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Whiskey Sour (Jack Daniels Mystery #1)

by J.A. Konrath (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 3,995 ratings · 520 reviews

Lieutenant Jacqueline 'Jack' Daniels is having a bad week. Her live-in boyfriend has left her for his personal trainer, chronic insomnia has caused her to max out her credit cards with late-night home shopping purchases, and a frightening killer who calls himself 'The Gingerbread Man' is dumping mutilated bodies in her district. Between avoiding the FBI and its moronic pro...more

Paperback, 292 pages

Published June 1st 2005 by Hyperion (first published May 12th 2004)

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May 08, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, audiobook, crime, thriller, psychos, mystery, 2000-2005, hardboiled-and-noir

INGREDIENTS

1. Two ounces ~~Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey~~ Lt. Jacqueline Daniels, hardboiled detective with the Chicago Police Department;

2. One-Half Cup ~~crushed ice~~ horrific, brutal killings;

3. Two-thirds ounce of ~~fresh lemon juice~~ sadistic (and I mean mondo sadistic) serial killer known as the Gingerbread Man;

4. One-half ounce ~~sugar~~ standard supporting cast, including jolly, over-eating partner with heart of gold, and a couple of FBI tosspots who couldn’t find their ass with 10 hands and GPS...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Derrick rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like tough chicks, police procedurals, or thrillers

Shelves: 2012read, e-books, mystery, novels, fiction-american

Five Stars for what it is: A fine, fast-reading hard-boiled pulp detective novel starring a tough female cop.

Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is a 40-something Detective Lieutanant in Chicago's Violent Crimes unit. She has a hard time with relationships, can't sleep, holds her own in a bar fight, and works herself to the bone. Fans of Kinsey Milhone and her compatriots will recognize Jack. The supporting cast are a bit cardboard, but that's to be expected. You have the goofy FBI agents, the overweight...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I finished this a couple of days ago and am just now getting around to reviewing it. In many ways I'd like to give the book more than 3 stars. I like the writing overall and the characters are easy to get to know and have a "real folks" feel that I think can sell a book or series.

Unfortunately there are a few problems with the book that "bug" me personally. The biggest and worst (for me) of these are the extremely graphic murder scenes from the point of view of the killer. (I don't believe this...more I finished this a couple of days ago and am just now getting around to reviewing it. In many ways I'd like to give the book more than 3 stars. I like the writing overall and the characters are easy to get to know and have a "real folks" feel that I think can sell a book or series.

Unfortunately there are a few problems with the book that "bug" me personally. The biggest and worst (for me) of these are the extremely graphic murder scenes from the point of view of the killer. (I don't believe this is a spoiler as you must know this is a suspense novel about a serial murderer). In this (my objection) I'm not referring to insight into the mind of the killer or the accounts of his rationalizations. I talking about the scenes where we get detailed accounts of what he's doing with his knife and the death horrors of the victims. That I don't need. I've read war novels, techno-thrillers, murder mysteries and so on. I've read accounts of serial killers and mass murderers, but there were several scenes in this book I just skipped.

I put this here as I think you should go in, forewarned. Read it, try it. Maybe these parts won't bother you as much as they do me. Personally accounts of women pleading for their lives aren't something I find I like to include in my light reading.

On the other hand, when the story moves to it's primary point of view (that of Jack/Jacqueline) we get the modern sassy, well spoken, tough female protagonist. She's well written and comes across as a character that the writer himself is comfortable with.

The book's storytelling does have a couple of "flaws (though they may not bother everybody). First the author (like so many today) feels free to lambast (at least a bit) the last "persecutable" minority...overweight people. Jack's partner is overweight as are a few people we meet in the book. These people are universally pictured as thinking of nothing but food and talking of almost nothing but eating. I know this is from personal experience, BUT... My late wife had a thyroid condition and was diabetic. I've seen her in Weight Watchers on a diet where everyone else (including me) lost weight but she could no more than maintain. Not only did she not spend all her time talking of food, she wouldn't even eat in public. If these jokes were aimed at any body condition outside being overweight there would have been a cry heard round the world. Just be aware if you aren't "svelte" the book has an abundance of "fat jokes".

