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V.I. Warshawski #21
Overboard
Legendary detective V.I. Warshawski uncovers a nefarious conspiracy during the Covid pandemic, in this thrilling novel from New York Times bestseller Sara Paretsky.
On her way home from an all-night surveillance job, V.I. Warshawski’s dogs lead her on a mad chase that ends when they discover a badly injured teen hiding in the rocks along Lake Michigan. The girl only regains consciousness long enough to utter one enigmatic word. V.I. helps bring her to a hospital, but not long after, she vanishes before anyone can discover her identity. As V.I. attempts to find her, the detective uncovers an ugly consortium of Chicago powerbrokers and mobsters who are prepared to kill the girl. And now V.I.’s own life is in jeopardy as well.
Told against the backdrop of a city emerging from its pandemic lockdown, Double Dirty lays bare the dark secrets and corruption buried in Chicago’s neighborhoods in masterly fashion.
On her way home from an all-night surveillance job, V.I. Warshawski’s dogs lead her on a mad chase that ends when they discover a badly injured teen hiding in the rocks along Lake Michigan. The girl only regains consciousness long enough to utter one enigmatic word. V.I. helps bring her to a hospital, but not long after, she vanishes before anyone can discover her identity. As V.I. attempts to find her, the detective uncovers an ugly consortium of Chicago powerbrokers and mobsters who are prepared to kill the girl. And now V.I.’s own life is in jeopardy as well.
Told against the backdrop of a city emerging from its pandemic lockdown, Double Dirty lays bare the dark secrets and corruption buried in Chicago’s neighborhoods in masterly fashion.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2022
1012 people are currently reading
4359 people want to read
About the author
Sara Paretsky
271 books2,378 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 612 reviews
March 26, 2023
V.I. Warshawski and I have been together for a long time. How long? I'd say that I finally discovered her in the 1990s, when I realized there was such a thing as a female private investigator mystery (until then, most of my mysteries had been centered around the elderly British detectives). The series has its ups and downs, with some of the books a delight and some full of mind-numbingly complex plots, but all very much trademark V.I.: full of Southside Chicago grit, feminist takes, and incorporating current issues. For me, Overboard was one of the series highlights, tempering the V.I. attitude and combining it with an intriguing plot.
Plotting is, as always, multifaceted. Paretsky rarely wastes time on a straightforward murder investigation; her books are never so facile. Trademark Paretsky writing is how seemingly unconnected incidents end up related by the final chapters. Overboard begins with V.I. providing security at a vandalized synagogue, and discovers a battered and burned teen on the way home one night from the synagogue. Not long after, she is approached by the child of a childhood friend of her brother's on a family issue. As a reader, sometime it is hard to know which crime I should be paying the most attention to, particularly at Paretsky seems to give them all equal page time. Never fear; she'll be performing her usual tricks.
Paretsky wrote in the afterword that it was a hard book for her to write, created during Covid quarantine. I think she was working some of that out in the book with Vic, as it takes place just after vaccine release. Your own reaction to that time may impact your read; I found I had moments of discomfort. There is a lot of mask donning and doffing, and concern of contagion. It appears I'd rather not re-visit much of that time period.
The was perhaps a little hand-waving at the end, but I appreciated the resolution. Definitely a solid and engrossing break from the non-fiction I've been reading lately. Highly recommended if you are a fan of the series. If you haven't tried it yet, it's probably not a bad place to start.
Three and a half stars, rounding up.
Plotting is, as always, multifaceted. Paretsky rarely wastes time on a straightforward murder investigation; her books are never so facile. Trademark Paretsky writing is how seemingly unconnected incidents end up related by the final chapters. Overboard begins with V.I. providing security at a vandalized synagogue, and discovers a battered and burned teen on the way home one night from the synagogue. Not long after, she is approached by the child of a childhood friend of her brother's on a family issue. As a reader, sometime it is hard to know which crime I should be paying the most attention to, particularly at Paretsky seems to give them all equal page time. Never fear; she'll be performing her usual tricks.
Paretsky wrote in the afterword that it was a hard book for her to write, created during Covid quarantine. I think she was working some of that out in the book with Vic, as it takes place just after vaccine release. Your own reaction to that time may impact your read; I found I had moments of discomfort. There is a lot of mask donning and doffing, and concern of contagion. It appears I'd rather not re-visit much of that time period.
The was perhaps a little hand-waving at the end, but I appreciated the resolution. Definitely a solid and engrossing break from the non-fiction I've been reading lately. Highly recommended if you are a fan of the series. If you haven't tried it yet, it's probably not a bad place to start.
Three and a half stars, rounding up.
April 12, 2022
This is legendary crime writer Sara Paretsky's latest outing for her iconic feminist Chicago PI VI Warshawski, who once fights the good fight against injustice despite all the cost to her now ageing body amidst the background of the pandemic. Aiding her are the, by now, delightful well established supporting cast of characters that include her heroic dogs, Mitch and Peppy, that she shares with her pugnacious elderly neighbour, Mr Contreras, Dr Lotty Herschel, lawyer Carter Freeman, the Streeter brothers, Lieutenant Terry Finch, keen reporter, Murray Ryerson and archaeologict boyfriend, Peter. Finishing off a night surveillance job, VI takes her dogs to Lake Michigan where Mitch takes off, finding a injured and unconscious young teenage girl with a faint pulse who gets taken to hospital, she says only one strange word to VI that makes absolutely no sense.
The unidentified girl disappears, despite still needing medical care, it soon becomes she is in danger from powerful forces seeking an item they believe is in her possession, they include a brutal and violent corrupt CPD cop operating out of the notorious Homex Square police station, Scott Coney, with the catalogue of complaints against him, yet continues to remain in post. Another young teenager, Brad Litvak needs VI's help, his family are well known to her from her childhood in the poverty stricked district of South Chicago. He relates his worries over his father, Donny, after an overheard telephone conversation, his warring parents are in the middle of an acrimonious divorce. Additionally, VI is doing her best to support the fragile and vulnerable Dona Ilona and Emilio Pariente and protect the the Jewish temple Shaamar Hashomayim from vandalism, hateful graffiti and from those with a nefarious agenda.
Paretsky writes a compulsive and suspenseful addition to her stellar series, with VI operating in a Chicago in the aftermath of the pandemic, a city that is as politically divided as the rest of the US, with its extreme poverty and deadly health inequalities, corporate corruption, and which reflects the troubling and brutal policing seen across the country, particularly illustrated here with Homex Square police station which does, unfortunately, actually exist. This is, as usual, a wonderful and gritty crime read, in which the disparate threads become slowly and masterfully drawn together and connected, leading to a thrilling finale. A brilliant read and highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
The unidentified girl disappears, despite still needing medical care, it soon becomes she is in danger from powerful forces seeking an item they believe is in her possession, they include a brutal and violent corrupt CPD cop operating out of the notorious Homex Square police station, Scott Coney, with the catalogue of complaints against him, yet continues to remain in post. Another young teenager, Brad Litvak needs VI's help, his family are well known to her from her childhood in the poverty stricked district of South Chicago. He relates his worries over his father, Donny, after an overheard telephone conversation, his warring parents are in the middle of an acrimonious divorce. Additionally, VI is doing her best to support the fragile and vulnerable Dona Ilona and Emilio Pariente and protect the the Jewish temple Shaamar Hashomayim from vandalism, hateful graffiti and from those with a nefarious agenda.
