MT Review: One Kick: A Novel (A Kick Lannigan Novel)

I've finished "One Kick" the 1st book in her Kick Lannigan series by Chelsea Cain.

Meet Kick Lannigan. She’s twenty-one. She can pick any lock. She knows five ways to kill you with a jacket. Get ready to fall in love.

From the author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell thrillers: The first in a nail-biting new series featuring Kick Lannigan, a young woman whose complicated past has given her a very special skill set.

Famously kidnapped at age six, Kick captured America’s hearts when she was rescued five years later. Now, twenty-one, she finds herself unexpectedly entangled in a missing child case that will put her talents to the test.

Trained as a marksman, lock picker, escape artist and bomb maker by her abductor, Kick could not return to the life of the average young girl after her release. So, in lieu of therapy, she mastered martial arts, boxing, and knife throwing; learned how to escape from the trunk of a car, jimmy a pair of handcuffs, and walk without making a sound — all before she was thirteen.

Kick has trained herself to be safe. But then two children go missing in three weeks, and an enigmatic and wealthy former weapons dealer approaches her with a proposition. John Bishop uses his fortune and contacts to track down missing children. Not only is he convinced Kick can help recover the two children — he won’t take no for an answer.

With lives hanging in the balance, Kick is set to be the crusader she has always imagined herself. Little does she know that the answers she and Bishop seek are hidden in one of the few places she doesn’t want to navigate — the dark corners of her own mind.

A heart-stopping, entertaining thrill ride, One Kick announces the arrival of a blistering new series by a stunning talent in the thriller realm.

Product Details
Series: A Kick Lannigan Novel
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (August 19, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1476749787
ISBN-13: 978-1476749785

My Review:

4/5

MT Review: Kill You Twice (Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell Novel) [Hardcover]

I've finished "Kill You Twice" the 5th book in her Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain.

Nothing makes Portland detective Archie Sheridan happier than knowing that Gretchen Lowell — the serial killer whose stunning beauty is belied by the gruesome murders she’s committed — is locked away in a psych ward. Archie can finally heal from the near-fatal physical and emotional wounds she’s inflicted on him and start moving on with his life.

To this end, Archie throws himself into the latest case to come across his desk: A cyclist has discovered a corpse in Mount Tabor Park on the eastern side of Portland. The man was gagged, skinned, and found hanging by his wrists from a tree. It’s the work of a killer bold and clever enough to torture his victim for hours on a sunny summer morning in a big public park and yet leave no trace.

And then Archie gets a message he can’t ignore — Gretchen claims to have inside knowledge about this grisly murder. Archie finally agrees to visit Gretchen, because he can’t risk losing his only lead in the case. At least, that’s what he tells himself . . . but the ties between Archie and Gretchen have always been stronger, deeper, and more complex than he’s willing to admit, even to himself. What game is she playing this time? And even more frightening, what long-hidden secrets from Gretchen’s past have been dredged up that someone would kill to protect?

At once terrifying and magnetic, “Beauty Killer” Gretchen Lowell returns with a vengeance in Kill You Twice, Chelsea Cain’s latest razor-sharp psychological thriller.

About the Author

CHELSEA CAIN’S first four novels featuring Archie Sheridan have all been New York Times bestsellers. Also the author of Confessions of a Teen Sleuth, a parody based on the life of Nancy Drew, and several nonfiction titles, she was born in Iowa, raised in Bellingham, Washington, and now lives in Portland, Oregon.

Product Details
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (August 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312619782
ISBN-13: 978-0312619787

My Review:

I highly recommend this series if you enjoy a tortured hero obsessed with a beautiful but deadly killer interwoven with great secondary characters and gruesome and descriptive crime scenes.

Portland Homicide Detective Archie Sheridan is still struggling with the ordeal of being tortured and maimed by his arch rival Gretchen Lowell.  He still bears physical and emotional scars from his terrifying encounters with the beautiful, cunning and deadly killer.  He sometimes rubs his scars (especially the heart she curved over his chest) until they start bleeding.  He has struggled to overcome his pill addiction and is now clean but not totally healed.  He suffers insomnia and his marriage ended though he sees his kids regularly.

One hot summer day Archie is called to a gruesome murder scene with his partner Henry Sobel.  A man's body was left hanging from the lower branches of a cedar tree with his wrists and ankles were tied with rope.  He was also tortured and mutilated (he was hit on the head with a hammer and his skin was carved from his chest and abdomen).  They discover he works at a local girls shelter and he finds a familiar face Pearl.  Then another body is discovered burning under a landmark.  The only clue to tie the two crimes is a white Lily.

Gretchen asks Susan Ward by way of her psychiatrist to visit her in jail so she can tell her about her very first kill James Beaton.  She describes how she killed him and drops clues that she wants Susan to relay to Archie.  She also drops a name Ryan Motley to peak his interest and make sure he would come visit her.

When he finally comes she informs him she knows who the killer is Colin Beaton.  Colin and Gretchen share a past together because they both had the same foster parents.  She also asks him to protect her daughter Pearl from Colin because she's his next target.

