65 Proof: Sixty Five Short Stories

by J.A. Konrath

JA Konrath, author of the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller series, offers a gigantic collection of short stories from the thriller, horror, and comedy genres.
Stories to make you laugh, scream, cringe, think, scratch your head, and roll your eyes. This collection has something to please every type of Kindle reader, and is an inexpensive way to get introduced to the author and his work.

JACK DANIELS & FRIENDS
On the Rocks - Jack Daniels solves a locked room mystery
Whelp Wanted - Harry McGlade becomes a dognapper
Street Music - Phineas Troutt hunts a prostitute
The One That Got Away - The Gingerbread Man's last victim
With a Twist - Jack Daniels solves an impossible crime
Epitaph - Phineas Troutt avenges a death
Taken to the Cleaners - Harry McGlade goofs off
Body Shots - Jack Daniels at a school shooting
Suffer - Phineas Troutt as a hitman
Overproof - Jack Daniels discovers what is stopping traffic
Bereavement - Phineas Troutt as hitman
Pot Shot - Herb Benedict gets shot at
Last Request - Phineas Troutt meets his match
Planter's Punch - Jack Daniels meets Tom Schreck's Duffy Domborwski
Truck Stop - Jack Daniels meets bad guys from AFRAID and SERIAL

CRIME STORIES
The Big Guys - flash fiction
The Agreement - very nasty noir
A Fistful of Cozy - a satire of the cozy genre
Cleansing - a crime of biblical proportions
Lying Eyes - solve it yourself
Perfect Plan - solve it yourself
Piece of Cake - solve it yourself
Animal Attraction - solve it yourself
Basketcase - hardboiled horror
Urgent Reply Needed - how to deal with spammers
Blaine's Deal - parody of hardboiled noir
The Confession - horrific noir

HORROR STORIES
Finicky Eater - nuclear holocaust and cannibals
The Screaming - Van Helsing lives
Mr. Pull Ups - body modification horror
The Shed - some losers find the door to hell
Them's Good Eats - rednecks vs. aliens
First Time - a tender coming of age story
Forgiveness - the genesis of evil
Redux - ghost story noir
The Bag - what's in the bag?
Careful, He Bites - lyncanthrope flash fiction
Symbios - sci-fi horror
A Matter of Taste - zombie flash fiction
Embrace - gothic fiction
Trailer Sucks - gross out gore
Markey - psychological horror
Punishment Room - horrific suspense
Shapeshifter's Anonymous - funny paranormal
SERIAL - with Blake Crouch
Dear Diary - a dip into madness
The Eagle - early horror
A Sound of Blunder - with F. Paul Wilson

FUNNY STUFF
Light Drizzle - parody of hitman stories
Mr. Spaceman - science fiction satire
Don't Press That Button! - essay on James Bond
Piranha Pool - comedy about writing
Well Balanced Meal - gross out humor
A Newbie's Guide to Thrillerfest - essay on writing conventions
Inspector Oxnard - parody of mysteries
Appalachian Lullaby - radioactive monkeys
One Night Only - humorous story
An Archaeologist's Story - satire
Could Stephanie Plum Car Really Get Car Insurance? - essay
Cozy or Hardboiled? - essay
Addiction - comedy about writing
Weigh To Go - humor column about health clubs
Cub Scout Gore Feast - with Jeff Strand
Hint Fiction - four super shorts

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.
65 PROOF by JA Konrath
Bad Language - 6
Scary - 8
Violent - 9
Funny - 9
Sexy - 3
Crossovers - Features characters from the Jack Daniels Thriller series

Genres: Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Short Stories, Fiction, Humor, Anthologies

610 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2009

About the author

Joe 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

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars overall. I enjoyed the Jack Daniels stories the most, the horror stories the least. The book is divided into 4 parts: Jack Daniels, Crime stories, Horror and Funny stuff. I only read 3 of the horror stories but read everything else. I recommend it to Konrath fans. The horror stories had too much gore.
I borrowed this through kindle unlimited.

[Mort · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you not love this author?!

Whether it's Jack Daniels and associates, the more extreme Kilborn or the over-the-top, goofy, hilarious comedy, I loved every single story in this book.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the Jack Daniels stories included in this vastly diverse anthology of short stories. However, the rest of the stories ranged from very clever to kinf of gross, although there was only one that I couldn't finish. An interesting read with very telling commentary.

[Judine Brey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The problem with this collection is that the stories he writes well (the Jack Daniels and friends segment) are worth five stars, but some of the ones in the final miscellaneous section are worth one. I like Konrath's combination of high stakes and humor (even when some of it is dark), and his locked room stories are brilliantly executed. I also appreciated the fact that he had this anthology divided into sections (mostly so I could skip the horror stories), but some of the humor stories fell flat. The punch lines were either too predictable, or the tone of the story itself was a bit off-putting (there's a reason he couldn't do Dave Barry style writing). I believe I'll look into the Jack Daniels stories now that I know what to expect.