Paretsky writes a compulsive and suspenseful addition to her stellar series, with VI operating in a Chicago in the aftermath of the pandemic, a city that is as politically divided as the rest of the US, with its extreme poverty and deadly health inequalities, corporate corruption, and which reflects the troubling and brutal policing seen across the country, particularly illustrated here with Homex Square police station which does, unfortunately, actually exist. This is, as usual, a wonderful and gritty crime read, in which the disparate threads become slowly and masterfully drawn together and connected, leading to a thrilling finale. A brilliant read and highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
July 2, 2022
Sometimes ya just have to go to one of the masters of mystery/thrillers to get a buzz goin'.
That just happens to be Sara Paretsky and her stellar V.I. Warshawski Series. Don't be taken aback by the #21. (I wasn't.) Overboard reads like a smooth standalone with all the ingredients named and numbered. Let's wade in on this one.
"Vic" V.I. Warshawski has been around the block more times than the revolutions of a ferris wheel. But she knows her stuff and she knows when things are out of whack. Most early mornings you'll find Vic running her two dogs along the chill of Lake Michigan. The two break leash and head for a rocky cliff on the edge of the beach. Both Mitch and Peppy bark like the hounds of hell at something lodged between the rocks.
Shockingly, there's a teenage girl collapsed on the uneven surface. Vic climbs down and tries to revive the girl. The teenager utters one word that doesn't make any sense to Vic before passing out again. Vic calls 911 and the rodeo now begins.
Said teenage girl leaves the Chicago hospital in the middle of the night without medical permission. She's terrified. Someone is after her for a multitude of reasons. Vic has nothing more on this runaway Jane Doe except for that one mumbled word that sounded like a foreign language. Chicago is a fortress of ethnic neighborhoods and cultures. Following breadcrumbs from a variety of loaves will be a challenge.
And then there's Vic's extended family of cousins who often live on the wrong side of the street. All the in-laws and the out-laws. One of these cousins may know something about this missing girl and revealing what he knows puts him and Vic in a whirlwind of trouble. Vic realizes that after her apartment is broken into. Someone wants this girl dead. But how does Vic protect her when she's on the run?
Sara Paretsky creates a fast-moving high octane read here. We will also have the attempted arson and desecration of a local Jewish synagogue in the neighborhood. Powers that be may have devious intentions. Vic knows only too well what the politics and the inner workings of this "City with Broad Shoulders" has always been and continues to be. And Paretsky takes us down long winding streets and back alleys in the process.
Highly recommend Overboard for some top drawer writing and a solid storyline. Keep 'em comin', Sara Paretsky. They just keep getting better and better.
That just happens to be Sara Paretsky and her stellar V.I. Warshawski Series. Don't be taken aback by the #21. (I wasn't.) Overboard reads like a smooth standalone with all the ingredients named and numbered. Let's wade in on this one.
"Vic" V.I. Warshawski has been around the block more times than the revolutions of a ferris wheel. But she knows her stuff and she knows when things are out of whack. Most early mornings you'll find Vic running her two dogs along the chill of Lake Michigan. The two break leash and head for a rocky cliff on the edge of the beach. Both Mitch and Peppy bark like the hounds of hell at something lodged between the rocks.
Shockingly, there's a teenage girl collapsed on the uneven surface. Vic climbs down and tries to revive the girl. The teenager utters one word that doesn't make any sense to Vic before passing out again. Vic calls 911 and the rodeo now begins.
Said teenage girl leaves the Chicago hospital in the middle of the night without medical permission. She's terrified. Someone is after her for a multitude of reasons. Vic has nothing more on this runaway Jane Doe except for that one mumbled word that sounded like a foreign language. Chicago is a fortress of ethnic neighborhoods and cultures. Following breadcrumbs from a variety of loaves will be a challenge.
And then there's Vic's extended family of cousins who often live on the wrong side of the street. All the in-laws and the out-laws. One of these cousins may know something about this missing girl and revealing what he knows puts him and Vic in a whirlwind of trouble. Vic realizes that after her apartment is broken into. Someone wants this girl dead. But how does Vic protect her when she's on the run?
Sara Paretsky creates a fast-moving high octane read here. We will also have the attempted arson and desecration of a local Jewish synagogue in the neighborhood. Powers that be may have devious intentions. Vic knows only too well what the politics and the inner workings of this "City with Broad Shoulders" has always been and continues to be. And Paretsky takes us down long winding streets and back alleys in the process.
Highly recommend Overboard for some top drawer writing and a solid storyline. Keep 'em comin', Sara Paretsky. They just keep getting better and better.
March 17, 2023
I started this series at book one in 2015 and I gave that book 3 stars. Since then I have read each book in order and have given most of them four stars. Very little has changed over the years. V.I. Warshawski is still caring for the weak and fighting the world. Most of the supporting cast of regular characters are all still there, and the storylines are still fast paced and interesting.
In Overboard V.I. is protecting some elderly Jewish citizens and their synagogue, as well as trying to save a young girl's life. She comes up against the usual angry, aggressive and foul mouthed cops and never gives an inch in a fight. She gets injured but bounces back. And of course in the end she gets justice - of a sort anyway.
Four stars again for a very readable book although I will admit to skimming the parts where one particular policeman is physically and verbally abusing her. Sometimes less is more when you are trying to create an image for the reader. And it goes without saying that I will read book 22 as soon as it comes out.
In Overboard V.I. is protecting some elderly Jewish citizens and their synagogue, as well as trying to save a young girl's life. She comes up against the usual angry, aggressive and foul mouthed cops and never gives an inch in a fight. She gets injured but bounces back. And of course in the end she gets justice - of a sort anyway.
Four stars again for a very readable book although I will admit to skimming the parts where one particular policeman is physically and verbally abusing her. Sometimes less is more when you are trying to create an image for the reader. And it goes without saying that I will read book 22 as soon as it comes out.
June 11, 2022
Wow! I didn't realize how much I missed the VI Warshawski series written by Sara Paretsky. Overboard is the 21stbook, and this is one of the first series I remember reading as a teenager that captivated my attention when it comes to thriller mysteries containing a private eye as the protagonist. Warshawski is tough but has a few spot spots, and she's always getting herself into trouble. I often wonder how true the details in these books are when it comes to the Chicago police force. Are there really that many mobs? Do people truly talk to one another in this manner? Are the cops physically abusive to non-threatening detectives who mouth off? How do they get away with it? It's perfect for literary drama, and in this installment, all the wonderful characters we've met throughout the years are present. I love the way things connect together when you least expect them to. For fans of the series, this is top notch. For new readers, it's easily devoured without reading earlier books in the series. The hospital scenes alone are brilliant. Add in cool technology and lots of GPS tracking shocking moments. Can't wait for the next one.
