WHISKEY SOUR
By J. A. Konrath
Hyperion
77 West 66th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10023-6928
212-456-0133
Hardback, 270 pages, $21.95
Genre: Mystery

Lieutenant Jacqueline Daniels - Jack to her friends - seems to be in a perpetual state of depression. It seems her dedication to her career cost her her first marriage and now her latest boyfriend. But when the mutilated corpse of a young woman is found in a garbage can outside a convenience store, those thoughts are replaced by her fierce determination to find a killer calling himself the Gingerbread Man. With her partner Herb Benedict beside her, Jack trails the killer, who takes a liking to her and tries to kill her. But a gunshot wound to the leg doesn't stop Jack from tracking the Gingerbread Man, while trying to stay out of the way of two FBI profilers who profile everything but their serial killer.

This is a fun read. Jack Daniels is a gutsy female cop who plays straight man to all the quirky characters around her. Her former partner, Harry McGlade, is a jewel. The plot is good, the dialogue witty, and the one-liners from the author a highlight. It's of no surprise to this reader that Konrath has a background as a comedian. Looking for a book that will keep you in stitches? Try this.