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V.I. Warshawski #22
Pay Dirt
New hardcover with un-clipped jacket.1st/1st. Unread with no faults.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2024
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7299 people want to read
About the author
Sara Paretsky
271 books2,370 followersSara Paretsky is a modern American author of detective fiction. Paretsky was raised in Kansas, and graduated from the state university with a degree in political science. She did community service work on the south side of Chicago in 1966 and returned in 1968 to work there. She ultimately completed a Ph.D. in history at the University of Chicago, entitled The Breakdown of Moral Philosophy in New England Before the Civil War, and finally earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Married to a professor of physics at the University of Chicago, she has lived in Chicago since 1968.
The protagonist of all but two of Paretsky's novels is V.I. Warshawski, a female private investigator. Warshawski's eclectic personality defies easy categorization. She drinks Johnnie Walker Black Label, breaks into houses looking for clues, and can hold her own in a street fight, but also she pays attention to her clothes, sings opera along with the radio, and enjoys her sex life.
Paretsky is credited with transforming the role and image of women in the crime novel. The Winter 2007 issue of Clues: A Journal of Detection is devoted to her work.
Her two books that are non-Warshawski novels are : Ghost Country (1998) and Bleeding Kansas (2008).
The protagonist of all but two of Paretsky's novels is V.I. Warshawski, a female private investigator. Warshawski's eclectic personality defies easy categorization. She drinks Johnnie Walker Black Label, breaks into houses looking for clues, and can hold her own in a street fight, but also she pays attention to her clothes, sings opera along with the radio, and enjoys her sex life.
Paretsky is credited with transforming the role and image of women in the crime novel. The Winter 2007 issue of Clues: A Journal of Detection is devoted to her work.
Her two books that are non-Warshawski novels are : Ghost Country (1998) and Bleeding Kansas (2008).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 393 reviews
May 26, 2024
VI Warshawski is a tough and broken private eye. Her boyfriend suffered a tragedy, and he took it out on her. They temporarily split, leaving her dazed and sullen. A niece invites her to watch a sports game where her friends are playing, and it leads to a new case. Heading back to Kansas, VI runs into old enemies and friends, makes some new ones from both categories, and nearly ends up dead at least three times. I love this character even though she puts herself in way too much danger just to solve the mystery. Even when the client is a bare connection, or the cops threaten her with years of imprisonment. She's dedicated and perseveres through it all. Solid writing. Complex thriller. Loved it!
July 27, 2024
I cannot believe there are now 22 books in this series and it is still as good as ever.
When Pay Dirt begins we find P.I. Vic Warshawski in a bad place. After a very nasty incident in a previous case Peter has fled to another country and seems to be ghosting Vic, and she appears severely depressed - not eating and not interested in anything. Friends encourage her to go on a trip to Kansas where she becomes involved in a murder case. The police think she is a suspect so she picks herself up and starts investigating again.
Despite containing some really overused tropes and a few unlikely errors this book is brilliant. I found myself noticing the occasional mistake and not caring. The story was so good I just powered on and inhaled every page. So, so good. An easy five stars.
When Pay Dirt begins we find P.I. Vic Warshawski in a bad place. After a very nasty incident in a previous case Peter has fled to another country and seems to be ghosting Vic, and she appears severely depressed - not eating and not interested in anything. Friends encourage her to go on a trip to Kansas where she becomes involved in a murder case. The police think she is a suspect so she picks herself up and starts investigating again.
Despite containing some really overused tropes and a few unlikely errors this book is brilliant. I found myself noticing the occasional mistake and not caring. The story was so good I just powered on and inhaled every page. So, so good. An easy five stars.
June 3, 2024
I struggled with whether to give this book 3 or four stars but because of my love for the series I went with four. I didn’t like it set in Kansas, but I understand why it was. I didn’t like her being a suspect, but that is something personal to me that I don’t like my friends to be accused of a crime and have to prove their innocence. I would rather my detectives not go through that, the topic was not my favorite and I felt like she took her dog places she shouldn’t have ! It kept me up until 130 so maybe that says it all !! I hope the next book is set back in Chicago with all our friends! P.S I did love her reference to my favorite TV show ‘ Brokenwood mysteries ‘
December 26, 2023
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley, this did not affect my rating or review.
A solid VI novel but it gets so complicated at the end it was just a bit too much. 4.5 stars rounded to 5 because of the explanation about a character who was missing for almost the entire book. It wasn't necessary and I would have left that on a cliffhanger.
"Pay Dirt" follows a down and out V.I. She's shaken and broken after a case she gets involved in results in a young woman being murdered by her father in front of her and her boyfriend Peter. V.I. hasn't taken a case in months outside of her regular clients and she's lost weight and the ability to sleep without nightmares. When her almost goddaughter Bernie pops up and invites V.I. to watch a basketball game in Kansas she agrees. But Bernie being the worst (yep I said it) still pushes at V.I. to help her when a friend of hers that came on the trip disappears. V.I. doesn't want to get involved, but does and finds herself rusty and being almost out thought by something deeper and darker in Kanas that wants the past to stay buried.
I thought that the insight into V.I. and how she's feeling like she's running on fumes was true to form. It was also a good idea to get her out of Chicago. It was fascinating watching her meet new people and make all new enemies.