May 13, 2022
Sara Paretsky is one of my all-time favorite writers; I’ve been reading her Victoria Warshawski detective novels for most of my adult life. Paretsky is one of four living authors to have received both the Grand Masters Award from the Mystery Writers of America and Cartier Diamond Dagger Award from the Crime Writers’ Association of Great Britain. She, together with the late Sue Grafton and Marcia Muller, have pioneered the image of women detectives in fiction, departing from the femme fatale of yesteryear who could only reveal the truth by using her sexuality to coax disclosures from men, instead creating capable women professionals that can ferret out the truth using their brains and bulldog persistence. A sympathetic cop friend tells Vic, “You’re a pit bull, Warshawski. You’ll go into the ring with anyone, as long as they’re at least three times your size.”
My thanks go to Net Galley and William Morrow for the review copy. This book is for sale now.
If I knew nothing of this author and her scrappy detective, the first line in the book would have reeled me in: “It was Mitch who found the girl.” As it is, I already know that Mitch is one of the two dogs she shares with her elderly neighbor friend, Mr. Contreras, and I feel as if I am greeting an old comrade.
The girl in question is in bad shape, and she doesn’t speak. For a while her identity is a mystery. Vic would be happy to offload her to medical professionals and get back to her own life; she’s got a lot of clients, and Lotty, her doctor friend that serves as a mother-figure in Vic’s life, is urging her to investigate the rash of attacks on the local synagogue. She doesn’t need more work.
But the cops—generally not friends of Vic’s at the best of times—are ready to haul Vic in. In fact, given their track record, Vic is amazed at the attention the girl is getting. All manner of monied movers and shakers show intense interest in the girl, and it makes Vic suspicious.
She’s right.
A sixteen year old boy comes to her office, asking her to look into a dicey situation involving his father. He believes his dad is in danger, and his parents won’t tell him anything. And so, there’s this kiddo, and there’s the girl: “Two teens, two life-threatening secrets—I have to assume they’re connected somewhere, somehow.”
She’s right again.
Before we know it, her apartment and office have been searched and bugs are left; her phone is being tracked; and Vic has to resolve the case in order to get her life back. She’s jumping in the cold river to elude capture, hiding in the least likely places, and keeping the kids safe from the forces that would harm them. Her attorney chuckles that “You get in over your head faster than Houdini in a water tank.”
He’s right, too.
When I opened this galley, I was already reading a handful of others that I liked, and figured I’d put this one into the rotation, but as often happens when I read Paretsky, everything else sat untouched until I’d torn through this book feverishly, as if the lives of Vic, her clients, and Chicago’s working class depended upon it.
Highly recommended to those that love strong detective fiction; feminists; and champions of the working class.
My thanks go to Net Galley and William Morrow for the review copy. This book is for sale now.
If I knew nothing of this author and her scrappy detective, the first line in the book would have reeled me in: “It was Mitch who found the girl.” As it is, I already know that Mitch is one of the two dogs she shares with her elderly neighbor friend, Mr. Contreras, and I feel as if I am greeting an old comrade.
The girl in question is in bad shape, and she doesn’t speak. For a while her identity is a mystery. Vic would be happy to offload her to medical professionals and get back to her own life; she’s got a lot of clients, and Lotty, her doctor friend that serves as a mother-figure in Vic’s life, is urging her to investigate the rash of attacks on the local synagogue. She doesn’t need more work.
But the cops—generally not friends of Vic’s at the best of times—are ready to haul Vic in. In fact, given their track record, Vic is amazed at the attention the girl is getting. All manner of monied movers and shakers show intense interest in the girl, and it makes Vic suspicious.
She’s right.
A sixteen year old boy comes to her office, asking her to look into a dicey situation involving his father. He believes his dad is in danger, and his parents won’t tell him anything. And so, there’s this kiddo, and there’s the girl: “Two teens, two life-threatening secrets—I have to assume they’re connected somewhere, somehow.”
She’s right again.
Before we know it, her apartment and office have been searched and bugs are left; her phone is being tracked; and Vic has to resolve the case in order to get her life back. She’s jumping in the cold river to elude capture, hiding in the least likely places, and keeping the kids safe from the forces that would harm them. Her attorney chuckles that “You get in over your head faster than Houdini in a water tank.”
He’s right, too.
When I opened this galley, I was already reading a handful of others that I liked, and figured I’d put this one into the rotation, but as often happens when I read Paretsky, everything else sat untouched until I’d torn through this book feverishly, as if the lives of Vic, her clients, and Chicago’s working class depended upon it.
Highly recommended to those that love strong detective fiction; feminists; and champions of the working class.
June 7, 2022
I have read Sara Paretsky’s VI Warshawski series since the beginning. VI or Vic needs no introduction and is back here with a new case set in contemporary post pandemic Chicago. While I might not see eye to eye with Paretsky vis a vis politics (and leave it at that) it is not going to stop me from reading about Vic’s exploits. In this particular case, she assists two troubled teens and unravels some of Chicago’s largest white collar crimes in the process, including police violence, which must have been on Paretsky’s mind in these current times. The cast of characters is back: the dogs, the ageless Mr Contreras, Lotty, Max, and my personal favorite Globe Star reporter Murray Ryerson. Vic must be nearing retirement age now because Paretsky has been writing this series forever but I hope she still has more writing in her for a few more because Overboard was enjoyable and Vic at her finest.
🕵️♀️ 4 stars 🕵️
🕵️♀️ 4 stars 🕵️
May 5, 2022
A young girl, badly burned, is found by Chicago’s most dogged and intelligent private investigator, V.I. Warshawski. Quickly proving that no good deed goes unpunished, her rescue of the teenager quickly pulls Sara Paretsky’s heroine into a tangled web of conspiracy and corruption in Overboard, the twenty-first in her enduring series.
To call Sara Paretsky and Vic Warshawski institutions would be to undersell it at this point. Forty years strong this year, this series has continued to evolve with each novel released, while the quality and heart of these books has remained as consistently excellent as ever. Each entry stands alone, with plenty of context to ensure those new to the series aren’t confused, while allowing the author to maintain a network of characters that long term readers will recognize from previous adventures. There’s a whole world here, full of individuals that feel real and add a rich, deep, background to an intricately plotted mystery.
And what a mystery it is – it’s nothing unusual to see Vic Warshawski taking on intrigues that are as multi-layered as they are mysterious, but Sara Paretsky really takes plotting to a new level. Ranging from corrupt police to the aged-care industry, shady developers to neighborhood thugs, Overboard contains an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing all the way to the end. As is tradition now for Sara Paretsky, that central plot is surrounded by the “meat and potatoes” work of Vic’s regular, smaller clientele, and it allowed for breaks in the tension without letting the momentum drop. It also emphasizes the kindness and community that differentiates our heroine from so many of her counterparts – no matter what is happening around her, Vic truly cares about the people close to her, and it shows.
