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Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #6
Let Me Go: An Archie Sheridan / Gretchen Lowell Novel
"[A] masterful blend of psychological suspense and straight-up gore, chronicling the twisted bond between police detective Archie Sheridan and serial killer Gretchen Lowell."― Criminal Element 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 favor, it's going to be a long weekend.
"Grabs you like a deadly undertow and doesn't let you go."― Parade magazine 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 painkillers, a guest is dead, and Archie quickly realizes that little is what it seems. One thing is Gretchen is back, and Archie's nemesis and sometime lover has something special in mind for the birthday boy. Now, 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 ever could have imagined…in Let Me Go by Chelsea Cain. "Gretchen Lowell isn't just the most fascinating villain…to appear in crime fiction in many, many years; she's also becoming a multifaceted character capable of engendering a much wider range of emotions than one would expect of somebody who enjoys carving up spleens." ― Booklist (starred review)
"Grabs you like a deadly undertow and doesn't let you go."― Parade magazine 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 painkillers, a guest is dead, and Archie quickly realizes that little is what it seems. One thing is Gretchen is back, and Archie's nemesis and sometime lover has something special in mind for the birthday boy. Now, 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 ever could have imagined…in Let Me Go by Chelsea Cain. "Gretchen Lowell isn't just the most fascinating villain…to appear in crime fiction in many, many years; she's also becoming a multifaceted character capable of engendering a much wider range of emotions than one would expect of somebody who enjoys carving up spleens." ― Booklist (starred review)
372 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 13, 2013
191 people are currently reading
6186 people want to read
About the author
Chelsea Cain
88 books3,798 followersChelsea Cain is the New York Times bestselling author of the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell thrillers Heartsick, Sweetheart, Evil at Heart, The Night Season, Kill You Twice, and Let Me Go. Her next book One Kick (August, 2014) will be the first in her Kick Lannigan thriller series. Her book Heartsick was named one of the best 100 thrillers ever written by NPR, and Heartsick and Sweetheart were named among Stephen King's Top Ten Books of the Year. Her books have been featured on HBO's True Blood and on ABC's Castle. Cain lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 973 reviews
May 3, 2017
Oh my gosh! I loved this series. This is the last hook in the Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell Series. It was so good. It dealt with so many fears. Imagine being led in the pitch black darkness in a tunnel with cobwebs all over it and spiders dropping on your forehead and not being able to get out of it because once you are there the door is locked where you were led. Another fear is snakes, lots of them. This one scared me and I don't scare easily. I just loved this book. Think of any fear and it is probably going to be in this book. This one I think is the best in the series.
Mobster Jack Reynolds, knows how to throw a pre-Halloween party. The food and drink are endless; the attendees include 500 masked guests; security has been outsourced to a cadre of military contractors. Not only is Archie reluctantly in attendance, but the host, unaware that his son Leo is secretly working undercover for the DEA, virtually kidnaps Leo’s girlfriend, reporter Susan Ward, and has her driven to his private island for the party and coiffed and costumed by a helpful stripper when she arrives. The morning after the festivities, Archie wakes up in the mud and , Lisa Watson, is found slashed to death. Both disruptions strongly suggest the presence of Gretchen among the masked revelers, even though Archie assures Susan that “it’s been fourteen months since she killed recreationally.” And Gretchen remains offstage for most of this installment—allowing Archie free rein to celebrate his birthday in handcuffs as his downstairs neighbor Rachel entertains him with a lap dance—until Archie’s lover/nemesis/torturer turns up at the eleventh hour to end some lives, save others and complain, “Do I have to do everything myself?” The murder and its solution take a back seat to the continuing saga of Archie’s affair with the sociopath for whom his heart burns, all but literally. 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.
