Bloody Mary: A Jack Daniels Mystery (Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mystery, #2) (Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels, #2)

by J.A. Konrath

• ISBN10: 1401300898
• ISBN13: 9781401300890
• Publish Date: 1 August 2005 (first published 6 July 2005)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Hyperion
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

This book has one seriously good villain. He's vicious, crazed, and entirely off his nut. There's a fair amount of carnage. Aside from this being a good book, that might be what stands out the most for me. For all of the villain's rampaging badness, Konrath manages to write everything in a way that is neither too graphic or distasteful. I would have thought it a fine line to navigate, but he does it will skill and subtly. The end result is a compelling book with one hell of a whack-a-do antagonist and a plot that doesn't lose the audience in the unpleasant and unnecessary details of that character's acts.

Just as good as the first. These are really funny and action packed and fantastic. The romance in this is kind of odd but the plot is action packed and riveting and more than makes up for it. To be fair - I'm not reading these ones for the romance so it doesn't really matter either way. Jack is a fascinating character - she's tough and strong but caring as well. Herb is entertaining, if not somewhat cliche. Harry is awesome. Alan is kind of a nothing character, I could've gone without his inclusion. Latham is slightly better and at least adds some amusing commentary. Jack's mum, Mary is brilliant. For an old chick, she's badass. The comment about drinking her name made me laugh. And the cat, dear god the cat. Hysterical. Some of the humour will probably offend people but I didn't find it too bad - I was even surprised into some chuckles. I wasn't necessarily surprised by the reveal but I definitely enjoyed the journey getting there.

There's a lot of comments about this being graphic, but I can't say I find it particularly explicit. At least, I've read worse. It's more like a Law and Order crime rather than a Criminal Minds episode for a frame of reference.

[ibeforem]

I liked this second book in the series a little more than the first. Here, Jack is a little more comfortable in her skin, even if her mother is mad at her, her ex-husband is making a move on her, and her partner is having a mid-life crisis. Oh, and someone is leaving body parts in the morgue with her belongings attached to them. The rhythm in this book is a little different, sort of like a Law & Order episode — police wrangling in the first half, and legal wrangling in the second. I think this was a good move, because the serial killer’s point of view is very heavy-handed, and I think an entire book of chasing him could have been too much. But I think what stands out the most is the ending. It’s not exactly happy, not exactly sad, and a lot about Jack’s life is very much up in the air. What better way to make the reader want to pick up the next book?

[mitabird]

I didn't like this one as much as the first. I felt that the killer was very over the top and the killings seemed excessive and unnecessary. I just didn't care for the plot in this book. 3.5 stars