This was an excellent book, one I enjoyed greatly and that I feel shows just what can be accomplished by a great writer building on decades of experience. Overboard makes full use of a world that’s been developing over forty years, and one I hope to see continuing to grow for many more years to come.
To call Sara Paretsky and Vic Warshawski institutions would be to undersell it at this point. Forty years strong this year, this series has continued to evolve with each novel released, while the quality and heart of these books has remained as consistently excellent as ever. Each entry stands alone, with plenty of context to ensure those new to the series aren’t confused, while allowing the author to maintain a network of characters that long term readers will recognize from previous adventures. There’s a whole world here, full of individuals that feel real and add a rich, deep, background to an intricately plotted mystery.
And what a mystery it is – it’s nothing unusual to see Vic Warshawski taking on intrigues that are as multi-layered as they are mysterious, but Sara Paretsky really takes plotting to a new level. Ranging from corrupt police to the aged-care industry, shady developers to neighborhood thugs, Overboard contains an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing all the way to the end. As is tradition now for Sara Paretsky, that central plot is surrounded by the “meat and potatoes” work of Vic’s regular, smaller clientele, and it allowed for breaks in the tension without letting the momentum drop. It also emphasizes the kindness and community that differentiates our heroine from so many of her counterparts – no matter what is happening around her, Vic truly cares about the people close to her, and it shows.
This was an excellent book, one I enjoyed greatly and that I feel shows just what can be accomplished by a great writer building on decades of experience. Overboard makes full use of a world that’s been developing over forty years, and one I hope to see continuing to grow for many more years to come.
May 13, 2022
I do live in Chicago and I have read a number of these Warshawski books, and this time I got lucky getting this latest book from Chicago Public Library.
I was captivated early on in the rescue of a young woman along the lakeshore (Lake Michigan) by Warshawski and her dogs. But then there are so many other needy people reaching out for help it becomes scattered for me. I can't care about such a long list of needy people who make so much noise. And then the way the police behave and speak to her...I hope not to ever run into any of these folk.
Library Loan
I was captivated early on in the rescue of a young woman along the lakeshore (Lake Michigan) by Warshawski and her dogs. But then there are so many other needy people reaching out for help it becomes scattered for me. I can't care about such a long list of needy people who make so much noise. And then the way the police behave and speak to her...I hope not to ever run into any of these folk.
Library Loan
May 15, 2022
A great installment in the V.I. Warshawski series. The only reason why I didn't give this 5 stars is that the technology angle flew over my head (pun intended) like each time I read about it. I still don't understand it, and just shrugged and decided to enjoy the book.
"Overboard" follows V.I. as she is dealing with the impact of COVID-19 on her, her business, and the city of Chicago. V.I. is running her dogs when one of them gets away from her and goes down to the rocks and finds a young girl squeezed in between a location. V.I. realizes the young girl is near death and luckily rescuers get to her and get her out. V.I. thinks that may be the end of it, until she gets a call the mysterious Jane Doe has disappeared. V.I. agrees to help find the girl, while also working her other cases, and trying to get a local Jewish temple safe from vandalism. When things heat up and a family that V.I. grew up become connected to one of her cases, V.I. is starting to wonder what Jane Doe is involved with.
V.I. is her typical self. Still pushing and not backing down even when threatened. I thought the police aspect of this one was interesting and I liked how V.I. still respects law enforcement, but knows how much they need to change in the throes of the George Floyd murder.
We get V.I.'s 90 plus year old neighbor still thinking he can do whatever (he can't) and Lottie disapproving of Vick putting herself in danger. And of course the Streeter brothers and Max. But we also get some new characters and supporters of V.I. that I hope show up in future books.
I didn't know how Paretsky was going to tie V.I. helping out the local temple and the Jane Doe case together, but she managed to do so, though it was a bit clunky. The flow was smooth throughout though.
I have said in other books it seems that most authors are going to incorporate the COVID-19 pandemic into their works, and I thought Paretsky did a good job of that here. Of course our very liberal and feminist V.I. is all about masks and sanitizer. And I kind of laughed about how you get to see that most of the bad guys in this one don't wear masks.
The ending was really good and I am curious if Paretsky is going to incorporate the overturning of Roe V. Wade into the next installment. We had short stories and some futuristic short stories written by Paretsky where abortion is outlawed and Lottie had to go on the run. I can imagine her real life ire is going to be shown via V.I.'s character.
"Overboard" follows V.I. as she is dealing with the impact of COVID-19 on her, her business, and the city of Chicago. V.I. is running her dogs when one of them gets away from her and goes down to the rocks and finds a young girl squeezed in between a location. V.I. realizes the young girl is near death and luckily rescuers get to her and get her out. V.I. thinks that may be the end of it, until she gets a call the mysterious Jane Doe has disappeared. V.I. agrees to help find the girl, while also working her other cases, and trying to get a local Jewish temple safe from vandalism. When things heat up and a family that V.I. grew up become connected to one of her cases, V.I. is starting to wonder what Jane Doe is involved with.
V.I. is her typical self. Still pushing and not backing down even when threatened. I thought the police aspect of this one was interesting and I liked how V.I. still respects law enforcement, but knows how much they need to change in the throes of the George Floyd murder.
We get V.I.'s 90 plus year old neighbor still thinking he can do whatever (he can't) and Lottie disapproving of Vick putting herself in danger. And of course the Streeter brothers and Max. But we also get some new characters and supporters of V.I. that I hope show up in future books.
I didn't know how Paretsky was going to tie V.I. helping out the local temple and the Jane Doe case together, but she managed to do so, though it was a bit clunky. The flow was smooth throughout though.
I have said in other books it seems that most authors are going to incorporate the COVID-19 pandemic into their works, and I thought Paretsky did a good job of that here. Of course our very liberal and feminist V.I. is all about masks and sanitizer. And I kind of laughed about how you get to see that most of the bad guys in this one don't wear masks.
The ending was really good and I am curious if Paretsky is going to incorporate the overturning of Roe V. Wade into the next installment. We had short stories and some futuristic short stories written by Paretsky where abortion is outlawed and Lottie had to go on the run. I can imagine her real life ire is going to be shown via V.I.'s character.
May 25, 2022
I have read most of Sara Paretsky's novels. I had to force myself to finish this one. The writing is solid. The storyline is utterly ridiculous and convoluted. The over reference to covid and police brutality-- as if the latter were an epidemic -- is outrageous. George Floyd was thrown in. Couldn't Paretsky find a victim who wasn't also a complete scumbag? The plot was impossible to follow. It was chock full of needy people, dialogue that was juvenile, and political commentary (from the elderly to Black people to Jewish people to (illegal aliens) immigrants being targeted from beginning to end. And the stunts! This was my last VI Warshawski novel.
April 13, 2022
I've been reading about detective V.I. Warshawski for so long that she feels like an old friend I don't see often enough. This is the 21st book in the series, and yes, I was very happy to bump into her again.
