J.A. Konrath Reviews

Added July 18, 2005

Bloody Mary

A Jack Daniels Mystery

Author: J.A. Konrath
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: July 2005
Genre: Mystery
Format: Hardback
Price: $22.95
ISBN: 1-4013-0089-8
Author Email/Website: www.jakonrath.com/
Reviewer: Cyndi Witkus
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

Lieutenant Jacqueline Daniels, called Jack by her friends, is having a really bad day. First the morgue calls saying they have extra body parts that they can't identify, plus they have her handcuffs on them followed by the fact her mother fell and broke her hip without telling her until later, Jack isn't happy. Then her partner, Herb Benedict starts losing weight and talking insane about fast cars, divorcing his wife causing Jack to realize that her insomnia isn't going to stop anytime soon.

Can Jack and Herb figure out who the killer is? As they collect evidence, which seems to include items belonging to either of them, they begin to fear the worst-- it could be one of their own. Someone wants to hurt Jack and Herb badly and now they must find him before he goes after those Jack loves. Will they stop the madman before he administers his coup de grace to both Jack and Herb?

This is the second book in the Lt. Jack Daniels series and it's just as good as the first one, if not better. I love Jack's style and her dry sense of humour. Her insomnia is something I can relate to and her pet quirks are endearing, as is her exasperation when things get strange. J.A. Konrath has given us a tightly written, well developed book that not only slides down smoothly like a Bloody Mary, but it also gives us a kick with various twists and turns. The humour is definitely right up my alley and I can relate to Jack very well. The first person Point of View works really well and you find yourself thinking like Jack, trying to figure out what's going on and how to stop this killer before things deteriorate further. There are a few more surprises, but I don't want to give them away. I will say this though-- this book is definitely worth the money and the time to bribe someone to watch the kids, take out the trash and letting the Significant Other go golfing. I can't wait for the next installment in this fantastic new series.

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