Dirty Martini

Jack Daniels Thriller #4

by J.A. Konrath

WHAT'S WORSE THAN A SERIAL KILLER?

In Whiskey Sour, Chicago police Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels hunted down a killer dubbed "The Gingerbread Man."

In Bloody Mary, she busted a psychopath with a penchant for dismemberment.

In Rusty Nail, it was a serial killer with a doozy of a family tree.

And now, in Dirty Martini, Jack faces her toughest adversary yet: a sicko who's poisoning the city's food supply. But that's just the start of what he has planned, because he's aiming to kill fifty thousand people in the single biggest act of terrorism the US has ever seen. Can she stop him -- and decide whether to accept boyfriend Latham's surprise proposal -- without destroying both her reputation and her sanity?

Join Jack, her partner Herb, and her nemesis Harry McGlade, for her fourth, and greatest, case so far.

DIRTY MARTINI by J.A. Konrath
Like all parties it ends with a bang...

If you are a more sensitive (or adventurous) reader, the Konrath scale rates specific categories from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) to give you some idea if this is your kind of book.

DIRTY MARTINI
Bad Language - 4
Scary - 6
Violent - 3
Funny - 8
Sexy - 5
Crossovers - Contains characters from the Jack Daniels and Associates series, the Timecaster series, and the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective series.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Humor

292 pages, Hardcover

First published June 27, 2007

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

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really loving the series of J. A. Konrath’s series featuring Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels. They are all named after drinks -WHISKEY SOUR, BLOODY MARY, RUSTY NAIL and DIRTY MARTINI which is the fourth book. I am not mentionng the others since I havent read them yet. These aren’t lighthearted stories about wasting away in Margaritaville. The novels are set in Chicago, and the crimes and its perpetrators are dark indeed. The last book I read several people thought it was a cozy. No they are not cozies. I have to put a warning that they are not for the faint of the heart. They are very good but can get brutal and gruesome. This book wasn't so brutal as the others, but still will throb your heart.

DIRTY MARTINI had me on the edge of my seat, not once, but twice. I won’t go into too much detail, but the first time was when Daniels was in a house and the second time was when she was in a truck. Upon completion of the book, I thought I was going to require cardioversion to get my heart working.


Between those two scenes, however, is one heck of a story, expertly plotted and wonderfully told. Konrath starts off by introducing The Chemist, a twisted genius who plans to take revenge on the City of Chicago by poisoning its food supply. Quite honestly, the author’s step-by-step description of what The Chemist does,can get very intense.

http://media.photobucket.com/user/ger...

Meanwhile, Daniels’s boyfriend has proposed, but she is afraid to say “yes,” even though she wants to. She then discovers that her long-deceased father isn’t dead at all. Those are relatively minor problems, however, compared to what The Chemist has planned, which is to hold Chicago for ransom. How do you catch somebody who is a master of disguise, two steps ahead of you and capable of murder performed in unexpected ways? Maybe you don’t.

Mystery, action, suspense and, perhaps, redemption. All this is to be had in DIRTY MARTINI. One cannot reasonably ask for more, or for better, than Konrath and Daniels straight up. I can't wait for the next one.

[Metodi Markov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Мръсното мартини не е добро питие за мен!

Твърде еднотипни и предвидими станаха историите в тази поредица, затова и я влачих тази книга десетина дена.

Поредния луд се лепва за Джак Даниълс, като междувременно се опитва и да избие половината полиция на Чикаго…

Вероятно няма да чета другите книги от серията.

Цитат:

"Cops didn’t talk about their fears. Instead they drank, got divorced, committed suicide, or all three."

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I'm having here is another one of those "here we go again" moments. I've read all these books (up to this one I mean) and like them...in a way. Still I can't bring myself to rate any of them higher than 3 (I'd really say almost 3.5 but of course we don't have half star system). Why?

There are things in each book that either annoy, bother or frustrate me. Sometimes I'm so frustrated I think I may need to double up on my blood pressure medication.

First, while I like the character of Jack, and that is probably one of a couple of reasons they get as high as 3 and that I keep coming back, she also makes me beat my head against the wall. Jack Daniels is a police lieutenant, an experienced detective on a Major Crimes unit. YET, she continually ignores police procedure. She contaminates crime scenes, compromises evidence, never gets a warrant (she doesn't even call on her ubiquitous cell phone for an electronic warrant.) She also ignores simple common sense police procedure. She breaks into suspect areas not only without backup, but sometimes without letting ANYONE know where she is...charging off in pursuit without calling in, on and on... I could scream.

