What do you think?
Rate this book
V.I. Warshawski #14
Body Work
The audacious new V. I. Warshawski novel from the New York Times-bestselling author
"Doctors take days off--why not PIs?" V.I. Warshawski demands. But when America's hardest-working private eye goes clubbing, a stranger is shot and dies in her arms.
V.I. has been visiting Club Gouge, Chicago's edgiest nightspot, where a woman known as the Body Artist turns her naked body into a canvas for the audience to paint on.
The show attracts all kinds of people, from a menacing off-duty cop to Ukrainian mobsters and Iraq war vets--and V.I.'s impetuous cousin, Petra. A tormented young painter shows up, too, and the intricate designs she creates on the Body Artist drives on of the vets into a violent rage.
When the painter is shot, the cops figure it's an easy collar--PTSD vet goes off the rails, stalks then kills young woman. But the vet's family hires V.I. to clear his name, and the detective uncovers a chain of ugly truths that stretch all the way from Iraq to Chicago's South Side.
"Doctors take days off--why not PIs?" V.I. Warshawski demands. But when America's hardest-working private eye goes clubbing, a stranger is shot and dies in her arms.
V.I. has been visiting Club Gouge, Chicago's edgiest nightspot, where a woman known as the Body Artist turns her naked body into a canvas for the audience to paint on.
The show attracts all kinds of people, from a menacing off-duty cop to Ukrainian mobsters and Iraq war vets--and V.I.'s impetuous cousin, Petra. A tormented young painter shows up, too, and the intricate designs she creates on the Body Artist drives on of the vets into a violent rage.
When the painter is shot, the cops figure it's an easy collar--PTSD vet goes off the rails, stalks then kills young woman. But the vet's family hires V.I. to clear his name, and the detective uncovers a chain of ugly truths that stretch all the way from Iraq to Chicago's South Side.
443 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 2010
332 people are currently reading
1,861 people want to read
About the author
Sara Paretsky
291books2,326followersSara 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).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 466 reviews
April 30, 2023
4 stars to 's novel , the 14th book in her "VI Warshawski" mystery series published in 2010. I read this book when it first came out, as I was already caught up in the series. I need to get back to them as I think there are a few more, as she tends to release one every 2 to 3 years.
Warshawski is a private investigator working in Chicago. She's in her late 40s/early 50s throughout a big part of the series, very tough and one of the original female detectives written about in a full on series. I suspect she is the incarnation of the author, as I've read a bit about her, too. She's quite fascinating and very open about her life and what she's doing.
In this book, Paretsky takes us into the underground club scene, scattering around with VI Warshawski's cousin Petra, a group of artists, tattoo junkies and soldiers back from Iraq with PTSD. It's the kind of book where you think you know what's going to happen, but you'll be surprised a few times. I remember it made me want a tattoo even more than I already did at the time. 7 years later, I still don't have one... but not because I am worried / scared. I can't decide what to get!!!
Paretsky's books are also somewhat educational. She takes care to provide a lot of details (without going overboard) about the social issue and topics she's handling in each one. It makes for a great mystery, but also a solid learning experience.
The main character, Warshawski, is very amusing in an offbeat way. She's got a chip on her shoulder and often borders on "I want to knock her down a peg or two," simply because she sometimes lets her attitude get in the way of her success, both in her personal life and her professional life. However, she's also a very dedicated and solid friend, so you know you can always count on her.
Lots of great scenes in this book, particularly about the art of tattoo work and the impact of war on soldiers. Also a few highly descriptive scenes including some violence. Not too bad, but enough that it may turn off a few folks who prefer the cozy mystery. I don't know how that woman gets back up again after being knocked down so many times. I'd stay on the floor and say "I'm done."
