Chelsea Cain’s novels featuring Portland detective Archie Sheridan and serial killer Gretchen Lowell have captivated fans through two nai... read full description
reviews
Oct 22, 2011
Marvin
rated it: 
While Heartsick was a nifty twist on the serial killer novel and Sweetheart was a good if predictable follow-up, the third installment of the Grechen Lowell series loses the excitement. Evil at Heart misses on many levels. Gretchen Lowell barely shows up, Archie Sheridan descends from tragic to pathetic and the author seems to be wingin' it through 80% of this novel. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the book is the author's choice to make an indictment of our society's habit of glorifying m
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Oct 02, 2009
Katie(babs)
rated it: 
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
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Feb 22, 2011
Michele
rated it: 
I am a big fan of murder mystery series, thrillers, serial killers (in books), interesting and flawed detectives... basically the entire murder mystery genre. It's always been my favorite type of book and I've read a bunch of them. So when I say that this Heartsick series by Chelsea Cain has jumped to the top of the list of favorites, know that it bypassed quite a few great books![return][return]I received Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. When I realized
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May 21, 2011
Marcie
rated it: 
It’s been a while since I read the first two novels in Chelsea Cain’s twisted love saga of serial killer Gretchen Lowell and homicide detective Archie Sheridan. I loved those two crazy kids, she carving a heart in him, he throwing her in a prison cell.
Cain went to dark places, unafraid, as an author. Really hot, intense sex has a thread of violence and desperation in it. Sex and aggression, hero and villain, predator and prey. As Archie and Gretchen match wits, their roles switch bac More...
Cain went to dark places, unafraid, as an author. Really hot, intense sex has a thread of violence and desperation in it. Sex and aggression, hero and villain, predator and prey. As Archie and Gretchen match wits, their roles switch bac More...
May 04, 2011
Angelakfox
rated it:
Chelsea Cain’s third thriller in the “Heartsick” series, Evil at Heart, continues to follow the dangerous obsessions of detective Archie Sheridan and serial killer Gretchen Lowell. Though the (in)famous “Beauty Killer” makes very few appearances in the latest novel in the series, she wields impressive control over her fans and enemies.
Archie remains voluntarily hospitalized after his last encounter and tentative “bargain” with Gretchen, but finds himself leaving the supposed safety More...
Archie remains voluntarily hospitalized after his last encounter and tentative “bargain” with Gretchen, but finds himself leaving the supposed safety More...
Feb 04, 2011
Paul
rated it:
Chelsea Cain has invented a truly evil person in the likes of Gretchen Lowell. I can't recall anyone in literature that is more evil, more terrifing, more devious, and more interesting than Gretchen - and that includes Hannibal Lector.
Who else would torture someone to near death and call 911 to save his life, who would carve a heart in a person's chest to show her love for them, and who would leave a trail of bodies, that are still being counted, Gretchen Lowell that's who!!!
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Who else would torture someone to near death and call 911 to save his life, who would carve a heart in a person's chest to show her love for them, and who would leave a trail of bodies, that are still being counted, Gretchen Lowell that's who!!!
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Dec 29, 2010
Quinn
rated it:
I will start by saying this was not a bad book, in fact if you like gore and brutallity it is right up there with the goriest books written. Chelsea Cain is one wicked sister with a warped, bubbled and blistered mind.
I gave this book two stars because there are so many flaws in the story but two really stand out and really irritate the crap out of me. The first being, you have one of the most prolific serial killers known to human history and somehow she escapes from prison? Stupid! More...
I gave this book two stars because there are so many flaws in the story but two really stand out and really irritate the crap out of me. The first being, you have one of the most prolific serial killers known to human history and somehow she escapes from prison? Stupid! More...