Also...sorry, but I've said it before I just can't stand Harry. He drives me up the wall, I wish Konrath would simply write Harry books and leave the character out of the Jack Daniels books.

I've also been a bit annoyed at the long detailed descriptions of torture and so on. I will say there's a bit less of that in this book mainly because of our maniac of this novel's choice of horrific forms of murder. I've always been fascinated by the danger of biological (or chemical) attack. Here we have a lone crazy using it. BUT in reality as weapons of mass destruction go it's pretty horrific. (Not that they all aren't). Any country or group who can set up what amounts to a good sized brewery could make enough of many biotoxins or biological weapons (microbes etc.) to threaten the world's entire population.) Here we get a guy with a green house spreading mostly biological poisons. Made for a good book.

As noted the way Mr. Konrath writes Jack is a redeeming part of the book for me. While I hate the romance/emotional angst parts of the book the story itself and the people have kept me reading. SO FOR ME, I repeat FOR ME while I find the books flawed and in some ways frustrating and annoying I like them over all. Pretty good.

Enjoy.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was a fast paced, twisted ride!

A small backstory:

Jack is back and up against another baddie who just happens to be a walking encyclopedia of all types of poisons. The bad guy has been dubbed the Chemist as he is making his way through the city of Chicago injecting poisons in all kinds of different places including restaurants.

The closer that Jack seems to get to the guy he seems to stay two steps ahead and elusive. Though when someone close to Jack becomes a target and victim, she goes into high gear to do everything in her power to capture the Chemist, but it might prove a daunting task as he has a grudge against cops or so it seems and Jack will do whatever it takes to track him down!

Thoughts:

This series just keeps getting better and better as Jack comes up against all types of criminals. This book was not really loaded with "shoot-out" action, but it still carried a wallop of psychological terror that kept me on the edge of my seat!

I just love the character Jack as she is just so full of sassy attitude and she is the go-getter type of cop that she will not rest till the case is closed. The humorous quips are still there as always which gives me chuckles here and there throughout the book. Giving this one five "Toxin Terror" stars!

For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...

[MadameD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story 5/5
Narration 5/5

I love this series !!!

[Mort · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Terry Pratchett's books, INTERESTING TIMES, starts with the following:

There is a curse.
It says:
May You Live In Interesting Times.

This is the way I feel about Jack Daniels. You know that a lot of shit is going to happen to her and those close to her when you pick up one of these books, but Konrath is just so damn entertaining you can't help but enjoy it.

In this one, the enemy is a poisoner - one of the most difficult killers to identify and stop, because there are no physical evidence to help identify the killer.

Konrath has great timing when it comes to his humor and he isn't scared to be serious when he needs to be, which makes his comedy work. The pictures he creates in my mind with things like Mr. Frisker's (a cat) bath - Jack is wearing her Kevlar vest, safety goggles and two oven mitts - cracks me up. And just about everything about Harry McGlade is funny for all the (ethically) wrong reasons.

What can I say, I'm a fan and I enjoy his books.

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 4 out of 5]

A paint-by-numbers yarn can be a literary book, or an escapist one. A run of the mill book can supersede its unambitious strain by alternating verisimilitude and the unlikely. This duet of prerequisites was fulfilled to my approval. Things happen in this series. Even if some of the changes snapped back to square one, the good was done, because the real bummer is staying motionless. There are changes and consequences. The pacing of this story is achieved through the sheer single minded aim of the writer to muscle his way into making the next chapter logistically removed from the last one.



I was looking forward to be reunited with the kind of humor that I enjoyed in book one. This was not to be. There are jokes written into the book, but they are either connotative or physical. The physical humor is almost entirely the dominion of one Harry McGlade, creep extraordinaire with a heart of gold. Thinking back, I have to admit that the best line here, got out from the mouth of a new, and inconsequential character, is :"Sorry, I don't date women younger than the scotch I drink." There was some new info about police work, such as a subtle way to get fingerprints, and a device to turn red lights green. But there are a few negatives to take from my reading. Such as the prolongation of character development for the minor characters, which felt contrived. The chubby and unremarkable partner of Daniels is said to bleed homicide if you cut him. I thought that was arrant nonsense. Quite a few things were said, not shown. Jack herself seemed most helpless and literally had no clue as to how to catch the villain du jour, the somewhat mutedly named 'The Chemist'.



