Evil at Heart

Chelsea Cain's novels featuring Portland detective Archie Sheridan and serial killer Gretchen Lowell have captivated fans through two New York Times bestselling entries, Heartsick and Sweetheart.

And 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. Most shocking of all, Portland Herald reporter Susan Ward has uncovered a bizarre fan club that celebrates the number of days she's been free.

Archie Sheridan hunted Gretchen for a decade, and after his last ploy to catch her went spectacularly wrong, he 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. Has the Beauty Killer returned to her gruesome ways, or has the cult surrounding her created a whole new evil?