Chelsea Cain has done it again! This is the 6th book in her amazingly gritty and jaw-dropping Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series. I recommend them to anyone who loves a little murder and mayhem in their fiction. But if you haven't read any of them yet make sure you start with the first book--HeartSick
Mobster Jack Reynolds, knows how to throw a pre-Halloween party. The food and drink are endless; the attendees include 500 masked guests; security has been outsourced to a cadre of military contractors. Not only is Archie reluctantly in attendance, but the host, unaware that his son Leo is secretly working undercover for the DEA, virtually kidnaps Leo’s girlfriend, reporter Susan Ward, and has her driven to his private island for the party and coiffed and costumed by a helpful stripper when she arrives. The morning after the festivities, Archie wakes up in the mud and , Lisa Watson, is found slashed to death. Both disruptions strongly suggest the presence of Gretchen among the masked revelers, even though Archie assures Susan that “it’s been fourteen months since she killed recreationally.” And Gretchen remains offstage for most of this installment—allowing Archie free rein to celebrate his birthday in handcuffs as his downstairs neighbor Rachel entertains him with a lap dance—until Archie’s lover/nemesis/torturer turns up at the eleventh hour to end some lives, save others and complain, “Do I have to do everything myself?” The murder and its solution take a back seat to the continuing saga of Archie’s affair with the sociopath for whom his heart burns, all but literally. 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.
Chelsea Cain has done it again! This is the 6th book in her amazingly gritty and jaw-dropping Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series. I recommend them to anyone who loves a little murder and mayhem in their fiction. But if you haven't read any of them yet make sure you start with the first book--HeartSick
February 23, 2014
Eh.
I think I'm done with this series.
It wasn't terrible. Cain does a decent job ratcheting up the suspense with her serial killer who may show up at any moment, foot chases around an old bootlegger's mansion, and the repeated kidnappings of the apparently not-very bright Susan who should really know better by now.
However, Gretchen, the anti-heroine of this series, is now just annoying. She's not only a doctor, but also a super-hacker to boot. Of course she is. Plus, she's the Mary Poppins of killing and escaping - practically perfect in every way.
Her twisted relationship with cop Archie is boring. I get that the whole series hinges on the fact that he loves her in a tormented, Stockholm-syndrome way. But it's gone on for three books too long. She's killed I-don't-know-how-many innocent people, and poor, sad little Archie still can't kill her when the opportunity arises?
I'm just not buying it at this point. Maybe I just don't really care for the suspend-all-disbelief nature of these sorts of thriller novels.
If you don't ask any reasonable questions while reading this, it could be mindlessly entertaining, but, frankly, I'd skip it. There's better out there.
*language, violence, sex
I think I'm done with this series.
It wasn't terrible. Cain does a decent job ratcheting up the suspense with her serial killer who may show up at any moment, foot chases around an old bootlegger's mansion, and the repeated kidnappings of the apparently not-very bright Susan who should really know better by now.
However, Gretchen, the anti-heroine of this series, is now just annoying. She's not only a doctor, but also a super-hacker to boot. Of course she is. Plus, she's the Mary Poppins of killing and escaping - practically perfect in every way.
Her twisted relationship with cop Archie is boring. I get that the whole series hinges on the fact that he loves her in a tormented, Stockholm-syndrome way. But it's gone on for three books too long. She's killed I-don't-know-how-many innocent people, and poor, sad little Archie still can't kill her when the opportunity arises?
I'm just not buying it at this point. Maybe I just don't really care for the suspend-all-disbelief nature of these sorts of thriller novels.
If you don't ask any reasonable questions while reading this, it could be mindlessly entertaining, but, frankly, I'd skip it. There's better out there.
*language, violence, sex
June 8, 2018
4.5 Stars
I'm sad now. I don't know what to do with myself now. I don't want this series to be over. I need more.
I originally planned to read this series over the next 3 months but I ended up reading the whole series in a week. I devoured this series and even when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. I've read other reviews for this series and people have called it a Hannibal Lecter ripoff and said that the series was farfetched and unbelievable.
So What!
1. Its not a Hannibal Lecter ripoff and that's coming from someone who just finished reading the entire series and watched all the movies but one( I just can't make myself watch Hannibal Rising. I can't do it) not to mention the great and underappreciated tv show Hannibal.
2. Are there some plots and story turns in this series that made me roll my eyes?
Yes! but that's true of most long running series.
