but it looks like he’s not ready to yet.

I have a soft spot for Susan who I want to smack because she does stupid things just because she can. She’s like a cat with nine lives and it looks like the only one who can keep her on the straight and narrow is Archie. Poor Susan is so far gone over Archie but nothing can come of it because they are so wrong for one another. I see Archie as more of a big brother figure for Susan and I hope in the future books their friendship will continue to grow. Susan is very protective of Archie and she won’t let anyone hurt him again. I really do think when the final showdown occurs between Gretchen and Archie, Susan will be the one to take out Gretchen.

The final chapters of Kill You Twice had me gasping for breath due to some shocks I would have never expected. Chelsea is an author who keeps the reader on their toes and she has done that and then some with Kill You Twice. If you’re not reading this series and you’re a big fan of thriller and police procedurals, you need to read this book, or rather the entire series. Immerse yourself with Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell. Both these characters will grab hold of you by the throat and won’t let go.(less)

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May 13, 2013 Mo Shah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Gretchen Lowell and Archie are BACK. This one holds up to any of the other ones, including the first one. The Gretchen/Archie relationship is fascinating as hell, and Gretchen is no less deadly in custody.

It's hard not to think of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling when reading these books, but I actually find that I'm enjoying Cain's take a bit more. Archie is a damaged person, and Cain doesn't really attempt to whitewash it.

The one character that I tend to find somewhat tedious is Susan Wa...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Linda Crook rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012

Like always, Chelsea Cain pulled me right in. The hand job in chapter four certainly caught my attention, and there was reference to a murder in Bellingham (Yay, local town makes good!), but it's Gretchen who makes this a page turner. She is so diabolically manipulative, with so many layers of subtlety, it's impossible to know her real motives. It's impossible to imagine what she might be setting into motion.

I was only able to put down "Kill You Twice" to go to bed last night because it got too...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: oregon-author, suspense-thriller, bea-shout-n-share, ola-wla-session

Not due to be published until mid-summer 2012 but can't wait, can't wait, can't wait...

And it definitely lived up to Cain's reputation as a top-notch suspense/thriller author. The fifth in the Sheridan/Lowell serial killer series is the best yet and Cain's continuing character development is superb along with the plot and settings (takes place in the area where I live). If you haven't read these, please start with the first book, HEARTSICK. For a "stand-alone", with Gretchen on the periphery of...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Gloria Feit rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Archie Sheridan, a detective at the Major Case Task Force in Portland, Oregon, for years had headed what was termed the Beauty Killer Task Force, dedicated to tracking down and bringing to justice a megalomaniac serial killer whose victims were tortured and killed in gruesome ways, graphically described. Their target, Gretchen Lowell, a stunning blonde who claims she had killed more than two hundred people, almost claimed Archie as one of her victims, but despite slowly torturing him over a 10-d...more Archie Sheridan, a detective at the Major Case Task Force in Portland, Oregon, for years had headed what was termed the Beauty Killer Task Force, dedicated to tracking down and bringing to justice a megalomaniac serial killer whose victims were tortured and killed in gruesome ways, graphically described. Their target, Gretchen Lowell, a stunning blonde who claims she had killed more than two hundred people, almost claimed Archie as one of her victims, but despite slowly torturing him over a 10-day period [during which time, among other things, she removed his spleen - - without anesthesia, of course], she let him live. She is now locked up in the forensic psychiatric services ward of the State Hospital.

Six years later, now forty-one, Archie has only recently returned to work after two years on medical leave. He is called to a murder scene as the book opens; soon after another body is discovered with striking similarities. As Archie says about Portland, it is “known for its blush-tinted scenery, and its serial killers.” There is still a strong connection between Archie and Gretchen, and ultimately he accedes to her calls asking him to come see her, at which point she says she can help him find the killer. His scars, which still itch and sometimes bleed, are a constant reminder of her brutality, but he can no sooner escape them than he can the power and sexual pull she still exerts over him.

The characters in the series are vividly drawn, and fully fleshed out. Susan Ward, reappearing three months after being fired from the local newspaper, the Herald, still very attracted to Archie; Susan’s mother, Bliss, a former hippie, whose “eyes looked sparkly and spacey, like an anesthetized rabbit;” Henry, Archie’s best friend and partner, himself recovering from a narrow escape from death, and trying without much success to keep his relationship with a fellow cop under wraps; Leo Reynolds, an attorney and the son of a drug kingpin whose sister’s killer Archie had caught; among others.

