Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath
Title: Bloody Mary
Genre: Mystery
Summary: During a sweltering Chicago summer, a pair of arms are discovered at the morgue and the rest of the body is missing.
The Take-Away: Mr. Konrath has a way of planting clues that made me guess and second guess myself. For instance, early on, the killer has headaches and takes several aspirin for them. In the very next scene, a cop, Barry Fuller, has a headache and takes several aspirin for him. But the killer can't be a cop, can he? Most of the authors that I read in this genre either leave out a portion of the clue that prevents me from solving it or the clues are so subtle that I miss them. Generally, I need the kind you can trip over. That's what makes me second guess myself when reading this book.
Jack's love of fashion bothers me. In the first book, Whiskey Sour, I dismissed the references to Armani suits with the facts that Jack had no kids and her mom lived in a condo in Florida. I thought it plausible that with some good money management she would be able to afford such things on a cop's salary. But in this book I found out that Jack also is paying a hefty portion of the condo payment for her mother. And Jack has a really bad informercial shopping habit. The $550 Ferragamo sandals don't sound too plausible when Jack lusts over them while following a lead.
The series lacks the umph of James Patterson, but is entertaining in a very straight forward, no nonsense detecting sort of way.
Recommendation: I'm intriqued enough to read the third title, Rusty Nail, but I'd like to know how Jack can afford such expensive tastes, so I can fulfill a few of my fashion fantasies. Word Nerd has her own thoughts on this author.
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