The flow though gets to be a bit much after a while. I think it's because we keep getting the truth dangled in front of our faces but it gets ripped away again and again. And I don't know if I buy the whole story since I still don't understand [redacted]. But the book definitely shows a U.S. that is coming out against trans women and anything being "woke" which makes V.I. wonder what she's even fighting for anymore.
The ending was good, almost all tided up, but then I said, there's an 11th hour explanation that was not necessary I thought.
A solid VI novel but it gets so complicated at the end it was just a bit too much. 4.5 stars rounded to 5 because of the explanation about a character who was missing for almost the entire book. It wasn't necessary and I would have left that on a cliffhanger.
"Pay Dirt" follows a down and out V.I. She's shaken and broken after a case she gets involved in results in a young woman being murdered by her father in front of her and her boyfriend Peter. V.I. hasn't taken a case in months outside of her regular clients and she's lost weight and the ability to sleep without nightmares. When her almost goddaughter Bernie pops up and invites V.I. to watch a basketball game in Kansas she agrees. But Bernie being the worst (yep I said it) still pushes at V.I. to help her when a friend of hers that came on the trip disappears. V.I. doesn't want to get involved, but does and finds herself rusty and being almost out thought by something deeper and darker in Kanas that wants the past to stay buried.
I thought that the insight into V.I. and how she's feeling like she's running on fumes was true to form. It was also a good idea to get her out of Chicago. It was fascinating watching her meet new people and make all new enemies.
The flow though gets to be a bit much after a while. I think it's because we keep getting the truth dangled in front of our faces but it gets ripped away again and again. And I don't know if I buy the whole story since I still don't understand [redacted]. But the book definitely shows a U.S. that is coming out against trans women and anything being "woke" which makes V.I. wonder what she's even fighting for anymore.
The ending was good, almost all tided up, but then I said, there's an 11th hour explanation that was not necessary I thought.
March 30, 2024
In the early years of this series - this is the 22nd book therein - I never missed an installment. The author was a favorite, and edgy V.I. Warshawski was a private eye after my own heart. But then life intervened - my kids needed both parents and I'd returned to work and finishing the college education I'd put on the back burner for too long - and we lost touch. Happily, we've reconnected in recent years, this one being the most recent - and it seems both of us have grown, well, older.
But Victoria still has it, although maybe not quite together at this point. main squeeze, archeologist Peter, has dropped off the face of her earth following a particularly traumatic event - maybe never to return. Vic herself was psychologically impacted by said event and is still struggling to get her own head back on straight while dealing with Peter's disappearance from her life. When the roommate of one of Vic's college basketball "stars" goes missing, she agrees (albeit reluctantly) to hang around and track her down. Vic finds her - in what appears to be some kind of party house where drugs are the main attraction - and the girl's mother freaks out and suspects Vic of aiding, abetting and lying. The local police and FBI seem to be of the same opinion - with possible murderer thrown in, and they put up roadblocks to her investigation in the fervent hope that she'll go back where she came from (which, for the record, is Chicago).
Things go from bad to worse when Vic discovers the dead body of another young woman in the same house - but now Vic is determined to see it through. Complicating matters is the potential start-up of a nearby coal-fired power plant at the very historical site of a proposed resort that raises all kinds of questions - most notably, why would a resort need that much power? Even more to the point, why would someone put so much effort into keeping Vic from looking for the answers?
From that point on, it's pretty much nonstop action all the way to the end. If I have a criticism, it's that my aging brain struggled to keep the plethora of characters - some from long-ago days - straight in my head. But the plot won out, "forcing" me to stay up past my bedtime to get 'er done. Now that I did, I must say thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done!
But Victoria still has it, although maybe not quite together at this point. main squeeze, archeologist Peter, has dropped off the face of her earth following a particularly traumatic event - maybe never to return. Vic herself was psychologically impacted by said event and is still struggling to get her own head back on straight while dealing with Peter's disappearance from her life. When the roommate of one of Vic's college basketball "stars" goes missing, she agrees (albeit reluctantly) to hang around and track her down. Vic finds her - in what appears to be some kind of party house where drugs are the main attraction - and the girl's mother freaks out and suspects Vic of aiding, abetting and lying. The local police and FBI seem to be of the same opinion - with possible murderer thrown in, and they put up roadblocks to her investigation in the fervent hope that she'll go back where she came from (which, for the record, is Chicago).
Things go from bad to worse when Vic discovers the dead body of another young woman in the same house - but now Vic is determined to see it through. Complicating matters is the potential start-up of a nearby coal-fired power plant at the very historical site of a proposed resort that raises all kinds of questions - most notably, why would a resort need that much power? Even more to the point, why would someone put so much effort into keeping Vic from looking for the answers?
From that point on, it's pretty much nonstop action all the way to the end. If I have a criticism, it's that my aging brain struggled to keep the plethora of characters - some from long-ago days - straight in my head. But the plot won out, "forcing" me to stay up past my bedtime to get 'er done. Now that I did, I must say thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done!
December 22, 2024
Sometimes a beloved series needs a time out, and this one, may feel that way, even if the character is loved. This story follows Detective V.I. Warshawski into a missing persons case with roots to going back to the Civil War.