Jun 14, 2010
Kasia
rated it:
Previous book in this series, "Sweetheart" was scorching hot but this was more of a drawn out tepid bath, it wasn't bad but it certainly lacked the spice. I recommend reading these in order, and for those who haven't read "Heart Sick "and "Sweetheart" this shouldn't be the starting place, that said I'm happy I got to read it but a bit disappointed to how it turned out. The sheer lunacy of Gretchen being a superstar in the media world was hard to believe, people are
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Jun 09, 2010
Denise
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3.0 out of 5 stars Evil is as evil does..., July 3, 2009
This review is from: Evil at Heart (Hardcover)
This is the third in the "heart" series about Gretchen Lowell, the "Beauty Killer" who has become so notorious that there are tours, web sites and fan clubs set up in her honor. Previous titles include Heartsick and Sweetheart.
What's her claim to this fame? She has kidnapped, tortured, and murdered many men and women through the years -- More...
This review is from: Evil at Heart (Hardcover)
This is the third in the "heart" series about Gretchen Lowell, the "Beauty Killer" who has become so notorious that there are tours, web sites and fan clubs set up in her honor. Previous titles include Heartsick and Sweetheart.
What's her claim to this fame? She has kidnapped, tortured, and murdered many men and women through the years -- More...
May 31, 2010
Brendan
rated it:
The third book in this series seems hurriedly written and probably would have benefited by being more carefully edited. As the series has progressed, I have found myself liking Susan Ward less and less. She increasingly makes foolish "only-in-horror-movies" choices that seem especially unlikely for someone who has been in life-threatening situations with serial killers twice in the past six months. Plus I never find her one-liners funny and don't know why she insists on making them in
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Apr 02, 2010
Carmaletta
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 10, 2009
Mike
rated it: 
First off, I was given this book to review and felt that I should complete the task.
This is a teen slasher/gross out flick in the form of a book. It's also, apparently, supposed to be a mystery. If you like mysteries in which the bad guy can enter any building at will, who can miraculously escape from any situation, and although most of America and everyone in the city where she lives knows her face by heart, can move around the city unrecognized, then this is the mystery for y More...
This is a teen slasher/gross out flick in the form of a book. It's also, apparently, supposed to be a mystery. If you like mysteries in which the bad guy can enter any building at will, who can miraculously escape from any situation, and although most of America and everyone in the city where she lives knows her face by heart, can move around the city unrecognized, then this is the mystery for y More...
Oct 11, 2009
Diane
rated it:
Evil at Heart, by Chelsea Cain, is book #3 of a series which features serial killer, Gretchen Lowell, and Detective Archie Sheridan, who have played a game of cat and mouse in the first two books: Heartsick, and Sweetheart. Although the author uses flashbacks in each novel, which is helpful for recall, or to those who have not read the prior books, this series is so good, I'd recommend reading the books in order to get the full gruesome effect.
Gretchen is a sexy, serial killer, know More...
Gretchen is a sexy, serial killer, know More...
Oct 01, 2009
Shannon
rated it:
I've started this review now four times and still have no clue what to say. So I'll start with this: I am a die-hard fan of Chelsea Cain, despite being someone who has avoided suspense/thriller/mystery novels for years. But I adore Cain's Archie Sheridan, with his tortured - literally - body and soul, a man who, while fighting to regain some sense of normalcy, has learned that defining "normal" is no longer simple. And Gretchen Lowell...is she a serial killer with a soft spot for Ar
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Sep 20, 2009
Tim
rated it:
His ten plus year battle with serial killer Gretchen Lowell has taken a toll on Detective Archie Sheridan. As this novel begins he's under voluntary psychiatric confinement, reeling from vicodin addiction and a failed suicide attempt. His nemesis is on the loose, and when bodies start turning up in Portland, it looks like she has begin to strike again. Archie, the wounded warrior, leaves the hospital only to confront a strange subculture that has evolved: Gretchen Lowell fan clubs have sprung up
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Sep 14, 2009
Boof
rated it:
I loved this! I didn't realised when I picked this from Amazon Vine that
it was the 3rd book in a series and when it arrived I did wonder if it would be OK as a stand alone read. I needent have worried, it's fine on its own although it has now made me want to race out and buy the first two in the series.