If you're not up for a whole series, you can read this one stand-alone. Not a big connection between all the books other than the timeline of her aging and some friends that shift in and our of her life.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on ŷ, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at , where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
[polldaddy poll=9729544]
[polldaddy poll=9719251]
Warshawski is a private investigator working in Chicago. She's in her late 40s/early 50s throughout a big part of the series, very tough and one of the original female detectives written about in a full on series. I suspect she is the incarnation of the author, as I've read a bit about her, too. She's quite fascinating and very open about her life and what she's doing.
In this book, Paretsky takes us into the underground club scene, scattering around with VI Warshawski's cousin Petra, a group of artists, tattoo junkies and soldiers back from Iraq with PTSD. It's the kind of book where you think you know what's going to happen, but you'll be surprised a few times. I remember it made me want a tattoo even more than I already did at the time. 7 years later, I still don't have one... but not because I am worried / scared. I can't decide what to get!!!
Paretsky's books are also somewhat educational. She takes care to provide a lot of details (without going overboard) about the social issue and topics she's handling in each one. It makes for a great mystery, but also a solid learning experience.
The main character, Warshawski, is very amusing in an offbeat way. She's got a chip on her shoulder and often borders on "I want to knock her down a peg or two," simply because she sometimes lets her attitude get in the way of her success, both in her personal life and her professional life. However, she's also a very dedicated and solid friend, so you know you can always count on her.
Lots of great scenes in this book, particularly about the art of tattoo work and the impact of war on soldiers. Also a few highly descriptive scenes including some violence. Not too bad, but enough that it may turn off a few folks who prefer the cozy mystery. I don't know how that woman gets back up again after being knocked down so many times. I'd stay on the floor and say "I'm done."
If you're not up for a whole series, you can read this one stand-alone. Not a big connection between all the books other than the timeline of her aging and some friends that shift in and our of her life.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on ŷ, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at , where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
[polldaddy poll=9729544]
[polldaddy poll=9719251]
September 23, 2017
Number 14 in the series and maybe I am becoming jaded because I was a little disappointed by this one.
The body work of the title refers to an act in a nightclub where the performer allows members of the audience to paint her naked body. Of course Vic happens to be in the audience the night that a murder takes place and events proceed from there. Now I read a lot of crime/mystery/thriller books and I understand about suspending belief when they get a bit over the top, but this one was in a class of its own. The ending in particular was way, way off base.
Those criticisms apart the rest was usual Paretsky fare. Vic took on yet another pro bono case and then complained endlessly about having no money, Petra was so annoying I think every reader would want to smack her, all of Vic's friends consistently nagged her to no avail and the dogs sometimes got a good run and sometimes they didn't. I do like the new boyfriend though and the final couple of pages were sweet.
I think it was just a couple of books back that I gave one five stars so I am going to regard this particular effort as a blip and carry on to the next one:)
The body work of the title refers to an act in a nightclub where the performer allows members of the audience to paint her naked body. Of course Vic happens to be in the audience the night that a murder takes place and events proceed from there. Now I read a lot of crime/mystery/thriller books and I understand about suspending belief when they get a bit over the top, but this one was in a class of its own. The ending in particular was way, way off base.
Those criticisms apart the rest was usual Paretsky fare. Vic took on yet another pro bono case and then complained endlessly about having no money, Petra was so annoying I think every reader would want to smack her, all of Vic's friends consistently nagged her to no avail and the dogs sometimes got a good run and sometimes they didn't. I do like the new boyfriend though and the final couple of pages were sweet.
I think it was just a couple of books back that I gave one five stars so I am going to regard this particular effort as a blip and carry on to the next one:)
June 15, 2017
This was terrible. I am so mad that I even wasted my time finishing this book. I really should have DNF it at 25 percent, but I am a perverse reader sometimes and finished the book.
Nothing makes sense.
Petra (VI's cousin from Hardball) is back in this one and still the most annoying character ever. She and Mr. Contreras are awful. I think at one point VI says that he (Mr. Contreras) is in his 90s and I hope we have a book soon with him dying. I am just over him. He's worthless.