If you aren’t following her from her previous books, you will feel most likely out of place in her current stories, so stick with the series. Because this one sees her still recovering from a previous case in a previous book, and not quite herself. As she is attempting to address this new case, and looking into old mysteries, we also see Warshawski trying to find herself.
This one was a slow-burn. As much as I love the character, I wonder if it is it time to end this series.
If you aren’t following her from her previous books, you will feel most likely out of place in her current stories, so stick with the series. Because this one sees her still recovering from a previous case in a previous book, and not quite herself. As she is attempting to address this new case, and looking into old mysteries, we also see Warshawski trying to find herself.
This one was a slow-burn. As much as I love the character, I wonder if it is it time to end this series.
November 8, 2024
I read Indemnity Only, the V.I. Warshawski detective novel by Sara Paretsky with my fall 2024 detective fiction class and many in the class didn't love it, or V.I., who was intended as a feminist answer to The Boy's Club of Dick Lit (detective fiction, now, come on!). That book was her first novel, published in 1982, and while many applauded her taking on the male detective fiction establishment, others in my class felt it was "dated" as a kind of feminist statement, a novel that revealed itself to them as an okay first try.
And yet Sara Paretsky achieved international fame for her series, so to be fair I thought I would read another one, and picked the most recent one, Pay Dirt, published 42 years later, in 2024! That's staying power, right? This one is set in Lawrence, Kansas, where the Iowa-born Paretsky went to uni before moving to Chicago. But it is also written by Paretsky at 77, maybe not ideal either for luring young readers to V.I.? We'll see.
Students noted in class discussions of Indemnity that there are no discussions of race; all the people in the novel are white, in a very diverse city. There are discussions of class, sexism, mob corruption and Vic gives as good as she gets in physical altercations with bad guys, and she dumps a boyfriend who doesn't respect her work. In Pay Dirt we are in Lawrence, Kansas, where Vic , still struggling with male romantic partners, goes to take a break from a brutal case (I assume detailed in Warshawski #21?). She’s going to see a Northwestern versus Kansas women’s soccer game, and one girl disappears, so she agrees to help.
There are many contemporary issues--too many, I think--mentioned in this book, from CRT to climate change to sexism to corporate corruption, opioid addition, and racism, and I'm a left, but instead of being inspired, for the majority of the book, I was largely bored, and bored, too, by V.I.’s annoying haranguing of a local detective as she investigates the girl’s disappearance (tec fic trope, check, and tec fic trope, too, that she becomes a suspect, yawn).
The plot gets very complicated, as she herself ponders all the balls she has to juggle: “Sabrina. Valerie. Power Ranger. Brett Santich. Trig. Clarina. Gertrude Perec. Cady. The Wakarusa plant. The Yancy project. The Omicron boys. The Dundee House” (Yes, they all somehow tie together). Vic goes to a house where college kids are dealing drugs, and one of the injured players is in fact a buyer, but in doing her research about the house leads her to investigate historic racial violence in Lawrence. Environmental crime and corporate and police corruption are involved, with Vic getting beat up along the way to solving the case. Tec fic trope: Nobody wants outsider Chicagoan in Lawrence business, except maybe a young Lois Lane cub reporter I also found annoying.
Paretsky tells us in an afterword that she has situated four of her novels in Lawrence, where her early years were spent. She also tells us that it took her a long time to come to terms with and investigate deeper into Kansas racist history, which I admire her doing. Point for that, for sure, and I like in the afterword her telling us the books she read to inform her novel.
I didn’t like the way characters talked to each other--some outdated lingo for contemporary America--though some of my problem with it may have to do with my disliking the reader, who reads lines from corrupt guys as if she were mimicking Jimmy Cagney playing Al Capone. 2.5 rating from me, though I thought it finished strong, so round up.
And yet Sara Paretsky achieved international fame for her series, so to be fair I thought I would read another one, and picked the most recent one, Pay Dirt, published 42 years later, in 2024! That's staying power, right? This one is set in Lawrence, Kansas, where the Iowa-born Paretsky went to uni before moving to Chicago. But it is also written by Paretsky at 77, maybe not ideal either for luring young readers to V.I.? We'll see.
Students noted in class discussions of Indemnity that there are no discussions of race; all the people in the novel are white, in a very diverse city. There are discussions of class, sexism, mob corruption and Vic gives as good as she gets in physical altercations with bad guys, and she dumps a boyfriend who doesn't respect her work. In Pay Dirt we are in Lawrence, Kansas, where Vic , still struggling with male romantic partners, goes to take a break from a brutal case (I assume detailed in Warshawski #21?). She’s going to see a Northwestern versus Kansas women’s soccer game, and one girl disappears, so she agrees to help.
There are many contemporary issues--too many, I think--mentioned in this book, from CRT to climate change to sexism to corporate corruption, opioid addition, and racism, and I'm a left, but instead of being inspired, for the majority of the book, I was largely bored, and bored, too, by V.I.’s annoying haranguing of a local detective as she investigates the girl’s disappearance (tec fic trope, check, and tec fic trope, too, that she becomes a suspect, yawn).