Archie's personal life is quite complicated with the aftereffects of his divorce and his unresolved feelings for Susan.  Then there is the new neighbor Rachel a young and dangerous women who bears an uncanny resemblance to Gretchen.  There seems to be mutual attraction between them and they start a sexual relationship and it's funny how she has heart tattoo on her back.

4/5

Books in series:

1.  Heartsick
2.  Sweetheart
3.  Evil at Heart
4.  The Night Season
5.  Kill You Twice

Thanks St. Martin's Press for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

The Night Season [Hardcover]

I've finished "The Night Season" the 4th book in her Archie Sheridan series by Chelsea Cain.

Product Description

With the Beauty Killer Gretchen Lowell locked away behind bars once again, Archie Sheridan — a Portland police detective and nearly one of her victims — can finally rest a little easier. Meanwhile, the rest of the city of Portland is in crisis. Heavy rains have flooded the Willamette River, and several people have drowned in the quickly rising waters. Or at least that’s what they thought until the medical examiner discovers that the latest victim didn’t drown: She was poisoned before she went into the water. Soon after, three of those drownings are also proven to be murders. Portland has a new serial killer on its hands, and Archie and his task force have a new case.

Reporter Susan Ward is chasing this story of a new serial killer with gusto, but she’s also got another lead to follow for an entirely separate mystery: The flooding has unearthed a skeleton, a man who might have died more than sixty years ago, the last time Portland flooded this badly, when the water washed away an entire neighborhood and killed at least fifteen people.

With Archie following the bizarre trail of evidence and evil deeds to catch a killer and possibly regain his life, and Susan Ward close behind, Chelsea Cain — one of today’s most talented suspense writers — launches the next installment of her bestselling series with an electric thriller.

About the Author

Chelsea Cain’s first three novels featuring Archie Sheridan—Heartsick, Sweetheart, and Evil at Heart—have all been New York Times bestsellers. Also the author of Confessions of a Teen Sleuth, a parody based on the life of Nancy Drew, and several nonfiction titles, she was born in Iowa, raised in Bellingham, Washington, and now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.

Product Details
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (March 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312619766
ISBN-13: 978-0312619763


My Review:

I highly recommend this series if you like dark mystery with truly horrific killers and a tortured hero.

Storyline: Gretchen Lowell is behind bars so Archie has kicked his addiction to vicodin and concentrating on his job. He still misses it sometimes.

The Williamette River keeps rising. Years ago, it was breached and thousands died. Now, bodies keep being found, drowned. Archie thinks nothing of it until the medical examiner finds a puncture mark on the victim which makes them believe it was Murder. But when they then examine the other bodies, they find the same puncture mark. They now have a serial killer on their hands. With more tests done, they come to the conclusion that a rare octopus is biting the victims, causing almost instant paralysis. When Archie's dear friend and partner Henry is bit, Archie can hardly breathe himself. They get Henry to the hospital in time, but the bite is deadly and all they can do is wait for the inevitable.

Reporter Susan Ward has been making a bigger name for herself in the newspaper industry. Archie allows her on almost every crime scene, and Susan is usually the first to scoop up the competition. She's been working on a really old story of when the town of Vanport (a place not far from their current location) was flooded and many were killed. She's found a skeleton and believes it to be one of the victims. Archie doesn't see what the connection could be and concentrates on his current case.

As his investigation deepens, they realize a young boy is involved (a boy kidnapped over a year ago). Archie promises the parents he will retrieve and bring him home. But if Archie keeps jumping in the river to save people, he won't be able to save himself. His lungs are very weak from the torture he sustained from Beauty Killer Gretchen Lowell.

The stakes are heating up and the killer is closer than they think. As the water rises, the deaths climb and no where near the water is safe, especially not knowing where the killer lurks with the deadly octopus.

Characters: It was great to see Susan play a bigger part in this book. She has matured alot and has grown strong without losing any of her quirkiness.

Archie is such a great detective when he's thinking clearly and not doped up with vicodin and lusting after Gretchen. It's really great to see he has cleaned up his addiction and being friendly to his ex-wife and getting along with his kids.

Was kind of disappointed only saw Gretchen at the end!

Killer: This is one sick killer who really gets off on his octopus killing. He has also conditioned the boy to return back to him and makes the boy watch his killings and participate! He definitely has no remorse and we later find out why he is killing. Glad the killer got what they deserved in the end!

4/5

Thanks Anna from FSB Media for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Evil at Heart (Hardcover)

I've just finished reading "Evil at Heart" the 3rd book in her Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain.

Product Description

Chelsea Cain’s novels featuring Portland detective Archie Sheridan and serial killer Gretchen Lowell have captivated fans through two nail-biting entries, Heartsick and Sweetheart, both of them multiweek bestsellers in The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly.

Gretchen Lowell is still on the loose. These days, she’s more of a cause célèbre than a feared killer, thanks to sensationalist news coverage that has made her a star. Her face graces magazine covers weekly and there have been sightings of her around the world. Most shocking of all, Portland Herald reporter Susan Ward has uncovered a bizarre kind of fan club, which celebrates the number of days she’s been free.