And at this point, VI is 50 or almost 50 and her picking a fight with the police or anyone in authority is getting old. In fact, it is old at this point.
The main plot is convoluted and there's a whole lot of coincidences to even have things make sense. I think the worst part for me was the ending though. I just rolled my times about a million times. It was crap and I have to say it was really stupid how VI brings all the parties together a la Poirot to get someone to spontaneously confess. The next book does this mess too and it just seems a lazy way to end a book.
There is a lot of people telling VI things and her telling people things and I think a couple hundred pages could have been cut and it would not have affected this book one way or the other.
Nothing makes sense.
Petra (VI's cousin from Hardball) is back in this one and still the most annoying character ever. She and Mr. Contreras are awful. I think at one point VI says that he (Mr. Contreras) is in his 90s and I hope we have a book soon with him dying. I am just over him. He's worthless.
And at this point, VI is 50 or almost 50 and her picking a fight with the police or anyone in authority is getting old. In fact, it is old at this point.
The main plot is convoluted and there's a whole lot of coincidences to even have things make sense. I think the worst part for me was the ending though. I just rolled my times about a million times. It was crap and I have to say it was really stupid how VI brings all the parties together a la Poirot to get someone to spontaneously confess. The next book does this mess too and it just seems a lazy way to end a book.
There is a lot of people telling VI things and her telling people things and I think a couple hundred pages could have been cut and it would not have affected this book one way or the other.
November 1, 2013
Ms. Warshawski has a new boyfriend. This is not unusual. This one she met in the last book. He is a neighbor. He plays an instrument. He is the one who plays the bass. You know, the big stringed one that the musician stands behind, plucks with his fingers and is often shorter than. The first time they go out together V.I. is squeezed into his bass case so she can get out of her house without being seen by the bad guys. You believe me, right? If you have read the first thirteen books of the V.I. Warshawski series, you know that you have to suspend disbelief big time. So, yes, you have to accept that she actually fit into the case and that this guy didn’t mark her as loony tunes right off the bat.
You have been asked to believe a lot of unlikely things as V.I. has aged as the series moves from the early 1980s into the twenty-first century. Usually it involves a client who cannot afford to pay for the time of a private eye but V.I. takes on the job anyhow since it would not be much of a book if she passed it up. Somehow these pro bono cases generally wind up paying their way, often thanks to the largess of some rich person or a big payoff or settlement.
You wouldn’t still be reading this series on book number fourteen if you demanded realism. Ms. W- doesn’t do realistic. She comes close to dying each book and bounces back amazingly quickly from some serious knocks. Being fifty doesn’t seem to slow her down much although she does complain more about aches and pains.
“Nadia Guaman died in my arms.� This is how Body Work opens with another average day for V.I. Warshawski. Or should I say another unlikely day?
Since I was not very bought into the story line, I spent a little time thinking about how V.I. does her P.I. job. She charges $150 per hour plus expenses and seems to have a pretty healthy cash flow with cash from her ATM card and charges to her AmEx credit card. She is hooked up to several online sources of information about the good and bad guys she is backgrounding and investigating. We have all heard about LexisNexis but not about the Monitor Project and LifeStory. I tried to track these fictitious (?) sources down via Google with any success. One eye-popping detail is the claim of an outstanding balance due to her defense lawyer of $60,000. Of course in the last book she got a $25K check on her “pro bono� case. As I have made quite clear already, Ms. W- does give us reason to doubt the details. She cannot be quite classified as Science Fiction or James Bond but she does require the proverbial grain of salt.
I gave the previous book in the series, , five stars and thought it had a good deal of V.I. character and human development. , on the other hand, is short on the same ingredients. V.I. seems like a robot going through the paces of being a macho female detective. And then there is her cousin Petra who turned up first in the previous book and sticks around to be, for me, a most unlikeable character. Having gotten this far into the series, Petra is maybe the first character I have found to actively dislike. If she becomes a regular, and that seems like a possibility, she will be a reason for me to be happy to see the series coming to a close.