The plot gets very complicated, as she herself ponders all the balls she has to juggle: “Sabrina. Valerie. Power Ranger. Brett Santich. Trig. Clarina. Gertrude Perec. Cady. The Wakarusa plant. The Yancy project. The Omicron boys. The Dundee House” (Yes, they all somehow tie together). Vic goes to a house where college kids are dealing drugs, and one of the injured players is in fact a buyer, but in doing her research about the house leads her to investigate historic racial violence in Lawrence. Environmental crime and corporate and police corruption are involved, with Vic getting beat up along the way to solving the case. Tec fic trope: Nobody wants outsider Chicagoan in Lawrence business, except maybe a young Lois Lane cub reporter I also found annoying.
Paretsky tells us in an afterword that she has situated four of her novels in Lawrence, where her early years were spent. She also tells us that it took her a long time to come to terms with and investigate deeper into Kansas racist history, which I admire her doing. Point for that, for sure, and I like in the afterword her telling us the books she read to inform her novel.
I didn’t like the way characters talked to each other--some outdated lingo for contemporary America--though some of my problem with it may have to do with my disliking the reader, who reads lines from corrupt guys as if she were mimicking Jimmy Cagney playing Al Capone. 2.5 rating from me, though I thought it finished strong, so round up.
May 4, 2024
This is Pretsky's worst book! I have always really enjoyed her writing and V.I.W's escapades but not this. I barely could keep track of all the characters...the heroine acted ridiculously and not at all like the woman portrayed in previous novels. If Paretsky wanted to make a statement about the plight of slaves in former days she should have veered off from V.I. and wrote a separate book. It didn't mesh and I forced myself to the end as I had purchased this hard copy! UGH so disappointed .
June 20, 2024
3.25 / 5.0
I am not a historical reader or fan of history and this book was everything historical. I must say it took alot of energy to get through this book. The first half is pretty solid which I thoroughly enjoyed but halfway through, VI started exploring the past and the history which essentially flew over my head. It goes from VI solving a missing women's case to solving a mystery behind a death of a women located at the basement of a drug house.
Overall its ok, if you like history this will be your cup of tea. But unfortunately it didn't do it for me.
I am not a historical reader or fan of history and this book was everything historical. I must say it took alot of energy to get through this book. The first half is pretty solid which I thoroughly enjoyed but halfway through, VI started exploring the past and the history which essentially flew over my head. It goes from VI solving a missing women's case to solving a mystery behind a death of a women located at the basement of a drug house.
Overall its ok, if you like history this will be your cup of tea. But unfortunately it didn't do it for me.
May 3, 2024
Slow burn mystery combined with historical fiction.
Intriguing.
Recommend.
Intriguing.
Recommend.
April 20, 2024
3 but really a 2.5 for me. V. I. is tired and worn out and I'm tired of reading about her woes. The plot was good but the character development is lacking for me. Probably good that the author is going to explore something new for awhile.
August 21, 2024
A different V.I. book…Outside Chicago and away from her usual comrades. A bit too political, too woke, for my taste. And convoluted. I needed to take notes to keep everyone straight. I read for entertainment/escape. I don’t need to read about what is on the news.
July 7, 2024
It’s a depleted, badly shaken V.I. Warshawski we meet at the beginning of Pay Dirt, Sara Paretsky’s latest in her long running series. She witnessed the murder of her boyfriend Peter’s student while with Peter who then fled Chicago and hasn’t been in touch since.
V.I. is “convinced” to travel to Lawrence, Kansas to watch her honorary niece Bernie play in a college game though she’d rather stay in her apartment in Chicago. But the game is just the start of the trip for V.I. When it’s time for the college girls to return home, one of the group is missing and, of course, Bernie knows V.I. can and will find her.
Thus begins a complicated tale of crime and misdeeds, both new and old, some dating back to the dangerous days of the 1860s in war torn Kansas and the present day tainted by both modern crime and those issues from the past. As in past novels, Paretsky has woven elements of area and national history into her story which enriches the experience.
A lot happens to V.I. in this story, sort of a rite of passage through a painful, dangerous landscape.
V.I. is “convinced” to travel to Lawrence, Kansas to watch her honorary niece Bernie play in a college game though she’d rather stay in her apartment in Chicago. But the game is just the start of the trip for V.I. When it’s time for the college girls to return home, one of the group is missing and, of course, Bernie knows V.I. can and will find her.
Thus begins a complicated tale of crime and misdeeds, both new and old, some dating back to the dangerous days of the 1860s in war torn Kansas and the present day tainted by both modern crime and those issues from the past. As in past novels, Paretsky has woven elements of area and national history into her story which enriches the experience.
A lot happens to V.I. in this story, sort of a rite of passage through a painful, dangerous landscape.
October 30, 2024
Ich habe in den 90ern viel von Sara Paretsky gelesen und wollte mal nachgucken, was sie jetzt so macht. Die erste Hälfte war unauffälliges Dreisternematerial, in der zweiten habe ich mich immer mehr geärgert über Continuityfehler und andere Nachlässigkeiten (vor allem im Zusammenhang mit den unzähligen burner phones, die zum Einsatz kommen). Außerdem die Hunde! Die Privatdetektivin hat – wahrscheinlich aus einem vorangegangenen Band der Serie – zwei Hunde. Im ersten Drittel des Buchs sind beide allein zu Hause in Chicago und werden nur von einem Dogwalker betreut. Dann holt Warshawski EINEN der Hunde zu sich an den Ort des Geschehens, wo er die meiste Zeit in ihrem Auto auf sie wartet. Der zweite Hund wird nie wieder erwähnt. Irgendwann war die Idee sicher mal, dass Hundebesitz die Detektivin sympathischer machen wird, aber so geht das nicht.
