Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath

Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath is the second book in the Jacqueline, "Jack" Daniels series of murder mysteries. This book took on a little bit of a different tone than Whiskey Sour, and I liked it for a lot of different reasons than I liked Whiskey Sour.

After the killer is caught and about to be tried, there's a twist I completely didn't see coming. I raced to read the end to find out how the trial with the killer would conclude.

Mr. Fiskers, the cat Jack rescues from one of the murder victim's apartment, is a character in and of himself. The thing I will remember the most about Bloody Mary was Mr. Fiskers, hands down. I actually read parts of this book aloud to my husband because I was laughing so hard at the cat and how Konrath describes it.

Herb Benedict, Jack's partner, acted very differently than in Whiskey Sour. I didn't like him as well in Bloody Mary, though I thought Konrath did a good job of redeeming him in the end. I didn't like thinking of him as a jerk. I was glad to find out at the book's conclusion that he really wasn't a jerk.

Harry McGlade, Jack's old partner and annoying friend makes a comeback in Bloody Mary. He manages to help Jack and drive her crazy at the same time. I liked him more in this one than in Whiskey Sour.

What I liked the best about Bloody Mary (other than Mr. Fiskers) is the conflict Jack has to face between her ex-husband and Latham. Jack is a flawed woman, and I love that she has to choose between the two men. I wanted to slap Jack's mother for bringing the ex-husband back into the picture because I really liked Latham from Whiskey Sour and the beginning part of Bloody Mary. I wanted to slap Jack's mother, actually.

'Tis a sign of well written characters when an author elicits the urge from me to slap characters around. They're alive in my head :)

I give this one 5 stars also. *****