Rusty Nail-A graphically violent Jack Daniels

GRAPHIC VIOLENCE WARNING. Ok, you have been warned.  I was warned by the author (thanks Mr. Konrath, I really do appreciate it!) that this book has the most graphic violence in the series.  Having been warned, I was able to blip over sections where that violence occurred.  It was pretty easy to see them coming.  So why would I even read a book with stuff I don’t like in it?  Well, I really wanted to know what happens to Jack.  I was starting to get fairly invested in her after the first two books,  Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary, and having been told that the violence decreases after this book, I wanted to keep up with her storyline.  

The first book involved Jack’s investigation into the Gingerbread Man.  He pops up again here and let me say that he is not someone you want to deal with more than once.  Jack is once more being personally targeted by a serial killer.  Her partner is having to deal with some health issues, her mom’s in a coma, her ex-boyfriend has a new girlfriend, life is not fun. 

As with the first two, there are excellent descriptions of police work.  I like hearing about some of the nitty-gritty of an investigation, the leg-work involved.  I don’t like cases being solved purely by intuition or a sudden revelation.  We see plenty of good detective skills here.  As with the first two, there is plenty of humor.  Great one-liners, good relationships between the characters.  Jack and her partner have a real warmth to their relationship that I enjoy.  For all the things that are wrong in her life, Jack has a great group of people that like and help her.   

Bottom line-if you don’t want the violence, avoid this book.  If you can jump over it and are interested in following Jack’s story, you’ll find this quite satisfying.  

More about J.A. Konrath 

Author's suggested order of reading

• Would I pay money for it?  Maybe not this particular one because I skipped some parts but yes, the others in the serious I would
• Would I read more by this author?  yes 
• Would I recommend this to a friend? Not this particular one but I would recommend the others in the series to friends that like police procedurals

Purchased as a Kindle freebie March 30, 2013

 

City of Silence-The Victorian CSI team heads for Russia

This story, the third in the City of Mystery series, is very intriguing and the setting, St. Petersburg Russia, is an uncommon one for historical mysteries. Queen Victoria, traveling to Russia to check on her granddaughter Ella and the prospects of her other granddaughter Alix to  marry the future Czar, takes what has become a fledgling forensics team with her.  Of course, they end up needing to solve a mystery and the Russian authorities are not keen on having English help.  The plot is set in the Winter Palace which almost becomes a character in itself. It actually made me want to do further research on the Palace.

I do think that the characters in this series will be much more understandable if you read the series from the beginning, rather than jumping in with this book. They feel very real and by this third story, are becoming good friends to the reader. The story itself will keep you interested right from the first page. I'm becoming a big fan of this series but it would be best to read them in order.

I enjoyed the first two in the City of Mystery series but like many others, I noticed all the editing errors. This one, while still seeing a few, was much better edited.

Would I pay money for it?Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes

Purchased as a freebie March 6, 2013

A Bobwhite Killing-A fun piece of entertainment

A Bobwhite Killing is quite a fun piece of entertainment!  It's cozy, it's funny, it's engaging and it has a decent mystery.

Bob White has decided to spend the weekend bird watching with Jack O'Keefe's birding group to escape his sister's relentless preparations for her upcoming wedding.  It's been reported that the Northern Bobwhite, which was thought to be extinct, has been spotted in the area.  It's enough to get any true birder's heart beating fast!  When he arrives, he finds that the leader of the birding weekend is now married to Bob's teenage crush.  When he later finds that leader murdered, it's clear the weekend won't turn out as he's planned.

This is pure escapism.  It has a gentle feel that I thoroughly enjoyed.  It had a lot of humour and I like the Minnesota setting.  I could feel the atmosphere of the forest. 

The only slight drawback to me was how many characters there were.  I had to go back a couple of times to see who was who.  I actually laughed when I read this sentence, "I think Billy called up Ben after he followed Jack to Kami's at Shana's request."  So many names!  I wondered if the author meant that to be humorous or if it just came across that way to me. However it was meant, this is an enjoyable cozy that gave me several hours of pleasure and I'm sure the others in the series will do the same.

Would I pay money for it?   Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes

Purchased as a freebie July 10, 2013