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WHAT'S THE WORST WAY TO DIE?
Chicago cop Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels has chased, and caught, dozens of dangerous criminals over the course of her career. But she's about to meet her match.
When Jack wakes up in a storage locker, bound and gagged, she knows with chilling certainty who her abductor is.
He's called "Mr. K." More than two hundred homicides have been attributed to him. His victims have died in the most horrible ways imaginable. He's the essence of evil. Some think he's just an urban legend. But he's real. Jack has tangled with him twice in the past, and both times he managed to slip away.
Now Jack will finally have a chance to confront the maniac she's been hunting for over twenty-five years. Unfortunately, it won't be on her terms. In less than two hours, Mr. K is going to do to Jack what he's done to countless others. And Jack is going to learn that sometimes the good guys don't win...
SHAKEN by J.A. Konrath
The lucky ones die fast...
Author Note: Shaken was intentionally written out of chronological order, which is the author's preferred version. But if you prefer things to happen sequentially, this book contains both versions.
If you are a more sensitive (or adventurous) reader, this handy scale rates specific categories from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) to give you some idea if this is your kind of book.
SHAKEN
Bad Language - 4
Scary - 8
Violent - 8
Funny - 7
Sexy - 4
Crossovers - Features Jack Daniels, Phineas Troutt, Harry McGlade, and includes characters from the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, the Codename: Chandler series, and the Timecaster series.
Chicago cop Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels has chased, and caught, dozens of dangerous criminals over the course of her career. But she's about to meet her match.
When Jack wakes up in a storage locker, bound and gagged, she knows with chilling certainty who her abductor is.
He's called "Mr. K." More than two hundred homicides have been attributed to him. His victims have died in the most horrible ways imaginable. He's the essence of evil. Some think he's just an urban legend. But he's real. Jack has tangled with him twice in the past, and both times he managed to slip away.
Now Jack will finally have a chance to confront the maniac she's been hunting for over twenty-five years. Unfortunately, it won't be on her terms. In less than two hours, Mr. K is going to do to Jack what he's done to countless others. And Jack is going to learn that sometimes the good guys don't win...
SHAKEN by J.A. Konrath
The lucky ones die fast...
Author Note: Shaken was intentionally written out of chronological order, which is the author's preferred version. But if you prefer things to happen sequentially, this book contains both versions.
If you are a more sensitive (or adventurous) reader, this handy scale rates specific categories from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) to give you some idea if this is your kind of book.
SHAKEN
Bad Language - 4
Scary - 8
Violent - 8
Funny - 7
Sexy - 4
Crossovers - Features Jack Daniels, Phineas Troutt, Harry McGlade, and includes characters from the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, the Codename: Chandler series, and the Timecaster series.
262 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2010
634 people are currently reading
2036 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Konrath
199 books3,014 followersJoe Konrath has written over twenty novels in the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller series. They do not have to be read chronologically to be enjoyed, but the order is: Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Shot of Tequila, Fuzzy Navel, Cherry Bomb, Dead On My Feet, Serial Killers Uncut (with Blake Crouch), Shaken, Stirred (with Blake Crouch), Dying Breath, Everybody Dies, Rum Runner, Last Call, White Russian, Shot Girl, Chaser, Old Fashioned, Bite Force, and Witch Brew. More coming soon.
Wow, that's a lot of Jack.
If you like your thrillers on the dark side, check out the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, which includes the books The List, Origin, Afraid, Trapped, Endurance, Haunted House, Webcam, Disturb, What Happened To Lori, The Nine, Second Coming, and Close Your Eyes.
Joe also wrote the Stop A Murder mystery puzzle series, where you become the sleuth and solve brain teasers to try and catch a killer.
He also wrote the sci-fi trilogy, Timecaster, Timecaster Supersymmetry, and Timecaster Steampunk. Even if you don't think you like sci-fi, give them a try. They feature Joe's well-known characters from his other series, and are insane.
With Ann Voss Peterson he wrote the Codename: Chandler thrillers, including Flee, Spree, Three, Hit, Exposed, Naughty, Fix (with F. Paul Wilson), Rescue, and Free.
And, finally, he writes erotica under the pen name Melinda DuChamp, also with Ann Voss Peterson. Those books are probably too spicy for you, so only the brave and bold should seek them out.
Joe writes a lot. You should probably read everything.
You can visit Joe and sign up for his newsletter at www.JAKonrath.com/mailing-list.php
Wow, that's a lot of Jack.
If you like your thrillers on the dark side, check out the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, which includes the books The List, Origin, Afraid, Trapped, Endurance, Haunted House, Webcam, Disturb, What Happened To Lori, The Nine, Second Coming, and Close Your Eyes.
Joe also wrote the Stop A Murder mystery puzzle series, where you become the sleuth and solve brain teasers to try and catch a killer.
He also wrote the sci-fi trilogy, Timecaster, Timecaster Supersymmetry, and Timecaster Steampunk. Even if you don't think you like sci-fi, give them a try. They feature Joe's well-known characters from his other series, and are insane.
With Ann Voss Peterson he wrote the Codename: Chandler thrillers, including Flee, Spree, Three, Hit, Exposed, Naughty, Fix (with F. Paul Wilson), Rescue, and Free.
And, finally, he writes erotica under the pen name Melinda DuChamp, also with Ann Voss Peterson. Those books are probably too spicy for you, so only the brave and bold should seek them out.
Joe writes a lot. You should probably read everything.
You can visit Joe and sign up for his newsletter at www.JAKonrath.com/mailing-list.php
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
July 23, 2018
I'm running out of original good things to say about this series, so...
I love the Jack Daniels Mystery series from J.A. Konrath. He blends humor and thrills perfectly, not overdoing either, making it entertaining as hell. There hasn't been a bad one in this series yet.
What you can expect from this one:
This story follows three different timelines.
1989 - When Jack was a rookie, still partnered with Harry and when she met Herb. They become aware of a serial killer called "Mr. K".
2007 - When Jack was a lieutenant and still partnered with Herb. They have a suspect who they are certain is "Mr. K", but he's about to leave the country and they have no proof to keep him there.
