Let Me Go

June 24, 2013
In Cain’s tense sixth thriller featuring serial killer Gretchen Lowell and Det. Archie Sheridan (after 2012’s Kill You Twice), the murder of DEA agent Carl Richmond leads Archie to investigate Portland, Ore., businessman Jack Reynolds’s drug empire. Jack’s son, Leo, is not only the boyfriend of freelance reporter Susan Ward but also the mole for the Feds inside his father’s operation. Carl was Leo’s handler. In an effort to determine whether Leo is alive or dead, Archie attends a lavish Halloween masquerade ball on Jack’s private island in a tony Portland suburb. Susan also attends, at Jack’s insistence. When a party guest turns up dead the next morning and Gretchen, who escaped from the state mental hospital months earlier, is seen in the vicinity, Archie has to choose his allies wisely if he’s to survive. Carefully peeling back Gretchen’s psychological layers with each new book, Cain continues to impress with her complex game of cat-and-mouse. Agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Literary Agency.

Serial killer Gretchen Lowell has reappeared on Halloween--not only on the ridiculous "Beauty Killer" masks worn by partygoers but also in person, if detective Archie Sheridan is to be believed. Archie is entwined in the sting investigation of a drug lord, but he becomes distracted by his conviction that his former nemesis and lover has returned. Christina Delaine voices Gretchen with a sultry purr that barely hides her twisted craving for blood. As Archie, she uses a gruff staccato that obscures his emotional depth but does serve to distinguish his dialogue. Her refined portrayal of a Hispanic detective shines, but her British accent for one of the drug kingpins sounds forced. Overall, Delaine adds a bit of class to this fast-paced thriller. N.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

November 1, 2013

Portland, OR, detective Archie Sheridan and serial killer Gretchen "The Beauty Killer" Lowell are back in this story filled with blood, sex, terror, and admirably annoying twists as the love/hate relationship between the cop and the amazingly elusive murderer continues. The cat and mouse chase involves a local drug lord, his undercover operative son, Archie's journalist friend Susan Ward, the FBI, and the DEA, but the story is dominated by Lowell's return. Reader Christina Delaine masterfully captures all the voices and the tenor of the story, especially Gretchen's seductive evil. A number of graphic sex scenes may be overdone and are definitely not appropriate for younger readers. VERDICT Cain's fans and those who enjoy serial killer stories will readily embrace this audiobook. ["Her writing is goose bump-inducing, slyly witty, and bloody sexy. One of the most satisfying thriller series today," read the review of the Minotaur: St. Martin's hc, LJ Xpress Reviews, 8/2/13; see the interview between Cain and Delaine on p. 59.]--Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo

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