January Group Read: Whiskey Sour

[Eileen]

I do enjoy a book full of sarcasm, me being a very sarcastic person in real life.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

I liked the little, everyday scenes too. It was funny when her ex's bruiser girlfriend tried to get something started and she put her in her place. I liked Phin too. I wonder if he's in the other books.

[The Pirate Ghost, Long John Silvers Wanna-be]

Phin's in the books to the end. And Phin's coooool.

Is Mr. Friskers in this one? (her cat?)

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

Yay!!!

I don't remember a cat. I was thinking she needs one. I tell you, when you're single, pets are so crucial!

[Keri]

Phin is one of my favorite characters and is in quite a few books. he even has a few short stories of his own. he is not a happy, sunny character for sure. Ya'll have some surprising twists coming up you haven't read the rest of the series....VERY TWISTED!

[The Pirate Ghost, Long John Silvers Wanna-be]

and... I don't know how helpful Mr. Friskers is...(LOL) but he is as much a character as Phin... maybe more like Harry in cat form.

[Eileen]

I couldn't remember if Jack had a cat or not. Good to know I'm not losing my mind. She does need a cat, someone to meet her at the door.

I can just picture interesting story lines involving Jack and Phin. A lot of problems can be solved over a good game of pool.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

Is Shot of Tequila Phin's book?

[The Pirate Ghost, Long John Silvers Wanna-be]

She probably picks Mr. Friskers up in a following book. Trust me, you'd remember him if he's in this one. He's quite a caracter.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

I usually remember the animal characters, being animal crazy. I'm excited to meet him.

[Keri]

Lady D, you mean as a stand alone character? Epitaph, Potshots and Suffer are some of Phin's short stories.

[The Pirate Ghost, Long John Silvers Wanna-be]

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "I usually remember the animal characters, being animal crazy. I'm excited to meet him."

I think Mr. Friskers comes in the next book, or maybe three. He's the pet of a victim that nobody wanted to take care of so she took him home, even though she's not crazy about cats. Jack's tries very hard to act like she's not got a heart.

Trust me, he only has a few scenes, but if you like animals, you'll remeber him!

[Alice]

Mr. Friskers is starting to grow on me, like Harry. Phin is pretty cool. The Feeb 'twins' really crack me up- always. Love some Herb. I always have the urge to not eat after reading his scenes. Or maybe it's the sometimes beyond gruesome serial killer scenes.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

Keri wrote: "Lady D, you mean as a stand alone character? Epitaph, Potshots and Suffer are some of Phin's short stories."

Okay, thanks.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

Alice wrote: "Mr. Friskers is starting to grow on me, like Harry. Phin is pretty cool. The Feeb 'twins' really crack me up- always. Love some Herb. I always have the urge to not eat after reading his scenes. Or ..."

Yeah, Herb did make me want to eat, but it could also have been the medication I'm on. :)

[The Pirate Ghost, Long John Silvers Wanna-be]

Alice wrote: "Mr. Friskers is starting to grow on me, like Harry. Phin is pretty cool. The Feeb 'twins' really crack me up- always. Love some Herb. I always have the urge to not eat after reading his scenes. Or ..."

There is a reason nobody was willing to take Mr. Friskers in...(and a reason that I think Jack taking him shows a little more depth of character in her, more humanity. She felt sorry for him, and she doesn't even like cats.)

[Eileen]

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Alice wrote: "Mr. Friskers is starting to grow on me, like Harry. Phin is pretty cool. The Feeb 'twins' really crack me up- always. Love some Herb. I always have the urge to not eat after reading h..."

Feeling better this week, Lady D?

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

Not yet, Eileen. I think this is going to be a prolonged thing.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

You guys are going to start throwing things at me... I liked the plot and I think Jack's a good character (though I was a little annoyed when (view spoiler)[ she gave up her gun during a hostage situation. Police won't do that they know that then the hostage taker can kill them and the hostage, (hide spoiler)].

I'm probably only going to be able to go 3 stars on it though. I hate the loving accounts of perverse torture from the pervert's point of view. I skipped a few good sized chunks of the book.

I read a review of the next one (as I did like the overall book enough to think about following it up) and one reviewer said "if you didn't like the graphic violence in the first book..." It's not the graphic violence, I've read all kinds of violent books, it's that psychotic point of view

I may get the next and try it Bloody Mary, as the Jack character is a good one.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

I'm not throwing anything, Mike. Actually, I agree with you about the killer's POV being a bit much.

[Eileen]

I'll throw something...no... just kidding, Mike. I understand what you're saying about the killers point of view. I find it interesting delving into the mind of a serial killer, why do they do it, what makes them tick? Not being a serial killer myself and not knowing any, I always wonder why? Are they born that way or is their environment the cause? The reasoning behind the killings in the book kind of disappointed me. I would have liked a different reason for all the killings.

[Eileen]

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Not yet, Eileen. I think this is going to be a prolonged thing."

Sorry to hear that!

[Keri]

I can't wait until ya'll get through the entire series to date and then we will come back and revisit this conversation.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Thanks LadyD...Eileen, I'm going to get my hard hat.

No, it's not the look at his rationalizations I mind. It's the descriptions (the first being a rather detailed one) of what he's doing with the knife and the words used by the victim as she hopelessly begs for her life. That I skipped. I may have missed a bit, but the first murder description was enough.

However I have gone to the library web sight and reserved Bloody Mary. See how it goes. By the way, I'm with the people who can't stand Harry.

[The Pirate Ghost, Long John Silvers Wanna-be]

Eileen wrote: "I'll throw something...no... just kidding, Mike. I understand what you're saying about the killers point of view. I find it interesting delving into the mind of a serial killer, why do they do it, ..."

