Kill You Twice (Gretchen Lowell #5)

Kill You Twice (Gretchen Lowell #5)
by Chelsea Cain
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Midnight Minute: Detective Archie Sheridan has to tangle once more with serial killer Gretchen Lowell as he hunts for a new foe who may be connected to Gretchen's mysterious past.
From Goodreads:

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.

Midnight Thoughts:

~This is my 5th time around with Archie and Gretchen, but for me it was on par with the first two books, which were my favorite in the series.  Actually, this may be my very favorite.
~Cain had me on edge from the get go- the opening death, the blonde that Archie views moving into his building had my suspicions up immediatly, the midnight calls from little Patrick- which had me on edge that he'd be pulled into Archie's current troubles.
~This book had so many twists and turns that I got dizzy- which may have been a bit dangerous since I listened to the audio whilst driving... But like Archie, it's what I've come to expect when dealing with Gretchen Lowell.
~ It took me a bit to get into, because it's been a long time since I've read the previous four books, but it hardly mattered. It just made me want to re-read the entire series.
~Although I think the series belongs to Archie most of all, it is the women who are the driving force, and I love that!
~I like Leo even more in this book than I did before, which proved to be troubling. 
~The ending was so fraught with action that I literally had my mouth hanging open.  My stomach was in knots and I was yelling at the audio.  Since I was in my car I'm sure I looked like a lunatic... well, more than I usually do. 
~From the beginning I have loved Susan and Archie's relationship, even when it confuses me, and this book deepened that love and that confusion.  I can't wait to see what book six will bring!
~Thoughts on the audio- I liked it, but I didn't love it.  The narrator had Archie speak soooo slow and low and while I think she did an amazing job of portraying how Gretchen sounded while all drugged up, it was definitely creepy.   I would listen to further books read by the narrator, so at the end of the day the pluses outweigh the negatives.

Timeless Characters:

Archie Sheridan- long suffering detective.  He's got Gretchen, Susan, and me obsessed with him.  He's kind of like a dark hero, suffering mixed with toughness, masculine yet capable of great tenderness.  Archie is smart, but tends to get in trouble when he tries to protect those he cares about.

Gretchen Lowell- Pretty much the female version of Hannibal Lector, possibly more dangerous.  Beautiful and deadly, the changes in her since being put in a mental hospital are almost enough to make you feel sorry for her.  Almost.  Even with enough drugs in her system to calm a rabid elephant, she's still a dangerous foe.

Susan- oh, Susan.  She's contrary, she's tough, she's bull-headed and single-minded, impetuous and crazy.  I love her.  I long to deep condition her hair.  The orange color is not working for me.

Pearl- juvenile delinquent who once tasered Archie, she's back in a big way in book five.   I was prepared to dislike her, but by the time she and Susan end up trapped in a bathroom, I was rooting for the feisty girl.

There are other characters, Archie's loyal friend, Henry and his love, Claire.  It's hard not to be scared for Henry, or really anyone connected to Archie. Susan's boyfriend Leo, new victims and Susan's mom, Bliss.  It's a tribute to Cain's writing that she can make me like Bliss. There's also new girl, Rachel.  I instantly disliked her, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by her.
 

Midnight Moment:

Wow, I don't even know if I can pick just one moment.  As previously mentioned, the bathroom scene with Susan and Pearl was like a horror movie.  It had me terrified, but the ending shocked me so, was so far beyond what I could have come up with that I just want to thank Cain and beg her to donate her brain to science.

Stop The Clock:

I love thrillers, especially series.  I've read a lot of great thrillers, but what makes this one stand out is the both the characters- seriously, Gretchen Lowell is brilliant psychopath!- and the plot twists.  I've enjoyed the other books in the past, and I knew how tricky the characters could be, but there was so much I didn't foresee, yet never felt contrived.  I can't recommend this series enough if you like thrillers!

Chelsea Cain — Website |http://www.chelseacain.com/
Book in the Gretchen Lowell series:
Heartsick
Sweetheart
Evil At Heart
The Night Season
Kill You Twice

Kill You Twice gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

**Disclaimer: I own this audio book**

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