Archie Sheridan hunted her for a decade, and after his last ploy to catch her went spectacularly wrong, remains hospitalized months later. When they last spoke, they entered a détente of sorts---Archie agreed not to kill himself if she agreed not to kill anyone else. But when a new body is found accompanied by Gretchen’s trademark heart, all bets are off and Archie is forced back into action. Has the Beauty Killer returned to her gruesome ways, or has the cult surrounding her created a whole new evil?

Chelsea Cain continues to deliver heart-stopping thrills and chills in the latest entry in this dynamic bestselling series.

My review:

Wow this series just gets better and better.  Very fast pace right from the first page to the end of the book!

Gretchen's kills gets more gruesome in this books then the previous two (the way I like it, LOL!).

Archie is as loveable as always and this books shows us how he first met Gretchen,etc.

5/5

Heartsick (Hardcover)

I've just finished reading "HeartSick" the 1st book in her Archie Sheridan series by Chelsea Cain.

From the Inside Flap

Damaged Portland detective Archie Sheridan spent ten years tracking Gretchen Lowell, a beautiful serial killer, but in the end she was the one who caught him. Two years ago, Gretchen kidnapped Archie and tortured him for ten days, but instead of killing him, she mysteriously decided to let him go. She turned herself in, and now Gretchen has been locked away for the rest of her life, while Archie is in a prison of another kind---addicted to pain pills, unable to return to his old life, powerless to get those ten horrific days off his mind. Archie’s a different person, his estranged wife says, and he knows she’s right. He continues to visit Gretchen in prison once a week, saying that only he can get her to confess as to the whereabouts of more of her victims, but even he knows the truth---he can’t stay away.

When another killer begins snatching teenage girls off the streets of Portland, Archie has to pull himself together enough to lead the new task force investigating the murders. A hungry young newspaper reporter, Susan Ward, begins profiling Archie and the investigation, which sparks a deadly game between Archie, Susan, the new killer, and even Gretchen. They need to catch a killer, and maybe somehow then Archie can free himself from Gretchen, once and for all. Either way, Heartsick makes for one of the most extraordinary suspense debuts in recent memory.

About the Author

Chelsea Cain lived the first few years of her life on an Iowa commune, then grew up in Bellingham, Washington, where the infamous Green River Killer was “the boogeyman” of her youth. She started writing Heartsick to kill time while she was pregnant. Also the author of Confessions of a Teen Sleuth, a parody based on the life of Nancy Drew, several nonfiction titles, and a weekly column in The Oregonian, Chelsea Cain lives in Portland with her husband and daughter. Visit her online at www.chelseacain.com.

My review:

Wow this is one sick relationship! Stockholm Sydrome is what I call it!

5/5

Sweetheart (Hardcover)

I've just finished reading "Sweetheart" the 2nd book in her Archie Sheridan series by Chelsea Cain.

Product Description

With Heartsick, Chelsea Cain took the crime world by storm, introducing two of the most compelling characters in decades: serial killer Gretchen Lowell and her obsessed pursuer Portland Detective Archie Sheridan. The book spent four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and garnered rave reviews around the world. But the riveting story of Archie and Gretchen was left unfinished, and now Chelsea Cain picks up the tale again.

When the body of a young woman is discovered in Portland’s Forest Park, Archie is reminded of the last time they found a body there, more than a decade ago: it turned out to be the Beauty Killer’s first victim, and Archie’s first case. This body can't be one of Gretchen's—she’s in prison—but after help from reporter Susan Ward uncovers the dead woman's identity, it turns into another big case. Trouble is, Archie can't focus on the new investigation because the Beauty Killer case has exploded: Gretchen Lowell has escaped from prison.

Archie hadn't seen her in two months; he'd moved back in with his family and sworn off visiting her. Though it should feel like progress, he actually feels worse. The news of her escape spreads like wildfire, but secretly, he's relieved. He knows he's the only one who can catch her, and in fact, he has a plan to get out from under her thumb once and for all.

Chelsea Cain has topped her own bestselling debut thriller with this unputdownable, unpredictable, edge-of-your-seat read.

From the Back Cover

“Sensual and engulfing…keeps us turning the pages.”
—The New York Times Book Review

Portland detective Archie Sheridan, the former head of the Beauty Killer Task Force, hunted Gretchen Lowell for years before she kidnapped him, tortured him, and then let him go. Now that she is behind bars, Archie is finally piecing his life back together. He’s returned home to his ex-wife and their two children. But no matter how hard Archie tries, he just can’t stop thinking about Gretchen…

Sweetheart

When the body of a young woman is discovered in Forest Park, Archie is reminded of the first corpse he discovered there a decade ago: it turned out to be the Beauty Killer’s first victim, and Archie’s first case. Then, the unthinkable happens: Gretchen escapes from prison, and once the news breaks, all of Portland goes on high alert…but secretly, Archie is relieved. He knows he’s the only one who can capture Gretchen—and now he has a plan to get out from under her thumb once and for all. Even if it means becoming her last victim…

My review:

I highly recommend reading this series (Archie & Gretchen are both messed up).

5/5