I agree, it's interesting. Between the two group reads, I like each book for different reasons. I'd say that I'm more uncomfortable with Konrath's version of "the killer's mind" (so to speak) than I am with The same thing in "The Pawn." Even when I think the Pawn's glimpses from the killer's point of view are even more disturbing than the Gingerbread man.

I'm not sure why but they seem less gratuitus. I liked the way the main characters have a "human" appeal to them in Whiskey Sour. Jack is great (I agree with Mike) and the whole gang. I had the feeling that the violence in Whiskey sour was on occasion more "Gratuitus" than in "The Pawn" yet, the bad guys in the pawn did worse things.

Of course I could be crazy.

Still, I kind of like getting inside the head of the killer like Konrath does. I think it helps the story. Once we see how evil the Gingerbread man is, then it's easier to see how "Good" in a very basic way, Jack, Herb and the gang are. Or rather the contrast puts an exclaimation point on it.

Jack and the gang are good in a human way. They screw up, they make mistakes but they keep trying. In the end, the win the day.

but I ramble on.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

Eileen wrote: "Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Not yet, Eileen. I think this is going to be a prolonged thing."

Sorry to hear that!"

Thanks, Eileen!

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

Regarding serial killer POV:

I can see your points, Eileen and Hugh, but I guess it's a dark place I don't really prefer to go to. I think it makes for a more 'rounded' storyline to see what the killer is thinking, but I am squeamish about such things.

Why I generally avoid any books with serial killer stuff.

I watch Criminal Minds mainly because I find Spencer Reid so darn adorable. :)

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I used to watch Criminal Minds, but I always wondered why we had to watch the graphic part of the murder? There are a lot of police procedurals and mysteries on TV that have far less graphic scenes (even Bones where we get to see rotting corpses but don't generally watch victims begging for their lives as psychos torture and slaughter them.) As I understand it the exceptionally graphic content (for a network TV show) had something (a lot)to do with Mandy Patinkin leaving the series.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

I think they want to make their show stand out by being edgy and graphic. Sometimes I have to turn the channel. I mainly focus on Spencer when I watch it. :)

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I haven't watched it since the season after Patinkin left. I think it was when they bombed the car at the end of one season and tied it up in the first program of the next season.

[Lisa P, My weekend is all booked up!]

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Regarding serial killer POV:

I can see your points, Eileen and Hugh, but I guess it's a dark place I don't really prefer to go to. I think it makes for a more 'rounded' storyline to see what the ..."

I couldn't agree with you more...that is why I don't read books like this very often either.

[Lisa P, My weekend is all booked up!]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I used to watch Criminal Minds, but I always wondered why we had to watch the graphic part of the murder? There are a lot of police procedurals and mysteries on TV that have far less graphic scenes..."

I've never seen the series, but have always loved Mandy Patinkin...he was awesome in The Princess Bride!!!

[The Pirate Ghost, Long John Silvers Wanna-be]

I hope you guys take a chance at reading the pawn. It's very dark and violent too, but I think this point offers a good place to compare and contrast the two books and the two styles of each writer.

The way they use this "point of view" is different. I'll wager that the violence in The Pawn is worse than the violence here though it's more paletable becuse it's more tied into things with more of a purpose.

The characters in Whiskey Sour, Jack and the gang, are probably more endearing because they are more like us (The flaws I mentioned earlier.)

Also when we go to the villains point of view in the pawn, the scene isn't as raw (though it's arguably darker). Just like we get an unvarnished raw hero (one that's like us, a blue collar girl without the spit and polish of the feebees) the villain comes across as the same.

In the Pawn, the heroes are struggling to be human. Instead of making them more like us, their flaws make them less like us. The violence is a reflection or a ripple that we get to ride out that shows us what happens metaphrically if our hero, surroundd by all of the violence makes different choices or can't recover his humanity.

And, I don't think you must to read all of the scene's from the Killer's POV in either book to enjoy them, just read enough to get the "feel" of how it all fits together and to keep up with any clues that are integral to the plot.

Of course, I read it all because I see reflections of the story in the actions of all the characters. If the book is good (and both of these are) then there is something there to see that's beyond the wicked acts of the characters.

but that's me.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

When I read books, I don't like to skip scenes. That's why I avoid subject matter that is beyond my comfort zone (erotica, extremely violent material). I don't know if I will get to The Pawn this month, but I plan to read it.

[Sharon]

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "I liked the little, everyday scenes too. It was funny when her ex's bruiser girlfriend tried to get something started and she put her in her place. I liked Phin too. I wonder if he's in the other..."

This particular scene reminded me of Eve Dallas in the "In Death" series as well. This is so the kind of thing she does.

[Sharon]

Hugh The Curmudgeon wrote: "I hope you guys take a chance at reading the pawn. It's very dark and violent too, but I think this point offers a good place to compare and contrast the two books and the two styles of each writer..."

I did finish The Pawn but the one thing I could not deal well with (and this is definitely a personal issues) was the sullen, sulky, nasty step-daughter. I know the reasons she was like that but I've been too old to deal with that for years in real life and I'm too old now to like having to deal with it in books!

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

Sharon wrote: "Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "I liked the little, everyday scenes too. It was funny when her ex's bruiser girlfriend tried to get something started and she put her in her place. I lik..."

I think Jack and Eve could hang out!

[Sharon]

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "I think Jack and Eve could hang out! "

Somehow I can see them at a gory crime scene comparing notes and one backing the other up on a forced entry. Yeah ... they'd like each other.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Literary Adrenaline Junkie]

Yup!