I've given Dirty Martini 4 stars. The strong initiative chapters and the irreproachable finale won me over. There will be better books to be consumed soon, but it's important to read authors who can make up flawed characters because they themselves are flawed as humans and as writers. It's not a stretch to say that the impersonal authorship of J.A Konrath takes on an auteur-like sheen. This is because, simply, well, if a writer does not know what makes his main cast tick, there is something independently going on in the said writer's mind. New ideas popping out of nowhere in a mind is a very distant, abstract, and elegant phenomenon. The resulting main character, Jack Daniels, is almost the opposite of these qualities. But she is the living proof of what I've told you.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

There's just no let up for poor Jack Daniels. The last big case really took its toll but sure enough, she's in the thick of it again. This time she and her team are up against a very crafty poisoner with a very broad repertoire. He starts by tampering with foodstuffs at a range of premises. He sprays them with botulism bacteria. Many people get very sick and many of them die. But he doesn't stop there. He targets different people with different poisons. He's like a wraith, The police cannot get a handle on him. But they'd better work fast because it looks like its police officers he's targeting and he plans on going out with a bang - literally.

The hint of a pattern starts to emerge and Jack realises that they are all in danger. Can they find the killer before all hell breaks loose? This guy really knows how to write a thriller. The lead up to the end of the book was nail biting stuff. I've got such a long tbr list but I might have to whizz through the rest of this series before I progress with the list. I'm really hooked now!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic series! Written with humour, Jack, Harry and her partner Herb are great characters. Harry McGlade is hilarious! And Mr. friskier is the best of fictional cats. The writing is clever sometimes tongue in cheek, while still being a serious crime story. In this story poison is the weapon of choice.

[Vicki Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another laugh out loud, action packed read about homicide detective Jack Daniels. This once involved poisoning the food and drink while on a revenge mission. It was a fast exciting read with the usual characters, including Herb, Harry and Latham. There were some new ones too, some lasting longer than others. This series is quick and fun to read. 5 stars for me!

[Cori · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Dirty Martini, Jack's long-time partner, Herb, puts in for a transfer to the Robbery Division stating something to the effect that he's too old for this crap. And by crap, I'm sure he means the fact that everywhere that Jack goes, crap is sure to follow. Which makes for a stressful, improbable life. But great fiction writing.

Another great installment by Konrath. It was nice to see the mold get broken on this one as the killer deviated from hack-n-slash and took a more pristine method of death and destruction: poisons.

I'd rate this book an R for a high death count and some gore, swearing, adult humor, and dark themes.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4, in the “Jack” Daniels Mystery series

I am fast becoming a huge fan of this series. As in the previous novels, the story unfolds at a good clip, kept me on the edge of my seat with nail biting action, subtle suspense and a page turning thrill ride till the very last page. If you haven’t read the previous installments no need to worry, you will not get lost in the back story the little there is is well balanced to put everyone at easy and be comfortable with the characters and their interaction.

As far as I can see each story focuses on the moment rather than continuing in an episodic storytelling style. The pacing is fast, steady and never slows down. No breathing space between the hectic episodes. This is one heck of a story expertly plotted and wonderfully told. Jack’s story is told in the first person and glimpses into the villain through a third-person present tense narrative. Mr. Konrath writes the perfect bad guys, who are fun to hate and Jack is a perfect blend of tough and soft. Her partner Herb and her nemesis Harry McGlade join her in this fourth and greatest case….so far.

This is one freaky and shocking story and here is the synopsis:

Chicago homicide detective “Jack” Daniels faces her toughest adversary yet: someone who calls himself the Chemist is poisoning the city’s food supply. But that’s just the start of what he has planned, something big-really big aiming to kill fifty thousand people in the single biggest act of terrorism the US has ever seen. Can Jack stop him — and decide whether to accept boyfriend Latham’s surprise proposal — without destroying her reputation, her sanity and everything she holds dear?”

[Heidi (can’t retire soon enough) · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I thought the poison angle was clever and suspenseful, I just couldn't give this 3 stars... Way too much suspension of disbelief when Jack and friends were confronted by the bad guy. They should have died several horrid deaths yet always managed to escape!