Other than that and one bothersome scene where Jack does something a police officer is trained not to do (view spoiler) the book is a pretty good read.

I have mentioned all the above negatives to say, "this is what you may not like". On the other hand the parts I did like I liked pretty well and intend to move on and try the next in the series. I've reserved it at the library so, we'll see.

As noted 3 stars, close to 4 but not quite. (less)

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Jan 12, 2012 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Suspense/Mystery fans

Recommended to Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress by: Action Aficionados Group Read

Shelves: owned-copy, mystery, part-of-a-series, psychopaths-and-serial-killers, human-monsters, police-federal-agent-law-enforcemen, action-adventure-read-jan-2012, kickbutt-heroine, not-for-the-faint-of-heart, 2012-sky-s-the-limit-club, yearly-reading-challenge, tough-as-nails-heroine, thriller-suspense, action-adventure-aficionados-2012-c, all-things-winter-challenge

Whiskey Sour is the first book in the Jack Daniels mystery series. Lieutenant Jack Daniels of the Chicago Police Department is an insomniac workaholic who is on the case of a brutal serial killer at work in Chicago. He goes by the name of the Gingerbread Man, and his favorite hobby is taking lives in the most brutal ways possible. Jack has made police work her life, at the expense of her marriage and peace of mind. And now, she’s too set in her ways to change. That same determination has attract...more Whiskey Sour is the first book in the Jack Daniels mystery series. Lieutenant Jack Daniels of the Chicago Police Department is an insomniac workaholic who is on the case of a brutal serial killer at work in Chicago. He goes by the name of the Gingerbread Man, and his favorite hobby is taking lives in the most brutal ways possible. Jack has made police work her life, at the expense of her marriage and peace of mind. And now, she’s too set in her ways to change. That same determination has attracted the twisted adoration of the Gingerbread Man, and he turns his attention on her in a very personal way.

This was a good suspense book. The viewpoint of the killer is absolutely chilling. He is clearly a sociopath with a mean streak a mile wide. Seeing his POV only made me root all the harder for Jack to catch him. In contrast, I liked Jack’s calm, battered but unbroken personality. She hasn’t had it easy, and the weight of the world seems to rest upon her shoulders, but she’s not self-pitying, but very matter of fact about her situation. She gave up a lot to be a good cop, and I felt bad that she couldn’t have a husband who understood her drive and loved her all the more for it. Being a softhearted person, I hope she finds someone so she doesn’t have to be lonely and turn to all the whiskey that people give her because of her name to get through the tough nights when she’s not working.

Jack kicks butt, and she’s credible in her role as a Lieutenant in the Violent Crimes Unit. She knows her stuff. I like that she’s a bit weathered by life and isn’t a spring chicken, already a mature woman in her forties with a divorce under her belt. She acts like a veteran cop, savvy and seasoned, but there was a pervasive sense of risk to her, because the killer has also been at his ‘career’ a long time. He was a wily and deadly match for her that kept me on the edge as I read. Konrath has a way of writing that keeps the tension high, but also feels very police procedural. Almost like Law and Order meets Criminal Minds.

I am becoming a big fan of straight mysteries, so I liked that aspect. I’m not and never will be a huge fan of serial killer fiction, so that was a bit of a turn-off, especially the descriptions of the gruesome details of the Gingerbread Man’s acts on his victims. Konrath isn’t lurid about it, but reading about the way this freak hurt people didn’t make for fun reading (and it probably shouldn’t). I will keep reading this series because I like Jack’s character, and the investigative aspects. However, the violence and sociopathy of the nemesis is quite disturbing and not something I’d want to delve into on too often an occasion. (Shrugs) You take the good with the bad.

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Jun 28, 2007 Brian redman rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 18+

Fear and humor. That's what this book mixes. Basically, our heroine, Jacqueline Daniels, becomes the target of a sadistic killer after she begins investigating his crimes. He goes by the name, The Gingerbread Man, because he leaves clues in the wounds of his victims. It's a cat and mouse game but that's not what makes this book interesting. Really, it's the witty and snappy dialogue that makes this book a page turner. The book balances beautifully between disgusting descriptions and comedic mome...more

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Mar 23, 2009 Gina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, action, comedy, mystery, mystery-detective, suspense, group-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A laugh-out-loud, in-your-face mystery.

Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels, yes that’s her real name, you can check her ID, is a divorced, 40 something insomniac, who is good at her job. And that’s it, as far as she believes. At one point, she had it all: marriage to a great guy, a budding career… only, her ambitions took over. She became a great lieutenant detective in the Violent Crimes unit, and believes her marriage failed because of it. In her words, “it was all her fault.” Married to her career, she...more A laugh-out-loud, in-your-face mystery.

Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels, yes that’s her real name, you can check her ID, is a divorced, 40 something insomniac, who is good at her job. And that’s it, as far as she believes. At one point, she had it all: marriage to a great guy, a budding career… only, her ambitions took over. She became a great lieutenant detective in the Violent Crimes unit, and believes her marriage failed because of it. In her words, “it was all her fault.” Married to her career, she doesn’t have a personal life. Her latest boyfriend left a “Dear Jack” letter on her fridge, then left a message on her answering machine asking her to put his things in storage. Instead, she left them in the hall.

A new case pops up; a woman found dumped in a garbage can, um, rear-end facing upwards. Stapled to the victim, a note: “you cant catch ME IM THE GINGERBREAD MAN.” And it doesn’t end there. More bodies are found, and other than finding twine imbedded in the victims’ wrists and ankles, there are very little clues to go on. With pressure from the mayor, Jack her her partner Herb, are now stuck with two FBI agents who are sent to profile their madman, using the ViCAP computer. Only, their profile is off - way off. And nothing they get from the computer is worth a dime.

Meanwhile, tampered candy is left in her car, causing havoc and ending up with eleven stitches in Herb’s mouth. Clues have her questioning her ex-partner, and Herb convinces Jack to try Lunch Mates, a dating service. And her lucky first date ended up with a hell of a lot more than he bargained for.

**Laugh-out-loud funny is right. The deadpan jokes had me cracking up. I liked Jack. I liked her in-your-face personality, and you really get the feel for her. No buttered up and overdone descriptions, the entire story is to the point. You get her background quick and easy, and you kind of feel bad for her. Being married to her job, she believes she can’t have a personal life, yet we see her make a friend out of a criminal she’d arrested when she was still in uniform, and the new guy, who got more than he bargained for, has kept in touch, even from the hospital. I think there’s hope for her yet.

I liked her partner, pushing without being pushy. I see him as her polar opposite, yet they’re both just as determined to get the job done and see justice is served.

I liked the mystery. Even though you know who the murderer is, it was watching the good guys going after him that was really well done. Warning: at one point, it does get a little gory. But I’m a Stephen King fan, so that didn’t bother me in the least. And getting inside the killer’s mind - enough to give me a couple of shivers.

While the story is a little less than three hundred pages, you get all of what a good book is made of. I liked the fact that there wasn’t any filler - nothing that draws you away from the plot, even when hitting Jack’s personal life. Straight, to the point, and still, it involves the story. Terrific novel, and I plan on continuing the series.(less)

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Aug 27, 2007 LJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, police_procedural, illinois, contemporary_post_1945

WHISKEY SOUR (Police Procedural-Chicago-Cont) – VG
Konrath, J.A. – 1st in series
Hyperion, 2004- Hardcover
Lt. "Jack," short for Jacqueline, Daniels can't seem to sustain a relationship. Her partner, Herb, will eat anything, anytime. Together, they are on the hunt for "The Gingerbread Man," a serial killer who tortures women before killing them. Oh, and the FBI profilers think it's a hunchback who likes horses.
*** This was great! The characters are marvelous, the dialogue is crisp and funny, and ye...more

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Mar 19, 2009 Bayneeta rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery

#1 in the Jack Daniels series. I've read most of the books in the series, and re-read this for a book discussion group and a program where the author spoke. If the opportunity ever arises to hear this author speak, GO. He was interesting and entertaining--very personable. (Thanks, Roberta, for making that possible!)

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Dec 28, 2007 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mystery Fans

Shelves: ja-konrath, personal-collection, jack-daniels-series

Whiskey Sour is Konrath's introduction to the character Lieutenant "Jack" Daniels. The plot follows a serial killer known as The Gingerbread Man.