Mr. Contreras is an enigma. How old is he? Could he be ninety as was suggested in the previous book? If so, he is an amazing ninety year old serving as V.I.’s partner at times and as her chauffeur in this book when she is too beaten up to drive herself. As a World War II veteran, however, the age seems definitely possible. I will just have to list Mr. C- as another of the unbelievable aspects of the Warshawski series.
I have definitely overdone the theme of incredulity in this review. But if I told you how this book ended, you would know that to call it unbelievable would be an understatement. I can say without fear of contradiction that Sara Paretsky knows what it means to be improbable. V.I. Warshawski’s dreams are often nightmares that illustrate how petrified she actually is within her fearless exterior. In Body Work the ending is like theater with each move carefully scripted and acted out.
To tell you the truth, I was worn out by how all the pieces fit together. The concluding drama was too well choreographed to be even slightly plausible. As impressed as I was about the last book, that is how unimpressed I am about this one. I am giving V.I. three stars and feeling generous at that. Only my determination to finish every book I start got me to the end of Body Work. Now my dilemma is, “Should I immediately go on to the next book in the series, ?� Or should I take a break from Sara Paretsky?
You have been asked to believe a lot of unlikely things as V.I. has aged as the series moves from the early 1980s into the twenty-first century. Usually it involves a client who cannot afford to pay for the time of a private eye but V.I. takes on the job anyhow since it would not be much of a book if she passed it up. Somehow these pro bono cases generally wind up paying their way, often thanks to the largess of some rich person or a big payoff or settlement.
You wouldn’t still be reading this series on book number fourteen if you demanded realism. Ms. W- doesn’t do realistic. She comes close to dying each book and bounces back amazingly quickly from some serious knocks. Being fifty doesn’t seem to slow her down much although she does complain more about aches and pains.
“Nadia Guaman died in my arms.� This is how Body Work opens with another average day for V.I. Warshawski. Or should I say another unlikely day?
Since I was not very bought into the story line, I spent a little time thinking about how V.I. does her P.I. job. She charges $150 per hour plus expenses and seems to have a pretty healthy cash flow with cash from her ATM card and charges to her AmEx credit card. She is hooked up to several online sources of information about the good and bad guys she is backgrounding and investigating. We have all heard about LexisNexis but not about the Monitor Project and LifeStory. I tried to track these fictitious (?) sources down via Google with any success. One eye-popping detail is the claim of an outstanding balance due to her defense lawyer of $60,000. Of course in the last book she got a $25K check on her “pro bono� case. As I have made quite clear already, Ms. W- does give us reason to doubt the details. She cannot be quite classified as Science Fiction or James Bond but she does require the proverbial grain of salt.
I gave the previous book in the series, , five stars and thought it had a good deal of V.I. character and human development. , on the other hand, is short on the same ingredients. V.I. seems like a robot going through the paces of being a macho female detective. And then there is her cousin Petra who turned up first in the previous book and sticks around to be, for me, a most unlikeable character. Having gotten this far into the series, Petra is maybe the first character I have found to actively dislike. If she becomes a regular, and that seems like a possibility, she will be a reason for me to be happy to see the series coming to a close.
Mr. Contreras is an enigma. How old is he? Could he be ninety as was suggested in the previous book? If so, he is an amazing ninety year old serving as V.I.’s partner at times and as her chauffeur in this book when she is too beaten up to drive herself. As a World War II veteran, however, the age seems definitely possible. I will just have to list Mr. C- as another of the unbelievable aspects of the Warshawski series.
I have definitely overdone the theme of incredulity in this review. But if I told you how this book ended, you would know that to call it unbelievable would be an understatement. I can say without fear of contradiction that Sara Paretsky knows what it means to be improbable. V.I. Warshawski’s dreams are often nightmares that illustrate how petrified she actually is within her fearless exterior. In Body Work the ending is like theater with each move carefully scripted and acted out.