April 15, 2024
She’s in the wrong place at the right time.
V. I. Warshawski is a Chicago private investigator who is smart, experienced, and doggedly persistent. She has always been a strong support for her clients and for those in her personal life, but right now V. I. Is struggling. The violent death of one of her college professor boyfriend’s students, for which she feels somewhat complicit, has shaken her to the core. Her boyfriend has left the continent to deal with the emotional fallout in his own way, leaving V. I. to cope by herself. The always calm and competent P.I Isn’t sleeping or eating well, is having nightmares on the regular can barely do work, and isn’t sure if she can continue in the profession which has defined her for so long. When her goddaughter Bernie invites her to come to a women’s college basketball game in the neighboring state of Kansas where Bernie’s roommate Angela is playing, V. I. reluctantly agrees. No good deed goes unpunished, and soon she is caught up in the disappearance of another of the young women’s roommates after the game and later the death of Clarina Coffin a history buff who has been annoying the residents of the area with her claims to know long-buried secrets. V. I.’s instinct is to get out of town, but she succumbs to the pleas of first Bernie and Angela and then the mother of the missing girl Sabrina to do a little poking around . She soon finds herself one of the chief suspects in Sabrina’s disappearance and the murder of Clarina, is told not to leave town, and has to summon whatever internal strength she can find…because if she can’t figure out was is actually behind these events, she may just find herself convicted of murder or worse.
V. I. is one of the OG female private eyes, and has long been a personal favorite. She is savvy and compassionate, has worked hard to build a business in an industry that did not always respect female practitioners, and has always displayed both a strong moral code and a willingness to fight long and hard against seemingly insurmountable odds. As Pay Dirt kicks off, she is not at her best, and doubts that she is up to the task at hand. But she’s a fighter, and even when its her own demons that she’s fighting she won’t give up easily. Away from her usual stomping grounds, she doesn’t have all of the contacts with whom she works back in Chicago, but she finds a few allies (and makes more than a few enemies) as she digs into matters. As always, the pacing of the story is outstanding, the characters well developed and the plot full of unforeseen twists and complications. What keeps this from being a full five stars is what I found to be a distraction, the apparently random insertion of sentences throughout the book that are not particularly related to the story at hand and that seemed political in nature. In these times of highly divisive political views, I neither expected nor wanted to read about the virtues of mask-wearing, the intolerance of parents protesting critical race theory, the evils of book bans, etc., especially not as a one or two line phrase thrown in for no particular reason. I found that it detracted from the flow of the story. Still, a slightly flawed Warshawski outing is still a pleasure overall, and I would recommend it to fans of Sara Paretsky (of course), but also of Sue Grafton, Linda Barnes, and PI enthusiasts of all stripes. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me access to an early copy of the latest novels by one of the best crime novelists out there.
V. I. Warshawski is a Chicago private investigator who is smart, experienced, and doggedly persistent. She has always been a strong support for her clients and for those in her personal life, but right now V. I. Is struggling. The violent death of one of her college professor boyfriend’s students, for which she feels somewhat complicit, has shaken her to the core. Her boyfriend has left the continent to deal with the emotional fallout in his own way, leaving V. I. to cope by herself. The always calm and competent P.I Isn’t sleeping or eating well, is having nightmares on the regular can barely do work, and isn’t sure if she can continue in the profession which has defined her for so long. When her goddaughter Bernie invites her to come to a women’s college basketball game in the neighboring state of Kansas where Bernie’s roommate Angela is playing, V. I. reluctantly agrees. No good deed goes unpunished, and soon she is caught up in the disappearance of another of the young women’s roommates after the game and later the death of Clarina Coffin a history buff who has been annoying the residents of the area with her claims to know long-buried secrets. V. I.’s instinct is to get out of town, but she succumbs to the pleas of first Bernie and Angela and then the mother of the missing girl Sabrina to do a little poking around . She soon finds herself one of the chief suspects in Sabrina’s disappearance and the murder of Clarina, is told not to leave town, and has to summon whatever internal strength she can find…because if she can’t figure out was is actually behind these events, she may just find herself convicted of murder or worse.
V. I. is one of the OG female private eyes, and has long been a personal favorite. She is savvy and compassionate, has worked hard to build a business in an industry that did not always respect female practitioners, and has always displayed both a strong moral code and a willingness to fight long and hard against seemingly insurmountable odds. As Pay Dirt kicks off, she is not at her best, and doubts that she is up to the task at hand. But she’s a fighter, and even when its her own demons that she’s fighting she won’t give up easily. Away from her usual stomping grounds, she doesn’t have all of the contacts with whom she works back in Chicago, but she finds a few allies (and makes more than a few enemies) as she digs into matters. As always, the pacing of the story is outstanding, the characters well developed and the plot full of unforeseen twists and complications. What keeps this from being a full five stars is what I found to be a distraction, the apparently random insertion of sentences throughout the book that are not particularly related to the story at hand and that seemed political in nature. In these times of highly divisive political views, I neither expected nor wanted to read about the virtues of mask-wearing, the intolerance of parents protesting critical race theory, the evils of book bans, etc., especially not as a one or two line phrase thrown in for no particular reason. I found that it detracted from the flow of the story. Still, a slightly flawed Warshawski outing is still a pleasure overall, and I would recommend it to fans of Sara Paretsky (of course), but also of Sue Grafton, Linda Barnes, and PI enthusiasts of all stripes. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me access to an early copy of the latest novels by one of the best crime novelists out there.