2010 - Jack is retired, but her past caught up to her. She wakes up in a storage locker, hogtied and with a ball-gag in her mouth. She knows it has to be Mr. K. Her time is running out...
_________________________________________________
I liked this story, even though some things were a little predictable - don't worry, definitely not the end. It was solid, but not the best in the series.
A "pleasant" surprise - just bare with me for this one - was discovering a torture method I have never heard of before - The Catherine Wheel. It is a severely sick way to kill someone.
Just to clarify, I did some research on torture methods some years ago for a story, and I was under the impression I knew the worst of them, but this one passed me by.
Let's flip the coin - I do have a concern when I recommend this one. Even though the writer will tell you in every book that it can be read as a stand-alone, I kind of feel that it will be better to be familiar with the characters before reading this one. There were so many inside jokes - especially in the 1989 part of the story - that I don't think the readers will truly appreciate it unless they know a little more about the characters.
It's just my opinion - I love this series too much to think of anything worse to say.
I love the Jack Daniels Mystery series from J.A. Konrath. He blends humor and thrills perfectly, not overdoing either, making it entertaining as hell. There hasn't been a bad one in this series yet.
What you can expect from this one:
This story follows three different timelines.
1989 - When Jack was a rookie, still partnered with Harry and when she met Herb. They become aware of a serial killer called "Mr. K".
2007 - When Jack was a lieutenant and still partnered with Herb. They have a suspect who they are certain is "Mr. K", but he's about to leave the country and they have no proof to keep him there.
2010 - Jack is retired, but her past caught up to her. She wakes up in a storage locker, hogtied and with a ball-gag in her mouth. She knows it has to be Mr. K. Her time is running out...
_________________________________________________
I liked this story, even though some things were a little predictable - don't worry, definitely not the end. It was solid, but not the best in the series.
A "pleasant" surprise - just bare with me for this one - was discovering a torture method I have never heard of before - The Catherine Wheel. It is a severely sick way to kill someone.
Just to clarify, I did some research on torture methods some years ago for a story, and I was under the impression I knew the worst of them, but this one passed me by.
Let's flip the coin - I do have a concern when I recommend this one. Even though the writer will tell you in every book that it can be read as a stand-alone, I kind of feel that it will be better to be familiar with the characters before reading this one. There were so many inside jokes - especially in the 1989 part of the story - that I don't think the readers will truly appreciate it unless they know a little more about the characters.
It's just my opinion - I love this series too much to think of anything worse to say.
May 23, 2020
Shaken
Jacqueline 'Jack' Daniels, Book 7
By: J. A. Konrath
Narrated by: Angela Dawe, Dick Hill
This not only has great suspense, it is very character driven. The characters are well developed, the story was told by jumping from a couple of points in the past to present which got a bit weird, and there was more than one serial killer in the book.
The female narrator was great but the male narrator didn't have many voices and there was several men.
Overal, I did enjoy it!😁
Jacqueline 'Jack' Daniels, Book 7
By: J. A. Konrath
Narrated by: Angela Dawe, Dick Hill
This not only has great suspense, it is very character driven. The characters are well developed, the story was told by jumping from a couple of points in the past to present which got a bit weird, and there was more than one serial killer in the book.
The female narrator was great but the male narrator didn't have many voices and there was several men.
Overal, I did enjoy it!😁
August 1, 2019
These books are always funny, but the crimes are not. In this one, the action was quite gruesome in places.
November 30, 2021
Another great installment for the Jack Daniels series!
A backstory:
Jack is in dire straits within this story as she wakes up not knowing where she is or what has happened to her - all she knows is that she is in lots of pain. She knows she is in deep trouble when she learns that she is tied up with rope and she cannot see where she is located but she learns that she is in some type of storage facility.
Then it finally dawns on her just who might have her in his clutches and Jack knows that it will be no easy feat to escape this lunatic as her memory comes into sharp focus when she realizes that it could be Mr. K who is known for eluding capture as he slays victims left and right.
In the meantime while Jack is tied up in an unknown place, her partner (Herb) and her friends Harry and Phineas Troutt are hunting like mad for her trying to pick up some kind of trail of what happened to her and who is responsible for her kidnapping. It will be no easy hunt as all three of them start out clueless, but once they start going through all of Jack's arrests they finally come to a conclusion of who it could possibly be, but to find "him" will be another matter.
What happened to Jack and how did the killer kidnap her? Is the killer really Mr. K and if so, what are his plans for Jack? Does Jack's friends and partner find her in time? No spoilers here as you will need to read the book!
Thoughts:
This story took some time to really get into it even though it jumps right away with something happening. With this series so far I have been handing out five stars for each book because I would be staying up late into the night while I felt I was walking a tight rope most of the time with these stories. This book not so much.
Don't get me wrong - this is a great book but it has time jumps which I have said in other reviews that time jumping is rough for me as sometimes it throws me off of what is happening in the present and then having to remember what happens in the past to tie in with the present. This book though there are "two" time jumps - yes you read that right. Two jumps into the past - one time jump goes back twenty five years and the other time jump goes back three years - then you are shot forward back to the present. It goes like that throughout the whole book. Almost like clockwork - rinse and repeat back and forth to the end of the book.
So I read this book a little slower as I tried to stay up with what was happening twenty five years ago, three years ago and then into the "here and now". I know the author did it like that to tell the story of the "how and why" of what was happening to the character Jack, but two time jumps is a little too much. So that is why I dropped it down a star - even though there is a warning at the beginning of the book as the author goes into detail of why he is doing time jumps in this book and I thought "oh boy - just what I need", but I wanted to continue on with this series so I just plunged ahead and hoped for the best. I guess I was able to keep it all straight (amazingly enough) as I am writing this review.
As always the characters of Herb, Harry, and Phineas kept me in stitches with chuckles and laughter - there was no laughter with Jack though as she was in her tight situation so there was more of a somber feeling there. Otherwise this book kept me wrapped in suspense and intrigue. I am looking forward to reading the next book "Stirred" in this series. Giving this book four "Serial Killer Shake 'n' Bake" stars.
