Guardian Angel

After her golden retriever has puppies, and her yuppie neighbors put them to sleep while dog-sitting, V.I. uncovers a corporate network of murder and corruption. By the author of Blood Shot. 75,000 first printing. $75,000 ad/promo. Tour.

YA-- Chicago private investigator V. I. Warshawski is suffering from I'm-nearing-40-and-is-this-what-I-want-to-do-with-my-life angst. But, as usual, she does so with grit. Her neighborhood is becoming gentrified and an elderly neighbor is pressured by the new residents to fix up her unsightly yard and home or, preferably, to leave and take her five dogs with her. The woman is hospitalized and her yuppie lawyer neighbor, who not-so-coincidentally works for the same firm as Vic's ex-husband, becomes her legal guardian. Justifiably suspicious, Vic gets involved. At the same time, another neighbor hires her to investigate the disappearance of an old friend. Although seemingly disparate cases at first, Vic eventually sees them merge into one--but not before she endures numerous close calls and a friend is injured in an attack meant for her. Unlike the detective's previous reactions to her encounters with death--and to life itself--here she becomes increasingly introspective. The novel ends with her becoming estranged from the friend who was hurt and questioning her budding romance with a black Chicago cop. These extra layers of complexity add depth to Vic's character and lead readers to look forward to Paretsky's next installment in the Warshawski saga.
- Marilyn J. Schoon, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Short-tempered and defensive--"ornery," according to the cop whom she warily lets into her bed--Chicago private detective V.I. Warshawski abruptly shakes off stereotypes to become more believable and more complex with each appearance. Last seen in Burn Marks , V.I. is currently furious at Todd and Chrissie Pichea, an upscale couple on her block who, upon having themselves appointed legal guardians of an eccentric old neighbor after she has a stroke, immediately have her beloved dogs put to sleep. Soon, Vic and another neighbor, 77-year-old Mr. Contreras, identify the body pulled from the Chicago Sanitary Canal as that of a friend of Contrera's who had recently boasted of having the goods on their old employers at Diamond Head Motors, a small manufacturing concern on the West Side. Investigating Diamond Head, V.I. uncovers a intricate bond-parking scheme that reaches deep into her former husband's prestigious law firm and ties into the behavior of the Picheas. Paretsky's emphasis on character comes at no expense of action: Vic's investigation is as physical as it is mental, taking her inside Chicago's industrial world and up against bad guys who use everything from bats to heavy machinery to thwart her. Among today's PIs, nobody comes close to Warshawski. QPB and Mystery Book Club alternates; BOMC selection; author tour.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The further perils of V.I. Warshawski, Chicago's lawyer-p.i. (Burn Marks, etc.), this time fighting the good fight against forces of greed and corruption, first brought to her attention by elderly downstairs neighbor and self-appointed guardian Mr. Contreras. His alcoholic friend Mitch Kruger, a fellow retiree from the Diamond Head Machine Company, cadges a bid from Contreras, brags about soon-to-come riches from Diamond Head, disappears and later is found murdered. Then there's dog-obsessed, cranky old Mrs. Frizell down the block who seems to have traded solid CD investments for junk bonds at the behest of her new neighbor, yuppie banker Todd Pichea. V.I.'s stubborn sleuthing into Kruger's murder produces numerous threatening confrontations, middle-of-the- night file searches, car chases, a second murder, and a nasty fright for her dear friend Dr. Lotty Herschel. The final result is the unraveling of a massive scam in which even V.I.'s prissy lawyer/ex-husband Dick Yarborough is involved. Our heroine--more short-fused and mean-mouthed than ever--winds up a job well done with no major injuries, a new lover, and a heavy case of introspection. Suspense rarely flags through the slightly excessive length here--densely textured, adroitly plotted, and one of the author's best. (Book-of-the-Month Dual Selection for April) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.