In trademark fashion, as the investigation proceeds and the solution is in sight, the tight plotting grabs the reader by the throat and doesn’t let go till the end, and the author pulls off one unexpected twist after another. And lest you think the book is entirely comprised of graphic violence, be assured that there are regular doses of humor in these pages.

Parenthetically, in case you’re wondering, the title of this book comes from a couplet: “Sweet as sugar, hard as ice, hurt me once, I’ll kill you twice.” If this is your introduction to the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series, you’ll understand it better after you read the book – not necessarily an easy read, certainly, but a highly recommended one. The next book in the series, “Let Me Go,’ is due out in August of 2013, and I for one can’t wait!
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Oct 19, 2012 Warren-Newport Public Library rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, thriller

Chelsea Cain has managed to spook me three times with her series on serial killer, Gretchen Lowell. In her latest, Kill You Twice, she continues the tradition.

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 li...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Geeks Unleashed.Me rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read review by Allie at Geeks Unleashed.Me

There is definitely a reason why I rushed out to pick up Kill You Twice the very day it was released. I initially discovered the Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell series by finding book two, Sweetheart, in the bargain book section, and, because I didn’t want to miss anything, started with book one, Heartsick. The Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell series would turn out to be my favorite crime fiction series ever.

For me, this series isn’t just abou...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Luanne Ollivier rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Chelsea Cain writes thrillers with a twist. Her latest book Kill You Twice is the fifth book in the Archie Sehridan/Gretchen Lowell series. No, they're not a pair of detectives. Rather, Archie is a Portland detective and Gretchen...Well Gretchen is a serial killer with no fixed address. Except she does now - she's securly locked away in a psych ward.

Archie and Gretchen have a complicated relationship. He's the one who put her away, but he still finds himself attracted to her despite the fact tha...more Chelsea Cain writes thrillers with a twist. Her latest book Kill You Twice is the fifth book in the Archie Sehridan/Gretchen Lowell series. No, they're not a pair of detectives. Rather, Archie is a Portland detective and Gretchen...Well Gretchen is a serial killer with no fixed address. Except she does now - she's securly locked away in a psych ward.

Archie and Gretchen have a complicated relationship. He's the one who put her away, but he still finds himself attracted to her despite the fact that Gretchen, also known as the Beauty Killer, nearly killed him.

A fresh set of killings in Portland look like they might be the work of Gretchen. But they can't be - she is locked away. Is it a copycat? An apprentice? Gretchen claims to have information - but only if Archie comes himself. If he does, their intricate game of cat and mouse will resume.

Devoted fans of this series will be thrilled to find that some of Gretchen's past is finally revealed. Favourite (for me) characters such as reporter Susan are included - again with some unexpected revelations. Archie - well Archie is just as enigmatic, dogged and determined as ever. But his judgement is always clouded when it comes to Gretchen.

I chose to listen Kill You Twice and actually think I'll listen to future books in this series. The reader was Christina Delaine and she was excellent. She had a nice, low gravelly voice for Archie. Her voice for Gretchen was sexy and scary at the same time. And Susan - Delaine has come up with a slightly squeaky voice that really does conjure up the image I had in mind. Delaine is a truly expressive reader. And very easy to listen to.

The plot is quite devious and the story moved along really well. I enjoy the cat and mouse game between Archie and Gretchen. And I think there's more to come!

Fair warning to gentle readers/listeners - this series may not be for you. Cain writes graphic, gory thrillers. In her own words "But I guess that I shouldn't be surprised to find myself writing thrillers. It does bring together many of my interests: forensic pathology, medicine, damaged heroes, dead pets, Nancy Drew, TV cops shows, my home of Portland, Oregon, and having an excuse to be alone in a room for long periods." (less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Jenny Maloney rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, action, bomb, crime, detectives, humor, investigations, murder, mystery, serial-killers, violence

After The Night Season I was a little worried that we'd veered too far away from the evil incarnate that is Gretchen Lowell. But Cain brought it back around beautifully and all the angst and personal interplay between Archie, Susan, and Gretchen is present and accounted for. And, again, I'm floored by how well the idea of a female serial killer works in these stories.

I was thinking about this very issue of female-serial-killer-believability when I came across a Publisher's Weekly 5 Writing Tips ...more After The Night Season I was a little worried that we'd veered too far away from the evil incarnate that is Gretchen Lowell. But Cain brought it back around beautifully and all the angst and personal interplay between Archie, Susan, and Gretchen is present and accounted for. And, again, I'm floored by how well the idea of a female serial killer works in these stories.

