Review by Booklist Review
Konrath's follow-up to Whiskey Sour (2004) uses a narrative strategy typical of serial-killer novels: multiple points of view contrasting the killer's perspective with that of the lead investigator. Konrath inserts a twist here, though, by having Chicago police lieutenant Jacqueline Jack Daniels and her perpetually dieting partner, Herb Benedict, discover who the killer is halfway through the book. Case solved? Not so fast. The psychotic killer has convinced almost everyone he is innocent, and Jack and Herb must find another crime from the perp's past to sway the jury. An interesting subplot concerns Jack's current relationship with safe accountant Latham versus the rekindling of her feelings for ex-husband Alan, an unpredictable writer. Chicago native Konrath gets the city ambience just right but slips a bit with some predictable plot turns and an overabundance of gore. Still, her charismatic heroine wins the day. Readers will be ready for another Jack Daniels when they finish this one. --Jenny McLarin Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Konrath's predictable sequel to Whiskey Sour (2004) is no more original than its predecessor. When two arms, sans body, turn up at a Chicago morgue, Det. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is surprised to discover that the mysterious limbs are joined by her own handcuffs. The killer appears to have a grudge as well as unsettling access to Jack. The dual narrative alternately follows detective and murderer, leaving little to the imagination, particularly in the realm of gore. The author reveals so much about the crimes and their motivation that the plot loses steam until the fiend is caught (halfway through the novel) and the focus shifts to ensuring that he doesn't walk. The legal finagling is a bit far-fetched, but the battle of wills between the psychopath and the cop keeps the pages turning. And like any hard-boiled detective, Jack has a problematic personal life, juggling two unstable relationships and caring for her ailing mother. Konrath peppers the story with one-liners that are sometimes riotous, often groan-worthy and occasionally inappropriately blas?, but readers with a taste for the twisted should enjoy themselves. Agent, Jane Dystel. 6-city author tour. (July 6) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
A special problem confronts Chicago detective Jack Daniels and her partner, Herb Benedict, when they answer a call to the morgue: a pair of severed arms wearing Jack's stolen handcuffs. While the partners investigate, the scene switches to the serial murderer himself, whose painful headaches find sweet resolution in bloody butcherings. About the time Jack decides that the perp's a cop, he adds her to his list of potential victims. An atmospheric hunt ensues, with mounting tension and too-close-for-comfort calls. A hard-hitting sequel to Konrath's debut, Whiskey Sour. Konrath is a native of Chicago. [Whiskey Sour received multiple awards nominations; see box at right.--Ed.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two severed arms in the Chicago morgue linked by her own handcuffs puts Lt. Jacqueline Daniels on the track of another serial killer as sadistic as the Gingerbread Man (Whiskey Sour, 2004) and even more resourceful. Aspirin doesn't help with every headache. Sometimes even half a dozen ibuprofen aren't enough to get rid of all the pain. But Jack Daniels's latest quarry has found a miraculous cure in homicide, the bloodier the better. Relief is as fast as nudging an isolated pedestrian, bundling her into his car, and taking her to his plastic-covered lair for biting, burning, slashing and strangling. A mortician accomplice helps him hide the evidence. Even so, it's not long before Jack and her partner, Det. Herb Benedict, have him in their sights, and that's when the fun really begins. In an infernal parody of Law & Order, the killer submits an outrageous, unstoppable not-guilty plea and vows to Jack that the moment he's free he'll come after her and her loved ones. That roster now includes not only Jack's boyfriend, accountant Latham Conger, but her mother and her ex-husband Alan Daniels, both suddenly and awkwardly back in her life. Looks like a lot of target opportunities. Konrath keeps the proceedings moving so briskly that you may not even notice how many corpses are piling up--over a dozen, with plenty more in the backstory. But you'll certainly remember how brutally they're dispatched. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