Chelsea Cain has written a masterful, gory, dark, and razor sharp psychological thriller. Cain has a sick sick mind and I love her. I'm tempted to reread this whole series right now but I'll be good and read it again next year.
If you love gory, twisted, heart-stopping thrillers with a villain you'll love to hate then Chelsea Cain's Archie Sheridan series is for you.
Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book about or set on Halloween
Hooked On Books Read-A-Thon
I'm sad now. I don't know what to do with myself now. I don't want this series to be over. I need more.
I originally planned to read this series over the next 3 months but I ended up reading the whole series in a week. I devoured this series and even when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. I've read other reviews for this series and people have called it a Hannibal Lecter ripoff and said that the series was farfetched and unbelievable.
So What!
1. Its not a Hannibal Lecter ripoff and that's coming from someone who just finished reading the entire series and watched all the movies but one( I just can't make myself watch Hannibal Rising. I can't do it) not to mention the great and underappreciated tv show Hannibal.
2. Are there some plots and story turns in this series that made me roll my eyes?
Yes! but that's true of most long running series.
Chelsea Cain has written a masterful, gory, dark, and razor sharp psychological thriller. Cain has a sick sick mind and I love her. I'm tempted to reread this whole series right now but I'll be good and read it again next year.
If you love gory, twisted, heart-stopping thrillers with a villain you'll love to hate then Chelsea Cain's Archie Sheridan series is for you.
Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book about or set on Halloween
Hooked On Books Read-A-Thon
September 19, 2013
Ugh.
That's all I have to say.
Let me elaborate:
I really have no idea why I subject myself to this series except I have some really annoying masochostic side to my personality. I believe Let Me Go is about Det. Archie Sheridan trying to protect Leo Reynolds cover when Leo's handler, Carl, is killed. Also, serial killer extraordinaire Gretchen Lowell is still on the run. It's also Archie's birthday. And Halloween.
There's also a serial killer on the loose.
This is just me simplifying the story. How many times is Cain going to repeat the same old oddly sexual/torturous relationship between Archie and Gretchen? I am sorry but I am not buying Gretchen as the anti hero Cain wants her to be. Chick is a violent amoral serial killer. But apparently now, she's a capable hacker. Perhaps her name should be changed to Mary Sue.
What was with all of the graphic sex scenes? They were not necessary.
I hate it when characters are saying something totally right but their characters are totally horrible. Case in point: Susan. I really wish she will be killed off. The only positive aspect about Let Me Go is that is was ridiculously fast to read. I am cutting myself off from all future Archie/Gretchen novels until I get proof that it's the end and that everybody but Henry and Claire dies.
That's all I have to say.
Let me elaborate:
I really have no idea why I subject myself to this series except I have some really annoying masochostic side to my personality. I believe Let Me Go is about Det. Archie Sheridan trying to protect Leo Reynolds cover when Leo's handler, Carl, is killed. Also, serial killer extraordinaire Gretchen Lowell is still on the run. It's also Archie's birthday. And Halloween.
There's also a serial killer on the loose.
This is just me simplifying the story. How many times is Cain going to repeat the same old oddly sexual/torturous relationship between Archie and Gretchen? I am sorry but I am not buying Gretchen as the anti hero Cain wants her to be. Chick is a violent amoral serial killer. But apparently now, she's a capable hacker. Perhaps her name should be changed to Mary Sue.
What was with all of the graphic sex scenes? They were not necessary.
I hate it when characters are saying something totally right but their characters are totally horrible. Case in point: Susan. I really wish she will be killed off. The only positive aspect about Let Me Go is that is was ridiculously fast to read. I am cutting myself off from all future Archie/Gretchen novels until I get proof that it's the end and that everybody but Henry and Claire dies.
June 26, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Ok I’m officially in mourning! I put this book off for weeks because I knew I was going to be so sad about getting to the end of this series- 1 of my all time favorites EVER!! I was hooked from
book 1.. Yet somehow each book was better than the 1 before. & this was, of course, the best of all!! I couldn’t put it down! An EXCELLENT book, worthy of being the last 1. (Although I’ll still wish for more!! 🙏🏻)
If you haven’t read these please start at the beginning- you’re in for a treat!
book 1.. Yet somehow each book was better than the 1 before. & this was, of course, the best of all!! I couldn’t put it down! An EXCELLENT book, worthy of being the last 1. (Although I’ll still wish for more!! 🙏🏻)
If you haven’t read these please start at the beginning- you’re in for a treat!
