Review: Before I Go To Sleep

Title: Before I Go To Sleep
Author: S.J. Watson
Publisher: Harper Collins | Doubleday
Release Date: April 28th 2011
Genre: Mystery-Thriller (Psychological Thriller) | Suspense Fiction | Crime
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Buy it: Kindle Edition
Rating: (4.5 STARS)

Blurb from Goodreads...

Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle- aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.

But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities—tearful mornings with Ben, sessions with Dr. Nash, flashes of scenes from her former life—and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon. As the entries build up, Christine asks many questions. What was life like before the accident? Why did she and Ben never have a child? What has happened to Christine’s best friend? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory?

Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more unbelievable it seems.

My Thoughts...

I have read some other stories where the main character suffers from amnesia, but not one where the memory is wiped clean every morning after a night's sleep. I loved the sense of impending doom on every chapter. It would make you turn the page again and again until you find out what really happened to Christine.

I can't imagine a life wherein every waking moment you will ask yourself where you are, who you're with, what you do. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson gives us a great perspective if and when that kind of existence happens to anyone of us. It is scary, confusing, frustrating, maddening. I think if I am the one in Christine's place, I will go totally insane!

I would have given this book 5 stars but there were some lapses I would have loved addressed. Like how come nobody was looking for Christine and why her son Adam kept sending letters and pictures to the last facility she was in when their records should have shown Christine was with her husband Ben, Adam's very own father. Another instance was why nobody checked with the cafe when she was attacked, why no one came forward to volunteer information that she was seeing someone there before the incident happened. And some other instances in the story I believe needed some explanation of some sort.

But, all in all, the story is so captivating you will breeze through it.

***

Started reading on March 1st and ended on the 2nd.

Review: Let Me Go

Here are the first 5 books in the Archie Sheridan-Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain:
Heartsick
Sweetheart
Evil at Heart
The Night Season
Kill You Twice

All are 5-star books. Below is the 6th book, the last one so far, in the series...

Title: Let Me Go (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #6)
Author: Chelsea Cain
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: August 13th 2013
Genre: Mystery-Thriller | Suspense Fiction | Crime
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Buy it: Kindle Edition
Rating:

Blurb from Goodreads...

Detective Archie Sheridan is about to receive a birthday present from the last person he ever wants to see again: Gretchen Lowell.

The investigation into Jack Reynolds's drug enterprise is heating up and has Archie heading off to attend a masked Halloween party on Jack Reynolds's island, where Susan is a reluctant guest. But the next morning one of the guests is found murdered, and Archie quickly realizes that nothing is what it seems. Only one thing is clear: Gretchen is back, and she's been closer than anyone thinks. On Halloween Eve, with time running out, Archie will have to risk everything, and choose wisely whom to trust, if he and his loved ones are going to live through the night.

My Thoughts...

I think I haven't said enough just how much I love this series. I am in love with Archie Sheridan! I am rooting for Susan Ward and I have vague feelings towards Gretchen Lowell. Ha-ha!

Let Me Go began with the Beauty Killer Task Force, this time not being led by Detective Archie Sheridan anymore, hunting serial killer Gretchen Lowell again. She escape from the mental institution she was locked up in. It was Archie's birthday and she had a birthday present for him: her presence! Susan Ward, now no longer a reporter of The Herald but a freelance journalist, was in danger again. Her boyfriend, Leo Reynolds, lawyer and undercover DEA agent, was being suspected of the drug lords he was trying to take down, and Susan was used by Jack Reynolds, known drug lord and father of Leo, to make the latter follow the former's orders.

This story fucked with my mind, I am telling you. On the one hand, I was waiting for Archie to finally get over his obsession with Gretchen. On the other hand, I was waiting for Archie and Susan to finally get their feelings out in the open. But, then, there's Rachel, Archie's neighbor who satisfies his sexual needs. And then there's Gretchen, monitoring them all, still messing up with Archie's mind and using Susan in the process.

I just love this whole series! I can't wait to read the next one!

***

Started reading on February 20th and ended on February 21st.

Review: Kill You Twice

Here are the first 4 books in the Archie Sheridan-Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain:
Heartsick
Sweetheart
Evil at Heart
The Night Season

All are 5-star books. Below is the 5th book in the series...

Title: Kill You Twice (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #5)
Author: Chelsea Cain
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: August 27th 2012
Genre: Mystery-Thriller | Suspense Fiction | Crime
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Buy it: Kindle Edition
Rating:

Blurb 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?

My Thoughts...

This is, by far, the best book in the series! In this book, we get to see a glimpse of the real Gretchen Lowell. We were given a glimpse of her life before she became the Beauty Killer. It didn't give us a reason to love Gretchen but it gave us something to think of, a background of her.

Gretchen's teenage years. Her first victim. Someone she knew from the past who became a monster because of her. Then, there's Archie's continued obsession with her, tempered a bit by his feelings for Susan. No matter how much he represses his feelings for Susan, it comes to the surface when she's faced with danger which, in a way, is always caused by Gretchen.

I am really addicted to this series. If Chelsea Cain will write 20 more Archie Sheridan books, I swear I will read all of it!

***

Started reading on February 19th and ended on February 20th.

Review: The Night Season

Here are the first 3 books in the Archie Sheridan-Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain:
Heartsick
Sweetheart
Evil at Heart

All three are 5-star books. Below is the 4th book in the series...

Title: The Night Season (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #4)
Author: Chelsea Cain
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: March 1st 2011
Genre: Mystery-Thriller | Suspense Fiction | Crime
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Buy it: Kindle Edition
Rating:

Blurb from Goodreads...