The series is about a sexy, female serial killer, Gretchen Lowell, who in this 3rd book has escpaped from jail shortly before a new spree of killings begin. Police are not only t More...
it was the 3rd book in a series and when it arrived I did wonder if it would be OK as a stand alone read. I needent have worried, it's fine on its own although it has now made me want to race out and buy the first two in the series.
The series is about a sexy, female serial killer, Gretchen Lowell, who in this 3rd book has escpaped from jail shortly before a new spree of killings begin. Police are not only t More...
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Sep 10, 2009
Sue
rated it:
This is the third book featuring detective Archie Sheridan and serial killer Gretchen Lowell. Gretchen, also known as the Beauty Killer, is on the loose. Archie is in a mental health facility attempting to recover from the physical and psychological wounds she has inflicted on him. The media has glamorized the vicious murderer and now Beauty Killer fan clubs are springing up left and right. When body parts start turning up at previous murder sites, Archie is called upon to help capture Gretchen
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Jul 30, 2009
Becky
rated it:
Evil at Heart, the third of the Gretchen Lowell/Archie Sheridan thrillers, picks up just months after the end of Sweetheart. Gretchen Lowell, the Beauty Killer, is still at large, and Archie has voluntarily committed himself to a psychiatric institute which he doesn't care to leave. The Beauty Killer has become a runaway cultural phenomenon, with all of the attendant tasteless accouterments we have come to expect. There are Beauty Killer bus tours, which visit Gretchen's many crime scenes. Ad
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Jul 12, 2009
Ron
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 29, 2011
This book was a fast read. At first, I didn't really like the style or really how the whole situation was introduced. The family on vacation seemed a bit forced and some of the language seemed unrealistic.
However, having not been introduced to the characters in the other books, this one stands fine on its own and creates enough of a dynamic and intrigue to understand some of the motivations behind the characters.
I didn't like the constant flashbacks in the beginning being as the chapters w More...
However, having not been introduced to the characters in the other books, this one stands fine on its own and creates enough of a dynamic and intrigue to understand some of the motivations behind the characters.
I didn't like the constant flashbacks in the beginning being as the chapters w More...
Jul 22, 2009
Michael
rated it:
It would be easy to compare Chelsea Cain's series featuring serial killer Gretchen Lowell to the best-selling series by Robert Harris featuring the unforgettable Hannibal Lecter. Both series have catapulted their respective authors to immense fame and respect within the publishing community and while Harris has the fame, Cain's series about Lowell is showing signs of having better legs for a long-run of stories. Or, at the very least, that Cain has some kind of plan and something new to say i
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Sep 05, 2011
Emily
rated it:
FINALLY Archie Sheridan gets his balls back. That should really be the subtitle to this book. Evil At Heart: Archie Sheridan Finds His Balls. And it seriously can't come sooner enough after the self induced torture fest that was Sweetheart. Jesus H, I've never wanted to punch a main character in the face more then I did through that entire novel. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER REVIEW ENTIRELY. Moving on.
I absolutely loved this. We see the (somehow, didn't think it was even possible to go further) More...
I absolutely loved this. We see the (somehow, didn't think it was even possible to go further) More...
Jul 07, 2011
Diana
rated it:
"Evil at Heart" is a good title for this book ! It is #3 in the series. The main character, Gretchen Lowell, a MASS murderer, is so EVIL. She is truly mentally ill and a sociopath. Who else could think like she does?? So what does say about Archie Sheridan the cop who loves her....even after she has kept him prisoner and removed his spleen without anesthesia???? Such wierd things happen in this book that I felt better reading it in the day light. You can't quite figure
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Jan 27, 2011
Erin
rated it:
Since I read all three of the Gretchen Lowell books in about 3 days, I am going to review them as one.
On the one hand I am totally fascinated by these books. I freaking love Gretchen Lowell in the exact way that the rest of the dummies in the society in this book love her. I'm not saying I would join one of the cult fan clubs, but I would totally be reading all the newspaper articles online and would probably buy a Free Gretchen t-shirt. Also, I tend to be totally fascinated by More...
