Rusty Nail

From Publishers Weekly Konrath's third outing to feature Chicago police lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels, like its predecessors, Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary , offers violent thrills peppered with hilarious one-liners. Jack's receipt of an anonymous snuff video that looks like the work of a serial killer called the Gingerbread Man, who was recently brought to justice, marks the start of a cat-and-mouse game with the killer, who plucks victims from the periphery of Jack's world�both professional and private. When Jack shakes the Gingerbread Man's twisted family tree, she unearths an unspeakable history of depravity and awakens sleeping dogs better left alone. A wedding in the woods turns sinister after a poison-laced champagne toast renders everyone in the wedding party unconscious, and Jack must race to save her friends from the surprise demon spawn that has outwitted her�though perhaps not the reader. Some may find that the surfeit of gore detracts from the engaging characters, true guffaws and tightly knit subplots. Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review "Excellent smart-mouth thrills . . . my advice: Take a long sip." -- Lee Child "Snappy dialogue. Powerful action. A fabulous character to spend time with." -- David Morrell "This is a solid and successful sophomore effort that demands the next drink -- er, installment -- and soon" -- M.J. Rose