[Rahul Mukherjee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first encounter with Konrath and the gore and violence involved is too much for me. Stories like "Truck Stop"(Involves two people, one of them loves to eat ladies toes alive and the other love to disfgure ladies faces), "The Agreement" involves violence at unthinkable scale. Works like "Mr Spaceman", is simply no story at all.
I am sorry this is not my type.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This gets 2 stars because I liked the Jack Daniels and associated friends stories. I didn't think the funny stories were particularly funny (which was disappointing as I enjoy the humor in the JD books), and the horror stuff was just awful.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good selection to read one or all, they range from funny to some gory. Giving you 14 hours to chose from. My favorites are the Jack Daniel series and his Locked Rooms. Readers will find favorites among these and go on to others by him.

[Elaine Lucky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A huge collection of short stories that were rejected by publishers and magazines. A lot of Phin, Jack, & Harry stories that were pretty good. Hard boiled, horror, comedy. It was a huge mix of shorts that were entertaining and different style. J.A. has come a long way as a writer.

[Farra Michel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly there were only about 5 stories I didn't care for. I'd say that is impressive considering there are 65 stories in here.

[Terry Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best collection of short stories I have ever read (and I'm 75 years old)!

[Bill Gilder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wild Collection

Most of these stories were top notch but toward the end there were a few that were lacking. Lots of great reads here, though. I love Joe Konrath's writing.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved all the stories

[Lars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories. Very good in the beginning, very bad at the end. You can skip the last 20%, you'll not miss much.

A must read: Light drizzle. Hilarious!

[Scharmaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked reading his different styles of writing

[Roberto Scarlato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading 65 proof, I had read other works from this author. Those titles include The List, Origin, Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary and Disturb. So its fair to say that he's a safe bet and keeps the hits rolling.

In reality, some of these stories are sold as stand-alone ebooks. But you’re really getting 10 eBooks for the price of one. If that isn’t more bang for your buck, I don’t know what is.

But I’d have to say that 65 proof is not only a good introduction to this author, but you’re also getting many genres across the board and you’re saving money by buying this book.

This massive ebook collection is separated into 4 parts: Jack and Friends (any stories related to his mystery thriller series starring heroine, Jacqueline Daniels), Crime stories, Horror stories and Funny stuff.

You’re led through these stories, and through his publishing career, as the author himself gives a brief intro to each story. Once you become familiar with his wit, it turns into a major selling point for each story. I’d sometimes laugh as he jokes in between them as he sets up the next tale. He’s also really good with Flash Fiction (stories in 500 words or less).
Right off the bat, we’re treated with some clever Locked Room mysteries which I wasn’t a fan of before reading this book. But he came up with some really clever stuff. My favorite stories had to be the ones with Phineas Troutt, a hard-boiled dying man who generally doesn’t care about ruffling feathers or dishing out some old-fashioned justice. He has a gritty attitude that draws you in.

The crime stories were equally hard-boiled as well as equally unpredictable. The Agreement story was especially chilling.
The Horror section was good. One story stands out the most and that is The Screaming. It’s the most original concept for a vampire story I have read yet. It was also written a different way. I liked the style of it.

Another good one is Symbios. This Sci-fi horror kind of reminded me of Stephen King’s Survivor Type story but with a compelling stranded on an alien planet angle.

All told, I haven’t finished every single story. I’m 90% finished with it. But I know that it is a majorly meaty collection of stories which will intrigue you, wow you, shock you, drop you, sock you and keep you reading all night.

There’s something for everyone.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read: 2024.. This is the book that I discovered Ms. Jack Daniels & Friends. :)

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love short stories, especially if I am reading at work (ssshhhhhh!!!!). These were especially good. The first part of the book was mostly cop/PI stories. Second part was horror- some pretty gruesome and disturbing but still really good. Third part was funny stuff. Funny horror? Yep. Some of the stories had me giggling and wanting more. I loved the alien/hooker story and the paid assasin that kept having to kill someone else to cover up the murder he just committed with corny things like death by meat tenderizing accident and a bus full of folks that suffered a tragic soccer trampling- while still on the bus. It was pretty funny.

I did find a common thread among many of them: Some way, some how, the person(s) always got what they deserved even if it was a sick, twisted and gross payback.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good short story collection from JA Konrath aka Jack Kilborn. I have read several of his horror books and some of his short stories. In fact several of them were also in this book. They were good enough to read again, especially "Serial".

