Dirty Martini

April 23, 2007
K
onrath’s fourth drink-inspired mystery to feature Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels (after 2006’s Rusty Nail
) is a particularly potent mix of equal parts mirth and mayhem with a dash of sex and a twist (or two) of plot. When an extortionist prefaces his demands for a payoff from the city of Chicago by spreading enough botulism toxin to cause more than 30 deaths, Jack’s previous successes and her resultant celebrity are enough to put her in charge of the case. The poisoner has more tricks up his sleeve and unleashes an almost unimaginable arsenal of toxins. Despite a horrific death count, Konrath infuses plenty of humor. Best of all, he gives the reader ample opportunities to stay abreast of or even ahead of his sleuth, but it will take a clever reader to unravel the subtle clues embedded in the story. Konrath’s latest should be taken straight, no chaser needed.

July 30, 2007
A pair of gifted, award-winning readers make the audio version of Konrath's fourth mystery to feature Lt. Jack Daniels a rare, funny and very exciting listening experience. While Jack (short for Jacqueline) copes with problems in her private life, a really scary terrorist who calls himself the Chemist is literally holding the city of Chicago for ransom, demanding a huge payoff to stop injecting deadly toxins into food, drugs, even children's sandals. Many people have already died, and the Chemist seems to have something even more vicious in mind. Dick Hill catches the slightly edgy but never over-the-top killer perfectly, the kind of ordinary lunatic who might go unnoticed on the street. Susie Breck creates a perfect Jack Daniels by mixing wry wit, drink recipes and growing apprehension to capture just the right taste for mystery connoisseurs. Simultaneous release with the Hyperion hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 23).

Starred review from June 1, 2007
What would happen if an urban terrorist began spreading botulism in Chicago's restaurants, contaminating clothing with killer microbes, and booby-trapping houses so that the police are killed in horrible ways? In her fourth outing (after "Rusty Nails"), Lt. Jack Daniels is placed in charge of the wild hunt for this madman who wants $2 million but finds that he likes the killing more. Mix Konrath's witty repartee with edge-of-the-chair suspense, over-the-top killing devices, and action that never takes a breather, and you have Konrath's latest white-knuckle thriller. Not to be missed. For all mystery and thriller collections. Konrath lives in Chicago.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2007
Chicago homicide cop Jacqueline Jack Daniels returns in this hard-edged thriller. Someone who calls himself the Chemist is poisoning food in the citys grocery stores and restaurants. When the Chemist demands $2 million to stop the killings, the superintendent of detectives puts Jack in charge of the casebecause fast-talking Jack has plenty of experience dealing with serial killers, having gone up against three of them already(most recently in Rusty Nail, 2006). Like Jeffrey Deaver, Konrath ratchets up the suspense until readers dont dare stop flipping the pages; the characters are sharply drawn; andthe dialogue sounds like real (though funny) people talking (a decided improvement over some of the earlier volumes in the series). Also like Deaver, Konrath clearly understands the importance of creating a believable, interesting villain. A solid success for those who like to mix comedy and grit.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)