"I've lived my whole life in this city, and I know too much about how business gets done here," proclaims V.I. Warshawski in Sara Paretsky's Brush Back. The experience of both protagonist and author with Chicago's political, criminal and athletic landscapes make the 17th novel of Paretsky's P.I. crime series a thrillingly convincing addition.
When V.I.'s old flame Frank Guzzo shows up in her office asking for help exonerating his mother--newly released from prison after serving 25 years for beating her daughter to death--the seasoned private eye has deep reservations. This woman treated the Warshawski family viciously, and V.I. believes Stella Guzzo is guilty of the crime for which she was convicted. But V.I.'s history with Frank Guzzo motivates her to look into the case. What she uncovers leads her and her loved ones into the dark, dangerous underside of Chicago politics--and Wrigley Field.
Through three decades of V.I. Warshawski, Sara Paretsky (Critical Mass) has portrayed the strong, independent female authentically. With V.I. now in her 50s, Paretsky continues to draw a determined, believable hero. V.I. bleeds when she's assaulted, aches the day after and admits fear of a corrupt social system much larger and more powerful than she. But she also perseveres, "You know how it is. I was jumping over a tall building and forgot that it takes me two bounds these days."
With V.I. Warshawski working to brush back the bad guys, Paretsky scores another hardboiled winner sure to make the fans go wild. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts