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Heartsick  By  cover art

Heartsick

By: Chelsea Cain
Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick
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Publisher's summary

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.

Don't miss this Heartsick extra: Chelsea Cain'svideo tour of Portland! Then listen to Heartsick's sequel, Sweetheart.
©2007 Verite, Inc. (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC

Critic reviews

“Heartsick has it all: a tortured cop, a fearless and quirky heroine, and what may be the creepiest serial killer ever created. This is an addictive read!” —Tess Gerritsen, author of The Mephisto Club

“Chelsea Cain's novel is completely entrancing and totally original--what a read. Between the humanity of Portland cop Archie Sheridan and the chilling and twisted design of his beautiful nemesis, Gretchen Lowell, Heartsick is utterly unforgettable. Cain is a wonderful--and terrifying--storyteller.” —Dominick Dunne

“Law & Order¹s Carolyn McCormick does a mean female-serial-killer voice, bringing Cain¹s haunting horror story to life.” —People on Heartsick

What listeners say about Heartsick

Average customer ratings
Overall
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Performance
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Story
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Weak!

Weak dialogue, weak characters, weak narration & lame plot. Don't waste your time.

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26 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good 1st Book

Interesting book, a little twisted, but interesting. Audiobook was enhanced by choice of narrator. The Beauty Killer was as scary a villain as I have come across in recent years. Kudos for creating a female Hannibal Lector-esque villain!

Not a typical detective novel though, definitely more in line with the horror genre.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Gruesome

If you don't like the the gory details this is not the story for you! They are necessary to depict the twisted female serial killer. The relationship between psychopath Gretchen and victim cop is fascinating. The pace picks up after a slow start. It takes of and goes up and down like a roller coaster.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining Listen

While I agree that the plot is somewhat predictable, I still enjoyed this book very much. It was very entertaining, an interesting concept that is well developed, interesting characters (I do wish that a couple had been a bit more fleshed out) and, above all, well narrated. The narration MAKES this audiobook move and draws you into the characters. Recommended without hesitation. Enjoy!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great First Novel

Heartsick is one of those books you can't put down. It grabs you from the first page and pulls you along from there. There are twists and turns in the plot, some you can see, others that make you gasp. If you like novels by Patrica Cornwell, Thomas Harris or Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child you'll love this addition to the genre.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

very disappointing

The plot was predictable, the characters were shallow, unreal, and poorly developed, and the writing was annoying when it wasn't just dull. I've listened to hundreds of books, and this must have been one of the weakest.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Meh

Not bad, not the worst book I've heard on tape, but the narration could be better. The interaction between the characters seems artificial and I don't find the justification for the reporter's involvement believable. I also wonder if the dialogue would sound so cheesy if the narration was better acted. I don't know if I will be reading another of the author's books anytime soon and I doubt I will buy another audiobook with this narrator.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Book

This was a great listen! It was very well written(a little wordy at times), but very thought-provoking and eye-brow raising. I do agree with some other reviews regarding the narrator. She was a little flat at first, but after a few minutes it becomes evident the book is worth listening too, poor narrator or otherwise. It was a good plot, I found myself bored with the "after school killer" and more interested in hearing about the Beauty Killer and Archie. It developed more as the story continued and wrapped together nicely at the end. I didn't find it to be predictible and was very satisfied with the ending. I'll definately be listening to "Sweetheart". Kudos to the author for developing a great female serial killer. I found that to be more entertaining than having a female heroin. Definately worth the time and money. Enjoy!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Heartsick

I love this book, I hated to see it over as I looked forward to hearing more and more. It will keep you listening till the very end.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable thriller

The story kept me involved and wanting more. I normally listen to audio books while walking for exercise and a couple walking trips were extended because I didn't want to stop listening.Good detail and narrative that made me have a personal connection with the characters. Recommended this to a coworker and would recommend to others.

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6 people found this helpful