A backstory:
Jack is in dire straits within this story as she wakes up not knowing where she is or what has happened to her - all she knows is that she is in lots of pain. She knows she is in deep trouble when she learns that she is tied up with rope and she cannot see where she is located but she learns that she is in some type of storage facility.
Then it finally dawns on her just who might have her in his clutches and Jack knows that it will be no easy feat to escape this lunatic as her memory comes into sharp focus when she realizes that it could be Mr. K who is known for eluding capture as he slays victims left and right.
In the meantime while Jack is tied up in an unknown place, her partner (Herb) and her friends Harry and Phineas Troutt are hunting like mad for her trying to pick up some kind of trail of what happened to her and who is responsible for her kidnapping. It will be no easy hunt as all three of them start out clueless, but once they start going through all of Jack's arrests they finally come to a conclusion of who it could possibly be, but to find "him" will be another matter.
What happened to Jack and how did the killer kidnap her? Is the killer really Mr. K and if so, what are his plans for Jack? Does Jack's friends and partner find her in time? No spoilers here as you will need to read the book!
Thoughts:
This story took some time to really get into it even though it jumps right away with something happening. With this series so far I have been handing out five stars for each book because I would be staying up late into the night while I felt I was walking a tight rope most of the time with these stories. This book not so much.
Don't get me wrong - this is a great book but it has time jumps which I have said in other reviews that time jumping is rough for me as sometimes it throws me off of what is happening in the present and then having to remember what happens in the past to tie in with the present. This book though there are "two" time jumps - yes you read that right. Two jumps into the past - one time jump goes back twenty five years and the other time jump goes back three years - then you are shot forward back to the present. It goes like that throughout the whole book. Almost like clockwork - rinse and repeat back and forth to the end of the book.
So I read this book a little slower as I tried to stay up with what was happening twenty five years ago, three years ago and then into the "here and now". I know the author did it like that to tell the story of the "how and why" of what was happening to the character Jack, but two time jumps is a little too much. So that is why I dropped it down a star - even though there is a warning at the beginning of the book as the author goes into detail of why he is doing time jumps in this book and I thought "oh boy - just what I need", but I wanted to continue on with this series so I just plunged ahead and hoped for the best. I guess I was able to keep it all straight (amazingly enough) as I am writing this review.
As always the characters of Herb, Harry, and Phineas kept me in stitches with chuckles and laughter - there was no laughter with Jack though as she was in her tight situation so there was more of a somber feeling there. Otherwise this book kept me wrapped in suspense and intrigue. I am looking forward to reading the next book "Stirred" in this series. Giving this book four "Serial Killer Shake 'n' Bake" stars.
March 17, 2014
I read "most" of the series in order, with the exception of one. The best part of Konrath's books is that each one is designed to be read as a stand-alone. However, if you follow them for the entire series, there are little extras that you pick up in the narration along the way. In SHAKEN, Konrath takes the novel in 3 different time periods. The way he does this makes it very easy to follow along, while we get a detailed look into a few cases in Jack's career that are connected to the current time frame.
We are introduced to one of the worst serial killers in the series, the elusive Mr. K. Konrath isn't afraid to ramp up the violence in his series, and I felt that it really paid off in this novel--giving that extra "heart-thumping" feeling as we follow along with Jack. As with his entire Jack Daniels' series, SHAKEN is
Highly recommended!
We are introduced to one of the worst serial killers in the series, the elusive Mr. K. Konrath isn't afraid to ramp up the violence in his series, and I felt that it really paid off in this novel--giving that extra "heart-thumping" feeling as we follow along with Jack. As with his entire Jack Daniels' series, SHAKEN is
Highly recommended!
August 30, 2021
Story 4/5
Narration 5/5
Narration 5/5
December 21, 2023
Tenth in the Jack Daniels thriller series set in Chicago and revolving around the former Lieutenant Jacqueline Daniels of the CPD.
My Take
This was rather irritating for the first two-thirds of the story as Konrath was jumping back and forth between three different time periods in Jack's life: 1989 when she first partnered up with Herb working a series of escort services murders and Alan's courtship of Jack, meeting up with Dalton in 2007 when Jack was still with Latham, and, today, 2010, with her kidnapping. After reading Konrath's intentions for the series, I look back and see it more as a reminiscence, a summing-up of Jack's experiences on the force and the influence she had on fellow officers as well as giving us background on why Jack is in her current predicament.
It is pretty funny to read of Jack getting introduced and prepped for going undercover as an escort. Not so funny as to the end result. The 2007 incident reminds us that success is not a given while 2010 is vindication.
Then there's McGlade. I mean, how can you not crack up at McGlade with this kind of comment:
I'm gonna miss her . . .
The Story
Talk about a case coming back to haunt ya'. Jack's naked and tied up in a storage locker, a digital clock counting down the time she has left to live. And, oh man, she has so much to live for now. An incredible man in her life, Phineas Troutt, and a baby on the way.
Too bad that baby hasn't a chance . . . not unless her former police partner, Herb Benedict, and her current partner, Harry McGlade, can find her with Phin's help. Hopefully, they'll find her before whoever has kidnapped her puts her on that Catherine wheel. Or starts up that Guinea Worm . . .
The Characters
I need to go back and re-read Cherry Bomb 'cause I sure don't remember Jack quitting the force. (NOTE as of 20 Dec 2023: Probably because I missed a few previous books!) In spite of her earlier relief of not having to work with Harry McGlade anymore, she's now his partner in his detective agency and not with the Chicago PD.And I am just lost . . .
Phineas "Phin" Troutt is suffering from cancer and, with that death sentence hanging over him, decided he no longer cared about society's rules. Until he ran into Jack. Now he's living with her. And about to find out he's going to become a father.
Herb Benedict is a humongously fat detective who worked with Jack for years. Still friends, he's pulling out all the stops to find her. Harry McGlade is a snarky, wiseass former cop who now works as a private detective and Jack's current partner. Harry's got his own way of getting things done . . . to everyone's dismay.
John Dalton, a Mafia hit man, with an extensive library on torture. Mr. K is a truly nasty serial killer using various instruments of torture, breaking legs, burning people . . . for as long as he can draw out their pain. Victor Brotsky is a bad memory from 1989. A wicked nasty serial killer and the collar that set Jack on her path in Homicide.