April 26, 2024
So disappointing! I always look forward to the next VI Warshawski novel but this book was so tedious! As others pointed out it does not take place in Vic’s normal Chicago area so we don’t get to see all the regular side characters (except Peter, who I never bought as a good partner for Vic).
I’ll read the next book if it brings Vic back home, but this was a huge disappointment.
I’ll read the next book if it brings Vic back home, but this was a huge disappointment.
October 12, 2025
This is the final book in the 22 book series as it currently exists. This book was published in 2024 and is probably the closest I have come to actually reading a book in the series in the same year that it was published. I have just finished listening to it as the final book in the series, and in my effort to listen to the entire series in order. The book does not end with the end of VI‘s career, although she considers the idea of going on to do something else as a part of this story. But the authors note at the end of the book suggests that we will see VI again in the future in her normal role as a private detective.
I would not necessarily suggest that people go rapidly through this entire series as I have just done. Books in a series normally come out annually or thereabouts and that is about right for what a reader/listener can manage to experience with some enjoyment and expectation. Reading them back to back to back or in my case, listening to them back to back to back can be a bit much. One does feel a little overwhelmed by the similarities of the writing style and the repetition of small details and quirks of the author and character.
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This is the most recent of the VI Warshawski books, and I have listened to it in the Audible format. I have been listening to this series for a very long time. It is possible that I have read or listen to every book in the series, but I am not absolutely sure of that. I do know that I have experienced some of them twice. I began the series when I was looking for a crime/detective series that featured a woman protagonist. I have never been sorry to have come upon this series. One of the interesting things is that VI has aged as the series has developed. In a bit of an word, the author acknowledges that VI has aged more slowly than she has. VI is 50 years old in this book whereas the author is in her 70s. I am also in my 70s. 78 to be exact.
Maybe it is just because I am getting older but books seem to be getting longer. I thought this book was a little too long, but by the time I was finally getting towards the end, I was fully committed to the story and mostly enjoying it thoroughly. Mr. Contreras the friendly downstairs neighbor of VI is now 90 and plays a very minor role in this book since it takes place mostly in Lawrence Kansas, rather than Chicago. I know from other series that authors occasionally like to change the local of events. At the end of the book, the author explained the reason for the choice of Lawrence Kansas. This is the place where the author began her life, and she necessarily feels a fondness for the location.
One of the other things that seems to regularly happen in the VI novels is that she gets a windfall financial payment at the end of the book which makes up for the fact that she is Mostly working on a case without any financial payment. This does not happen at the end of every story, but it is something that happens quite regularly. You have to remember that these stories are fictional so that things happen that are not necessarily firmly rooted in reality or even the possibility of reality! The amount of this unexpected financial reward at the end has substantially increased with the passage of the years. The amount that she received at the end of this book was a quite unbelievable $100,000!
I would not necessarily suggest that people go rapidly through this entire series as I have just done. Books in a series normally come out annually or thereabouts and that is about right for what a reader/listener can manage to experience with some enjoyment and expectation. Reading them back to back to back or in my case, listening to them back to back to back can be a bit much. One does feel a little overwhelmed by the similarities of the writing style and the repetition of small details and quirks of the author and character.
_________________________
This is the most recent of the VI Warshawski books, and I have listened to it in the Audible format. I have been listening to this series for a very long time. It is possible that I have read or listen to every book in the series, but I am not absolutely sure of that. I do know that I have experienced some of them twice. I began the series when I was looking for a crime/detective series that featured a woman protagonist. I have never been sorry to have come upon this series. One of the interesting things is that VI has aged as the series has developed. In a bit of an word, the author acknowledges that VI has aged more slowly than she has. VI is 50 years old in this book whereas the author is in her 70s. I am also in my 70s. 78 to be exact.
Maybe it is just because I am getting older but books seem to be getting longer. I thought this book was a little too long, but by the time I was finally getting towards the end, I was fully committed to the story and mostly enjoying it thoroughly. Mr. Contreras the friendly downstairs neighbor of VI is now 90 and plays a very minor role in this book since it takes place mostly in Lawrence Kansas, rather than Chicago. I know from other series that authors occasionally like to change the local of events. At the end of the book, the author explained the reason for the choice of Lawrence Kansas. This is the place where the author began her life, and she necessarily feels a fondness for the location.
One of the other things that seems to regularly happen in the VI novels is that she gets a windfall financial payment at the end of the book which makes up for the fact that she is Mostly working on a case without any financial payment. This does not happen at the end of every story, but it is something that happens quite regularly. You have to remember that these stories are fictional so that things happen that are not necessarily firmly rooted in reality or even the possibility of reality! The amount of this unexpected financial reward at the end has substantially increased with the passage of the years. The amount that she received at the end of this book was a quite unbelievable $100,000!