Overall, I think this was a good first novel for the series. Many people spoke of it being humorous as well as a mystery, and perhaps I just didn't get it; But I did not find the book to be very funny.

However, I will say that it interested me enough to warrant my continuation of the series. I look forward to better knowing the characters and hope the wr...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Jordan Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’m not usually a fan of the police/detective novel. Regardless of characters, or plot twists, or writing skills (both good and bad), this genre seems to be the same. Good cop, dealing with inner demons gets caught up in what seems an unsolvable case only to figure out the killer in the last few chapters of the book.

Thankfully, Konrath’s Jack Daniels is not your typical cop, nor is “Whiskey Sour” your typical crime/detective novel.

Sure there are a few of the aforementioned cliches (Daniels has i...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Judie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jack Daniels (only her mother calls her Jacqueline), in her early 40s, is a Chicago police lieutenant assigned to the violent crime division.
The naked body of a twenty year old woman, stabbed multiple times, was found in a trash container. Attached to her body is a note that read: “you cant catch ME IM THE GINGERBREADMAN.” A gingerbread man was also in the can. This turned out to be the first was of a series of vicious murders in the area.
As Jack and her partner try to solve the case and pre...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Kwoomac rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: creepy, contemporary-lit, dark, 2013, death, mystery-horror, murrrrderrrr, fast-read, reviewed, police-procedural, strong-female-protag

If I'm going to be honest (and why not?) I'm giving this four stars in spite of skipping half the chapters. The chapters alternate POV, split between the cop Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels and the serial killer "The Gingerbread Man". I don't want to get inside the killer's head. That only leads to nightmares for me. If the writing hadn't been so clever, I might have decided to skip the whole thing, but it really was. Konrath creates a heroine in Jack Daniels who is everything you'd want in a protagon...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Kara Jorges rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jack Daniels is the ultimate cop heroine. She’s a 45-year-old, brown-eyed, brunette Chicago cop, a violent crimes lieutenant. Jack is short for Jacqueline, and she acquired the Daniels by a now-defunct marriage. When the story begins, she has a live-in boyfriend, but he deserts her almost immediately for a lack of attention. Jack lives for her job, and now she’s caught a new case with a dangerous, sadistic killer. His first two victims were found in convenience store garbage cans, their bodies m...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, read-the-50-states

This is my favorite series of audiobooks simply because I love the narrators (yes two of them!) so much. I'm also completely smitten by the utter terror that abounds in each book. This is definitely not for the squeamish - there are very graphic details.

This is the first book in the Lt. 'Jack' Daniels series and follows Jack and her partner Herb as they hunt down a serial killer known as The Gingerbread Man. I find this series especially appealing because the characters are real from the moment...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Sharon Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

First book by this author and in this series. Gave it a 3-star 'liked it' but did have some issues for me. This will be a look for more in this series in the library rather than a buy to keep and re-read at this point anyway.

I liked the main character, tough, competent female with a few issues but not much 'fem jep' which I really hate and not so many emotional issues that you wonder how she can function.

My biggest problem with this book was with a couple of the minor characters, the two FBI age...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Connie rated it 4 of 5 stars

WHISKEY SOUR by J A Konrath is 6 hours and 55 minutes long in MP3 format. It was read by Susie Breck and Dick Hill. This is #1 in the Jacqueline (Jack)Daniels series.

Brief Description:

Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is an insomniac Chicago cop with a train wreck of a personal life and a stalker bent on adding her to his murder list. Join Jack, her binge-eating partner, a sleazy PI, and two very stupid FBI agents on a wild hunt for the Gingerbread Man--a killer who makes Hannibal Lecter look...more

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Jun 01, 2011 David Galloway rated it 4 of 5 stars

About a month ago I found the author's advice blog for writers, and after reading all four years of his blog entries I thought I should read book one of his major series.

Each of the books in the Jack Daniels series center around police Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels, a mid-40s career cop who lost her marriage due to being married to her job and is plagued with insomnia. Her partner Herb is a good cop but a fat slob always eating something. Always.

