Fuzzy Navel

Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mysteries, Book 5

By: J. A. Konrath

Narrated by: Susie Breck, Dick Hill

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Things are going well for Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels of the Chicago Police Department. She has solved some of the city's toughest and most high-profile homicides. Her personal life is finally in order. Her friends and family are safe and happy. And she just got a call that eased her mind like nothing else could: Alex Kork, one of the most dangerous criminals Jack ever arrested, killed herself while in jail.

But things sour quickly when a group of vigilantes on a murderous spree decide to take down a cop and the people she cares about…and they turn downright awful when Jack discovers that Kork may not be dead after all. The next eight hours will be the worst of Jack's life. And that's saying something. Fuzzy Navel is perfect for listeners who like their mysteries with a shot of humor.

"A particularly potent mix of equal parts mirth and mayhem with a dash of sex and a twist (or two) of plot...Konrath's latest should be taken straight, no chaser needed." –Publishers Weekly
"A well-shaken mix of action, humor, suspense, and sharp dialogue." Newsday
"A phenomenal thriller that never disappoints." –Lloyd Woodall, Borders Group, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan
"J.A. Konrath has done it again. I've read every book, and I still want more." –Norman Goldman, Barnes & Noble, Encino, California

©2008 J. A. Konrath (P)2008 Brilliance Audio

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OMG! This book is so funny. Great cop story with so many twists and turns, I couldn't stop listening. The characters are anything but ordinary and the situations they create are WAY past funny. Dick Hill & Susie Breck are WONDERFUL narrators -- the BEST.
Sorry - Gotta go. I can't type and laugh at the same time.
Audible.com, you need to get more Konrad books in the store!!

He does it again!

Git on wit yo bad self, J.A. Konrath! Those who loved the previous books in the Jack Daniels series won't be disappointed with FUZZY NAVEL. From the first sniper's shot, this book is slam bam in your face.

Jack Daniel's day has been pretty bad, but no one can imagine what's still in store for the detective when she heads home to check on her mom in the burbs. But when she gets there and finds that everyone is all tied up-literally, she isn't quite ready to give up. Not yet, anyway. Jack's past has come back with a vengeance and this time, it's looking like no one is getting out alive. Worse than discovering her home has been invaded, her work has followed her home.

Konrath has a take no prisoners writing style that seeps into every pore, leaving the reader breathless and exhausted. FUZZY NAVEL is an action-packed must read.

Karen L. Syed, publisher Echelon Press

Great narration; shallow novel!

Most Joe Konrath/Jack Daniels fans will love this novel. It has constant violence, ongoing suspense, lots of vulgarity, witty comments, and a returning Jacqueline Daniels' female antagonist (a killer without conscience named Alex Kork). Add a group of murderous vigilantes working with Kork intent on killing cops with sniper rifles and night vision scopes and you have continuous mayhem.

Narration by Susie Breck and Dick hill is incredibly good, good enough to make listening to Fuzzy Navel worth listening to.

Occasionally witty, intensely violent

This was my first encounter with a Jack Daniels book. I liked the characters and the wit, and don't mind that the events are unrealistic. But wit and action comprise maybe 25% of this book; the rest is filled with detailed descriptions of psychotic humans joyfully inflicting unbearable pain on other humans. The author is thorough: no body part is spared, no method (knife, gun, hand-to-hand combat, explosion, shock, extreme heat, various blunt objects, feline attack, etc.) is left unconsidered, no character misses out on the chance to narrate his/her agony in (literally) excruciating detail. I'm no prude, but this was overwhelming, especially in audio format -- and as another reviewer notes, there is no real satisfactory payoff at the end, just the promise of more violence.

beyond believable

I had a hard time with this book. I was able to finish it but at times it was a struggle. How much can possibly happen to one person in one day?! How many times can you get shot at and not get hit?! I can go along with most story lines even if they are a little far fetched because they are, afterall, a story, but this was way beyond that for me. I also hated the ending.

overly done - skip this one

Crime drama/comedy? Characters are stereotypes. Villains and good guys alike shoot it out through the entire book... from one contrived situation to another. Bad guy snipers pin down the unarmed good guys for hours and hours in a rural house. Over-the-top preposterous set of circumstances, dialogue and plot. I regret this purchase.

Grrr for cliffhangers.

I am dropping my rating on this book, not because the quality changed really, but mostly because I hate cliffhangers. One of the things I've liked about this series so far is that each book was a self-contained "murder mystery" and that it also contained threads to the over-arching themes of the main ensemble developing throughout the series. This is the first book to end with a cliffhanger and I am not a fan.

The plot of this book was interesting, the action exciting and well executed ... but ultimately I can not get over my anger and frustration at the ending. It is a good thing that I can move immediately on to the next book. I am not sure I am enough of a fan to have been willing to wait it out while the series was still in production.

Narration remains good and consistent with the previous books in the series. Loved the insight into many of the ensemble characters - not totally sure about Jack at this point since I feel like I am still only half-way through this "story".

This book is worth it if you are a fan of the series already, but is *not* a good place to dive in.

Chaotic, Funny, Moving! Loved it!

What made the experience of listening to Fuzzy Navel the most enjoyable?

I love the narrators and the story line was ridiculous yet interesting. Konrath books are always suspenseful with peppered in comic relief. He always manages to keep the characters fresh by adding more substance to situation.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Harry is always my favorite and the cat.

What does Susie Breck and Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They are some of the best narrators out there!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Can a day get any worse?

Any additional comments?

A great series! Highly recommended!

Loved it

Possibly because I just finished 2 boring books, I fell in love with this one. Action from beginning to end. Totally unbelievable, of course, but who cares. I loved all the characters and want more. This is my first J. A. Konrath novel, I will be listening to all of them now.

Unrelieved Violence

This book is really disgusting. It has nothing in it but continuing violence and frustration, without even a happy ending. Definitely not recommended!