by Chelsea Cain
First published 2009
Portland detective Archie Sheridan carries the scars from ten days of torture at the hands of Gretchen Lowell, the beautiful serial killer he once hunted. She carved a heart into his chest with nails and broke his ribs one by one before inexplicably setting him free. Two years later, Gretchen sits locked in maximum security while Archie visits her every Sunday, desperate to extract information about her victims. He cannot break free from his obsession with her. When another killer begins targeting teenage girls in Portland, Archie sees his chance for redemption. Catching this new monster might finally release him from Gretchen's hold. But his psychological wounds run deeper than the physical ones she left behind. As bodies pile up, Archie must confront whether hunting this killer will save him or destroy what remains of his sanity.
Genres: mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, obsession, psychological-thriller, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Portland
340 pages · Paperback · BUR Rizzoli
Content warnings: abuse, graphic-violence, torture, violence