May 28, 2017
This is a great series and must be read in order to fully understand the relationship between Archie and Gretchen. So many feelings of love, hate, mental addiction, repulsion, sympathy etc. are evoked by these characters. In this addition a small faction of untouchables mess with the wrong detective and boy did they underestimate his unknown guardian. Gretchen is the last thing they expected and the first thing they should have run for the hills from. Fast action thriller with the return of the usual suspects. I think the best story in the series thus far. The rumors are spinning around a possible 7th book. Great narration
February 28, 2017
Absolutely brilliant! Going to miss these characters. Hope there'll be another one at some stage in the future?!
October 4, 2013
We revisit with Archie, Gretchen and the gang once more in this sixth installment of the series. Gretchen is still on the run after escaping from the psychiatric facility and manages to insert herself into Archie’s latest case. For Archie, investigating a drug kingpin is certainly not part of his recovery and he, somewhat predictably, lapses in his own narcotic rehab.
Despite that fact it has Hallowe’en and Archie’s birthday as main events, I didn’t find anything to celebrate about this book. With this installment I feel that Ms. Cain has run out of steam. When the series first started I found Gretchen Lowell shocking as a female serial killer who could put Hannibal Lector to shame. Susan was a quirky and fun, a bit of color in the drab world of police blue. Archie as the troubled abused and ineffective cop was a nice change from the go-get-‘em super cops in many other books. Now I am finding the characters tired and frequently annoying. Personally, I feel it’s time to end Gretchen’s reign of terror, give Susan and Archie a happily ever after ending and call it quits on the Beauty Killer series.
Despite that fact it has Hallowe’en and Archie’s birthday as main events, I didn’t find anything to celebrate about this book. With this installment I feel that Ms. Cain has run out of steam. When the series first started I found Gretchen Lowell shocking as a female serial killer who could put Hannibal Lector to shame. Susan was a quirky and fun, a bit of color in the drab world of police blue. Archie as the troubled abused and ineffective cop was a nice change from the go-get-‘em super cops in many other books. Now I am finding the characters tired and frequently annoying. Personally, I feel it’s time to end Gretchen’s reign of terror, give Susan and Archie a happily ever after ending and call it quits on the Beauty Killer series.
May 8, 2015
don't believe everything you read in the blurb. The back of this book stated this was the conclusion to this series so I dug in with great anticipation to see how Chelsea Cain would bring this strange affair between Archie and Gretchen to an end.
She didn't.
Reading a question on her page on Goodreads I discovered that she would be alternating between this series and her new books on Kick.
Don't get me wrong I really like this series but there are surely only so many times the woman can escape??
Anyway to get back to the book at hand. Archie seems to have gotten clean and gotten his life back in order - he has a girlfriend and a dog, ok its Gretchen's dog but he has taken Ginger in and considers her his.
Its not long before chaos returns to his life however when an undercover DEA agent turns up dead and thus leads us along the pathway that will bring Gretchen Lowell, serial killer back into his life with her own warped sense of a birthday gift.
Anyone who has read any of these books know that Archie and Gretchen share a strange bond, basically they had a mad affair while he was working on the beauty killer case turns out she was the beauty killer and tried to kill him.
You would think that being tortured would sour the relationship but there is something between them that we see still exists in this book. we also get to see a little more of how the relationship worked while they were working together on the case.
Chelsea Cain has again produced an excellent story however as I said at the start of this review I was a little disappointed that this wasn't the final book and this I think affected how I read the book.
I was still gripped from beginning to end and enjoyed the story and there were the usual twists and turns that you have no idea how things are going to end up.
Definitely not a standalone book I would suggest if you are going to read this you start from the beginning as you need to understand the history of the characters from the start.
She didn't.
Reading a question on her page on Goodreads I discovered that she would be alternating between this series and her new books on Kick.
