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    Dirty Martini
    Dirty Martini
    Dirty Martini
    Audiobook7 hours

    Dirty Martini

    Written by J.A. Konrath

    Narrated by Susie Breck and Dick Hill

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In Whiskey Sour, Chicago police Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels hunted down a killer dubbed "The Gingerbread Man."

    In Bloody Mary, she busted a psychopath with a penchant for dismemberment.

    In Rusty Nail, it was a serial killer with a doozy of a family tree.

    And now, in Dirty Martini, Jack faces her toughest adversary yet: a sicko who's poisoning the city's food supply. But that's just the start of what he has planned, because he's aiming to kill fifty thousand people in the single biggest act of terrorism the US has ever seen. Can she stop him—and decide whether to accept boyfriend Latham's surprise proposal—without destroying both her reputation and her sanity?

    Join Jack, her partner Herb, and her nemesis Harry McGlade, for her fourth, and greatest, case so far.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJul 3, 2007
    ISBN9781423312482
    Dirty Martini
    Author

    J.A. Konrath

    Joe Konrath has sold more than two million books in twenty countries. He’s written over thirty novels and over a hundred short stories in the mystery, thriller, horror, and sci-fi genres. He’s twice won the Love is Murder Award for best thriller, and has also won the Derringer Award, and the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award, and has been nominated for many others including the Anthony, Macavity, and Gumshoe. Konrath edited the collection These Guns for Hire, and his fiction has appeared in dozens of magazines and anthologies including Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, Cemetery Dance, The Strand, Thriller edited by James Patterson, and Wolfsbane & Mistletoe edited by Charlaine Harris (True Blood). He’s considered a pioneer in self-publishing. His blog, A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, gets several million hits per year, and Konrath has been featured in Forbes, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, Playboy, USA Today, Time, Woman's World, the LA Times, and the New York Times among many other periodicals. He also blogs for the Huffington Post. Find out more at www.jakonrath.com.

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    Reviews for Dirty Martini

    4/5

    196 ratings11 reviews

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    • 5/5
      As other have hinted at, I can only say, I couldn't put it down even though at first I kind-of thought I might, and didn't. Instead, I spent wonderful afternoon which ended with a glass of red wine and the pleasure of a terrific read. What else can I say, except quote another great writer Kay Hooper (and I hope she will excuse me for calling on her) who says: 'Hard to balance wit, suspense, horrific violence and humor but . . . manages the feat deftly". I couldn't agree more. Today, I'm off to the store (in this case my favorite internet book store) to buy this book and maybe all of the others in the series. I've already planned the space on by bookshelves.
    • 4/5
      In Chicago The Chemist gas started his campaign - tampering with the food in various outlets - putting poisons into the foods. It's up to Chicago police Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels and her team to track down the killer.
      A fast paced and enjoyable mystery with some laughs.
    • 4/5
      Dirty Martini
      4 Stars

      A brilliant yet sociopathic killer calling himself The Chemist is targeting the people of Chicago by poisoning various food sources around the city. As the death toll rises, Lieutenant Jack Daniels has her hands not only with the investigation but also with the men in her life: her boyfriend, Latham, who wants a commitment, her partner, Herb, who wants a transfer, and even her father who may not be dead after all.

      Although the bodies do pile up, this installment is not nearly as gruesome as the last, and the information on the various types of poisons is well-researched and fascinating.

      The nature of the crime is exceedingly disturbing as the idea of someone spreading deadly toxins via the food supply is very realistic as well as terrifying and paranoia inducing. While the culprit is ultimately someone mentioned within the storyline, the lack of clues makes it virtually impossible for the reader to figure it out for themselves.

      Jack is an appealing character, but her relationship with Latham is tedious. The fact that he is constantly in danger of being tortured, maimed, stabbed, shot and poisoned as a result of Jack's cases makes it difficult to understand and accept his undying love for her. It is time for this romance to end.

      Harry is as obnoxious as ever although he does provide some much needed comic relief and Herb's behavior is somewhat disappointing although he does come through for Jack when she needs him. One character who is sorely missed is Finn and I hope that he will be back in the next book.

