Book Review: Rusty Nail

Finished reading the third J.A. Konrath book Rusty Nail. Actually, Rusty Nail is both the third J.A. Konrath in his Jack Daniel's series, and the third that I've read. Like most other series, I'm reading this a bit out of order, it just happens that I read the third book in the series third. So far I've read the fifth, first; the first, second and now the third, third.

It's an interesting series. Konrath's main advice to new authors (through his blog A Newbies Guide to Publishing) is to always have conflict. Every page, every paragraph, every sentence should be brimming over with conflict. If not, get rid of that sentence, paragraph or page. He follows his own advice. His stories are big on conflict. They are also some of the most disturbing stories ever. Think Silence of the Lambs meets Stephanie Plum. One of the villains in this story is heavy into masochism, and at one point the reader is treated to the disgusting act of the primary villain flaying a victim alive.

When I was a teenager I had a book called "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way." In this book on comic drawing, Stan Lee wrote something about how artists should let their minds go wild when they create villains. Go look at the villains in a comic book; huge heads, swords for hands, skulls instead of faces. Konrath took Stan Lee's advice and ran with it. His villains have to be the creepiest in the business.

Despite the fact that his stories, spilling over with conflict, have little room for deep character development, they do have flashes of well written passages and metaphor. One that I marked made me take notice, the kicker is the last line.

"I had no doubts Bud Kork was insane. But there was more to it than that. Sitting this close to him, I felt a deep sense of revulsion- the same kind of feeling I had when I watched a nature program on TV that showed a spider catching a fly. Bud Kork radiated a very real feeling of harm, of fear and decay and death. Talking to him made me want to take a hot shower and brush my teeth until my gums hurt."

Sadly, I bought this book at the Half Price Book Store and did not read it on Kindle, therefore I made few notes. One thing I've found I enjoy about the Kindle is it's ability to store and keep my notes. It's a habit I enjoy and one I have never developed in conventional book reading. Nevertheless, Rusty Nail was as good as Whiskey Sour and Fuzzy Navel, and in terms of the villainy, much better. Stan Lee would be proud....disgusted but proud.