Don't get me wrong I really like this series but there are surely only so many times the woman can escape??
Anyway to get back to the book at hand. Archie seems to have gotten clean and gotten his life back in order - he has a girlfriend and a dog, ok its Gretchen's dog but he has taken Ginger in and considers her his.
Its not long before chaos returns to his life however when an undercover DEA agent turns up dead and thus leads us along the pathway that will bring Gretchen Lowell, serial killer back into his life with her own warped sense of a birthday gift.
Anyone who has read any of these books know that Archie and Gretchen share a strange bond, basically they had a mad affair while he was working on the beauty killer case turns out she was the beauty killer and tried to kill him.
You would think that being tortured would sour the relationship but there is something between them that we see still exists in this book. we also get to see a little more of how the relationship worked while they were working together on the case.
Chelsea Cain has again produced an excellent story however as I said at the start of this review I was a little disappointed that this wasn't the final book and this I think affected how I read the book.
I was still gripped from beginning to end and enjoyed the story and there were the usual twists and turns that you have no idea how things are going to end up.
Definitely not a standalone book I would suggest if you are going to read this you start from the beginning as you need to understand the history of the characters from the start.
September 8, 2013
It happens to the best of mystery series authors: there comes a point when they simply seem to not know what to do with their characters. I appreciate that there is a special challenge for Cain because her two main characters are opposing forces (protagonist/antagonist, cop/serial killer). How to keep the cat & mouse game interesting over five novels? Unfortunately, Cain's sixth novel does not do much to advance the relationship or do something new with the characters.
Rather, Cain, seemingly at a loss for compelling new plot, fills up pages with gratuitous gore and sex. At times, it read like a gory, horror movie with a side of porn.
One of the things I liked most about the earlier books in Cain's series is the dynamic between the cop and the serial killer. Without giving away too much of the earlier books (because they are worth reading), the damaged hero cop Archie Sheridan has numerous opportunities to capture or kill serial killer Gretchen Lowell, yet he never does. This despite her violence and torture of him personally. Seriously, it's a very twisted relationship, but Cain made it work previously.
Now, however, I just want to slap Archie for his carnal weaknesses and professional weaknesses. And that feeling comes from Cain not doing enough to keep the characters and the central relationship with the serial killer new and fresh. The cat & mouse game can only go on for so long before it gets stale. And stale is what Let Me Go is.
Plus, it took me until the sixth novel to realize that Cain has not done much to develop the ancillary characters. There are numerous secondary characters that revolve around the central cop/killer relationship, but they are thinly drawn and have never grown over the series. The possible exception to this is Susan Ward, the young reporter who's been in the middle of the action for better or worse since the first book. But even her character has become less of a foil and more of a deus ex machina figure--a means to an end, rather than a legitimate force.
I hope Cain steps it up in the next installment and finds a way to do something new and different with the characters and series. Otherwise, this may be the last Gretchen Lowell book I read.
Rather, Cain, seemingly at a loss for compelling new plot, fills up pages with gratuitous gore and sex. At times, it read like a gory, horror movie with a side of porn.
One of the things I liked most about the earlier books in Cain's series is the dynamic between the cop and the serial killer. Without giving away too much of the earlier books (because they are worth reading), the damaged hero cop Archie Sheridan has numerous opportunities to capture or kill serial killer Gretchen Lowell, yet he never does. This despite her violence and torture of him personally. Seriously, it's a very twisted relationship, but Cain made it work previously.
Now, however, I just want to slap Archie for his carnal weaknesses and professional weaknesses. And that feeling comes from Cain not doing enough to keep the characters and the central relationship with the serial killer new and fresh. The cat & mouse game can only go on for so long before it gets stale. And stale is what Let Me Go is.
Plus, it took me until the sixth novel to realize that Cain has not done much to develop the ancillary characters. There are numerous secondary characters that revolve around the central cop/killer relationship, but they are thinly drawn and have never grown over the series. The possible exception to this is Susan Ward, the young reporter who's been in the middle of the action for better or worse since the first book. But even her character has become less of a foil and more of a deus ex machina figure--a means to an end, rather than a legitimate force.