(Reviewed 7/29/11)

[Monnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another of the "can't put it down" Konrath books, although I'll continue to say it's hard to believe the characters are able to withstand so much physical abuse (especially at their ages) and plod on almost as usual. But these books do keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end - I think I have yet to take more than two days to finish one on my Kindle (after Christmas, my Kindle Fire), and I don't have all that much time to spend reading. And almost as an aside, like Janet Evanovich in her wonderful books, Konrath never fails to provide a few chuckles along the way - fun breaks in the nail-biting action!

[Freda Mans-Labianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite thriller series of all time. Jacqueline Daniels is badass and one of those characters that you just can't get enough of.
This book is no exception!
From the beginning it was an intense, thrill ride that was very different from the other cases Jack has to solve. It made the pages turn more rapidly knowing that something sinister was coming up!
This was a fantastic thriller and maybe a new favorite of this series. I literally flew through the story!
Check out this series, read in order or out of order, it doesn't matter. They're that good!

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it

[David Freas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, Konrath opens the book with an introduction that kind of gives you a warning about what's ahead. In this case, it didn't distract me from the main story line as the one in Rusty Nail did.

This book has four premises relating to the antagonist I always have a hard time buying into:
1/ He has the money and other resources to obtain everything needed for his twisted plan.
2/ He is so thorough in his planning he has every possible contingency covered.
3/ He never makes a mistake.
4/ He constantly outwits the entire police force’s efforts to stop him until the hero or heroine saves the day.

Offsetting that, Konrath came up with a different motivation and ultimate goal for the bad guy that made this a refreshing read.

And he shows us a much more human Jack in this book than in previous entries in the series.

One big negative in my book: The conflict between Jack and her mother’s cat is getting tiring.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really moved along with the character development. There were several good laugh-out-loud moments here, as well as non-stop action. This is one of my favorites of the series, so far....

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dirty Martini
4 Stars

A brilliant yet sociopathic killer calling himself The Chemist is targeting the people of Chicago by poisoning various food sources around the city. As the death toll rises, Lieutenant Jack Daniels has her hands not only with the investigation but also with the men in her life: her boyfriend, Latham, who wants a commitment, her partner, Herb, who wants a transfer, and even her father who may not be dead after all.

Although the bodies do pile up, this installment is not nearly as gruesome as the last, and the information on the various types of poisons is well-researched and fascinating.

The nature of the crime is exceedingly disturbing as the idea of someone spreading deadly toxins via the food supply is very realistic as well as terrifying and paranoia inducing. While the culprit is ultimately someone mentioned within the storyline, the lack of clues makes it virtually impossible for the reader to figure it out for themselves.

Jack is an appealing character, but her relationship with Latham is tedious. The fact that he is constantly in danger of being tortured, maimed, stabbed, shot and poisoned as a result of Jack's cases makes it difficult to understand and accept his undying love for her. It is time for this romance to end.

Harry is as obnoxious as ever although he does provide some much needed comic relief and Herb's behavior is somewhat disappointing although he does come through for Jack when she needs him. One character who is sorely missed is Finn and I hope that he will be back in the next book.

All in all, an action packed and suspenseful read and I look forward to Jack's next adventure.

[Jerry B · Rating 3 out of 5]

We’ve now read the first five of these Chicago police Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels tales, with “Dirty” being the fourth in what is currently a 10-book set. Our heroine, and the tenor of these police procedurals, reminds one of Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum escapades, except that Daniels is more competent and the plots are more significant and dangerous. But humor and suspense combine to divert and entertain when we need a break from our heavier “thrillers”.

In this story, a determined and clever villain (we only discover late in the book his motivation) is murdering innocent and seemingly random people by poisoning their food supply with a combination of deadly toxins and nefarious techniques. He seems excellent at not leaving clues, other than ones he uses to trap police responders into deadly circumstances. Jack’s efforts to find him compete with personal issues as her boyfriend has proposed marriage, her long-time partner wants to transfer, and a new male associate is hot to trot for her. Her funny mental meanderings coupled to the complicated plot were plenty to entertain.

