Mystery Annotation

Dirty Martini by J.A. Konrath

Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels is a tough Chicago cop.  She’s currently in charge of tracking down the guy calling himself “The Chemist” who’s been poisoning food supplies all over Chicago.  Her partner Herb wants to transfer out of homicide and there’s a girl in her office, blonde hair with pink highlights, named Roxy who says she’s her new partner.  It’s been a rough day and it’s going to get worse.   When the city decides to pay the two million dollar ransom he’s requested, The Chemist wants Jack to deliver it.  The FBI profiler thinks he’ll take the money and run, but Jack doesn’t believe it; something just doesn’t fit.  Will Jack figure it out before it’s too late?   

Elements of Appeal:

Mystery Characteristics

• The solving of the mass murders by the poisoner drives the plot
• The story focuses on Jack, the lead detective, her team, and the FBI consultant working with them, but includes some very interesting side characters, such as Jack’s former partner, Harry McGlade
• The tone is suspenseful, funny, and violent
• The frame is urban – Chicago
• The mood is gritty, but includes enough humor to make you laugh out loud at times
• The pacing is quick and relentless, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the final showdown with the villain

Police mystery – Jack is a police detective, the setting is urban, and the police department is working on more than one case, although The Chemist is central.

  

Other books that may appeal to readers who liked Dirty Martini:

The other books in the Jack Daniels series will appeal to fans of Jack and of Konrath’s dark humor.

The “In Death” series by J.D. Robb also features a strong, flawed female police detective.  These books also have an urban frame, gritty tone, great support characters, and some humor.  This series is set in the near future – around 2060.

Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum mysteries are more humorous and less dark than J.A. Konrath’s, but share some appeal features – urban setting, strong if somewhat clumsy female lead, and plenty of violence.

Wanna Get Lucky by Deborah Coontz is a witty mystery with an urban setting – Las Vegas, humor, and a strong female protagonist.

Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo is a dark and gritty mystery featuring Kate Burkholder a former Amish police detective who returns to her home town and becomes chief of police.  When grisly murders occur, she must face her past and seek assistance from a BCI detective with a dark past of his own. 

My Opinion:

I like Jack.  The book is not as brutal as the first three in the series and the dialogue is more realistic. Jack's partner Herb and her ex-partner McGlade are fun characters, and even the villain in this one has a purpose that is somewhat sympathetic.