This first book pits Jack and Herb agains...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Johnny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Whiskey Sour is a mystery that fits into one of those series where the titles are a clever gimmick. The protagonist is Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels, a detective with the Chicago Police Department, and because of the nickname based on her married name, all of the titles are names of cocktails. I have no objection to such a naming convention. After all, I love Martha Grimes’ series based on the names of British pubs or inns, Tim Cockey’s series entitled via word play based on switching “horse” and “h...more Whiskey Sour is a mystery that fits into one of those series where the titles are a clever gimmick. The protagonist is Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels, a detective with the Chicago Police Department, and because of the nickname based on her married name, all of the titles are names of cocktails. I have no objection to such a naming convention. After all, I love Martha Grimes’ series based on the names of British pubs or inns, Tim Cockey’s series entitled via word play based on switching “horse” and “hearse,” Earlene Fowler’s delightful series based on quilt patterns, and the alphabetical approach of Mary Daheim and Sue Grafton. I think naming conventions are terrific and form a little extra glue to hold the series together.

What I do object to is a male author who creates a female protagonist who seems like the novelized version of a guy playing a female avatar in a video game. Instead of reacting as an authentic woman, the protagonist tends to act as a stylized version of what we think a woman would be. Don’t get me wrong. Jack Kilborn, aka J. A. Konrath, has created an interesting character. She would make a great television detective. But as a literary protagonist, she doesn’t ring true when she thinks about all the wonderful male relationships she has sacrificed on the altar of her position in the CPD. And I’m sure that there are women who think about getting laid all the time in the same way as many men do, but Daniels has too many issues with men in general for me to believe that she’s concentrating on getting as much sack time as she seems to desire.

Even with that criticism, however, this series bears another look. What does an author do in order to make you care about a character? The author shows what she or he most wants. We get into that character’s head and we want things to work for that character, too. But take that desire and twist it, distort it, and defile it such that the protagonist is forced to take matters personally and one has a recipe for intense excitement. Konrath certainly builds both excitement and empathy as the detective tracks a sadistic serial killer through Chicago and its suburbs. It has such great local color that I can appreciate the depiction of this fabulous area as a north shore suburbanite who experiences that cold that Daniels talks about and that sense of being underdressed at times.

Friends tell me that there is a formula for this series—serial killers who become fixated on “Jack.” If so, this predictability is a certain weakness. However, I’m willing to subject myself to the formulaic approach at least two or three more times. After all, this first one had me with the protagonist’s description of why she wore a short overcoat to a crime scene and THAT was on the first page.
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Sep 05, 2010 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: completed

Whiskey Sour is what you get when you mix the steady police procedural works of Michael Connelly, the humor of Carl Hiassan, and the macabre sense of violence of Thomas Harris. In other words, you get a crackling good read.

The only reason I don't give this book five stars is because I thought that the heroine responded to a few situations a bit too heroically to be believeable.

Konrath diligently follows police procedure and just about every clue is brought to light not by some accident, but by...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Kat Lebo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Whiskey Sour review
Author: J.A.Konrath

Whiskey Sour is the first novel in the Jack Daniels series. Very easy reading, but it did make me think seriously about who we have become as a people. When I posted on Facebook that I was reading this book, one of my friends posted that she had listened to a later book in the series as an audiobook and found it too graphic for her taste. And graphic doesn’t begin to describe the murders that form the basis of this mystery thriller. My sister and I, both fan...more Whiskey Sour review
Author: J.A.Konrath

Whiskey Sour is the first novel in the Jack Daniels series. Very easy reading, but it did make me think seriously about who we have become as a people. When I posted on Facebook that I was reading this book, one of my friends posted that she had listened to a later book in the series as an audiobook and found it too graphic for her taste. And graphic doesn’t begin to describe the murders that form the basis of this mystery thriller. My sister and I, both fans of tv’s “Criminal Minds,” have discussed whether shows of this type (and books and movies) haven’t become too graphic, too psychotic, too suggestive. It seems the goal is to have the goriest, dirtiest, most sickening murder done by the most sadistic villain. And I’ll admit to regularly following a whole host of tv series that fit into that category (including the new additions “The Following,” “Bates Motel” and “Cult.”).

So, back to the novel. I did really enjoy this book. The author promised humor and there was a lot of that – not the laugh out loud humor of a Stephanie Plum, but definite humor. The author promised action and there was plenty of that. Suspense was ever present, too – in abundance!

