Old Fashioned

I’ll admit, I approached *Old Fashioned* skeptical. Konrath’s Jack Daniels series has always been a wild ride, but this one? It’s the audiobook equivalent of a slow-burn hangover—messy, introspective, and impossible to shake. Dani McIntyre doesn’t just narrate; she *inhabits* Jack, nailing the character’s signature snark (“I’ve seen corpses with better coping skills”) while letting the cracks in her armor show. There’s a scene midway through where Jack’s voice breaks describing her daughter’s school play, and McIntyre’s delivery is so raw it feels invasive. That’s the magic here: the performance refuses to let you look away. The story’s pacing is deliberate, almost claustrophobic. Konrath trades explosive set pieces for psychological tension, and it works—mostly. The middle act drags slightly as Jack spirals, and a subplot involving her husband’s midlife crisis occasionally feels like filler. But the payoff? Worth it. The final confrontation isn’t with a killer, but with Jack’s own reflection, and McIntyre’s hushed, exhausted reading sells it. My only real gripe? The sound mixing occasionally dips during quieter moments, forcing me to crank the volume. Still, this is a thriller for fans who crave character over carnage, and McIntyre’s performance elevates it to something haunting. Just don’t expect to walk away unscathed.