Rusty Nail

Holy fk. My last review compared this series to a Law and Order SVU episode. This one takes it straight to Criminal Minds territory. This was fantastic. I've spent the last five minutes cackling hysterically over the ending and Phin and Harry. Fk. This was great.

It is pretty graphic though. And pretty disgusting. It's a lot more crass than the first two. But it's still extremely well written and funny and riveting. The plot is full on. I felt sorry for Jack - all the bad news that kept hitting her was horrible. Plus all the hits Herb kept taking. But she's totally badass. And Herb is ready to eat.

The cat gets me everytime.

A purring sound made me turn around. Mr. Friskers was sitting in McGlade’s lap, a dead rat in his jaws. “Good show more kitty,” Harry said. “Good fucking kitty.” And he continued to pet him until the ambulances arrived.

Konrath, J.A.. Jack Daniels Series - Three Thriller Novels (Whiskey Sour #1, Bloody Mary #2, Rusty Nail #3) . Kindle Edition. Well...the cat and Harry.

I can't recommend these books highly enough. They're amazing. show less

J.A. Konrath is brutal. He can dream up some of the sickest, most twisted things I’ve ever seen in print (maybe a little bit of influence from Albert Fish here?). Yet it’s not overwhelming, tempered by Jack’s competency and sense of humor. These books keep me engaged, and there was a twist at the end of this one that I didn’t see coming until it was upon me.

Rusty Nail
3.5 Stars

In her latest case, Detective Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels begins receiving snuff videos documenting the horrific deaths of several people involved in The Gingerbread Man investigation. As she and her partner follow the clues, Jack soon realizes that they are in pursuit, not of the average psychotic copycat, but a clever and determined killer out for revenge.

***Warning***: The books contains numerous graphic and brutal descriptions of violence and death. As someone who is not at all squeamish, the details are excessive and over the top even for me.

Jack is an exceedingly likable heroine, and her inner musing are very amusing. The gallows humor in her sarcastic banter with Herb and the other characters does not show more completely balance out the gruesome details, but it does provide some much needed comic relief.

That said, there are moments in this book where Jack behaves in some very unprofessional and even TSTL ways. It is very difficult to accept that a seasoned detective would break protocol and allow a civilian to tag along on an investigation. The explanation that Jack is lonely and in need of friendship just doesn't cut it.

The mystery is where the story truly suffers. To begin with, the identity of the villain is obvious from the moment they are introduced. Considering the unisex name, Holly's insinuating herself into the investigation and the fact that no woman in her right mind would willingly marry Harry McGlade, there is no possible way it could be anyone else.

Dick Hill and Susie Breck's dual narration is an added bonus as they manage to convey the personalities of the various characters so well.

Overall, an exciting and well-paced thriller despite the minor annoyances and I'm looking forward to listening to Dirty Martini in the near future. show less

Another awesome installment to the Jack Daniels series!

A small backstory:

Jack has her hands full this time as she takes on a family of crazy killers that are out to get her and it is somehow tied to her old case of the Gingerbread Man. In this story though, Herb is not helping her as he has some issues of his own and is not able to be by her side for the hunt of these killers.

Jack's old partner Harry tries to help but he is more of a hindrance and when Harry's fiancée (Holly) steps in to offer her services as she claims to be a private investigator, something just feels off to Jack, but against her better judgment she lets Holly help her out a little bit on the case. Jack eventually regrets the decision of Holly helping as things show more become twisted putting everyone in jeopardy and harm's way!

Who are these killers? How are they tied to the Gingerbread Man case? How does Holly hinder the case? Does Jack catch the killers? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!

Thoughts:

This book kept me in high tense mode throughout the whole story as the character, Jack becomes involved in some stuff that is almost over her head and she has to use all her skills to get herself out of the situations she finds herself in.

I had quite a few chuckles as again Jack throws out funny quips once in awhile which gives some light-heartedness to her character. I really like the character Jack as she is a no-nonsense type with a sassy attitude and each book I love her just a little more.