This one takes place during the Covid pandemic, and I'll give kudos up front for the author's handling of the masking issue (i.e., making the importance thereof up close and personal throughout the book). Victoria not only wears one herself on just about every out-of-home venture, but she insists that others around her do the same.
Following an all-night job for a client, Vic's two boisterous dogs go nuts on the banks of Lake Michigan - leading her to a crevice where a seriously injured young girl is (presumably) hiding out. The girl manages to utter a single word - something with no meaning to Vic or later the police - before she's taken to a hospital. She's treated and put in a room, but before anyone can talk to her or determine her identity, she disappears. One of the investigating police officers in particular seems unusually upset that she's gone missing - a long-time officer who has a history of unchecked violent behavior that's been overlooked by his higher-ups. Thwarted, he turns his full wrath toward Vic - to the point of trying to make her life miserable (often with more than a modicum of success).
As this is happening, a very old local synagogue is defaced, upsetting the elderly congregation, several of whom are Vic's friends. At this point, the corruption for which Chicago's political elite are known rears its ugly head; someone seems to be intent on getting ownership of the synagogue for unknown reasons. More investigation turns up more political corruption (a revolting development, so to speak), but not before hitting close to home with a nod and wink to some of Vic's family members that she's almost forgotten she had and almost certainly can do without. Along the way, she got support when she needed it most from old friends Lottie Herschel and her helpful elderly neighbor Mr. Contreras. Notably missing - off on assignment - is her significant other, archaeologist Peter Sansen, who is thousands of miles away.
By this time, the sheer number of characters grew far beyond the number of my brain cells; I finally gave up trying to keep them all straight and decided it all would work out in the end. It does, of course, but not without more than one nail-biting chapter in which Vic's own life is put on the line. All in all, very satisfying - and a big thank you goes to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to meet up one of my fictional BFFs once again. Can't wait till she comes for a visit again (soon, please)?
This one takes place during the Covid pandemic, and I'll give kudos up front for the author's handling of the masking issue (i.e., making the importance thereof up close and personal throughout the book). Victoria not only wears one herself on just about every out-of-home venture, but she insists that others around her do the same.
Following an all-night job for a client, Vic's two boisterous dogs go nuts on the banks of Lake Michigan - leading her to a crevice where a seriously injured young girl is (presumably) hiding out. The girl manages to utter a single word - something with no meaning to Vic or later the police - before she's taken to a hospital. She's treated and put in a room, but before anyone can talk to her or determine her identity, she disappears. One of the investigating police officers in particular seems unusually upset that she's gone missing - a long-time officer who has a history of unchecked violent behavior that's been overlooked by his higher-ups. Thwarted, he turns his full wrath toward Vic - to the point of trying to make her life miserable (often with more than a modicum of success).
As this is happening, a very old local synagogue is defaced, upsetting the elderly congregation, several of whom are Vic's friends. At this point, the corruption for which Chicago's political elite are known rears its ugly head; someone seems to be intent on getting ownership of the synagogue for unknown reasons. More investigation turns up more political corruption (a revolting development, so to speak), but not before hitting close to home with a nod and wink to some of Vic's family members that she's almost forgotten she had and almost certainly can do without. Along the way, she got support when she needed it most from old friends Lottie Herschel and her helpful elderly neighbor Mr. Contreras. Notably missing - off on assignment - is her significant other, archaeologist Peter Sansen, who is thousands of miles away.
By this time, the sheer number of characters grew far beyond the number of my brain cells; I finally gave up trying to keep them all straight and decided it all would work out in the end. It does, of course, but not without more than one nail-biting chapter in which Vic's own life is put on the line. All in all, very satisfying - and a big thank you goes to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to meet up one of my fictional BFFs once again. Can't wait till she comes for a visit again (soon, please)?
May 15, 2023
Forewarning that this review has a political cast which may not appeal to some.
There is so much that I, like all Sara Paretsky fans, enjoyed about OVERBOARD. Tons of action, great Chicago settings I know & love (from when I was a UChicago b-school student and many visits since) that Paretsky gets just right (Pilsen, Goose Island! and the development around & on it, the south side, Edgewater, Rogers Park, Sheridan Road off of Lakeshore Drive--I know those apartments and that beach), complex plotting, fascinating characters, to say nothing of the tough, brave, irascible "we're in your corner" series protagonist V.I. Warshawski herself. (And Mr. Contreras, and the dogs!)
I recommend OVERBOARD for all those reasons. I'm also impressed that Paretsky, like Michael Connelly, wrote a book set during Covid, when future reality (would we wear masks forever?) was so uncertain. Reality is a sounding board for mysteries and thrillers set in current time. As an author, I found the odd "reality" of Covid discombobulating.
The distraction: Paretsky's character is a prog leftist (not a surprise, this is true throughout the series), so there are many take-the-reader-out-of-the-book moments. At a time when we already have to carefully parse "neutral" news reports for what facts and subjects are included, what's omitted, and what a publication's/media source's real agenda is, readers have become newly sensitized to all the dog whistles: TDS and "pre-Biden authoritarianism" (what about now?), "Jan 6 was earth-shattering" (no), while at the same time the supposedly fighter of a protag Warshawski accepts federal/state/local mandates of vaccines, masks, and distancing unquestioningly? Perhaps the latter reflects the IL setting since it, like CA & NY was so far behind the rest of the states & some European countries on the Covid science.
As a reader (but representing 65-70% of the book's audience) I don't like being taken out of the story & hammered over the head on irrelevant political topics by Warshawski/Paretsky any more than her fictional characters do.
That major distraction aside, this is a terrific book. I recommend it.
There is so much that I, like all Sara Paretsky fans, enjoyed about OVERBOARD. Tons of action, great Chicago settings I know & love (from when I was a UChicago b-school student and many visits since) that Paretsky gets just right (Pilsen, Goose Island! and the development around & on it, the south side, Edgewater, Rogers Park, Sheridan Road off of Lakeshore Drive--I know those apartments and that beach), complex plotting, fascinating characters, to say nothing of the tough, brave, irascible "we're in your corner" series protagonist V.I. Warshawski herself. (And Mr. Contreras, and the dogs!)
I recommend OVERBOARD for all those reasons. I'm also impressed that Paretsky, like Michael Connelly, wrote a book set during Covid, when future reality (would we wear masks forever?) was so uncertain. Reality is a sounding board for mysteries and thrillers set in current time. As an author, I found the odd "reality" of Covid discombobulating.
The distraction: Paretsky's character is a prog leftist (not a surprise, this is true throughout the series), so there are many take-the-reader-out-of-the-book moments. At a time when we already have to carefully parse "neutral" news reports for what facts and subjects are included, what's omitted, and what a publication's/media source's real agenda is, readers have become newly sensitized to all the dog whistles: TDS and "pre-Biden authoritarianism" (what about now?), "Jan 6 was earth-shattering" (no), while at the same time the supposedly fighter of a protag Warshawski accepts federal/state/local mandates of vaccines, masks, and distancing unquestioningly? Perhaps the latter reflects the IL setting since it, like CA & NY was so far behind the rest of the states & some European countries on the Covid science.