While it’s safe to predict one or two of these novels might clunk a little, they’re plenty good enough to read the whole set – lighter for sure than Sanford’s Prey series, but more serious than the farces delivered by Hiaasen and his ilk. Enjoy.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dirty Martini, book 4 in the Jack Daniels series, was my favorite. After a bit of a disappointment with Rusty Nail, Konrath is back in great form with this story. Chicago is being terrorized by the Chemist, a criminal using poisons to kill at random. When the task force is assembled, Jack finds herself in the lead- with one small drawback. Her partner Herb has requested and received a transfer out of homicide. Working on her own, Jack must find the Chemist before the casualties reach catastrophic numbers. Meanwhile, Latham has proposed to Jack leaving her filled with indecision until tragedy opens her eyes!
This book was fast paced and filled with change. Rather than relying on gruesome shocks, Konrath uses a more subtle psychological suspense and it is a fantastic difference. The Chemist is an interesting villain and makes Jack work harder than ever. The change in relationship dynamics is excellent. The potential loss of Herb and Latham, along with the appearance of her father, forces Jack to grow and gives her character depth. Additionally, the description of scenes and the actions of the Chemist keep this book charging forward to a wonderful ending. Dirty Martini is a winner!

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It was even funnier than the last 3 and had a very inventive criminal. Inventive and dedicated. A poisoner who is so dedicated he ends up collecting every known toxin.

Even better Jack's love interest is in intensive care for most of this book, thereby reducing the interpersonal relationships that are this author's bete noir. Can't wait for the next one!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Chicago The Chemist gas started his campaign - tampering with the food in various outlets - putting poisons into the foods. It's up to Chicago police Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels and her team to track down the killer.
A fast paced and enjoyable mystery with some laughs.

[Maureen DeLuca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4th in the Jack Daniels series and just as good as books 1-3 --- If you haven't yet picked up this series- it won't disappoint you at all---- But,, I will say this- as in all the Jack Daniels series so far- They are NOT for the faint of heart!

[Bart Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, which is fourth in the series, and am starting the next!

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hui, das war bisher der spannendste Teil aus der Reihe um Jack Daniels.
Auch wenn die ganze Geschichte nahezu unblutig von statten ging, waren die Situationen doch derart spannend, dass man das Buch kaum weglegen konnte, weil es den Leser permanent in seinen Bann gezogen hat.
Der Autor zeigt hier wirklich eindrucksvoll, dass ein Thriller nicht zwingend blutrünstig und gewalttätig sein muss, sondern dass man auch auf ganz andere Weise Grauen verbreiten kann.
Definitiv eine Leseempfehlung von mir, aber man sollte dennoch bei der Reihenfolge bleiben, sonst bleiben einige Details unverständlich.
Ich freue mich schon auf den nächsten Teil und bin gespannt, mit wem sich Jack dann herumschlagen muss und natürlich auch, wie es mit ihre Familie weitergeht :-)

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dirty Martini by J.A.Konrath is the 4th book in the Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Thrillers. A killer starts poisoning food at restaurants and grocery stores and setting deadly traps for the responders. Action packed and unbelievable, creepy yet a lot of fun. These books are especially good to listen to as the two narrators do an amazing job with the characters. Lieutenant Jack Daniels is amazing. A very entertaining and highly enjoyable book.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series is consistent in how strong the writing is. Character driven, interesting, and with well-developed antagonists. Four books in and still going strong.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is like crack. After three books of serial killers theme, they are repetitive and tiring. Plus Harry, that obnoxious character, really should be a dead victim someday. AND what's with Jack staying 46 years old for several years?? Is she an immortal vampire? I know that women like to "hide" their age, but this is too much.

But still ... I can't seem to stop picking up the books and read them.

Yes, Jack is still 46 years old, here in this book. Her boyfriend, Latham, is proposing. Herb, her partner, is resigning. Jack finds out that her father is still alive and the reason for him leaving the family is because he is gay. AND, there is a crazy person who acts revenge to the police department by killing tens of people with deadly chemical.

I basically "eat" this book; the pace is fast, and it's action all the way. The bad guy is not really a serial killer, so that's uhm, "nice". And as much as I dislike Harry, the climax with Jack and Harry try to drive away the bomb is pretty thrilling.

On side note, I seriously think that J.A. Konrath probably hates Latham, since this guy cannot catch a break!! First time with Jack, he gets kidnapped. Then he gets dumped (when Jack's ex-husband returned). Then he gets shot at. THEN, in this book, he gets poisoned?! Seriously, poor the guy. He should just stay away from Jack. Being with her is deadly!

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun read from Konrath. Jack just keeps getting tougher all the time & has the competition to match. This case was interesting & scary. It could happen all too easily. I look forward to the next!