There were very few errors – but like Sinatra’s regrets, almost too few to mention. I’ll name the 4 that stopped my progress.

1st: Maybe the Chicago Police Department uses the word ‘deposition’ to mean the statement taken from witnesses or suspects, but after 41 years in a law office, I can tell you for certain that when used in a legal setting, a deposition is not a statement taken by a police officer. That statement certainly can be an important piece of evidence in any ensuing court trial, but it does not carry the weight of a legitimate deposition – taken by an attorney, with a court reporter, the person giving the deposition and, at least in every case in which I was involved in those 41 years, that person’s attorney. A true deposition may be entered into testimony in court in lieu of live testimony and may be used to refute conflicting testimony given by the deponent in court. So, the use throughout the novel, but especially in the first chapter, of the word ‘deposition’ to mean ‘statement’ made me want to find Konrath’s address and send him a copy of Black’s. To my eye, this was the worst error of the lot and it occurred almost immediately in the novel and, yes, it almost made me put the book down and not read it. That would have been a shame, because, other than this, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

2nd: In Chapter 9, Jack’s partner, Herb, has to have 11 stitches in his tongue. Now, if you’ve ever had stitches in your mouth, you know one of the things you don’t do for a while is eat a lot of solid food. Yet, Herb, who literally eats his way through the novel, is eating a Hoagie sandwich just a few hours after being stitched. Even with his appetite, I found that unbelievable.

3rd and 4th: Those pesky proof reading problems! Chapter 29, first sentence, Herb is spelled ‘herb;’ no capital. And in Chapter 34, Latham is spelled “latham;’ no capital. But I don’t think I saw even one glaring grammar error and those non-capitalized proper names were the only spelling errors I caught. All in all a very good result!

As for the story, it was fun to read. The characters were well drawn and fleshed out – you either liked or hated them, or in the case of Harry McGlade, just shook your head a lot. The writing was riveting and, yes, the descriptions of the tortures and murders were sickeningly graphic. But the plotting was first rate. Sensible timelines, seamless changes between character outlooks, great image producing prose – top notch writing. How much did I enjoy the book? Well, the last novel I read (see review of "30 Pieces of Silver" here in my reviews) took me almost a month to read. This took me 2 days.

Did I like Jack as much as I like Stephanie Plum, Temple Barr, Kinsey Milhone, Temperance Brennan or Anna Pigeon? No. But I didn’t like Kinsey Milhone in the beginning, either, so I’ll give Lt. Jacqueline Daniels another try.

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May 29, 2010 Mickey (I'm A Book Shark) rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Edie

Shelves: 2010, audio, favorites

I really need a 6 star system, or I need to be able to use halves because this book is more than a 3 star but not quite a 4 star. It's more like 3.75. Not a 4 because it wasn't as good as some of the books I've rated a 4. It's neither profound nor spectacular. Not a must read. Very enjoyable though. This series is much like the Women's Murder Club books by James Patterson - a fast-paced story with a prominent female in the police force working hard, sick cases with her male partner while trying...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Ami rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective-mystery-thriller

3.5 stars
The series stars Lieutenant Jack Daniels, a 46-year old female and I think that is what interest me the most. I almost rarely read about a female detective that is above 40 years old (usually they're in their 30's). Jack Daniels is hardboiled detective, she practically marries to her job, she's divorced, and in this book her current boyfriend dumped her. Definitely a refreshing heroine for me :).

The killings are brutal and I enjoy the "cat and mouse" game, as readers are being brought i...more

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May 10, 2013 Jerry Grahs rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: police-procedural

Konrath delivers us a 40 something cop, Jacqueline 'Jack' Daniels. Daniels is a Lieutenant in 'Violent Crimes Unit' in Chicago. Konrath mentions Chicago landmarks but we never get much of a sense of the city itself. Daniels is chasing a nasty serial killer that is into mutilating women and then leaving a 'present' deep inside their bodies. The plot inches along and while a few of the characters are interesting, Konrath keeps hitting the same notes and punchlines over and over again. There is the...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Michael Drysdale rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ve heard of Konrath who blogs prolifically about self publishing, but I’ve not read him before. I liked this book about a police detective, Jack, tracking down a serial killer. The chapters alternated between Jack’s and the serial killer’s point of view. The chapters with Jack were very funny with witty dialogue and contrasted with those of the serial killer, which were chilling and gruesome. On the whole this juxtaposition of humour and gore worked for me – I felt the balance was about right....more