As a reader (but representing 65-70% of the book's audience) I don't like being taken out of the story & hammered over the head on irrelevant political topics by Warshawski/Paretsky any more than her fictional characters do.
That major distraction aside, this is a terrific book. I recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2022
I cannot believe the first V.I. Warshawski book was written 40 years ago. V.I. and I have grown old together. This story is set in the age of Covid and you will be reminded of that multiple times.
This story is long and complex and written in much the same vein as all V.I. Warshawki novels. If you are used to thrillers, this series can seem slow with V.I. methodically working her private investigations. But if you like character driven novels and you've been with these for as long as I have, you'll like this one. I did not like to see the police brutality - does this actually happen in Chicago? - or the portrayal of the nursing home environment. I always enjoy dogs Mitch and Peppy as well as Mr Contreras, in his nineties now. How in the world does V.I. stay in such good shape for the age she must be now.
This story is long and complex and written in much the same vein as all V.I. Warshawki novels. If you are used to thrillers, this series can seem slow with V.I. methodically working her private investigations. But if you like character driven novels and you've been with these for as long as I have, you'll like this one. I did not like to see the police brutality - does this actually happen in Chicago? - or the portrayal of the nursing home environment. I always enjoy dogs Mitch and Peppy as well as Mr Contreras, in his nineties now. How in the world does V.I. stay in such good shape for the age she must be now.
July 23, 2022
An excellent fast paced & very contemporary read. Some similarities with the previous Warshawski novel in plot architecture but a great read for fans of V. I.
April 26, 2022
Those of us who are long-time V.I. Warshawski fans know that series mysteries can wax and wane. The author admitted in the afterward of this one that she had a tough time writing during the pandemic and I would say this isn't one of the stronger entries.
But, V.I.'s indomitable brand of uber-toughness is on full display here and there's certainly lots of action. V.I. discovers a young girl in bad medical shape, hiding in the rocks on the shore while she's walking her dogs after a stakeout. The girl is taken to a hospital, but disappears quickly after being questioned by a mysterious man. That's one plot thread: who is the girl and why is the Chicago PD so interested in her whereabouts?
Another element is the harassment and vandalism to a local Jewish synagogue. V.I. uncovers evidence that an unscrupulous developer is trying to railroad the synagogue into signing over their land. And in yet another line of inquiry, the son of an old high school nemesis of V.I.s comes to her convinced that his father is in danger. This is a toxic family with a lot of current and old animosities.
If this all sounds confusing, I did find it to be a bit overpopulated with problems and characters. There's a lot of over the top action here -- V.I. being tortured in a hidden building by rogue cops (and the building part is true although I imagine most of the victims were not middle aged white women). V.I. also gets punched out in public several times by the cartoonish villain cops who are almost too evil to be believable.
This is clearly a pandemic book both in terms of the setting and in the general mood of miasma and uncertainty. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
But, V.I.'s indomitable brand of uber-toughness is on full display here and there's certainly lots of action. V.I. discovers a young girl in bad medical shape, hiding in the rocks on the shore while she's walking her dogs after a stakeout. The girl is taken to a hospital, but disappears quickly after being questioned by a mysterious man. That's one plot thread: who is the girl and why is the Chicago PD so interested in her whereabouts?
Another element is the harassment and vandalism to a local Jewish synagogue. V.I. uncovers evidence that an unscrupulous developer is trying to railroad the synagogue into signing over their land. And in yet another line of inquiry, the son of an old high school nemesis of V.I.s comes to her convinced that his father is in danger. This is a toxic family with a lot of current and old animosities.
If this all sounds confusing, I did find it to be a bit overpopulated with problems and characters. There's a lot of over the top action here -- V.I. being tortured in a hidden building by rogue cops (and the building part is true although I imagine most of the victims were not middle aged white women). V.I. also gets punched out in public several times by the cartoonish villain cops who are almost too evil to be believable.
This is clearly a pandemic book both in terms of the setting and in the general mood of miasma and uncertainty. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 24, 2022
Paretsky is skilled at not only opening with suspenceful & thrilling action, but making readers care about her characters and artfully bringing her readers up to speed whether or not they've read any other volumes in the series.
I am inspired! V. I. Warshaski is an intrepid heroine for everyone who is marginalized, often putting herself at risk in order to help; While grounded in our current pandemic era, the vulnerability of our personal privacy, and greedy land-developers are large themes in this story. I'm so glad Paretsky continues to share this heroine for our gritty contemporary world!
My gratitude to Sara Paretsky, William Morrow & Company, and NetGalley for sharing an advance review copy of Overboard!
I am inspired! V. I. Warshaski is an intrepid heroine for everyone who is marginalized, often putting herself at risk in order to help; While grounded in our current pandemic era, the vulnerability of our personal privacy, and greedy land-developers are large themes in this story. I'm so glad Paretsky continues to share this heroine for our gritty contemporary world!
My gratitude to Sara Paretsky, William Morrow & Company, and NetGalley for sharing an advance review copy of Overboard!
March 26, 2023
I really enjoyed this. Action packed, twisty plot, engaging characters. I’m new to V. I. Warshawski but I think I’d like to read more of these books. Carol mentioned the time frame of the book, set just after the vaccines were released. Like her I found this uncomfortable to read. My eyes skimmed over every time she put on a mask. When Vic talks about the trauma of the pandemic and meets with people who won’t wear masks it is hard. My rage at all of this bullshit runs deep. I still wear a mask at work as I work in a hospital, but I don’t everywhere else. I know I should, I have them in my car but I can’t do it. But back at the time the novel is set I wore my mask constantly. I’ve been vaccinated 5 times and if (when) they recommend I’ll do it again. But all in all I really liked this book. I just think it’s going to be a while before I don’t feel discomfort reading about the pandemic.
April 13, 2022
So, I didn’t realize it, but it’s been a lot of years since I’ve read a V.I. Warshawski book. And you know what? I suddenly remember how much I liked them!
I’ll admit that being away from the series for so many years likely colored my experience here. I think a frequent reader may love this. However, as a returnee (admittedly a little lost on relationships right now), I definitely liked it!
I was extremely interested in our mystery and was invested in seeing if the girl would be okay. The pandemic stuff I didn’t really need, though it actually served to give some insights into character personality (yes, we judge people based on whether or not they use masks and why).
A good read. I do think I need to read the books I’ve missed along the way.
*ARC via Publisher
I’ll admit that being away from the series for so many years likely colored my experience here. I think a frequent reader may love this. However, as a returnee (admittedly a little lost on relationships right now), I definitely liked it!
I was extremely interested in our mystery and was invested in seeing if the girl would be okay. The pandemic stuff I didn’t really need, though it actually served to give some insights into character personality (yes, we judge people based on whether or not they use masks and why).