I was thinking about this very issue of female-serial-killer-believability when I came across a Publisher's Weekly 5 Writing Tips from Chelsea Cain. In tip #5 Cain talks about creating tension through detail:

"Some professor wanted to look into the experience that time slows in life or death situations and he tied some graduate students to Bungee cords and pushed them off a ledge, and studied the results. His conclusion? In normal circumstances our brain culls details. In tense situations our mind stops culling – it notices everything – because you don’t know what detail is going to save your life. This is what creates the experience of time slowing—lots of details. The next time you’re writing a tension filled scene – maybe there’s a serial killer in it, maybe your character is asking someone out to prom – remember to stop culling. Notice everything. The acne on her forehead. The buttons on her shirt."

And that's how Cain pulls off making a believable woman serial killer. In the scenes where Gretchen Lowell makes an appearance, time seems to slow down. Archie - who is generally the POV character - sees every crease and pore in her face. He picks up the subtle nuances in her gestures and translates them for the reader. The details - and, in turn, Gretchen's darker motivations - come into stark relief. The result? The reader is totally invested in whether or not Gretchen has a razor blade or hypodermic needle hidden in her hand. Or is it just a hairbrush?

Cain takes the time to make Gretchen scary. And serial killers need to be scary. So, if you want to be scared - go read this book right now. (less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Anni rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another thriller from Ms. Cain. Could not put this one down either!

From Macmillan website:

Kill You Twice (Gretchen Lowell, #5)
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Kill You Twice (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #5)
by Chelsea Cain
4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 540 ratings · 154 reviews
Nothing makes Portland detective Archie Sheridan happier than knowing that Gr...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Carolyn Roys rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, serial-killer

I know there is something very sick about me as I'm drawn to the serial killer books. Dexter has nothing on Gretchen Lowell though and this one is even creepier than than the last four if that is even possible. I often get tired of series books but not so with Cain. She continues to put just the right amount of sickness in with the perfect characterizations - people who keep me coming back to find out what happens to them. She also isn't afraid to kill someone you become fond of to advance the s...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Jimmmunchel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In 2007, Chelsea Cain introduced the world to a love story unlike anything ever written before in HEARTSICK. Archie Sheridan a detective for the Portland Oregon police department was kidnapped and tortured by the devastatingly beautiful, charasmatic and ingeniously evil Gretchen Lowell...Archie survived his ordeal and walked away with a dark reminder, addicted to pain killers and a shape of a heart carved into his chest...and so the obsession began..
On August 7th, 2012 with the release of KILL...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, fiction, portland

Portland author Chelsea Cain continues to plumb the darker pits of the Rose City with "Kill You Twice," her fifth book in this bloody series. For the fourth, "The Night Season," detective Archie Sheridan took a rare opportunity to pursue another serial killer besides the gorgeous psychiatrist/slasher Gretchen Lowell (then safely in police custody), but Cain refuses to stray too far from Lowell and her sadistic hold over Sheridan.

While "The Night Season" saw Portland inundadted with a near-Biblic...more Portland author Chelsea Cain continues to plumb the darker pits of the Rose City with "Kill You Twice," her fifth book in this bloody series. For the fourth, "The Night Season," detective Archie Sheridan took a rare opportunity to pursue another serial killer besides the gorgeous psychiatrist/slasher Gretchen Lowell (then safely in police custody), but Cain refuses to stray too far from Lowell and her sadistic hold over Sheridan.

While "The Night Season" saw Portland inundadted with a near-Biblical flood, "Kill You Twice" finds Portland baking under a heat wave. (One of the little secrets we Portlanders like to keep from Californians - it's actually hot and sunny here in the summer.) Detective Sheridan continues to try to put his fractured life in order, but Gretchen Lowell won't allow it. Using her unique ability to manipulate events - even while drugged out of her gourd in the same mental hospital where they filmed "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" - Lowell puts Archie and quasi-intrepid reporter Susan Ward on the trail of another serial killer.

The twist is, Gretchen Lowell now claims that she hasn't killed everyone she's been blamed for. True, she has admittedly killed scores of others in various horrifying ways, but she's a stickler for the details. And there is the prospect that Gretchen Lowell, serial killer par excellence, is worried for the safety of someone else out in the real world. Someone she actually cares about.

"Kill You Twice" allows the reader to delve deeper into the Gretchen Lowell legend - where she comes from, who her family was, etc. Lowell remains a Hannibal Lecter knock-off - she even uses Lecter's patented "Quid pro quo" line - but she is a fascinating character with a rich story to tell.

And Archie Sheridan is a great choice of protagonist - noble but flawed, long-suffering but re-emerging into humanity, and perpetually one step behind Gretchen. Sheridan's intimate circle grows a bit in this book, and in unexpected ways. This is a treat for the guy whose fixation on Lowell is flat-out unhealthy.

