Rusty Nail

May 22, 2006
Konrath's third outing to feature Chicago police lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels, like its predecessors, Whiskey Sour
and Bloody Mary
, offers violent thrills peppered with hilarious one-liners. Jack's receipt of an anonymous snuff video that looks like the work of a serial killer called the Gingerbread Man, who was recently brought to justice, marks the start of a cat-and-mouse game with the killer, who plucks victims from the periphery of Jack's world—both professional and private. When Jack shakes the Gingerbread Man's twisted family tree, she unearths an unspeakable history of depravity and awakens sleeping dogs better left alone. A wedding in the woods turns sinister after a poison-laced champagne toast renders everyone in the wedding party unconscious, and Jack must race to save her friends from the surprise demon spawn that has outwitted her—though perhaps not the reader. Some may find that the surfeit of gore detracts from the engaging characters, true guffaws and tightly knit subplots. Author tour.

September 4, 2006
The audio of Konrath's latest Lt. Jacqueline Daniels ("Jack" to her fellow drinkers in the Chicago police establishment) is a veritable bargain. Not only do listeners get two actors instead of the customary solitary voice doing both sexes, but they are also treated to the author himself reading a lively new short story about his peppery protagonist. As he did in his first two mixed–drink–titled books in the Daniels series—Whiskey Sour
and Bloody Mary
—Konrath knows how to stir and shake all his ingredients, from extreme (and occasionally excessive) violence to gut-busting humor. Breck catches Jack to perfection, making her the kind of officer you want on your side, while Hill brings to life Jack's friends, colleagues—and a serial killer known as the Gingerbread Man who makes Hannibal Lector look like a churchwarden. The only problem listeners might face is that if they play this one in their cars, they risk being pulled over by real cops because their outbursts of laughter may cause erratic driving. Simultaneous release with the Hyperion hardcover (Reviews, May 22).