A good read. I do think I need to read the books I’ve missed along the way.
*ARC via Publisher
September 9, 2022
I finished it, but it took some effort. Don’t waste your time.
February 25, 2023
Sara Paretsky wrote her latest V I Warshawski crime thriller during the pandemic. I for one have enjoyed every book I have read so far that has included Covid in the story. It is important to have these records of those terrible years.
Anyway, I tell you that Sara Paretsky meets Joyce Carol Oates in this one. It is distinctly Gothic in style and psychological in content, though as always with Ms Paretsky, it reads so fast one's head literally spins.
A mysterious teen who speaks in foreign words of trauma about her grandmother, a crumbling mansion, a gang of real estate criminals, all combine to show us once again the evil underside existing to this day in Chicago. Plus bots and the cloud!
This is her 21st novel and now I have read them all!
Anyway, I tell you that Sara Paretsky meets Joyce Carol Oates in this one. It is distinctly Gothic in style and psychological in content, though as always with Ms Paretsky, it reads so fast one's head literally spins.
A mysterious teen who speaks in foreign words of trauma about her grandmother, a crumbling mansion, a gang of real estate criminals, all combine to show us once again the evil underside existing to this day in Chicago. Plus bots and the cloud!
This is her 21st novel and now I have read them all!
May 20, 2022
I’ve read several books from this series and have enjoyed the character, VI Warshawski and the Chicago setting. This storyline was very intriguing about VI finding a young Jane Doe and suddenly becoming the focus of a police investigation and the target of some wise guys.
The issues I had with fully enjoying this book was the redundant use of everything pandemic. The overuse of words like virus, c*vid, mask & infection were overwhelming just to represent the time frame.
The issues I had with fully enjoying this book was the redundant use of everything pandemic. The overuse of words like virus, c*vid, mask & infection were overwhelming just to represent the time frame.
May 23, 2022
Tired of all the people from V.I.'s past always ragging on her. Schlocky stuff. [Does the 'grating' audio contribute to my impressions?] Contemporary societal issues are presented melodramatically. I quit the previous book in the series early, and would have with this one if I had not needed the audio while traveling. Old plot lines redone. I'm done, too.
June 2, 2022
This is the twenty-first novel in the V.I. Warshawski series that Sara Paretsky first began publishing in 1982 with Indemnity Only. I've read them all. I've been a Warshawski fan since the beginning.
So for forty years, Paretsky has been writing these books and I've been reading them. And one thing that I have enjoyed about them is that V.I. has aged through them, if not exactly forty years then at least enough to simulate reality. In this latest book, V.I. may be feeling the weight of those years a bit but her passion for justice is undiminished.
As often in her cases, a teenager is involved. V.I., the hardboiled detective, has a certifiable soft spot for teenagers. This time it is a teenage girl who V.I.'s dog Mitch finds when they are on a walk around Lake Michigan. The girl is injured and unconscious and has only a faint pulse when V.I. checks her. She calls an ambulance and the girl is taken to the hospital after uttering only one word which seems to make no sense. She is treated at the hospital but then disappears while still needing medical care. We learn that some brutal and powerful people believe she is in possession of an item that they want and that is why she is on the run.
Then another teenager turns up asking V.I.'s help. This one is a boy named Brad Litvak whose family she knows of from her old neighborhood. Brad fears that his father is in danger after he overhears a fraught conversation that he had on the phone. Moreover, his parents are in the midst of a particularly acrimonious divorce proceeding which complicates matters for Brad.
During all this, V.I. is also attempting to protect the Jewish temple Shaamar Hashomayim from a campaign of vandalism and hateful graffiti designed to get the temple to close. Her clients in this are the fragile and vulnerable elderly couple Dona Ilona and Emilio Pariente. Yes, V.I. has a soft spot for the elderly as well. In fact, she has a soft spot for anyone who is vulnerable or being bullied. And that is one of the things that we love about her.
We can depend on Sara Paretsky for well-written and believable stories in a series that has never shied away from addressing the problems that beset Chicago and most big cities. These include things like economic and health care inequalities, a police force with a reputation for brutality, and a government that is politically divided and often more concerned with maintaining power than with solving problems. Her detective deals with all of these problems in the course of her work and through her we learn that in addition to the bad guys at work there are also those who are as dedicated as she is to seeing justice done. Perhaps there is hope for us.
So for forty years, Paretsky has been writing these books and I've been reading them. And one thing that I have enjoyed about them is that V.I. has aged through them, if not exactly forty years then at least enough to simulate reality. In this latest book, V.I. may be feeling the weight of those years a bit but her passion for justice is undiminished.
As often in her cases, a teenager is involved. V.I., the hardboiled detective, has a certifiable soft spot for teenagers. This time it is a teenage girl who V.I.'s dog Mitch finds when they are on a walk around Lake Michigan. The girl is injured and unconscious and has only a faint pulse when V.I. checks her. She calls an ambulance and the girl is taken to the hospital after uttering only one word which seems to make no sense. She is treated at the hospital but then disappears while still needing medical care. We learn that some brutal and powerful people believe she is in possession of an item that they want and that is why she is on the run.
Then another teenager turns up asking V.I.'s help. This one is a boy named Brad Litvak whose family she knows of from her old neighborhood. Brad fears that his father is in danger after he overhears a fraught conversation that he had on the phone. Moreover, his parents are in the midst of a particularly acrimonious divorce proceeding which complicates matters for Brad.
During all this, V.I. is also attempting to protect the Jewish temple Shaamar Hashomayim from a campaign of vandalism and hateful graffiti designed to get the temple to close. Her clients in this are the fragile and vulnerable elderly couple Dona Ilona and Emilio Pariente. Yes, V.I. has a soft spot for the elderly as well. In fact, she has a soft spot for anyone who is vulnerable or being bullied. And that is one of the things that we love about her.
We can depend on Sara Paretsky for well-written and believable stories in a series that has never shied away from addressing the problems that beset Chicago and most big cities. These include things like economic and health care inequalities, a police force with a reputation for brutality, and a government that is politically divided and often more concerned with maintaining power than with solving problems. Her detective deals with all of these problems in the course of her work and through her we learn that in addition to the bad guys at work there are also those who are as dedicated as she is to seeing justice done. Perhaps there is hope for us.
August 1, 2022
Overboard is the 21st novel featuring iconic Chicago private detective, V.I. (Vic) Warshawski. The series, credited with transforming the role and image of women in crime fiction, written by award winning author Sarah Paretsky made its debut 40 years ago, in 1982.
Vic is focused on three cases in this novel. The first involves a favour for her long term friend, Dr Lottie, who has asked her to investigate the harassment of a local synagogue. The second Vic stumbles into when, while walking her dogs along the foreshore, she discovers a badly beaten girl hidden amongst its rocky banks, who later vanishes from her hospital room under suspicious circumstances, and the third, a plea for help from a teenage boy who suspects his mother, whom Vic knew in highschool, is having an affair.
