Heartsick | Chelsea Cain | Why do women murder men?

Heartsick | Chelsea Cain | Great Read

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Heartsick

	Heartsick Chelsea Cain St. Martin's Minotaur, 2007 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 148 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Why do women murder men?

Well, actually, they don't. At least, not very often. If you watch Law and Order or CSI, you might be under the impression that beautiful women murder people all the time. But statistically speaking, according to the Department of Justice's Statistics department, only about 8% of convicted violent offenders are female. And female serial killers make up a miniscule portion of that already small group.

So it's interesting to consider, why might a female serial killer murder men? Would it be somehow similar to the ways the creepiest and most violent sexual predators usually kill women? Or would it be somehow different?

Chelsea Cain has come up with a fascinating psychological portrait of a female serial killer that is unlike anything you have ever read. It's scary, it's totally original, it's entertaining, it's bizarre, and yet it never stretches credibility.

Gretchen is not the only interesting character in the book, or even the most interesting one in my opinion. You also get to meet Archie -- the cop who was also Gretchen's victim, and a very entertaining, intrepid Portland news reporter who is following a new serial killer and who has her own demons to exorcise. The characters in this book are wonderfully drawn and intelligent and it is a pleasure to read about what motivates them.

Cain's writing is spectacular. The book poses some very thought-provoking questions about the nature of violence. It's gruesome, but that in itself is a statement --- we've become so used to reading stories of men grossly torturing women that it's almost not shocking anymore. But something about a woman doing the torturing is completely terrifying.

So - why do women kill men? A better question might be, why do so many more men kill women? And why are we all so used to this? Heartsick will leave you with all kinds of things like this to ponder, but it will also entertain you and scare you half to death. Cain is the best new author I've found since Jason Starr. I can't wait to read her next book.

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Great Read

I loved this book! It grabbed my interest right away and I could hardly put it down. The book is well written and I cannot wait to read "Sweetheart". Very refreshing storyline compared to what I've been reading.

a new kind of twisted

CSI and Thomas Harris lovers, Heartsick is for you. It's about a detective, thewoman who kidnapped and tortured him, and life after her surrender and arrest. It's a complicated and twisted thriller that should pull in the Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell crowd nicely.

Psycho Sexy

I was skeptical about this book at first but I'm glad I read it. Sometimes it was hard to put down that is why I gave it a 4. Overall it was a good read some parts were predictable but overall GOOD. Archie is MESSED up and of course he would be after what he endured, but why on earth is he comforted, attracted and close to this Psycho that completely destroyed his life? The best parts of the book were about Archie's ordeal with Gretchen. It's gruesomly detailed and those are the parts that make you shiver, the "Afterschool Killer" part of the book wasn't as gripping and very predictable. I feel that she was a little flat with that and rushed at the end. I can't wait to read the second one "Sweetheart" but the reviews are lacking luster.

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Good first novel

I like serial killer books, both fictional and nonfictional. It's a dark flaw in my character, I'm sure, but there you go. So when I read the blurb on this book--female serial killer tortures lead detective on her case for ten days then calls 9-1-1 and releases him--I was intrigued.

I was a little put off by the "literary thriller" description because I thought that might open the door to loads o' pretentiousness, but for the most part, my fears weren't justified. The writing is straightforward and not overly impressed with itself. The story pulls you in and pulls you forward.

The great strengths of the book are the characters. They are fascinating and (mostly) sympathetic, whether they appear for only a few pages or throughout. They're the kind of characters who stay with you.

I did think the mystery of the new serial killer was a little too transparent, and the ending a little too tidy for my taste, but this was an overall good read. When I heard that Ms. Cain had written another book with these characters, I definitely wanted to read it. And I guess that's the bottom line for any book, isn't it? Did it leave you with a sense of closure, and yet wanting more?

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