May 13, 2024
Good story line- but Paretsky has gone full woke in her writing- probably last book of hers I’ll read
December 12, 2024
Sara Paretsky may be one of my favorite crime thriller authors. I have read all her books and always catch the latest one. Pay Dirt is her 2024 offering and her intrepid, feminist Private Investigator, V I Warshawski is doing her work in Kansas this time.
She is coming off a horrendous case and is exhausted, a bit weak, disoriented and low on self-esteem. These are all unusual for V I. She decided to take a break from crime and attend a college basketball weekend where one of her protegees is playing. (She likes to help young sportswomen get ahead in sports.)
Instead, she finds herself involved with a case of a missing young woman in a city where she is without people and contacts she knows. This tale is a nail-biter the whole way through. The local police chief does not want her help. The FBI becomes involved. The issue is a local land-use battle with connections to opioid distribution.
Of course, she prevails and busts the case wide-open with the help of some contacts back in her Chicago hometown, but reading about how she does this was gripping!
She is coming off a horrendous case and is exhausted, a bit weak, disoriented and low on self-esteem. These are all unusual for V I. She decided to take a break from crime and attend a college basketball weekend where one of her protegees is playing. (She likes to help young sportswomen get ahead in sports.)
Instead, she finds herself involved with a case of a missing young woman in a city where she is without people and contacts she knows. This tale is a nail-biter the whole way through. The local police chief does not want her help. The FBI becomes involved. The issue is a local land-use battle with connections to opioid distribution.
Of course, she prevails and busts the case wide-open with the help of some contacts back in her Chicago hometown, but reading about how she does this was gripping!
April 15, 2024
I’ve been a big fan of V. I Warshawski since the very beginning- I don’t believe I’ve missed one book in the series. It was wonderful to have a female private eye who could do all the things that men did, who chased after the bad guys and was not merely a victim or a pretty face. VI was an excellent lead character.
I’ve enjoyed all her books including the last one, Overboard, relishing our heroine’s sense of humour and turn of phrase. However, “Pay Dirt” did not really have the same impact on me and I’m not sure why. Perhaps there were too many characters I did not really care about. Perhaps it was the complicated plot- Vi was searching for a missing student, not in her native Chicago but in Lawrence, a small town in Kansas . The lack of the normal milieu and characters certainly did not help.
The fact that the author was making the book more political rather than the normal fast paced mystery I would expect was also a problem.
I was also confused about VI’s depressed state after an unfortunate happening - did I miss something in the previous book?
When the perpetrator was revealed I could barely remember who the person was.
This was definitely a mediocre outing for me and although I finished it , Pay Dirt was not on my list of favourites by Sara Paretsky.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.
I’ve enjoyed all her books including the last one, Overboard, relishing our heroine’s sense of humour and turn of phrase. However, “Pay Dirt” did not really have the same impact on me and I’m not sure why. Perhaps there were too many characters I did not really care about. Perhaps it was the complicated plot- Vi was searching for a missing student, not in her native Chicago but in Lawrence, a small town in Kansas . The lack of the normal milieu and characters certainly did not help.
The fact that the author was making the book more political rather than the normal fast paced mystery I would expect was also a problem.
I was also confused about VI’s depressed state after an unfortunate happening - did I miss something in the previous book?
When the perpetrator was revealed I could barely remember who the person was.
This was definitely a mediocre outing for me and although I finished it , Pay Dirt was not on my list of favourites by Sara Paretsky.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.
June 27, 2024
A fictionalized-grittier Lawrence, Kansas is literally a character in this tightly woven new episode of the riveting noir V.I. Warshawski private eye series. And Lawrence Public Library is highlighted in our best likeness! V.I. gets drawn into an investigation involving murder, fentanyl drug abuse, and deceitful land development plans. In spite of suffering post-traumatic stress, feeling extremely weary, and in great need of rest, our heroine endures; she’s as wry and intrepid as ever!
August 6, 2024
Library Loan
May 22, 2024
An intriguing premise and a gripping mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat! While a tad wordy, it's still an enjoyable read overall.
A special thanks to TLC Book Tours and author for the gifted copy.
A special thanks to TLC Book Tours and author for the gifted copy.
April 25, 2024
This one was hard to read. It got better towards the end. But it was hard to see V.I. so down and out. And the plot was a bit farfetched. I usually love mysteries with genealogy themes, but this one didn't do it for me. Maybe I just don't want to believe that people in power can be so corrupt. But obviously they can. All of that said, I will read anything Sara writes!
May 6, 2024
Another brilliant addition to the V.I.Warshawski canon. At the beginning she was a character like we had rarely seen before. A smart tough ex- lawyer turned private investigator who wouldn't back down. Now in book 18, she is still all those things, but her last case decimated her will driving her into depression. Responding to a plea from her goddaughter, she agrees to look for a missing athlete in Lawrence, Kansas. After rescuing the girl who was close to death, she is drawn into a larger more insidious investigation. One where attempts are made to blame her for another body she ends up discovering. Complex in details and emotional resonance, this book will grab you. Be sure to read all of the author's notes at the conclusion.