The Cover and Title
The cover is of a martini shaker, blood spilling down the side against a bland background while the title certainly depicts the feelings of the good guys — Shaken.
My Take
This was rather irritating for the first two-thirds of the story as Konrath was jumping back and forth between three different time periods in Jack's life: 1989 when she first partnered up with Herb working a series of escort services murders and Alan's courtship of Jack, meeting up with Dalton in 2007 when Jack was still with Latham, and, today, 2010, with her kidnapping. After reading Konrath's intentions for the series, I look back and see it more as a reminiscence, a summing-up of Jack's experiences on the force and the influence she had on fellow officers as well as giving us background on why Jack is in her current predicament.
It is pretty funny to read of Jack getting introduced and prepped for going undercover as an escort. Not so funny as to the end result. The 2007 incident reminds us that success is not a given while 2010 is vindication.
Then there's McGlade. I mean, how can you not crack up at McGlade with this kind of comment:
"I think it would be fun to have a pet that could fetch me beer. Plus I could give him a tin cup, pretend to be blind, and make a few bucks on the L train...But in total honesty, I'll probably just blow the money on malt liquor and lap dances."I suppose it was one way to provide us with the back history of several serial killers as well as the opportunity to blend one of Blake Crouch's characters in with Jack as the lead-in to the last book in the Jack Daniels series, Stirred. Konrath gives us the length of time they operated, their coolness "under fire" so to speak, and one of the serial killer's return to his first love from retirement.
I'm gonna miss her . . .
The Story
Talk about a case coming back to haunt ya'. Jack's naked and tied up in a storage locker, a digital clock counting down the time she has left to live. And, oh man, she has so much to live for now. An incredible man in her life, Phineas Troutt, and a baby on the way.
Too bad that baby hasn't a chance . . . not unless her former police partner, Herb Benedict, and her current partner, Harry McGlade, can find her with Phin's help. Hopefully, they'll find her before whoever has kidnapped her puts her on that Catherine wheel. Or starts up that Guinea Worm . . .
The Characters
I need to go back and re-read Cherry Bomb 'cause I sure don't remember Jack quitting the force. (NOTE as of 20 Dec 2023: Probably because I missed a few previous books!) In spite of her earlier relief of not having to work with Harry McGlade anymore, she's now his partner in his detective agency and not with the Chicago PD.
Phineas "Phin" Troutt is suffering from cancer and, with that death sentence hanging over him, decided he no longer cared about society's rules. Until he ran into Jack. Now he's living with her. And about to find out he's going to become a father.
Herb Benedict is a humongously fat detective who worked with Jack for years. Still friends, he's pulling out all the stops to find her. Harry McGlade is a snarky, wiseass former cop who now works as a private detective and Jack's current partner. Harry's got his own way of getting things done . . . to everyone's dismay.
John Dalton, a Mafia hit man, with an extensive library on torture. Mr. K is a truly nasty serial killer using various instruments of torture, breaking legs, burning people . . . for as long as he can draw out their pain. Victor Brotsky is a bad memory from 1989. A wicked nasty serial killer and the collar that set Jack on her path in Homicide.
The Cover and Title
The cover is of a martini shaker, blood spilling down the side against a bland background while the title certainly depicts the feelings of the good guys — Shaken.
October 31, 2010
Konrath uses a different format for the seventh book in his Jack Daniels series. Instead of a linear story, he gives us glimpses of the present, weaving that in with two separate timelines from Jack Daniels' past. I have to say that I am not normally a fan of this type of out of sequence writing but Konrath handles it masterfully. He ties the events together perfectly, giving a seamless transition from past to present.
This is Konrath at his best. Shaken had me riveted from beginning to end!
** I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy from Mr. Konrath, though that had no effect on my review. **
This is Konrath at his best. Shaken had me riveted from beginning to end!
** I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy from Mr. Konrath, though that had no effect on my review. **
January 26, 2020
Another great entry in the Jack Daniel's series. Part fast paced action, part thriller, part mystery.
If you've never read Konrath his books have a unique style and can be rather violent at times.
If you've never read Konrath his books have a unique style and can be rather violent at times.
September 19, 2015
wow... that was intense. Had to put the book down several times to catch my breath.
This series started out great and just gets better with every book. If you like humor, great characters, and story lines that just don't let up, please read the Jack Daniels' series and read them in order. They are amazing.
This series started out great and just gets better with every book. If you like humor, great characters, and story lines that just don't let up, please read the Jack Daniels' series and read them in order. They are amazing.
November 16, 2010
Konrath si so entertaining! There wasn't a boring slow moment in this title. Every scene had my attention and some made me laugh it hurt. I highly recommend anything that has Konrath's name attached to it.
August 15, 2018
This back and forward, while not something I like, was actually really interesting. Glad I kept reading!
July 27, 2018
The narrative unfolds for the protagonist in three separate time periods; the present is supplemented by two additional insights into Jack's past. Since they are all from the first person perspective, it's an interesting challenge for the writer. Ultimately the book comes together nicely and the effort works to great effect. Being the first book in the series to attempt something, Konrath deserves credit for attempting the fairly unconventional maneuver. It wouldn't have been as impactful earlier in the series. Now that readers are more in tune with the main character, this was the perfect time for a plot like this. Readers are invested enough for this roller coaster ride to be more consuming. It really works and made for a fun read.
February 24, 2011
Jackie, "Jack" Daniels is a former Chicago detective. Now a private investigator, she's abducted from her home and his bound and about to be tortured by the famous killer, "Mr. K."
The story is segmented into three parts. In the first part, it tells about Jackie going undercover twenty-one years ago in order to catch a serial killer who was dismembering and murdering women.
The second segment deals with three years ago when Jackie and her partner are following John Dalton when a body was found and a car matching Dalton's was seen leaving the scene.
The last segment is current time while she is about to be tortured and murdered.
Having a story move through three time periods is difficult. I found that it made the story less suspenseful and some of the momentum was lost. Some of the segments were only one page long and jumping from time periods like this cased a bit of confusion.
