FUZZY NAVEL
By J. A. Konrath
Hyperion
77 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023
ISBN: 9781401302801
Hardback, 270 pages, $23.95
Genre: Mystery

Chicago PD Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels is going through a good period in her life. She’s engaged to Latham, a guy she’s crazy about, is living with her mom in a house outside the city, and has just received word her archenemy Alex Kork is dead. Jack and her partner Herb Benedict are called to the scene of a murder, where a sex offender has been killed by a sniper. But the sniper isn’t finished and keeps taking potshots at Jack and the police officers investigating the crime scene. Jack manages to get the officers out of danger, attracting the attention of the sniper, and learns that two other snipers have murdered sex offenders in other parts of Chicago. In the midst of all this, Jack gets a call from her mother telling her she needs to come home. Jack, feeling something isn’t right, rushes home, where she finds her mother and Latham held prisoner by Kork. From that point on, Jack is engaged in a battle to save her own life, as well as her mom’s and Latham’s, and even that of her ex-partner Harry McGlade when he shows up. And not just from Kork, but from the snipers, who have tracked Jack down and want in on the fun.

Take a deep breath before beginning this book because there’s nonstop action and nail-biting suspense from the first page. Jack Daniels is a tough cop but Kork proves herself to be more than a worthy adversary and is as relentless as the Energizer bunny. The book moves along at a fast pace, with plenty of dark humor and witticisms thrown around, and a quirky surprise involving the obnoxious McGlade. Some readers may feel cheated by the ending, which leaves a question unanswered.