May 1, 2024
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this awesome book
its always great to be back in Warshawski's world and with this book we find Warshawski struggling with ptsd from a previous case that went badly wrong through no fault of her own
but this particular weekend she is off watching college basketball with one of her proteges angela.... but its whilst there angelas roommate disappears
Warshawski doesnt want to look into it as she is very much off her game but with angelas pleading she does start to look around but with no help coming from anywhere she doesnt expect to find much out
what she wasnt expecting was the amount of trouble heading her way....
what a read the hits just kept coming with this one and with honour and respectability behind it all Warshawski has to keep her wits about her at all times... wow just wow couldnt put this one down
really looking forward to the next book in this brilliant series
its always great to be back in Warshawski's world and with this book we find Warshawski struggling with ptsd from a previous case that went badly wrong through no fault of her own
but this particular weekend she is off watching college basketball with one of her proteges angela.... but its whilst there angelas roommate disappears
Warshawski doesnt want to look into it as she is very much off her game but with angelas pleading she does start to look around but with no help coming from anywhere she doesnt expect to find much out
what she wasnt expecting was the amount of trouble heading her way....
what a read the hits just kept coming with this one and with honour and respectability behind it all Warshawski has to keep her wits about her at all times... wow just wow couldnt put this one down
really looking forward to the next book in this brilliant series
May 6, 2024
V.I. travels to see a basketball game in Kansas and ends up finding a missing girl and then a murdered woman all in a drug house outside of the small town. V.I. is still recovering from a previous case of a man murdering his estranged son and having lost her boyfriend and a client all at the same time.
V.I. ends up "having" to solve the case because the local cops and indeed many of the residents of this small town seem to want to pin the murder on her...after all, she's NOT local, she's an uppity big City Superdick, so it stands to reason that this murder of a woman who just arrived in town not long ago must have been followed by another "outsider", right?
Corruption at the highest levels, attempts on V.I.'s life, the cops hassling her, yet V.I. does what she does so well...investigate and SOLVE the case.
V.I. ends up "having" to solve the case because the local cops and indeed many of the residents of this small town seem to want to pin the murder on her...after all, she's NOT local, she's an uppity big City Superdick, so it stands to reason that this murder of a woman who just arrived in town not long ago must have been followed by another "outsider", right?
Corruption at the highest levels, attempts on V.I.'s life, the cops hassling her, yet V.I. does what she does so well...investigate and SOLVE the case.
May 31, 2025
This is another interesting twist on the theme of "the sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the children," but you may need something like a "score card" to keep track of just who is who, and who did what WHEN, for this book connects events in the present to those that happened in the 1860s.
I have often wondered about how authors, such as Ms. Paretsky, keeps track of her own characters who seem genuine and often conflicted. Doe she use something like the tracking sheet we sometimes see featured in TV shows, movies, or even books about detectives where certain key names and events are posted on large sheets and people use them to connect events, persons and timelines?
I honestly cannot conceive of her writing a book as complex as this one without such a device; moreover, we who read her fine works would also benefit from having one of our own.
Recommended, but read while alert!
I have often wondered about how authors, such as Ms. Paretsky, keeps track of her own characters who seem genuine and often conflicted. Doe she use something like the tracking sheet we sometimes see featured in TV shows, movies, or even books about detectives where certain key names and events are posted on large sheets and people use them to connect events, persons and timelines?
I honestly cannot conceive of her writing a book as complex as this one without such a device; moreover, we who read her fine works would also benefit from having one of our own.
Recommended, but read while alert!
November 24, 2023
There is nothing better than celebrating Thanksgiving with my family and V. I. Warshowski. This is a really great adventure for Vic, who innocently goes to Kansas to see her beloved goddaughter Bernie play, and winds up in the middle of a really ugly murder. Sadly, she becomes a suspect dogged by law enforcement and the goons of a wealthy family, believing that she has secret papers that could stop their nefarious plans.
As someone who has read every Paretsky book, this brought back many beloved characters, both human and canine, but I think it might be difficult as a stand-alone. Because I am so familiar with all the players, I loved seeing them, but generally a novel with this many characters can seem daunting.
As always, Vic’s strength both physical and mental allow her to solve the case. Warshowski is such a superstar that I had nothing but confidence in her ability to get it all right. I really enjoyed this and thank Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this novel about my favorite female detective. Keep ‘em coming!
As someone who has read every Paretsky book, this brought back many beloved characters, both human and canine, but I think it might be difficult as a stand-alone. Because I am so familiar with all the players, I loved seeing them, but generally a novel with this many characters can seem daunting.
As always, Vic’s strength both physical and mental allow her to solve the case. Warshowski is such a superstar that I had nothing but confidence in her ability to get it all right. I really enjoyed this and thank Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this novel about my favorite female detective. Keep ‘em coming!
August 11, 2025
A Goldilocks read
Not bad. Not great. Just alright.
It's been years since I read a Sara Paretsky book and from the start this one got me off on the wrong foot. Initially I began listening to the Audible version- a narration so bad that I stpopped listening after 2? 3? chapters. The narrator had a New York City accent and her cadence was atrocious. I digress. So I decided to actually read the book and see if it was better than it sounded. Conclusion? The story is okay but not particularly engaging.
Not bad. Not great. Just alright.
It's been years since I read a Sara Paretsky book and from the start this one got me off on the wrong foot. Initially I began listening to the Audible version- a narration so bad that I stpopped listening after 2? 3? chapters. The narrator had a New York City accent and her cadence was atrocious. I digress. So I decided to actually read the book and see if it was better than it sounded. Conclusion? The story is okay but not particularly engaging.
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