I hope Cain steps it up in the next installment and finds a way to do something new and different with the characters and series. Otherwise, this may be the last Gretchen Lowell book I read.
July 1, 2017
Simply an amazing series!!! I sincerely hope there are more books to come, hands down one of my favorite of all time.
March 7, 2015
Kill You Twice was 5 stars - Let Me Go is 500 stars! I can't say enough about the intensity of this book. A bomb going off could not have made me put this book down. This series must be read in order...no way around that. But it's worth it. I was hooked by the first book and found quite a few WT* moments in the first few...mess with your mind scenes. But these last two books are OMG reads...I didn't think it was possible to raise the stakes, intensity, or emotional turmoil any higher - Man, was I wrong! Kill You Twice & Let Me Go were must read straight through books...No One is safe is these books. The emotional entanglements are twisted, characters are not who they seem, the death toll is mounting. Shock after shock will rock you. Chelsea Cain - You Rock!
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August 27, 2013OHH MY GOD NONE OF YOU TOLD ME THERE WAS A NEW GRETCHEN BOOK
NOT ONE
YOU'RE ALL FIRED
FIRED
FIRED FOREVER
NOT ONE
YOU'RE ALL FIRED
FIRED
FIRED FOREVER
March 1, 2023
This series started out with a ridiculous premise and continued to slide from there. I think Chelsea Cain knew it too, because she embraced the insanity and ended with a big finale. If you're flaming out anyway, you might as well go out with a bang!
This series ender was exactly what I expected it to be. If you're curious but don't want to put yourself through the whole series, stop after the first book. On the other hand, that's how I got hooked.
This series ender was exactly what I expected it to be. If you're curious but don't want to put yourself through the whole series, stop after the first book. On the other hand, that's how I got hooked.
November 29, 2013
I picked up "Heartsick" on a whim one day in the bookstore, and LOVED it. I was so excited when I found out there were sequels. I got each of them as soon as I could, and tried to ignore how strained the storylines started getting ...
And now we've gotten to this point, where Gretchen is now apparently Felicity from "Arrow" - she can hack security systems, computers, and even old cars! And she and Archie go crimefighting together!
Then we get to the most stunningly egregious part, the part where I actually questioned my sanity in sticking with this series ... the only reason that Chump Sheridan didn't die from being shot IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE that she stuck him with a scalpel was ... because she removed his spleen when she was torturing him back in the events preceding "Heartsick". That's right, ladies and gents, Gretchen Lowell SAVED Archie Sheridan by torturing him years earlier! She's really not so bad! /eyeroll into infinity
At that point, I decided that I'm not running to pick up any more of these ... if there are any more, which I really hope there aren't.
I also think it's ridiculous that Susan's apparent only romance choices are the drug lord's son (who's screwed up) or Archie (who I had sympathy for in the first couple books but at this point I'm just yelling WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU at the book) and jesus Susan come on. There is no way you should be considering Archie even remotely acceptable romance material.
This book was severely disappointing. I was interested in the series for Gretchen Lowell, and how Archie handled that entire mess in his life, not for Mary Sue Lowell And Her Perfect Adventures Of Why She's So Great. At this point, it's almost like Cain has run out of gas for "shocking" (ooh how edgy, we'll have them hook up at a crime scene that's SHOCKING) and so we just have to trot out more and more things that make Archie practically impossible to sympathize with.
I picked up "Heartsick" again, wondering if maybe I was giving it too much of a rosy glow because of how long ago I read it, but no, I'm flying through it again, and it's actually interesting ... unlike this book, which felt like a total slog, and by the time I realized I was sick of it, I was so far into it that I may as well finish it.
And now we've gotten to this point, where Gretchen is now apparently Felicity from "Arrow" - she can hack security systems, computers, and even old cars! And she and Archie go crimefighting together!
Then we get to the most stunningly egregious part, the part where I actually questioned my sanity in sticking with this series ... the only reason that Chump Sheridan didn't die from being shot IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE that she stuck him with a scalpel was ... because she removed his spleen when she was torturing him back in the events preceding "Heartsick". That's right, ladies and gents, Gretchen Lowell SAVED Archie Sheridan by torturing him years earlier! She's really not so bad! /eyeroll into infinity
At that point, I decided that I'm not running to pick up any more of these ... if there are any more, which I really hope there aren't.