In addition there is lots of torture and sadistic people in this story. The reader must suspend their sense of logic for some of the action such as where Jackie, who wears size six so is about one hundred pounds, finds herself naked in the abductor's home and overpowering her captor, who is over two hundred pounds, seemed unlikely.
I also found the ending unrealistic and unsatisfactory. Deus ex machina is defined as a plot technique where a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly solved with a contrived and unexpected intervention of some new character. The use of this, even if in variation, is never acceptable.
I have enjoyed Konrath in the past but this novel disappointed.
The story is segmented into three parts. In the first part, it tells about Jackie going undercover twenty-one years ago in order to catch a serial killer who was dismembering and murdering women.
The second segment deals with three years ago when Jackie and her partner are following John Dalton when a body was found and a car matching Dalton's was seen leaving the scene.
The last segment is current time while she is about to be tortured and murdered.
Having a story move through three time periods is difficult. I found that it made the story less suspenseful and some of the momentum was lost. Some of the segments were only one page long and jumping from time periods like this cased a bit of confusion.
In addition there is lots of torture and sadistic people in this story. The reader must suspend their sense of logic for some of the action such as where Jackie, who wears size six so is about one hundred pounds, finds herself naked in the abductor's home and overpowering her captor, who is over two hundred pounds, seemed unlikely.
I also found the ending unrealistic and unsatisfactory. Deus ex machina is defined as a plot technique where a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly solved with a contrived and unexpected intervention of some new character. The use of this, even if in variation, is never acceptable.
I have enjoyed Konrath in the past but this novel disappointed.
October 14, 2018
I love this entire series. Your senses are pleased in many ways. I love the humor, suspence, mystery, characters and fast pace thrill ride. I would recommend the series.
December 11, 2018
This might be my favorite of the Jack Daniels series. I thought both the plot and writing were a little better than the previous books. Well done!
November 16, 2010
11/15/10
I'm not sure how to rate this book. Nearing the end I was thinking 4.5 creeping toward 5 stars. There were several things I absolutely loved. Once I "got" the pattern of the time jumps I found them a clever and skilled writing application to illustrate the parallels in the stories and thought they added momentum or urgency that wouldn't have been felt in reading the linear version. The "farewells" had me bawling and exclaiming out loud (the children weren't happy at being woke up at 4am). The crime fighting team of Phin, Harry and Herb was fantastically entertaining.
Then "something" happened and I thought wow! that was cleverly foreshadowed and I'm only at 49% . . . this is going to be a great book. Then I turned the page and it said "EPILOGUE." I felt ripped off and hurtled my iPod touch at the wall (I am happy to report the iPod Touch will break plaster without breaking itself...apparently only liquid is deadly). The ending was just TOO ABRUPT; there was no RESOLUTION and it was not SATISFYING. What my first reaction had thought was clever foreshadowing morphed into a quasi form of deus ex machina that has jeopardized my trust in the author. I mean come on when you are reading a mystery thriller the reader/author implied contract is the "team" will solve it. When something just drops out of nowhere and erases the central conflict of the main character it IS NOT SATISFYING. Now I wasn't happy about the cliff hanger ending of Fuzzy Navel. Shaken wasn't a cliff hanger, because technically the epilogue told the 'status' of the character, but to me it was empty and unsatisfying. One moment I'm in the thick of the action and the next it just ends SUDDENLY with no resolution. No information on the thoughts or emotions of any of the 4 central characters. There was no resolution. STRIKE ONE.
I have been an avid reader of this series. Unfortunately all evidence points to the fact we are at that contradicting point where the readers are deeply invested in a character the author is bored writing. Meaning all character progression was in fleshing out Jack Daniels' back story. STRIKE TWO.
Now when you combine this lack of character progression with the author's afterword...I am terrified and VERY apprehensive for a character I love. The fact that the last book in a series about a character I love is being co-authored is alarming. Given my impression of the other author's writing (from Serial and Draculas) leaves me very worried that the next book will be more about horror than an enjoyable thriller that concludes a character I am deeply invested in. The morphine shot at a time of critical development for the **t** supports this impending horror trend.
For the first time since discovering J.A. Konrath I am hesitant about if I want to buy the next book.
11/14/10
What do I think? I think I'm exceedingly disturbed about being left on a slippery slope for a character I am invested in.
I mean here's the thing. I read 27% of this book. Then I got the flu and set it aside. Starting to recover I picked it back up and read the last 13% and loved it. The farewells had me bawling...until I realized the cliff hanger ending that my favorite character is left in...
So then I spent an hour thinking about what this could possibly mean for a character I love being at that point where as a reader I am more invested in the character than the author appears to be...and then having to consider the ramifications that morphine shot would have or not have on a fetus I'm clearly invested in...
At which point the Author's After-word leaves me exceeding perplexed, because I didn't care much for Draculas and the tone that sets for the resolution of Jack Daniels well leaves me disturbed and increasingly perplexed about the future of a favorite charter I have followed for 7 novels.
Yes I'll continue reading, but honestly the peak was at Fuzzy Navel and expect for Shot of Tequila it has been all down hill since then.
I'm not sure how to rate this book. Nearing the end I was thinking 4.5 creeping toward 5 stars. There were several things I absolutely loved. Once I "got" the pattern of the time jumps I found them a clever and skilled writing application to illustrate the parallels in the stories and thought they added momentum or urgency that wouldn't have been felt in reading the linear version. The "farewells" had me bawling and exclaiming out loud (the children weren't happy at being woke up at 4am). The crime fighting team of Phin, Harry and Herb was fantastically entertaining.
