book review: The Night Season by Chelsea Cain

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The Night Season (Archie and Gretchen)The backstory: The Night Season is the fourth book in Chelsea Cain's Gretchen Lowell and Archie Sheridan series. (My reviews of Heartsick, Sweetheart, and Evil at Heart.)

My thoughts: After enjoying Evil at Heart the most of the three books, I was eager to see how Chelsea Cain continued the series. This book begins differently than the other three by opening with a the story of a crippling flood in Portland in the 1940's. When the story shifts to the present day, flooding is rampant in Portland again. We don't get to see a glimpse of a returning character until the second chapter, and the action picks up from Susan's point of view as a reporter. This novel really is about Susan and Archie, and I enjoyed Susan propelling the story personally and professionally.

This novel is a real departure for the series. It doesn't focus on Gretchen, but past events are indeed referred to. Archie is finding a sense of peace in his life. I have thoroughly enjoyed Susan's character in past books, and it was interesting to see her as the female lead in this mystery.

The verdict: Although a departure from the series, this novel does see Susan and Archie solve an interesting mystery that touches on Portland's rich history. In many ways, this novel is a more conventional series mystery, but Susan's spunk and Chelsea Cain's gore still set it apart from other series.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: March 1, 2011
Source: I received this book from the publisher for review via Crazy Book Tours.

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Comments

  1. ZibileeFebruary 22, 2011 at 10:32 AM

    I have not read any of the books in this series, but I am wondering if this one would work as a stand-alone novel? Great review on this one, thanks for sharing it with us!

    ReplyDelete
  2. KathleenFebruary 23, 2011 at 2:26 PM

    Sounds like even though this is a book that is part of a series I could jump right in with this one?

    ReplyDelete
  3. JennyFebruary 23, 2011 at 6:02 PM

    Wow, sounds different... I was wondering where she was going to go with it next.

    ReplyDelete

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