Guardian Angel (V. I. Warshawski Series #7)

by Sara Paretsky

Overview

New York Times Bestseller: A Chicago PI trying to help her elderly neighbors ends up tangled in politics and a murder in this “fast-paced, complicated mystery” (New York Daily News).
 
V.I. “Vic” Warshawski and her neighbor share responsibility for a currently pregnant dog—but Mr. Contreras complains that her detective work keeps her too busy to help with little Peppy. Still, that doesn’t stop him from adding more to her plate by asking her to investigate the disappearance of his friend, a fellow retiree. At the same time, Vic’s trying to look out for a vulnerable eighty-year-old down the street whose property is considered an eyesore by the newcomers gentrifying the neighborhood.
 
When Mr. Contreras’s friend turns up dead in a canal, and the old lady on the block winds up in the hospital, Vic is swept into a world of organized labor, money, and politics—and discovers a distressing personal connection to the case. Vic may not always succeed as a guardian angel—but when things go wrong, she can chase down the demons—in this suspenseful novel from the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master and “crime-fiction pro” (People).
 
“Paretsky’s emphasis on character comes at no expense of action: Vic’s investigation is as physical as it is mental, taking her inside Chicago’s industrial world and up against bad guys who use everything from bats to heavy machinery to thwart her. Among today’s PIs, nobody comes close to Warshawski.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“The richest and most engaging yet of Ms. Paretsky’s thrillers.” —The New York Times
 
“Densely textured, adroitly plotted.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“One monster of a plot.” —Booklist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781504074339
Publisher:	MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
Publication date:	02/08/2022
Series:	V. I. Warshawski Series , #7
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	428
Sales rank:	108,961
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Sara Paretsky is the author of numerous books, including her renowned V. I. Warshawski mysteries. She was named Grand Master in 2011 by the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) and is also the recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award given by the British Crime Writers’ Association. Paretsky is credited with transforming the role and image of women in the crime novel.

Hometown:

Chicago, Illinois

Date of Birth:

June 8, 1947

Place of Birth:

Ames, Iowa

Education:

B.A., Political Science, University of Kansas; Ph.D. and M.B.A., University of Chicago

Website:

http://saraparetsky.com/

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Excerpted from "Guardian Angel"
by .
Copyright © 1993 Sara Paretsky.
Excerpted by permission of Random House Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Editorial Reviews

Paretsky's V. I. Warshawski becomes more believable with each appearance; in this nine-week PW bestseller and BOMC selection in cloth, the PI investigates a bond scheme that spans Chicago's industrial and legal worlds. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

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

School Library Journal

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

Kirkus Reviews