Then "something" happened and I thought wow! that was cleverly foreshadowed and I'm only at 49% . . . this is going to be a great book. Then I turned the page and it said "EPILOGUE." I felt ripped off and hurtled my iPod touch at the wall (I am happy to report the iPod Touch will break plaster without breaking itself...apparently only liquid is deadly). The ending was just TOO ABRUPT; there was no RESOLUTION and it was not SATISFYING. What my first reaction had thought was clever foreshadowing morphed into a quasi form of deus ex machina that has jeopardized my trust in the author. I mean come on when you are reading a mystery thriller the reader/author implied contract is the "team" will solve it. When something just drops out of nowhere and erases the central conflict of the main character it IS NOT SATISFYING. Now I wasn't happy about the cliff hanger ending of Fuzzy Navel. Shaken wasn't a cliff hanger, because technically the epilogue told the 'status' of the character, but to me it was empty and unsatisfying. One moment I'm in the thick of the action and the next it just ends SUDDENLY with no resolution. No information on the thoughts or emotions of any of the 4 central characters. There was no resolution. STRIKE ONE.
I have been an avid reader of this series. Unfortunately all evidence points to the fact we are at that contradicting point where the readers are deeply invested in a character the author is bored writing. Meaning all character progression was in fleshing out Jack Daniels' back story. STRIKE TWO.
Now when you combine this lack of character progression with the author's afterword...I am terrified and VERY apprehensive for a character I love. The fact that the last book in a series about a character I love is being co-authored is alarming. Given my impression of the other author's writing (from Serial and Draculas) leaves me very worried that the next book will be more about horror than an enjoyable thriller that concludes a character I am deeply invested in. The morphine shot at a time of critical development for the **t** supports this impending horror trend.
For the first time since discovering J.A. Konrath I am hesitant about if I want to buy the next book.
11/14/10
What do I think? I think I'm exceedingly disturbed about being left on a slippery slope for a character I am invested in.
I mean here's the thing. I read 27% of this book. Then I got the flu and set it aside. Starting to recover I picked it back up and read the last 13% and loved it. The farewells had me bawling...until I realized the cliff hanger ending that my favorite character is left in...
So then I spent an hour thinking about what this could possibly mean for a character I love being at that point where as a reader I am more invested in the character than the author appears to be...and then having to consider the ramifications that morphine shot would have or not have on a fetus I'm clearly invested in...
At which point the Author's After-word leaves me exceeding perplexed, because I didn't care much for Draculas and the tone that sets for the resolution of Jack Daniels well leaves me disturbed and increasingly perplexed about the future of a favorite charter I have followed for 7 novels.
Yes I'll continue reading, but honestly the peak was at Fuzzy Navel and expect for Shot of Tequila it has been all down hill since then.
October 22, 2010
Joe starts the book with the following: that the reader has a choice…he’s trying something new and wrote the story out of sequence as well as writing it the regular way. He wanted to know what the reader thinks of each form. I started out of sequence since I don’t mind reading a book that way so long as I have a wee cranium’s up for the jump in time. Joe complies and I did fine.
This is a thriller in the finest sense of the genre. Mr. K is a killer who Jack has been tracking for 20 some years. The story goes back and forth through time, beginning with Jack’s realization that she has been abducted.
The rest of the book is bringing the reader up to date on Jack’s life over the past 20 years, going from rookie cop to private sector investigator. And hunting Mr. K.
I enjoyed watching her learn about Armani and Ralph Lauren clothes in the 80s when she mostly shopped at Sears.
What I like most about this series (and this author) is laughing and being freaked out in the same chapter. Dry humor that has me laughing out loud and squinching myself into my chair to get far away from the murder/torture scene being depicted on the page. That’s talent and a very good book.
Favorite characters…Jack definitely since she’s so sure of herself and she’s the good guy. Herb and Harry, especially Harry, since he makes me laugh. I surround myself with people like Harry. I do love to *snort laugh*. Herb is a sweetie and a good friend to Jack.
I read this in one day, peeps! It was difficult to put down, so I didn’t.
The book had a helluva WTF cliffhanger and I cannot wait to read STIRRED, the collaborative work of art of Joe Konrath and Blake Crouch, author of the extremely terrifying DESERT PLACES and LOCKED DOORS and ABANDON and SNOWBOUND…I have read one of these and working up nerve to read the rest.
Five thrill ride beans....
This is a thriller in the finest sense of the genre. Mr. K is a killer who Jack has been tracking for 20 some years. The story goes back and forth through time, beginning with Jack’s realization that she has been abducted.
The rest of the book is bringing the reader up to date on Jack’s life over the past 20 years, going from rookie cop to private sector investigator. And hunting Mr. K.
I enjoyed watching her learn about Armani and Ralph Lauren clothes in the 80s when she mostly shopped at Sears.
What I like most about this series (and this author) is laughing and being freaked out in the same chapter. Dry humor that has me laughing out loud and squinching myself into my chair to get far away from the murder/torture scene being depicted on the page. That’s talent and a very good book.
Favorite characters…Jack definitely since she’s so sure of herself and she’s the good guy. Herb and Harry, especially Harry, since he makes me laugh. I surround myself with people like Harry. I do love to *snort laugh*. Herb is a sweetie and a good friend to Jack.
I read this in one day, peeps! It was difficult to put down, so I didn’t.
The book had a helluva WTF cliffhanger and I cannot wait to read STIRRED, the collaborative work of art of Joe Konrath and Blake Crouch, author of the extremely terrifying DESERT PLACES and LOCKED DOORS and ABANDON and SNOWBOUND…I have read one of these and working up nerve to read the rest.
Five thrill ride beans....
September 8, 2016
It took me a few chapters to find a flow to this one but it was worth it. I enjoyed the timeline style.
March 19, 2018
This book started off well. I really enjoyed the exploration of the relationships. But after a while, the three timelines became confusing and overly complicated. And in two of the timelines, Jack’s maybe-almost being tortured. But will she be rescued in time? This book wasn’t a mystery, it was just gratuitous sexual violence. Obviously she’s going to live in all of the timelines. And we already know who did it. I didn’t care to finish it.
September 3, 2024
Shaken by J.A.Konrath is the 7th book in the Jacqueline Daniels mystery series. Retired Lietenant Jack Daniels wakes up in a strange locker bound and gagged having been captured by notorious killer and torturer Mr. K. There were two versions of this book, one chronological and the other mixed and I thought both were brilliant. An amazing book with plenty of humour despite the dark theme. Plenty of terror and suspense but I would recommend reading the series in the correct order.