On the one hand I am totally fascinated by these books. I freaking love Gretchen Lowell in the exact way that the rest of the dummies in the society in this book love her. I'm not saying I would join one of the cult fan clubs, but I would totally be reading all the newspaper articles online and would probably buy a Free Gretchen t-shirt. Also, I tend to be totally fascinated by More...
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Feb 17, 2010
Erin
rated it:
I don't review books often, but there were some things I feel compelled to say about this book/series.
Chelsea Cain is a very good writer. Her main characters are engaging and fucked up and beautiful and, above all, believable.
But... the books do not go together retroactively. You can tell that each was written after the preceding. I don't know if that sounds weird? But, uh, spoilers: in "Heartsick", the Archie/Gretchen subtext was beautiful. But that was all it More...
Chelsea Cain is a very good writer. Her main characters are engaging and fucked up and beautiful and, above all, believable.
But... the books do not go together retroactively. You can tell that each was written after the preceding. I don't know if that sounds weird? But, uh, spoilers: in "Heartsick", the Archie/Gretchen subtext was beautiful. But that was all it More...
Nov 28, 2009
Laren
rated it:
This is the third book in a series about serial killer Gretchen Lowell. She infiltrated the police on her own case in the first book, and one detective named Archie developed such an obsession with her that it cost him several severe scars, his family, and even his sanity by the end of the second book. In this book, Gretchen is still at large, and society has turned her into more of a celebrity than a feared killer. She even has a fan club that celebrates her gruesome work. Then bodies start
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Aug 13, 2009
Meagan
rated it:
The third entry of Chelsea Cain's twisted and violent trilogy, after Heartsick and Sweetheart, is well worth reading for fans of the series. It's fast paced and entertaining, and it gives us more glimpses into the minds of the characters we've grown to love and fear. I've rated Evil at Heart three stars, but this is one of the moments that I wish half-stars were possible. I would really prefer to give it three and a half.
The reason I chose a three star rating over the four star ra More...
The reason I chose a three star rating over the four star ra More...
Feb 03, 2011
Claudia
rated it:
This go around Henry and Claire has join forces by becoming a couple and Archie in a Looney toon bin so he want kill himself. Pieces of someone body washes up out of a toilet and Henry goes get Archie to see if Gretchen has strike again.
Susan brings back her signature style hair of purple and her boots of fashion. Susan finds herself with a dead body that's cut up that leaves her speechless, bloody and fingerprinted for trespassing.
Archie finds he not safe in the bin, Gr More...
Susan brings back her signature style hair of purple and her boots of fashion. Susan finds herself with a dead body that's cut up that leaves her speechless, bloody and fingerprinted for trespassing.
Archie finds he not safe in the bin, Gr More...
Aug 23, 2009
Natalie
rated it:
Eyeballs bobbing in the toilet tank, a head found on a hillside , eyeless sockets. Is the famous Beauty Killer out again? Archie knows all to well about Gretchen Lowell, known as the Beauty Killer and he must find her before she kills again. But how will he do that from a bed at a mental institution? Susan, the journalist for the Herald wants Archie's story but soon enough, Susan and Archie find themselves on a dangerous hunt .
Yep this one has plenty of gory details but the story kee More...
Yep this one has plenty of gory details but the story kee More...
Dec 11, 2009
Rhonda
rated it:
Although "Evil at Heart", the third book in the installment series of serial killer Gretchen Lowell vs. Archie Sheridan, etal., is not quite as frightening as "Heartsick", the original in the series, it is an entertaining reach that is difficult to put down.
The elephant in the room in this story, is the focus on the Main Stream Media, and how their refusal to back away from all details of a story that is forefront in the minds of the public creates celebrity, whe More...
The elephant in the room in this story, is the focus on the Main Stream Media, and how their refusal to back away from all details of a story that is forefront in the minds of the public creates celebrity, whe More...
