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Content snapshot
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Violence
Very heavy
Extreme graphic violence; torture scenes and serial killer crime depictions are detailed and disturbing
Language
Some
Adult language in the crime thriller register
Sexual Content
Some
Adult content including the psychologically fraught dynamic between Archie and Gretchen
Substance Use
Some
Archie's addiction to painkillers is a central character element throughout
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
The psychological horror of a detective psychologically bound to the killer who tortured him — and the addiction that has replaced that trauma — makes this one of the most disturbing mainstream crime series
What this book is about
Chelsea Cain's first Archie Sheridan thriller introduces the disturbing dynamic between Portland detective Archie and the beautiful serial killer Gretchen Lowell, who held him captive and tortured him for ten days before calling in his location. Archie is addicted to painkillers; he visits Gretchen in prison regularly. Cain's graphic violence is among the most extreme in mainstream crime fiction, and the psychological horror of Archie's fixation on Gretchen is genuinely unsettling.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Extreme graphic violence throughout
Severe psychological trauma and addiction as central elements
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