Once again, we don't have a perfect thriller here. But what we have is a bloody, gory, demented detective novel that goes into some of the darkest corners of the human psyche. And who doesn't love that? (less)

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May 27, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There is a serial killer on the loose. The killer is leaving a trail of chopped up bodies. Detective Archie Sheridan is on the case. He is joined by his partner, Henry and reporter, Susan, who Archie saved in The Night Season.

Archie receives a phone call from Gretchen's doctor. Gretchen is a patient in the Oregon State Mental Hospital. Her doctor says that Gretchen states she has a daughter and Archie needs to save her. At first Archie believes this is another of Gretchen's tricks but he can no...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Courtney rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nw-authors, portland-authors

This is the next book in a serial killer series that centers around three character: manipulative murderer Gretchen Lowell, her longtime hunter and one-time unwitting lover Detective Archie Sheridan, and his friend-and-sometimes-adversary journalist Susan Ward.

In this book, Susan and Archie begin exploring romantic relationships -- not with each other, I'm happy to say, as he's close to old enough to be her dad. I suspect the significant others will return. Meanwhile, Gretchen is on the loose a...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

DIJAOS;ITHAOHST. I CAN'T EVEN. YOU GUYS. FINALLY. IT'S HERE.

Also I read this in literally 3 hours and anyone who tried to talk to me during it was either directly shunned or bitterly shamed for interrupting me during such a vital and important part of my life.

I can't talk about this at all without spoiling something because it's that awesome but let's just talk about how I feel like I've been waiting since the dawn of time for this fifth installment to be released (well, last summer really whe...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Albert rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Chelsea Cain may well be one of the better mystery writers out there that gets way too little exposure. The Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series (this is book 5) are some of the best serial killer - detective novels around. Each novel stands on its own yet still part of the fabric of the bigger universe that Cain is creating.
In the beginning of this installment Detective Archie Sheridan is still in recovery but off of the pain killer addiction that had plagued him in the prior novels. Pain kil...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Paul Pessolano rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Kill You Twice” by Chelsea Cain, published by Minotaur Books.

Category – Mystery/Thriller

Poor Archie Sheridan he just can’t seem to get away from Gretchen Lowell. She has tortured him, literally, put him in a psychiatric ward, and ruined his marriage.

Gretchen now finds herself in a psychiatric ward and still trying to manipulate Archie’s life.

Archie is called out on another brutal murder that has all the markings of Gretchen but everyone knows she cannot be the murderer. A man is found in a well...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-thrillers, 2013-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If, by the end of a book, you are tired of everyone except the psychopath who murders for fun, something is not going well with the other characters in the book.

I wanted to love Susan. I loved her in the first and second books. By book three, I was starting to be less enchanted, and by books 4 and 5 I'd be perfectly fine if she moved to Antarctica and was never mentioned again.

Archie Sheridan ... well ... the first two books, again, I enjoyed the dynamic between Archie and Gretchen. I didn't lik...more If, by the end of a book, you are tired of everyone except the psychopath who murders for fun, something is not going well with the other characters in the book.

I wanted to love Susan. I loved her in the first and second books. By book three, I was starting to be less enchanted, and by books 4 and 5 I'd be perfectly fine if she moved to Antarctica and was never mentioned again.

Archie Sheridan ... well ... the first two books, again, I enjoyed the dynamic between Archie and Gretchen. I didn't like book three at all, really, so that one maybe shouldn't count. Book four I actually liked him quite a bit in, but this one he just seemed tedious. Also, I'm extremely skeptical that this blazing hot woman who *conveniently* looks like Gretchen just HAPPENED to move in next to him and absolutely Must Have Him. If she's not tied into Gretchen somehow, I'll eat my hat.

Henry and Claire at this point seem less like fleshed out characters and more like cutouts who stand around telling Archie that Gretchen is bad. Seriously, he hasn't managed to get her out of his system by now, it's never gonna happen.

I personally enjoyed the storyline concerning Colin; the motivation of killing people to test the faith you were raised on was a nice twist, and I found it interesting that Gretchen's first (?) murder seemed to be in the guise of helping the other two kids in that house.

By about page 240 (where Susan and Pearl have their run-in with Colin), the pacing started to feel a bit off to me. Here's a DRAMATIC ENCOUNTER WITH THE BAD GUY ... and then we'll wait around some more, and THEN WE'LL RUN TO THE CHURCH ... but we're still not done ... and HERE LET'S TALK TO THE OF COURSE NOW-ESCAPED GRETCHEN ... then bam, it's over. I'll at least give it credit for not being as poorly paced as the third book, however.