I also think it's ridiculous that Susan's apparent only romance choices are the drug lord's son (who's screwed up) or Archie (who I had sympathy for in the first couple books but at this point I'm just yelling WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU at the book) and jesus Susan come on. There is no way you should be considering Archie even remotely acceptable romance material.
This book was severely disappointing. I was interested in the series for Gretchen Lowell, and how Archie handled that entire mess in his life, not for Mary Sue Lowell And Her Perfect Adventures Of Why She's So Great. At this point, it's almost like Cain has run out of gas for "shocking" (ooh how edgy, we'll have them hook up at a crime scene that's SHOCKING) and so we just have to trot out more and more things that make Archie practically impossible to sympathize with.
I picked up "Heartsick" again, wondering if maybe I was giving it too much of a rosy glow because of how long ago I read it, but no, I'm flying through it again, and it's actually interesting ... unlike this book, which felt like a total slog, and by the time I realized I was sick of it, I was so far into it that I may as well finish it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2013
I look forward to EVERY Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell book. They're delightfully twisted but, more importantly, full of likable, well-drawn characters. I can "see" them all in my head, in fact--Susan (she's got a skunk stripe in this one!), Henry, Archie's ex-wife, Debbie, etc.
LET ME GO continues where the last book left off: Gretchen has left Archie a dog and is on the run (yet again). But she comes back to Portland to celebrate Archie's birthday (Halloween), just as Archie heads to the secluded island of drug dealer Jack Reynolds (dad of Leo, Susan's boyfriend who happens to be undercover DEA).
We discover that Archie's girlfriend Rachel is more than meets the eye (no surprise), and, as always, there's a high body count and lots of blood in this book.
My only criticism is that the whole "Gretchen-on-the-loose-and-able-to-kill-a-dozen-men-with-just-a-scalpel" is running thin. And, the fact that Susan got in a car ALONE, without police protection, is just unthinkable (it wasn't that long ago that she saw Pearl slaughtered in her bathroom. The gal MUST have PTSD!).
If you enjoy the Archie/Gretchen series, you'll like this latest installment...as long as you suspend some belief.
LET ME GO continues where the last book left off: Gretchen has left Archie a dog and is on the run (yet again). But she comes back to Portland to celebrate Archie's birthday (Halloween), just as Archie heads to the secluded island of drug dealer Jack Reynolds (dad of Leo, Susan's boyfriend who happens to be undercover DEA).
We discover that Archie's girlfriend Rachel is more than meets the eye (no surprise), and, as always, there's a high body count and lots of blood in this book.
My only criticism is that the whole "Gretchen-on-the-loose-and-able-to-kill-a-dozen-men-with-just-a-scalpel" is running thin. And, the fact that Susan got in a car ALONE, without police protection, is just unthinkable (it wasn't that long ago that she saw Pearl slaughtered in her bathroom. The gal MUST have PTSD!).
If you enjoy the Archie/Gretchen series, you'll like this latest installment...as long as you suspend some belief.
August 16, 2013
Chelsea Cain blows my freaking mind.
August 7, 2020
A friend lent me a pile of books and this was one of them. I was about a chapter or two in when I realized that this must be part of a series. I checked and lo and behold it was 6 out of 6 in a series. I promptly ordered book 1 from the library but as hard as I tried I could not put this one down. When they talked about characters previous dealings, experiences, etc. I was lost but the story was so gripping I didn't care. I am now going to go back and start with book 1. Will be fun to read where the horribly dysfunctional relationship between Archie and Gretchen began.
February 1, 2021
I really liked parts of this book, but overall it seemed slow to me. I enjoyed following familiar characters, but I can't say I'm a huge fan of that ending. 2.5 stars.