The banter between the characters in these books are enjoyable along with crime scene busting action of these stories just makes these books all around great reads. I am planning on reading the whole series as I have just been truly enjoying the writing style of this author and wished I had stepped into these books a long time ago.

Once again there are twists and turns throughout each chapter that kept me rolling right along with actually reading the last 50% in about 24 hours as I just could not put it down with all the action that was taking place within these pages! Giving this book five "Crazy Killers" stars! show less

Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels of the Chicago Police Department is back, and once again she's up to her Armani in murder. Someone is sending Jack snuff videos. The victims are people she knows, and they share a common trait -- each was involved in one of Jack's previous cases. With her stalwart partner hospitalized and unable to help, Jack follows a trail of death throughout the Midwest, on a collision course with the smartest and deadliest adversary she's ever known. During the chase, Jack jeopardizes her career, her love life, and her closest friends. She also comes to a startling realization -- serial killers have families, and blood runs thick.

Book on CD read by Susie Breck and Dick Hill.

Book #3 in the mystery / thriller series featuring Chicago police Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels. A serial killer is on the loose and the murders bear an uncanny resemblance to those of the infamous Gingerbread Man. The killer taunts the police, and Jack in particular, with videos and obvious clues meant to lead them to the killer’s lair – so they can become the victims. Jack’s partner, Sergeant Herb Benedict, spends much of this novel in the hospital, so she is left to her own devices.

I’ve had it with this series. I don’t like the “banter” between Jack and Herb (or Harry or Latham or Phin); it is adolescent bathroom and bedroom humor at best. Jack is an idiot ... show more “Oh, should I call for back-up or go into that dark house by myself without a cell phone and with a sprained ankle?” She’s more concerned with ruining her Manolo Blahniks and her new Armani suit than with actually paying attention to the clues that are virtually slapping her in the face. I spotted the killer about 200 pages before the “brilliant” Jack figured it out.

I think the series is just Konrath’s excuse to write sadistic torture scenes. There’s just nothing imaginative or creative about the book. On the plus side, he does manage to write a fast-paced thriller. I finished it in two days.

The audio book is capably performed by Susie Breck and Dick Hill, though I find Hill’s voice irritating and too much the same to differentiate characters easily. show less

When people have the need to experience something funny, the lucky ones would simply talk to their boyfriends or girlfriends or spouses. Some others, if they aren't feeling creative, would sit back and watch reruns of Friends or Seinfeld. The bookish ladies, maybe, would take out their favorite or unread copies of Stephanie Plum. I myself, being let down somewhat by what youtube has to offer on the promise(Louis CK standup, Honest Trailers, Stsanders etc), opted weirdly for the third book of the most insanely gory and cruel thriller series I've ever read.

J.A Konrath, who does not need to prove that he's funny, still owes it to his readers. This is because the comedy in his books balances out the violence that animates his villains. show more Rusty Nail was pretty violent. But there was not enough chuckle inducing humor in the book. I still found some positives here. Jack Daniels, a woman whose names shortens to a male name, meets another person with the same situation(I got this link by myself, as it's not spelled out in the book). The characters peopling Rusty Nail aren't Kafkaesque material, but they keep the plot going. The mystery element is strong in book 3. I mean you'll get quite a dose of sufficiency if you guess the identity of the culprit(psychotic monster).

Sometimes you can write dozens of pages of analysis on one Petrarchan sonnet. Sometimes a 292 paged book is quite immune to both praise and negative criticism. I can say...that I found the first half of Rusty Nail slightly uneventful. Or that despite that, the pacing of the prose saved it from being definitely boring. Or that I liked that the aftermath of the book is full of repercussions for everyone in the story. The main character, Jack Daniels, exudes whimsy. She seems alive. She seems real and familiar. I don't know how much of that is just in my mind, and how much is deliberate from the author. Maybe she is such a mishmash of traits that she has a life of her own. Let me end by saying that Rusty Nail is not for people who don't usually read thrillers. But the regulars will find several snippets of value, and that is reflected in my rating and review. show less