Bloody Mary (Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Series #2) by J. A. Konrath

From the Publisher

Start with a tough but vulnerable Chicago cop. Stir in a psychopath with a unique mental condition that programs him to kill. Add a hyperactive cat, an ailing mother, a jealous boyfriend, a high-maintenance ex-husband, and a partner in the throes of a mid-life crisis. Mix with equal parts humor and suspense, and enjoy Bloody Mary.

When Jack receives a report of an excess of body parts appearing at the Cook County Morgue, she hopes it's only a miscount. It's not. Even worse, these extra limbs seem to be accessorized with Jack's handcuffs.

Someone has plans for Jack. Very bad plans. Plans that involve everything and everyone that she cares about.

Jack must put her train wreck of a personal life on hold to catch an elusive, brilliant maniac - a maniac for whom getting caught is only the beginning...

Publishers Weekly

Konrath's predictable sequel to Whiskey Sour (2004) is no more original than its predecessor. When two arms, sans body, turn up at a Chicago morgue, Det. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is surprised to discover that the mysterious limbs are joined by her own handcuffs. The killer appears to have a grudge as well as unsettling access to Jack. The dual narrative alternately follows detective and murderer, leaving little to the imagination, particularly in the realm of gore. The author reveals so much about the crimes and their motivation that the plot loses steam until the fiend is caught (halfway through the novel) and the focus shifts to ensuring that he doesn't walk. The legal finagling is a bit far-fetched, but the battle of wills between the psychopath and the cop keeps the pages turning. And like any hard-boiled detective, Jack has a problematic personal life, juggling two unstable relationships and caring for her ailing mother. Konrath peppers the story with one-liners that are sometimes riotous, often groan-worthy and occasionally inappropriately blas , but readers with a taste for the twisted should enjoy themselves. Agent, Jane Dystel. 6-city author tour. (July 6) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

A psychopathic killer on the loose is torturing young women and placing selected body parts in with corpses at the Cook County morgue. First the coroner finds an extra pair of severed arms wearing Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels's police-issued handcuffs; next, Jack finds a pair of disembodied ears wearing her favorite earrings. Jack has more to deal with than just a brutal psychopathic killer. Her mother is in the hospital and can no longer live alone; her staid boyfriend, Latham, whom she loves, wants her to move in with him, and her ex-husband, whom she also loves, suddenly reappears and wants to renew their relationship. Dick Hill's narration is fair; it's difficult to differentiate among some of the male characters. Recommended for libraries whose patrons enjoyed the first Jack Daniels work, but beware the detailed bloody descriptions of the killer torturing his victims.-Ilka Gordon, Park Synagogue Lib., Pepper Pike, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Two severed arms in the Chicago morgue linked by her own handcuffs puts Lt. Jacqueline Daniels on the track of another serial killer as sadistic as the Gingerbread Man (Whiskey Sour, 2004) and even more resourceful. Aspirin doesn't help with every headache. Sometimes even half a dozen ibuprofen aren't enough to get rid of all the pain. But Jack Daniels's latest quarry has found a miraculous cure in homicide, the bloodier the better. Relief is as fast as nudging an isolated pedestrian, bundling her into his car, and taking her to his plastic-covered lair for biting, burning, slashing and strangling. A mortician accomplice helps him hide the evidence. Even so, it's not long before Jack and her partner, Det. Herb Benedict, have him in their sights, and that's when the fun really begins. In an infernal parody of Law & Order, the killer submits an outrageous, unstoppable not-guilty plea and vows to Jack that the moment he's free he'll come after her and her loved ones. That roster now includes not only Jack's boyfriend, accountant Latham Conger, but her mother and her ex-husband Alan Daniels, both suddenly and awkwardly back in her life. Looks like a lot of target opportunities. Konrath keeps the proceedings moving so briskly that you may not even notice how many corpses are piling up-over a dozen, with plenty more in the backstory. But you'll certainly remember how brutally they're dispatched.

What People Are Saying

David Morrell
As sharp and tangy as its title cocktail. Snappy dialogue. Powerful action. What a recipe for a page turner.
—(David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROSE)

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