Dirty Martini

This book wasn't without it's problems and most of those centered around the romance. The romance between Jack and Rick was an unnecessary complication that added nothing and did more harm that good. She kept going on about loving Latham and him being her fiance and it made me mad and uncomfortable to see her betrayal - regardless of how she has her epiphany of how she's sabotaging her relationship due to her own insecurities. I was actively hating Jack for the first two thirds of the book. If the plot wasn't so engaging I may have decided not to continue with the series. But, Konrath does know how to write a great crime thriller - even when the characters are stupid.

That said, the romance wasn't the only thing that let the first two show more thirds down. Jack and Herb are on rocky ground - Herb's being torn between his wife and the job - so he decides to move to robbery and that puts him on the outs with Jack. Which would be fine except it means Herb basically isn't present in this book. I like Herb. And the easy banter between them. It felt empty without him.

Mary, Jack's mum, is out of town - so she's not onscreen. Although her one scene is pretty great. Her letter to Jack telling her by the way, her father is really alive and kicking is killer. “Mom, I was cleaning up in your room, and I found the letter.” “Oh, don’t be upset. So I exchanged a few dirty letters with a few men. I find the written word much more erotic than pornographic movies. Though I did date this one gentleman who took me to a peep show once —” “Not that letter, Mom. The other one, with my name written on it.” My mother paused. “Oh. That letter. Did you read it? Of course you did, or you wouldn’t be calling. Unless you’re asking my permission to read the letter, to which I’ll politely answer no.” “Dad is alive?” Mom sighed, as if I was such a disappointment she couldn’t bear it. “I honestly don’t know. He might be. I really don’t care, one way or the other. Did you read the part when I wrote that you were the one good thing I did in my life? Did that make you cry? I cried when I wrote it. But, truth told, I’d been hitting the schnapps.” I rubbed my eyes. “Mom, don’t you think this is something we should have discussed before you died?” “Well, I’m not dead, and we’re discussing it right now.”

Konrath, J.A.; Kilborn, Jack. Dirty Martini - A Thriller (Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mysteries Book 4) (pp. 68-69). Kindle Edition. Mary is hilarious. And I love the way she messes with Jack. Latham is in hospital. Phin is nowhere to be found in this book. And Harry is a no show for 95%. Jack is kind of depressing without her cast of characters.

That said the plot was action packed and engaging. When Harry did make an appearance it was epic. His prosthetic hand - jezus. I watched peripherally as Harry tried to adjust the air-conditioning vent using his prosthesis, and snapped it right off. He pondered it for a moment, checked to see if I noticed, and then hid it under his seat.

Konrath, J.A.; Kilborn, Jack. Dirty Martini - A Thriller (Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mysteries Book 4) (p. 184). Kindle Edition. And Mr Friskers (the cat) didn't forget to cause trouble.

So the book starts of average and steadily climbs quality. It redeemed itself in the end but I can't ignore that two thirds had me cringing. Still - even the bad parts are well written and are solid police procedural. 4 stars. Edging on the lower side. show less

Homicide Lieutenant Jack Daniels has plenty on her mind. Her boyfriend just proposed; her partner’s been transferred, at his request, to Robbery; and she finds a letter from her mother telling her that her dad isn’t dead after all. To make matters worse, a psychopath who calls himself the Chemist is going around Chicago poisoning food supplies and people are dropping like flies. Jack’s tagged to lead the task force and ultimately becomes targeted by the Chemist. She manages to survive several attempts on her life, but when her boyfriend is poisoned, things turn personal. The Chemist demands two million dollars in ransom to stop the killings and chooses Jack to deliver the money. Jack would rather shoot the guy and put him out of show more everyone’s misery, but the mayor and his political officialdom believe that if they pay the ransom, the Chemist will go away. Jack doesn’t stop tracking the Chemist; she thinks he has a bigger scheme in mind and practically stumbles over his next fatal project, one that could possibly kill thousands of people.

Dirty Martini, the fourth in Konrath’s Jack Daniels’ series, is packed with action, suspense, and thrills. Jack Daniels is a die-hard toughie who faces death and injury with stoicism and a cop’s sense of duty to protect others above all else. The Chemist is not only insane but intelligent, which makes for an even creepier yet interesting bad guy. Dialogue, as always, is witty and adds levity to a horrifically realistic plot. Excellent! show less

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 show more 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/2021/07/dirty-martini-jack-daniels-mystery-... show less

In Dirty Martini, Police Lieutenant Jacqueline Daniels, commonly known as Jack Daniels, is pursing someone who is on a huge killing spree. A note from the killer, who calls himself “The Chemist,” says he will stop if they give him $2 million.““This isn’t terrorism. I’m not some dumb Islamic fundamentalist. I’m a venture capitalist. I’m investing in fear and death. Pay me or I’ll branch out.” Many of the victims are involved with the police department and die as the result of traps set to kill them as they attempt to locate and arrest him.

There are a lot of red herrings in the convoluted story as Jack and her associates try to determine the motive for the killings as a means to help identify The Chemist. The show more author’s note states “I wrote DIRTY MARTINI knowing it wouldn’t have any blood in it.” Not true. There are more victims (many by poison) in this book than in any of the previous books I have read of the series. Some are graphically described.

Jack also tries to figure out her relationship with Rick Reilly who wants to marry her.

The book points out the results of the Tylenol Killer’s actions: “Seven dead, and billions of dollars in revenue lost” because of the steps taken by manufacturers to prevent similar attacks.
“Poisoners were the hardest perps to catch. A single, organized, motivated individual, with a basic knowledge of chemistry, could wreak more havoc on Chicago than all the crimes in the last fifty years combined.”

It tells a lot about botulism including where it comes from and how it spreads.

The well-written book includes some interesting observations and witty comments. Examples include:

“I took a step back before the testosterone surging off his body caused me to grow a mustache.”

“Confidence is essential, cockiness is lethal.”

“Bravery isn’t the absence of fear. It’s the ability to still function when fear overtakes you.”

In the Acknowledgment section, J. A. Konrath wrote that he visited over 600 bookstores in 27 states after his previous book came out. He met more than 1100 booksellers and mentions each of them by name. Now that is class!

The fast-paced book held my interest, though I skipped much of the gory sections and will read others in the series.

This book was a free Amazon download. show less

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 show more 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. show less

This was a scary scenario! Someone is going around the city of Chicago and randomly poisoning people. That potato salad you bought from the deli? It could kill you. Ordering breakfast at your local diner? He might get you there too! Is there going to be poison in the air? The water? Where can you go? What can you EAT?

Luckily, Jack is there to answer these questions and save the day, but not without loss.

I enjoy the tone of this series. Konrath has a knack for dreaming up things that are just a little more dastardly than what you normally see. He pulls no punches. I also appreciate the setting more now that I’ve been to Chicago. Every once in a while I think, “Hey, I know where that is!”. This is a series I plan to continue!

Another A plus mystery in the Jack Daniels series. Jack is still reeling from her last brush with death so things are a little different with boyfriend Latham, partner Herb, and the new superintendent. X Partner McGlade keeps popping up in her life & there's a new threat to the city. Add in a new "hottie" FBI agent that makes Jack question her commitment to Latham and a very toxic new threat to the city. It takes all of Jack's skills to contain the threat to her city & livelihood!