Mr. Konrath divided this collection up into sections that featured characters from his Jack Daniels novels, a crime section, horror and comedy.

I think he's a good crime thriller, noir and horror writer. Comedy? Ah, stick to the other stuff. The comedy was, well, not as funny ad his horror was scary. I think he tries to hard to make it over the top funny. He interjects comedy into his other genres, and it works. But his comedy stories not so much.

His stories can get pretty graphic. But I expect it, so this is a good thing.

Nice variety from a good author.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I downloaded this for reading during the 2012 FACUG Technology Conference Bahamas Cruise, so I wouldn't get so engrossed that I missed sessions.

These stories certainly did the trick, and prompted me to get "Whiskey Sour" (the 1st of his Jack Daniels series) through my local library. A review of Whiskey Sour will be coming later.

I particularly like that the author prefaced most of them with where and how the stories originated, as well as the thriller, horror, serial killer, etc. authors that have influenced his writings.

If you like horror, thrillers, serial killer, etc. type books these stories are sure to become some of your favorites.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so yes, I cheated...I didn't read the whole thing. I skipped the horror part after reading two shorts from that section. But the rest was mostly good. I liked the funny ones and the locked room mysteries the most. And I'll have to say, listening to the kindle read that poem was freaking hilarious, even though it probably wasn't supposed to be. Oh, and the kindle reading the werewolf-wolf-skunk-deer conversation was pretty funny too.

All in all, now that I know what a broad spectrum of stories this guy can write, I know a little better what to stay away from. I will have to give the Jack Daniels series a go now...

[Nadyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of 65 short-stories that have been published before, in different genres, thriller, horror, crime, satire, science fiction, humor, etc. (790 pages). Before each story, the author gives some information on how the story came about, where it was published, for what reason it was written, and so on, which I found quite interesting.

Quite contrary to what I expected,I liked most of the horror stories (not really my genre) and none of the humorous ones, but that of course is only a matter of taste. I loved the mystery-, thriller- and detective-stories, though.

[Jonathan Dunsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Konrath I read. I had a craving for some shorts and it seemed like a good deal.

It was. 65 Proof contains a variety of stories from different genres: crime, horror, humor, and Jack Daniel's stories. I enjoyed many of the stories, though some were naturally stronger than others.

Mr. Pull Ups is my favorite of the bunch. Forgiveness is also good. Those two are horror stories. Konrath does better mystery, in my opinion. There are two closed-room mysteries in this collection which I found to be very good.

[Carson hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. Although I absolutely loved this book, I do have one huge complaint. In the Horror section, many of the stories pretty much had the same theme, while this theme is really quite scary and gory (In fact, I had to stop in the middle of a story more than once, because it was so disturbing).

Otherwise, this is a great book. I really enjoyed the three sections, one mystery, one horror and one humor. Mr. Konrath is a twisted soul, and I am so happy he shares some of it with us lucky enough to pick up one of his books.

[Karen Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opinions

I am a big Jack Daniels fan and so when I saw her name as part of the title I naturally expected that the whole book would be about Jack. Unfortunately that was not the case. The writers are very well versed in creating stories. However the rest of the stories were not my cup of tea. I'm sure they appeal to many many fans. I'm not trying to take anything away from the writers and I will definitely be reading Jack Daniels as I find them! Thank you for your imagination, your intellect and your desire to write.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

No surprises that as a collection of short stories it is a bit hit or miss. I did enjoy some of them, mostly the first section of Jack Daniels related stories. I also found some of them just disturbing, to the point where when the author put a disclaimer at the beginning of one story saying that he wishes he had never written it, I skipped it. Caution won out over curiosity. There are stories in this collection which are not for the faint of heart.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing collection of stories!!! I wish that Bad Girl had been included, but the highlight for me was the short story The Confession. It was brutal, and I've read Afraid and Endurance!! I was already familiar with Truck Stop and Serial, of course (Serial was the first thing I read by Konrath). Some if the other stories were familiar as well, but I enjoyed the majority.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The reason this only gets 2/5 stars is because I only liked about 2/5 of it. The first part about crime was great, but the rest not so much. the Horror part was just gross and the funny was not funny. I think I will get the Jack Daniels books they seem like they will be good reads. Not the rest fo Konraths books though.

[Dcdfn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great 1st sentence in his short story "Last Request", "I picked up a transsexual hooker named Thor, all six feet of her, at the off ramp to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as I was driving up north to kill a man."

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked some of the stories, some left me wondering WTF, and some made me wish there was such a thing as brain bleach.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love short stories and this definitely fed my appetite! A large collection of super short stories ranging from mystery to sci-fi to horror to humor, along with our favorite Konrath characters.