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A review by mrchance
Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath
3.0
This was a quick read, despite my taking over a month to finish it. Each chapter alternates between first-person past-tense narration for Lt. Jack Daniels, Chicago cop, and third-person present-tense perspective from psycho-killer The Gingerbread Man. This is a neat way of building tension and giving the serial-killer chapters a sense of urgency.
Jack's narration is very conversational. She cracks a lot of jokes, but it feels natural. She has difficulty coping with the consequences of devoting her life to her career. Humor is a way to do it.
Despite the excruciatingly graphic murders that propel the plot, there's humor here as well. It can be a little heavy handed at times. The FBI agents are particularly retarded, and Harry McGlade can't seem to utter a single line without it being a lame joke. It's tiring. It's supposed to be, yes, but it's too grating.
The plot zips along fast, one clue leading to another. Sometimes I felt it move too fast. Once, I swear Jack and her gluttonous partner, Herb Benedict, said the name of a victim before they actually discovered what it was. This could be do to my disjointed reading, though.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading the next installment and seeing if it's a little more balanced and less irritating. I think Konrath is ending the series soon, so it's nice to have a destination in sight.
Jack's narration is very conversational. She cracks a lot of jokes, but it feels natural. She has difficulty coping with the consequences of devoting her life to her career. Humor is a way to do it.
Despite the excruciatingly graphic murders that propel the plot, there's humor here as well. It can be a little heavy handed at times. The FBI agents are particularly retarded, and Harry McGlade can't seem to utter a single line without it being a lame joke. It's tiring. It's supposed to be, yes, but it's too grating.
The plot zips along fast, one clue leading to another. Sometimes I felt it move too fast. Once, I swear Jack and her gluttonous partner, Herb Benedict, said the name of a victim before they actually discovered what it was. This could be do to my disjointed reading, though.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading the next installment and seeing if it's a little more balanced and less irritating. I think Konrath is ending the series soon, so it's nice to have a destination in sight.