The first VI novel, I liked it quite a bit. It's not as tumultuous as some other mystery novels, but well paced and a lot of fun. The ending is a bit miraculous and the last piece of the puzzle drops into VIs lap. ( )

I had never read anything by Sara Paretsky before, but was familiar with the V.I. Warshawski character. I really enjoyed the plot, the characters and the noirish feel of the book. Warshawski is a bad ass female character which really appeals to me. The only weak point of the book to me was the "romance." Actually, it was more of a hook up than a romance and the two characters had all the chemistry of wet noodles. Seriously, I found it a throwaway that added little or nothing to the story. ( )

First thus fine

Not the worst mystery crime book I've ever read but certainly the least well edited, with numerous sentences missing verbs. I like V. I.'s feminist credentials and the portrayal of the sexism with which she has to deal which lends credibility to the female PI's world. Will see of the second in the series improves. ( )

As the title suggests V. I. Warshawski, our intrepid, hard-ass private detective, has been hired (reluctantly, for of course she’s only a “girl”, you know:-) by a bank executive at Chicago’s biggest bank to investigate the disappearance of his son’s girlfriend, Anita Hill (yes, weird coincidence with the name, isn’t it…). According to the father, the son is blaming her disappearance on him, and the father wishes to make good with the son so he’ll go off to business school and become a banker like a good boy. When the "son" turns up dead…the plot certainly thickens. Turns out, the bank executive is not who he says he is… .

This first novel in the V. I. Warshawski crime series was first published in 1982; this mass market edition celebrates it’s 30th anniversary (2012), and my reading of it comes as it is about to celebrate 40 years in print. Much has changed since 1982, certainly a female private investigator is not a novelty anymore. V. I. ("Vicky," to a select few) is a very tough, clever and resourceful P.I. and I liked her for all those things. The complex story is remarkably timeless, despite the lack of modern technology (—I noted only one mention of a computer near the end of the book, and there was a mention of a Datsun ...remember them?).

I’m not a big fan of“classic” or “hard-boiled” detective novels which feature private detectives, although I admit to reading quite some Agatha Christie as a young teen and reading all of Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers, and some Wilkie Collins back in the early 80s. However, having said that, I thought this novel a wonderfully diverting read, complex and fun. Will I read more of Paretsky’s series? Perhaps. Maybe I should order the next one to have on hand just in case…. ( )