May 31, 2017
I think I'm done with this series. I like the author's writing for the most part, particularly the three different timeliness in this installment, but it's just too graphic. At this point, it doesn't enhance the plot; it's just there for shock value and Mr. Konrath doesn't need that. His writing can stand on its own merit.
April 24, 2019
I have pretty much loved every other book in the Jack Daniels series. While there were parts of this book that I enjoyed, I didn't like it as much as the others.
The book has three different timelines. It starts with the present where Jack is tied up by a serial killer by the name of Mr. K. The second timeline is almost thirty years ago, when Jack is still a rookie who goes undercover to find the guy who has been targeting and dismembering prostitutes. Then there is three years ago, when Jack is partners with Herb and she is racing against the clock to catch the guy she knows has to be Mr. K.
The two timelines in the past were interesting and suspenseful. It was nice to see Jack back when she was first starting out in the force. The current timeline was somewhat less suspenseful. Most of the chapters in the present were short and didn't involve much beyond showing Jack struggling to break free. Those chapters were a bit repetitive: Jack is in pain from trying to break free, she stops and tries to face the fact that she will die, then she thinks of something else that gives her more fire so she tries to get herself free again. Rinse, cycle, repeat. We didn't even see the killer approach her until more than halfway through, so there wasn't anything to really hold my attention there. I was more invested with the chapters where Phin, Harry and Herb were trying to find her. After the first three quarters of the book, the suspense started to pick up. But the problem with three different timelines was that just when one scenario would pick up speed and get me on the edge of my seat, the author would switch timelines and scenarios so I would have to change my focus. Due to this, I spent the better part of the book a little frustrated and I thought the book moved a bit slower than the others. I also thought the ending was a bit too abrupt, although the book ended on a great cliffhanger that set up a scenario for Jack in the next book. The author said #8 was supposed to be the last one of the Jack Daniels series, so I am interested to see how the author is going to play out books 9-11, especially given Jack's current status.
The book has three different timelines. It starts with the present where Jack is tied up by a serial killer by the name of Mr. K. The second timeline is almost thirty years ago, when Jack is still a rookie who goes undercover to find the guy who has been targeting and dismembering prostitutes. Then there is three years ago, when Jack is partners with Herb and she is racing against the clock to catch the guy she knows has to be Mr. K.
The two timelines in the past were interesting and suspenseful. It was nice to see Jack back when she was first starting out in the force. The current timeline was somewhat less suspenseful. Most of the chapters in the present were short and didn't involve much beyond showing Jack struggling to break free. Those chapters were a bit repetitive: Jack is in pain from trying to break free, she stops and tries to face the fact that she will die, then she thinks of something else that gives her more fire so she tries to get herself free again. Rinse, cycle, repeat. We didn't even see the killer approach her until more than halfway through, so there wasn't anything to really hold my attention there. I was more invested with the chapters where Phin, Harry and Herb were trying to find her. After the first three quarters of the book, the suspense started to pick up. But the problem with three different timelines was that just when one scenario would pick up speed and get me on the edge of my seat, the author would switch timelines and scenarios so I would have to change my focus. Due to this, I spent the better part of the book a little frustrated and I thought the book moved a bit slower than the others. I also thought the ending was a bit too abrupt, although the book ended on a great cliffhanger that set up a scenario for Jack in the next book. The author said #8 was supposed to be the last one of the Jack Daniels series, so I am interested to see how the author is going to play out books 9-11, especially given Jack's current status.
March 6, 2017
So that ended with me yelling "holy f*****g what the f**k" out loud... It kind of disturbed the cat on my lap. And yes, just like the last two books in this series I read this one in a few hours.
June 6, 2019
Definitely one of my favorite Jack Daniels books!
November 17, 2021
Me ha resultado un poco lioso porque hace un tiempo leí Killers Uncut (de Konrath y Blake Crouch) y algunos personajes aparecen en ambos libros... Más adelante los leeré seguidos y seguro que el resultado es mejor.
July 11, 2023
If you like the psycho , crazy, serial killer type books- then this series is for you . I would start with book 1 - it really makes a difference , especially in this series!
July 15, 2021
Das ist mit der beste Jack Daniels Thriller. Der dreifache Zeitsprung immer wieder lässt einen 3 Storys in einer lesen. Ohne ständige Klopperei und ähnliches. Mega spannend , für mich bis jetzt der beste.
March 27, 2011
(Copy of my own review of this book on Amazon.co.uk)
They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but when I saw the cover of `Shaken' it was love at first sight, because I am a bit of a cocktail freak and a nice shiny cocktail shaker set in a lurid pink background was just too much to resist.
This is the penultimate instalment of a series of crime novels set in Chicago, with detective Jaqueline `Jack' Daniels (geddit?) as the protagonist. But fear not, you really need not read the previous instalments to make sense of this book, as the narrative is not linear and it will be taking you back and forwards in time, from 1989, to 2007, to 2010. It sounds like effort but it's not, I promise you (not being a fan of flashbacks and flashforwards). I actually rather enjoyed the choppiness of the timeline.
By his own admission, J.A. Konrath rips off pretty much everybody and as a fan of old-days Cornwell, I could certainly see the similarities. Female ballsy heroine, check; overweight cop partner, check; evil serial killer, check. But unlike present days Cornwell (although I have yet to read her last two offerings, which hopefully are better than the third to last), Konrath gives you a page turner. The chapters are short, light on descriptive ramblings and heavy on snappy dialogue and action; there's plenty of humour (albeit of the gallows variety, but hey, it's a cop novel) scattered throughout the pages to balance the nastiness of the bad stuff. You can tell that Konrath doesn't take himself too seriously and in one scene in which Jack and her partners toy with the idea of breaking the rules to catch a baddie, one of them says `I saw it on The Shield'. Being a fan of that TV show made me get the reference and made me like the book even more.
Ok, so it's not high brow high literary fiction, but it doesn't try to be and what Konrath does, he does brilliantly. He writes a book that is fairly short, has short chapters, hooks you from page one, has you care about the characters and - let's not forget this - has a really, really great cover. The kind of book that you just want to keep on reading even if it's bedtime. It's genre literature at its very best.