The next one comes out this year, and I'm not sure if I'm going to read it or not. Personally, I'm almost happier with the idea of Archie completely stymied and stuck and her gone, because then at least she won't be sucked into the vortex that is Archie and Susan.

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Feb 05, 2013 Ash rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 07, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 110-books-in-2012-and-do-it-again, abduction, action-thriller, advanced-copy-review, free-book-for-honest-review, mystery, police-procedural, read-in-2012, reviewed, series, thriller

Det. Archie Sheridan is still recovering from his last encounter with serial killer Gretchen Lowell.

As the story begins, Archie is at Mount Tabor Park. His unit are examining the body of Jack Kelly who was murdered, tied by his wrists to a tree and appeared to have been skinned from the neck down.

Archie's men are concerned about Archie and he admits to still being weak. He was almost killed by Gretchen who is now at Oregon State Mental Hospital. Then Archie gets a call grom Gretchen's shrink. S...more

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May 25, 2012 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-in-a-series, mystery-thriller, serial-killer

After the ridiculousness of the fourth installment (The Night Season) of the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series, I admit to feeling a great deal of trepidation before beginning this fifth volume. But Cain has returned to what works in the series - namely investigating the Silence of the Lambs-esque relationship between the two title characters. While the plot isn’t difficult to predict, Cain manages to throw in a few surprises. And while the ending may stretch the limits of plausibility a bi...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Ray Palen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more 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

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Jul 27, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kill You Twice, the fifth book in Chelsea Cain’s Gretchen Lowell series, is sure to keep readers up all night. This series of gory, fast-paced thrillers follows Portland detective Archie Sheridan who was kidnapped and tortured for 10 days by Dr. Gretchen Lowell, the Beauty Killer. Gretchen is both terrifyingly violent and undeniably magnetic. Even now, years after the attack, the two of them have a strange bond. No matter how hard Archie tries to stay away from Gretchen, he will never truly esca...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-have-listened-to-while-comm, guilty-pleasures

Even though Cain's Gretchen Lowell story lines are getting more and more far fetched, this is still a bloody, goofy, and fun read.

My only real issue is with the narrator of the audiobook, Christina Delaine. It's not that she's bad, but I feel that her reading of the majority of the characters is overdone. Her Susan is too whiny--and that transfers over to almost all of her other female characters (Bliss, Pearl, and even sometimes Claire, which is offensive)--her Archie was too growly, and her Gr...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, own, vine

Finally, the long anticipated Origins of Gretchen Lowell… Kill You Twice unveils a glimpse at Gretchen’s past. Don’t expect every revelation about her to be divulged, but a few layers of the serial killer onion have been peeled back.

Imprisoned in a mental hospital, she reveals to old pal Detective Archie Sheridan that she has some insight into a new wave of serial killings in Portland. Of course, she successfully messes with Archie’s head, but she also displays a rare vulnerability that she stru...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Sheri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the fifth book in the saga of detective Archie Sheridan and the woman who kidnapped him and tortured him, Gretchen Lowell. I anxiously await for every new book about these two characters to hit the shelves. Where the author gets her gruesome plots and twists, I'll never guess, but the stories are always as fresh as newly spilled blood and sharp as a machete.
In this story, we find out that Gretchen had been in the foster care system as a girl. That would certainly explain her lack of e...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 11, 2012 Ramsey Hootman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very nice, satisfying, meaty addition to this series. I couldn't help comparing this to Jeffery Deaver's series, which I just finished reading; Cain is much less into procedure than character and psychology. Still enjoying Archie's twisted relationship with Gretchen (and all the other women in his life), and was surprised to find that this book actually has some pretty smexy bits, too!

I think what I like most about this book and the entire series is how weird and kind of understated the relation...more

1 like · like · see review

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About Chelsea Cain

Chelsea Cain is the New York Times bestselling author of the thriller detective novels Heartsick, Sweetheart, Evil at Heart and The Night Season. Both Heartsick and Sweetheart were listed in Stephen King's Top Ten Books of the Year in Entertainment Weekly. Chelsea lived the first few years of her life on an Iowa commune, then grew up in Bellingham, WA, where the infamous Green River Killer was "th...more

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Quotes from Kill You Twice

“Ugly people kill people all the time. But when pretty people did, it got attention.” — 9 people liked it

“Her body was spattered with tiny bits of the reverend’s flesh and blood, like someone had combined shrimp and tomato soup and then forgot to put the lid on the blender.” — 4 people liked it

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Kill You Twice (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #5)

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