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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Once Upon a Time Readathon Update

So far it's been more of a suck-a-thon for me, but all my own fault. Is it weird that I read less when I'm not working than when I am? On the plus side I did a lot more housework than usual, and read a bit (I'm very close to finishing two books!).

Today is a work day for me, so I'll be there for 12 hours. Fortunately there is usually plenty of opportunity for me to read during work so I will use that as much as I can. Here's what's on deck for today:

I'm planning on reading The Night Season by Chelsea Cain first, and then if I get to it, The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen... or I might read a Harry Potter novel, most likely book 4 or 5.  Now that it's all coming to an end, I have a huge craving for all things Potter.  I finished the second half of Deathly Hallows on Sunday night, crying like a baby the entire last 50 pages or so.  I can't wait for Pottermore to start up.  I used to be heavily involved in an HP site called Hogwarts Experience (yes, I  once "taught" Potions and History of Magic, and I am one heck of a rp Quidditch player), but somehow I kept getting older and all the newbies kept getting younger...

So reading today, and hopefully I'll find time for a challenge!

Pool Side Reads

The best part of apartment life (and really, one of the few perks at all) is our swimming pool!  This summer is even better because I'm working less hours and the creepy pool guy from last summer is gone.  Yay!
I am not much of a sun worshiper since my skin is pale and prone to burning and freckling bad enough to make me look diseased. But I do love swimming and sitting in the shade and reading.
Now pool reading is not quite as much fun as beach reading, mostly because some of my neighbors prefer to use the pool area as a babysitter for their noisy broods, but I have always loved reading outdoors... as long as it's in the shade and mostly bee free because bees scare me... 

So what have I read this past week at the pool?

The Genesis Code 
by John Case

From Goodreads:

A phone call in the dead of night brings Joe Lassiter shattering news. His sister and young nephew have died in a fire in their home near Washington, D.C. Yet Lassiter soon learns a chilling fact: His loved ones were brutally murdered before the blaze was set. . . .The mysterious suspect's identity only raises more questions. Then Lassiter uncovers another crime--another innocent mother and child murdered. The more he unearths, the larger the web of conspiracy grows, as his search for answers leads him on a dangerous international chase toward a truth that will shock him--and the world--to the very bone. . . .

My Thoughts:  I was not sure I was going to like this book at first, because it opens up in Italy and there's much Catholic church inner workings and my eyes were glazing over a bit. Lucky for me, I managed to process enough of the information to help me when the book started to pick up, which it does as soon as the story switched to Joe Lassiter and his journey to uncover the mystery of the deaths of his sister and nephew.  There is a lot of action, and it was cool to read the action parts that took place in my birthplace of Northern Virginia.  You get to visit a lot of cool places with this novel, and Joe is a pretty cool guy- he's not quite Jason Bourne but he's no slouch in the area of kicking butt and getting answers.

My friend Susan brought this book to our book club swap meet awhile back, and the Hubs ended up with it.  He rarely reads, being more of a computer guy, so it helped me stick with the book despite the initial misgiving.  I was weary of it because I thought it was going to be too much like a Dan Brown novel. Not that I've actually finished a Dan Brown book, I haven't.  I guess the hype of the Da Vinci Code scared me away (plus all the people who were either outraged by the novel or totally convinced that it was all really true), and normally I'm not big on conspiracy plots.  And while I think the Catholic church has lots of problems and issues (that may be an understatement), they do seem to be the go-to bad guys in movies and books nowadays.  I realize that I was just limiting myself by not reading these books- I love thrillers, I love the action and trying to figure out who's going to make it and if good will ultimately triumph over evil. 

Will I be reading more John Case books?  Absolutely- the Hubs is already reading another book by the author (which is actually two authors writing under a pseudonym).  The Genesis Code gets a Midnight Book Rating of 11pm!  It's a great pool side read :)

And when the noise gets unbearable I listen to Discovery of Witches on my iPod- yes, I am STILL listening to this book.  I love the book, I really do, but I usually can only listen to audio books in my car, and I just haven't been driving much these days.  I have come thisclose to just buying the darn book so I can finish it, and I know I'll cave someday simply because I would like to own a hard copy of it.

Next up: 

Love You More
by Lisa Gardner

This is the book I'll be taking to the pool today.  It's hardback, and I normally prefer to read paperback whenever I'm near water but I've had this sitting on my tbr pile for awhile and I'm itching to get to it.  I read the first four books in this series in a bit of a fever, which I tend to do when I find an author I like. 




Other Pool Side Reads Planned:

The Night Season by Chelsea Cain
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

So what are your pool side recommendations?  I obviously prefer reading mysteries and thrillers, but do you have a particular genre you like to read while relaxing outdoors?