Prior to seeing `Shaken' on the Amazon Vine monthly list, I'd never heard of its author. `Shaken' is published by Amazon Encore but all the previous novels of the `Jaqueline `Jack' Daniels' series are also available in paper format as well as for the Kindle. I've since discovered that Konrath is a very prolific writer who now primarily self-publishes with Kindle and Amazon Encore as their main platforms (but his books are also all available in formats readable by all other types of e-readers too). I really wish him the best of luck and I hope that Amazon Encore helps his works reach bigger audiences, because it's a mystery to me how he can do what he does without being a big name in crime writing. I am most certainly going to buy all the other Jack Daniels books in the series in their paper format so that I can look at the beautiful drink-cabinet inspired covers while I mix myself my next cocktail.
They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but when I saw the cover of `Shaken' it was love at first sight, because I am a bit of a cocktail freak and a nice shiny cocktail shaker set in a lurid pink background was just too much to resist.
This is the penultimate instalment of a series of crime novels set in Chicago, with detective Jaqueline `Jack' Daniels (geddit?) as the protagonist. But fear not, you really need not read the previous instalments to make sense of this book, as the narrative is not linear and it will be taking you back and forwards in time, from 1989, to 2007, to 2010. It sounds like effort but it's not, I promise you (not being a fan of flashbacks and flashforwards). I actually rather enjoyed the choppiness of the timeline.
By his own admission, J.A. Konrath rips off pretty much everybody and as a fan of old-days Cornwell, I could certainly see the similarities. Female ballsy heroine, check; overweight cop partner, check; evil serial killer, check. But unlike present days Cornwell (although I have yet to read her last two offerings, which hopefully are better than the third to last), Konrath gives you a page turner. The chapters are short, light on descriptive ramblings and heavy on snappy dialogue and action; there's plenty of humour (albeit of the gallows variety, but hey, it's a cop novel) scattered throughout the pages to balance the nastiness of the bad stuff. You can tell that Konrath doesn't take himself too seriously and in one scene in which Jack and her partners toy with the idea of breaking the rules to catch a baddie, one of them says `I saw it on The Shield'. Being a fan of that TV show made me get the reference and made me like the book even more.
Ok, so it's not high brow high literary fiction, but it doesn't try to be and what Konrath does, he does brilliantly. He writes a book that is fairly short, has short chapters, hooks you from page one, has you care about the characters and - let's not forget this - has a really, really great cover. The kind of book that you just want to keep on reading even if it's bedtime. It's genre literature at its very best.
Prior to seeing `Shaken' on the Amazon Vine monthly list, I'd never heard of its author. `Shaken' is published by Amazon Encore but all the previous novels of the `Jaqueline `Jack' Daniels' series are also available in paper format as well as for the Kindle. I've since discovered that Konrath is a very prolific writer who now primarily self-publishes with Kindle and Amazon Encore as their main platforms (but his books are also all available in formats readable by all other types of e-readers too). I really wish him the best of luck and I hope that Amazon Encore helps his works reach bigger audiences, because it's a mystery to me how he can do what he does without being a big name in crime writing. I am most certainly going to buy all the other Jack Daniels books in the series in their paper format so that I can look at the beautiful drink-cabinet inspired covers while I mix myself my next cocktail.
October 30, 2010
I'd like to start off by saying there will be no spoilers in this review. I am not that kind of girl. Shaken starts out with three different time lines for Jack. Jack is working two separate cases that all seem to come together in the third present time.
The first part shows us when Jack was a rookie working prostitution rings. She chases a John into a back alley where they both stumble upon a dead escort. That puts Jack onto a killer.
The second part has Jack looking for a psychotic killer who tortures his victims. In unimaginable ways. It threatens everything Jack knows about good and evil and what some people can do to others.
The third and most important present day time line which is mixed into both others was the hardest for me. I was getting so frustrated jumping back and forth from each time period that I was trying to read faster just to get back to the present day to see how Jack was fairing.
Jack is one of my favorite heroines of any book I have read. Shaken did not disappoint. It had me laughing to myself, laughing loud enough for people to give me strange looks and also had me tearing up. It almost seems like Jack is cursed. Things just start to go right for her and bam they turn around tenfold.
The only thing that bothered me about this one was that it felt like such a quick read. It seemed to go so fast. What I didn't bother learning before I started reading was that in addition to the original story this book also comes with a linear version. I could have read each time line in order had I so chosen. I have to say, honestly, as much as I complained about jumping around in the story, I actually preferred it.
I feel like if I had to do a time line and blend them together I'd fail miserably. Konrath was a master at it. While the time lines mixed together the seemed to go perfectly and seamlessly. I could not ask for more. Well, that's not true. I could ask for Konrath to never ever end the Jack Daniels series but I guess there is such a thing as asking for too much.
The first part shows us when Jack was a rookie working prostitution rings. She chases a John into a back alley where they both stumble upon a dead escort. That puts Jack onto a killer.
The second part has Jack looking for a psychotic killer who tortures his victims. In unimaginable ways. It threatens everything Jack knows about good and evil and what some people can do to others.
The third and most important present day time line which is mixed into both others was the hardest for me. I was getting so frustrated jumping back and forth from each time period that I was trying to read faster just to get back to the present day to see how Jack was fairing.
Jack is one of my favorite heroines of any book I have read. Shaken did not disappoint. It had me laughing to myself, laughing loud enough for people to give me strange looks and also had me tearing up. It almost seems like Jack is cursed. Things just start to go right for her and bam they turn around tenfold.
The only thing that bothered me about this one was that it felt like such a quick read. It seemed to go so fast. What I didn't bother learning before I started reading was that in addition to the original story this book also comes with a linear version. I could have read each time line in order had I so chosen. I have to say, honestly, as much as I complained about jumping around in the story, I actually preferred it.
I feel like if I had to do a time line and blend them together I'd fail miserably. Konrath was a master at it. While the time lines mixed together the seemed to go perfectly and seamlessly. I could not ask for more. Well, that's not true. I could ask for Konrath to never ever end the Jack Daniels series but I guess there is such a thing as asking for too much.
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