      All in all, an action packed and suspenseful read and I look forward to Jack's next adventure.
    • 5/5
      Part of a series, this novel is about Chicago Police Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels. Her nemesis this time is The Chemist, someone who spreads very lethal poisons in public places. The body count, along with the level of panic, rises very quickly. Before heading to parts unknown, The Chemist plans one last act of terror. Can Jack and the police stop it? Do they stop The Chemist, permanently?This is an excellent story. It easily reaches the level of Stay Up All Night Reading Until Finished. It also gets two strong thumbs up.
    • 4/5
      This was a scary scenario! Someone is going around the city of Chicago and randomly poisoning people. That potato salad you bought from the deli? It could kill you. Ordering breakfast at your local diner? He might get you there too! Is there going to be poison in the air? The water? Where can you go? What can you EAT?Luckily, Jack is there to answer these questions and save the day, but not without loss.I enjoy the tone of this series. Konrath has a knack for dreaming up things that are just a little more dastardly than what you normally see. He pulls no punches. I also appreciate the setting more now that I’ve been to Chicago. Every once in a while I think, “Hey, I know where that is!”. This is a series I plan to continue!
    • 4/5
      In Dirty Martini, Police Lieutenant Jacqueline Daniels, commonly known as Jack Daniels, is pursing someone who is on a huge killing spree. A note from the killer, who calls himself “The Chemist,” says he will stop if they give him $2 million.““This isn’t terrorism. I’m not some dumb Islamic fundamentalist. I’m a venture capitalist. I’m investing in fear and death. Pay me or I’ll branch out.” Many of the victims are involved with the police department and die as the result of traps set to kill them as they attempt to locate and arrest him. There are a lot of red herrings in the convoluted story as Jack and her associates try to determine the motive for the killings as a means to help identify The Chemist. The author’s note states “I wrote DIRTY MARTINI knowing it wouldn’t have any blood in it.” Not true. There are more victims (many by poison) in this book than in any of the previous books I have read of the series. Some are graphically described.Jack also tries to figure out her relationship with Rick Reilly who wants to marry her.The book points out the results of the Tylenol Killer’s actions: “Seven dead, and billions of dollars in revenue lost” because of the steps taken by manufacturers to prevent similar attacks. “Poisoners were the hardest perps to catch. A single, organized, motivated individual, with a basic knowledge of chemistry, could wreak more havoc on Chicago than all the crimes in the last fifty years combined.”It tells a lot about botulism including where it comes from and how it spreads.The well-written book includes some interesting observations and witty comments. Examples include: “I took a step back before the testosterone surging off his body caused me to grow a mustache.”“Confidence is essential, cockiness is lethal.”“Bravery isn’t the absence of fear. It’s the ability to still function when fear overtakes you.”In the Acknowledgment section, J. A. Konrath wrote that he visited over 600 bookstores in 27 states after his previous book came out. He met more than 1100 booksellers and mentions each of them by name. Now that is class!The fast-paced book held my interest, though I skipped much of the gory sections and will read others in the series. This book was a free Amazon download.
    • 3/5
      Another fun read from Konrath. Jack just keeps getting tougher all the time & has the competition to match. This case was interesting & scary. It could happen all too easily. I look forward to the next!
    • 2/5
      A little over the top on the believability scale. To many improbable escapes. I must read some better stuff than this.
    • 4/5
      Never seen one person escape so many impossible situations, but Jack does it! This one was better than the last.,
    • 4/5
      First work by JA Konrath that I've read and although I've had it on my list of books to be read for ahwile don't think it was worth tha anticipation.For the majority of the book it was headed for 3 stars as a competent but uninspiring effort but it did piackup for the conclusion in the last fifty pages or so so yes there is potential there and I guess given that is the 4th book in the Jack Daniels series there are plenty of others out there that will disagree with me.
    • 4/5
      Homicide Lieutenant Jack Daniels has plenty on her mind. Her boyfriend just proposed; her partner’s been transferred, at his request, to Robbery; and she finds a letter from her mother telling her that her dad isn’t dead after all. To make matters worse, a psychopath who calls himself the Chemist is going around Chicago poisoning food supplies and people are dropping like flies. Jack’s tagged to lead the task force and ultimately becomes targeted by the Chemist. She manages to survive several attempts on her life, but when her boyfriend is poisoned, things turn personal. The Chemist demands two million dollars in ransom to stop the killings and chooses Jack to deliver the money. Jack would rather shoot the guy and put him out of everyone’s misery, but the mayor and his political officialdom believe that if they pay the ransom, the Chemist will go away. Jack doesn’t stop tracking the Chemist; she thinks he has a bigger scheme in mind and practically stumbles over his next fatal project, one that could possibly kill thousands of people. Dirty Martini, the fourth in Konrath’s Jack Daniels’ series, is packed with action, suspense, and thrills. Jack Daniels is a die-hard toughie who faces death and injury with stoicism and a cop’s sense of duty to protect others above all else. The Chemist is not only insane but intelligent, which makes for an even creepier yet interesting bad guy. Dialogue, as always, is witty and adds levity to a horrifically realistic plot. Excellent!