Readers who are familiar with series will know what to expect from Overboard. Vic is a methodical and dogged investigator who never backs down and is willing to take risks to defend the vulnerable and innocent. As adept at sifting through paperwork and databases, as she is committing the odd break-in, and fighting off attackers, Vic employs all her skills to resolve the mysteries she is faced with. I enjoy the complexity of concurrent cases, and the entertaining mix of tense action and intelligent investigation. Somewhat improbably, though not troublesomely so, VIc’s three cases also spawn loose links to, and between, a mobbed up developer, a corrupt cop, and elder care abuse.
I like that Paretsky references contemporary events within her storylines to ground them in time and place, and in Overboard she highlights several issues of the post-pandemic lockdown period, namely police violence and corruption, the rise of hate groups, and the societal changes wrought by CoVid, like the challenges of financial recovery and the use of masks.
Though Overboard can be read as a stand-alone as the plot is self contained, the story is definitely enhanced by familiarity with the characters and their world. I’d expect long time fans, like me, will enjoy and be satisfied with this new instalment.
Vic is focused on three cases in this novel. The first involves a favour for her long term friend, Dr Lottie, who has asked her to investigate the harassment of a local synagogue. The second Vic stumbles into when, while walking her dogs along the foreshore, she discovers a badly beaten girl hidden amongst its rocky banks, who later vanishes from her hospital room under suspicious circumstances, and the third, a plea for help from a teenage boy who suspects his mother, whom Vic knew in highschool, is having an affair.
Readers who are familiar with series will know what to expect from Overboard. Vic is a methodical and dogged investigator who never backs down and is willing to take risks to defend the vulnerable and innocent. As adept at sifting through paperwork and databases, as she is committing the odd break-in, and fighting off attackers, Vic employs all her skills to resolve the mysteries she is faced with. I enjoy the complexity of concurrent cases, and the entertaining mix of tense action and intelligent investigation. Somewhat improbably, though not troublesomely so, VIc’s three cases also spawn loose links to, and between, a mobbed up developer, a corrupt cop, and elder care abuse.
I like that Paretsky references contemporary events within her storylines to ground them in time and place, and in Overboard she highlights several issues of the post-pandemic lockdown period, namely police violence and corruption, the rise of hate groups, and the societal changes wrought by CoVid, like the challenges of financial recovery and the use of masks.
Though Overboard can be read as a stand-alone as the plot is self contained, the story is definitely enhanced by familiarity with the characters and their world. I’d expect long time fans, like me, will enjoy and be satisfied with this new instalment.
August 28, 2022
DNF
I tried, I really did. I gave Sara Paretsky and V.I. Warshawski several chances, but I could not finish the latest Paretsky/Warshawski book, and will not be reading anymore. My formerly beloved Vic has become a hypocrite. She sees our society as divided and full of hateful people, even as she alienates people and behaves hatefully.
One reviewer noted that Paretsky is just reflecting the times we live in, but this is not quite true. She is reflecting the times that many in charge of media and social media portray us as living in, after a President was elected that many felt was a bad man. And even though the bad man is no longer President, many were apparently so mentally and emotionally affected that they are unable to move forward and continue to see hatred everywhere. With the implication that if you don't see this and acknowledge it, it's probably because you're ignorant, racist and hateful. Sigh.
We certainly live in very odd and challenging times, informationally and in terms of there being so many ways for so many people to exert influence. But it could also be a time of opportunity for us as well, if we learn to better involve, educate and express ourselves in ways that model maturity and intelligence with good humor and good nature. Even if we're not religious, we could consider Mark 7:15 as a bit of philosophy or guidance, "...It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart." In other words, Vic, being hateful to people you think deserve it doesn't mean you're a fierce warrior activist. It means you're hateful, and I can no longer rent you room in my heart. Goodbye, old friend.
I tried, I really did. I gave Sara Paretsky and V.I. Warshawski several chances, but I could not finish the latest Paretsky/Warshawski book, and will not be reading anymore. My formerly beloved Vic has become a hypocrite. She sees our society as divided and full of hateful people, even as she alienates people and behaves hatefully.
One reviewer noted that Paretsky is just reflecting the times we live in, but this is not quite true. She is reflecting the times that many in charge of media and social media portray us as living in, after a President was elected that many felt was a bad man. And even though the bad man is no longer President, many were apparently so mentally and emotionally affected that they are unable to move forward and continue to see hatred everywhere. With the implication that if you don't see this and acknowledge it, it's probably because you're ignorant, racist and hateful. Sigh.
We certainly live in very odd and challenging times, informationally and in terms of there being so many ways for so many people to exert influence. But it could also be a time of opportunity for us as well, if we learn to better involve, educate and express ourselves in ways that model maturity and intelligence with good humor and good nature. Even if we're not religious, we could consider Mark 7:15 as a bit of philosophy or guidance, "...It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart." In other words, Vic, being hateful to people you think deserve it doesn't mean you're a fierce warrior activist. It means you're hateful, and I can no longer rent you room in my heart. Goodbye, old friend.
December 10, 2021
VI is a great character but this new book stretches the imagination if we remember she is supposed to be 50+ now (only the brutal physical stuff because she is whip smart and wiley too). I love how this the author worked in all the upheaval of 2020 -- unrestrained police brutality by (some) sworn peace officers, Covid-19, senior isolation, mistreatment of the elderly, nursing home malfeasance, greedy relatives, corporate theft, and more. Writing a book this complex while unable to do in person research must have been difficult. An entertaining read; though not quite believable, we all cheer on people like VI who work to save the little and weak while still trying making a living and a life of her own.
January 18, 2024
It's been awhile since I'd read one of these. Fortunately, this is one of her better ones. The real review to read here is by my GR friend and reliable book guide Carol: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
So read that one first. I'll wait.
Really, I have nothing substantial to add. The book does bring back some uncomfortable memories of the hard times in the early days of the COVID pandemic. Otherwise, it's a first-rate V.I. Warshawski mystery. Nicely done, 3.8 stars from me. Recommended reading.
So read that one first. I'll wait.
Really, I have nothing substantial to add. The book does bring back some uncomfortable memories of the hard times in the early days of the COVID pandemic. Otherwise, it's a first-rate V.I. Warshawski mystery. Nicely done, 3.8 stars from me. Recommended reading.
April 1, 2022
This book was pretty good, i hadn't read the series so it felt like a Lot of characters to get to know and try to keep track of. The story had humor, had action, had a political bent and took place last year during the pandemic. The main character is very likeable and takes a lot of risks to protect those she loves. She takes on corrupt cops and various other villains
April 4, 2022
Goodreads giveaway
The story was ok - slow moving, but ok.
I really got frustrated with the covid/pandemic remarks along with the personal political agendas. I read to escape reality. If I want to be immersed in covid pandering, I would keep the news on.
The story was ok - slow moving, but ok.
I really got frustrated with the covid/pandemic remarks along with the personal political agendas. I read to escape reality. If I want to be immersed in covid pandering, I would keep the news on.
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