He captured the Beauty Killer, one of the most deranged serial killers in the country. Now, Portland police detective Archie Sheridan faces a different kind of killer - a brutal rain season that has flooded the Willamette River, claiming several lives. As water levels rise, so does the fear. Because some of the victims didn't drown; they were murdered.

The first body contains a rare poison. Three others prove to be murders as well. And with each gruesome discovery the medical examiner uncovers, Archie begins to realize he has not escaped his nightmares, even with his deadliest enemy behind bars. The flood has washed up old skeletons from the past. And a ruthless new serial killer rules the night...

My Thoughts...

I have read some reviews before I started reading this 4th book in the series. I read that most people didn't like this one because there was less Gretchen Lowell and more Susan Ward, the reporter-journalist from The Herald. I may be biased because I am addicted to this series but I loved this book just as much as the first 3! I love kooky Susan and her mom, Bliss Mountain. I also love Henry Sobol, Archie Sheridan's partner, and Claire Masland, Henry's girlfriend. All three are detectives in the Beauty Killer Task Force hunting Gretchen.

In The Night Season, another serial killer surfaced attacking people with a mysterious weapon, leaving the victims dead, poisoned. It was only Detective Sobol who fought for his life after being poisoned, too, who came out of coma was able to tell Archie about the suspect.

I loved how Archie and Claire worried about Henry. I loved how Archie fought his fear of not being able to get to Susan in time. I loved how Archie stamped down on his guilt when another detective died.

I am in love with Archie Sheridan and I just can't help it! Ha-ha!

Read this book, Chelsea Cain fans. It's worth every minute you spend reading it!

***

Read this book in a couple of hours on February 18th.

Review: Evil at Heart

The first two books in the Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain, Heartsick and Sweetheart, are both 5-star books for me. The review below is for the third book in the series.

Title: Evil at Heart (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #3)
Author: Chelsea Cain
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: September 1st 2009
Genre: Mystery-Thriller | Suspense Fiction | Crime
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Buy it: Kindle Edition
Rating:

Blurb from Goodreads...

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?

My Thoughts...

Unputdownable! There's no other word to describe this third book in the Archie Sheridan-Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain. Once you start reading, you wouldn't be able to do anything but continue reading, turning one page after another until you find yourself in the end of the story. You want to solve the mystery, go along for the thrill ride. It's that good!

And in this book, Archie finally grew some balls in facing Gretchen and putting her in place. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.

***

I read this book a couple of hours into February 16th and then stopped to rest my eyes. I am now onto the 4th book in the series :)

Review: Sweetheart

The first book in the Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain, Heartsick, was a 5-star book for me. The review below is for the second book in the series.

Title: Sweetheart (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #2)
Author: Chelsea Cain
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: September 2nd 2008
Genre: Mystery-Thriller > Suspense Fiction > Crime
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Buy it: Kindle Edition
Rating:

Blurb from Goodreads...

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!

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 Thoughts...

Let me just get it out there that I am officially addicted to this series! I am devouring the pages and just digesting each chapter as quickly as I can. It's that addictive!

Sweetheart is the second book in the series. In this book, Archie Sheridan, lead detective in the Beauty Killer Task Force of Portland PD was back home with his wife and two kids. He's trying to go back to his normal life, pretending for the sake of his family and his partner and best friend, detective Henry Sobol. But he's struggling especially when he's alone, thinking of nobody else but the Beauty Killer herself, Gretchen Lowell. He's inexcusably drawn to her, connected to her, in ways no one could explain. He felt like Gretchen was the only one who truly knew him, what he is inside. So when Gretchen escaped from her guards while being transferred to another jail facility, Archie did the unthinkable... he sacrificed himself to catch Gretchen again!

Words are not enough to explain just how much I love this second book. It gave me a glimpse as to what going on inside the minds of both Archie and Gretchen, and what draws Archie to her that much. Sweetheart was really, really good! If I can give this book a 10-star, I'd do so.

***

I read this book in a couple of hours. This was my Valentine's Day 2015 read.

Review: Heartsick

Title: Heartsick (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #1)
Author: Chelsea Cain
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: September 4th 2007
Genre: Mystery-Thriller > Suspense Fiction > Crime
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Buy it: Kindle Edition
Rating:

Blurb from Goodreads...

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.

My Thoughts...

Cringe-worthy. Absolutely creepy. A story to give you nightmares. Heartsick by Chelsea Cain is one very sick story perfect for those looking for a suspense fiction different from all the others out there.

The story began with Archie Sheridan, lead detective of the Beauty Killer Task Force, already broken, already sick from the ordeal he had to endure at the hands of the Beauty Killer herself, Gretchen Lowell. You know what I loved about this book? Archie, the lead character, is not the typical hero of the story. He is struggling with his demons. He is broken. He doesn't know how to heal himself because he's still very much in the middle of his own nightmare. Ms. Cain made sure that readers get to experience the same nightmare that Archie is dealing with.

A friend of mine asked what this series I am gushing about is. I told her that I have no idea who Chelsea Cain was before I began this series but now, she's one of my favorite authors! Brilliant writer and very raw emotions. I am jumping right into Sweetheart, the second book in the series.

Make sure you set aside time to check out the Archie Sheridan-Gretchen Lowell series of Chelsea Cain!

***

I began reading this book back in February 7th and finished reading last 12th. I read two more books in between that's why it took me this long to read the book. I would normally read this in a day or two because it's that good!