Guardian Angel

As V.I.'s neighbourhood goes upscale, old inhabitants are pressured to fix up their homes or move out; as is the case with old Hattie Frizell. When Hattie has an accident, neighbouring lawyer Todd Pichea and his wife seek to become her legal guardians. Compelled to help Hattie, V.I. starts looking into the Picheas' affairs.

But Hattie isn't her only worry. After Mitch, a friend of V.I.'s neighbour, claims he has information about their old company which will make him rich, his body is found dumped in the Sanitary Canal.

Both problems lead V.I. to a scandal linking one of Chicago's oldest industrial families to union fraud and a politically connected bank. And as her friend Lotty and her own lawyer turn against her, V.I. finds herself dealing with the most serious case of her career.

“With the creation of V.I. Warshawski, Sara Paretsky did more than anyone to change the face of contemporary women's fiction.”

With each novel Paretsky lets intrepid detective V I Warshawski (Aka 'Vic') take a few more physical lumps, though the more interesting dings are emotional ones. Here Paretsky constructs and maintains one monster of a plot . . . The author's gift for finding the precise urban setting and crafting her narrative jigsaw puzzle with unerring accuracy remains intact. - Booklist

- Express on Sunday

It's hard not to get caught up in her passion . . . Snappy dialogue, tight plotting and realistic situations make Paretsky's unapologetically politicised thrillers a pleasure to read, whatever your viewpoint. - Daily Mail

The thing about Sara Paretsky is, she's tough . . . she doesn't flinch from examining old social injustices others might find too shameful (and too painful) to dig up - New York Times

Some crime series grow stale over time, but there's no sign of fatigue here. This is partly because the recurring characters continue to develop and engage the reader, and partly because of the moral intelligence that informs the writing. - Spectator

Paretsky has been putting her private investigator through her paces since 1982, changing perceptions of women in crime fiction through the creation of a fiercely independent female detective. She keeps her brand of politicised noir fresh by responding to issues - social, cultural and political as well as gender - in contemporary life . . . Paretsky is firing on all cylinders - Metro

Sara Paretsky was named 2011 Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. She is the winner of many awards, including the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement from the British Crime Writers' Association and the CWA Gold Dagger for BLACKLIST. Visit Sara's website, , find her on Facebook, , and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/Sara1982P.

As V.I.'s neighbourhood goes upscale, old inhabitants are pressured to fix up their homes or move out; as is the case with old Hattie Frizell. When Hattie has an accident, neighbouring lawyer Todd Pichea and his wife seek to become her legal guardians. Compelled to help Hattie, V.I. starts looking into the Picheas' affairs.But Hattie isn't her only worry. After Mitch, a friend of V.I.'s neighbour, claims he has information about their old company which will make him rich, his body is found dumped in the Sanitary Canal.Both problems lead V.I. to a scandal linking one of Chicago's oldest industrial families to union fraud and a politically connected bank. And as her friend Lotty and her own lawyer turn against her, V.I. finds herself dealing with the most serious case of her career.

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