August 6, 2013
This most recent installment of the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series is quite an entertaining read! It has been over a year since I last encountered these characters, but Cain skillfully inserts little reminders to make the events of the previous novels feel freshly experienced. It is quite easy to get swept back into her Portland! The book opens just before Halloween, with the Beauty Killer still on the loose, and heading for Portland just in time for Archie’s birthday. The plot moves quickly, with the excitement amping up as each chapter flies by. The body count is plenty high here - and there are plenty of scenes between Archie and Gretchen.
Though the last novel, Kill You Twice, explores Gretchen’s past, in this one, Cain instead provides a rather gritty look into the early relationship of Archie and Gretchen. Other series regulars appear - Susan, the funky hair-dyed journalist and Henry, Archie’s partner - and play significant roles. It is a solidly exciting addition to the series. And, as always, it leaves you quite eager to see where the series will go next! These characters - even the villains - are always interesting and Cain takes them in some surprising plots! I hope the wait isn’t too long!
Though the last novel, Kill You Twice, explores Gretchen’s past, in this one, Cain instead provides a rather gritty look into the early relationship of Archie and Gretchen. Other series regulars appear - Susan, the funky hair-dyed journalist and Henry, Archie’s partner - and play significant roles. It is a solidly exciting addition to the series. And, as always, it leaves you quite eager to see where the series will go next! These characters - even the villains - are always interesting and Cain takes them in some surprising plots! I hope the wait isn’t too long!
January 2, 2015
This book has everything I've come to expect from Archie, Gretchen, Susan, Henry, and all the others. There's some history revealed, and some progress made, and some promising hints for the future. As in previous books in this series, there is violence, gore, and sexual content. Since Chelsea Cains's next book is not part of this series, I wonder if she needed a break after this book. It must be difficult to write a book this intense. But I am looking forward to the next one, whenever it may be.
April 11, 2016
Oh this pains me to rate this 4 stars. I just didn't feel like it was Cains best, definitely not in this series. It lagged in some areas and I was so ready to throttle a couple of the characters by the time things started getting real good then... Its over! Gretchen, you are a naughty girl. Archie, I still love you. Susan, grow the fuck up. Henry, quit being a ball buster. I feel better now. :)
June 17, 2020
Finished reading: June 17th 2020
“This was one of the things that Gretchen had taught him - his instincts, always so reliable when it came to crime, could fail him when it came to people.”
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
July 6, 2025
And so the series ends…or will the author write another book? Excellent psychological thriller with more twists and turns than one could expect! Read the series in order. I loved it. Each book is 4- stars but I have to give the series 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the character development continued through the series
March 29, 2020
Definitely full of action. Plot full of twists. Gretchen is as hot as ever. She seemed a little too capable. She has the ability to show up anywhere unnoticed, to hack computers, to retrieve bodies from the water and to rescue Archie and Susan. She also shows a human side, if that's even possible in a psychopathic serial killer. It adds to her allure. Sometimes I just wish someone would out a bullet between her eyes. But then there wouldn't be a 7th book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2018
A bit torn between 3 or 4 stars... finally decided on 3 mainly because way too much of the story was taken up describing the condition of Archie's penis. Way, way too much.
And in this last book Gretchen's abilities to kill have reached a ridiculous level.
I know the entire series stretched believability but the number of times Gretchen escaped, killed, escaped again, played around with Archie in this book... it was just a bit too much.
I did like the final story of Archie and Susan. That was a nice touch, I thought.
And in this last book Gretchen's abilities to kill have reached a ridiculous level.
I know the entire series stretched believability but the number of times Gretchen escaped, killed, escaped again, played around with Archie in this book... it was just a bit too much.
I did like the final story of Archie and Susan. That was a nice touch, I thought.
July 17, 2019
While I loved that Gretchen ultimately gets away in the end, this book left a lot to be desired. The plot felt forced much of the time, and even the action parts bored me. That said, I LOVE Gretchen Lowell and this series. This "finale" just didn't do it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2021
I need the new book right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 20, 2018
Stayed up late because I couldn’t stop reading.
November 29, 2021
3 stars--I liked the book. I didn't enjoy the drug dealing plot/characters, but continue to love Bliss and Susan. You'd think by now they'd drop Gretchen into a volcano dungeon or something.
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