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Mar 29, 2013 Mylene rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Thriller-horror lovers/people who love action-packed fun

Shelves: kilborn-konrath

This book deserves a five star rating for being a page turner, action-packed, and great fun! I typically can't stand recurring cop series because I find that most authors change a character as the stories progress and I get bored with their 'adventures' which start to become very similar. I am hoping that that doesn't happen with Jack Daniels as she is such an endearing fireball with realistic good and bad qualities.

I have also read other novels by JA Konrath/Jack Kilborn and I have found my n...more

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Dec 13, 2011 Casey Ols rated it 4 of 5 stars

I finished this book a couple of days ago and I am already half way through the next one. Very easy read but keeps you guessing whats around the corner. I constantly find myself guessing what is going to happen next and Konrath continues to out do me.

The main character is Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels a middle aged single lady and a Chicago Violent Crimes Lieutenant. She spends way to much time at the office, which describes her failed marriage. She is one of the best and she fought her way, in a m...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Diane Majeske rated it 5 of 5 stars

Author J.A Konrath has a great blog for the newbie self-publisher - which I am. So I thought it would be a good idea to check out some of his fiction books, too.

And for someone who generally reads warm, cozy mysteries, this first offering hit me like a solid slap in the face. It was a far more hardboiled genre than I usually take on.

That said, moving out of your comfort zone is sometimes a good thing.

First things first: Konrath is an excellent writer. I couldn't put the book down - much as I cri...more

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Jan 26, 2010 Slinkyboy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-espionage

This was a fun book to read. Jack Daniels makes a very likable protagonist (so important in a mystery series), but it’s actually some of the secondary characters I find myself eager to get to know better in the books ahead. I hope to see a lot more of Herb Benedict and Phineas Troutt.

The Gingerbread Man makes for a great bad guy, a truly despicable human being that you just can’t wait to see get caught. I’ve seen other authors use a shifting point of view, but it always seemed to fall flat befor...more

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Mar 28, 2013 S.A. Hopkins rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-100-book-challenge-read, crime, mystery

Book 27 / 100
Book: Whiskey Sour (Jack Daniels Mystery #1)
Author: J.A. Konrath
ASIN: B00BBE4BFE / ISBN: 978-1482374131
Pages: 232

Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is a Chicago Police Lieutenant with the Violent Crimes division, and she’s having a bad week.

Take one shot of insomnia, a dose of a food obsessed partner, a pound of emotional turmoil, two glasses of FBI agents and a big pile of crazy serial killer and you have the perfect recipe of a stiff drink.

A dead body is dumped in a trashcan out...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Jade Moore rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I actually really enjoyed this book. This is the story of Jack Daniels, a female lieutenant in the violent crimes division of the Chicago police department. She is tough, constantly seems to get beat up or shot and seems to be terrible with relationships but overall a likable character.

Upon realizing that the author was a man helped me with my first issue. Jack comes across a very tom boy-esque character and when there are references to 'girly' activities from her it really confuses her image i...more

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About J.A. Konrath

JA Konrath writes the occasionally amusing and often frightening Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thrillers, available in hardcover and paperback from Hyperion and as a spoken word from Brilliance Audio.

The books are a mixture of the humor of Janet Evanovich, Carl Hiaasen, Christopher Moore, but with the scares of James Patterson, Thomas Harris, Patricia Cornwell.

Basically, JA rips off everybody.

In o...more

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Dirty Martini (Jack Daniels Mystery, #4)

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Quotes from Whiskey Sour

“Sorry to hear about your Dad."
He shrugged. "He was seventy, and we always told him fast food would kill him."
"Heart attack?"
"He was hit by a Pizza Express truck.” — 26 people liked it

“I wish I was like that. More carefree."

"Anyone can be. People aren't carved out of marble. We're all works in progress. The trick is to define ourselves, rather than let outside influences define us.” — 4 people liked it

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Whiskey Sour (Jack Daniels Mystery #1)

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