To tell you the truth, I was worn out by how all the pieces fit together. The concluding drama was too well choreographed to be even slightly plausible. As impressed as I was about the last book, that is how unimpressed I am about this one. I am giving V.I. three stars and feeling generous at that. Only my determination to finish every book I start got me to the end of Body Work. Now my dilemma is, “Should I immediately go on to the next book in the series, ?� Or should I take a break from Sara Paretsky?
September 2, 2011
I wanted to love this book, I really did. After all, I've spent almost half my life reading and loving Sara Paretsky's V I Warshawski series. When I started reading the series, VI was older than me. Twenty-five years later, she's now younger than I am. Go figure.
But as much as I wanted to love it, I found this a chore to read. It didn't excite me. I didn't want to read it in one go. I could probably have stopped reading it at any point without regret. I finished it because that's what I do, notwithstanding my general view that life's too short to read anything but the best books. I also finished reading it because, well, it's a Sara Paretsky, and it's VI and I've spent a lot of quality time with them over the years.
There's no doubt that Paretsky writes well. She can craft a sentence with the best of them. She knows a thing or two about character. Although the resolution in this particular novel was rather strained, the ability to suspend disbelief is part of the job description of a crime fiction reader, so any weakness in the plot in forgiveable. Plus, there's the fact that this is an iconic series. All of that counts for something and means that I give the book two stars rather than one.
It may just be that VI is tired. God knows, she's been beaten up and narrowly faced death so many times it's a wonder she's not crippled with arthritis and hunched up in a corner with PTSD. She's just not that interesting anymore. Furthermore, her neighbour Mr Conteras is increasingly annoying and I wanted to slap the incredibly irritating cousin Petra.
I'm glad I finished this book. Mostly I'm glad because I can start reading something else. I'm kind of sad, too, because I won't look forward to the next VI Warshawski. I may still read it, for old time's sake, or in the hope that my lack of enthusiasm for this particular episode in VI's life says more about me than it does about the skill of VI's creator.
But as much as I wanted to love it, I found this a chore to read. It didn't excite me. I didn't want to read it in one go. I could probably have stopped reading it at any point without regret. I finished it because that's what I do, notwithstanding my general view that life's too short to read anything but the best books. I also finished reading it because, well, it's a Sara Paretsky, and it's VI and I've spent a lot of quality time with them over the years.
There's no doubt that Paretsky writes well. She can craft a sentence with the best of them. She knows a thing or two about character. Although the resolution in this particular novel was rather strained, the ability to suspend disbelief is part of the job description of a crime fiction reader, so any weakness in the plot in forgiveable. Plus, there's the fact that this is an iconic series. All of that counts for something and means that I give the book two stars rather than one.
It may just be that VI is tired. God knows, she's been beaten up and narrowly faced death so many times it's a wonder she's not crippled with arthritis and hunched up in a corner with PTSD. She's just not that interesting anymore. Furthermore, her neighbour Mr Conteras is increasingly annoying and I wanted to slap the incredibly irritating cousin Petra.
I'm glad I finished this book. Mostly I'm glad because I can start reading something else. I'm kind of sad, too, because I won't look forward to the next VI Warshawski. I may still read it, for old time's sake, or in the hope that my lack of enthusiasm for this particular episode in VI's life says more about me than it does about the skill of VI's creator.
May 30, 2011
Three and a half stars. I enjoyed it, although I put it down a couple of times because my need to move overrode my desire to pay attention. It can be a risk putting down a Paretsky book, as some of her plots are extremely convoluted, and the number of players becomes difficult to keep track of. Not as convoluted a mystery as her normal ones, which actually made it enjoyable. There are times at the end of Paretsky's books that I would have trouble articulating exactly what the chain of events and misdeeds were due to situational complexity. She doesn't make too many annoying mistakes, and it was a relief to have her finally call Petra out on her self-centeredness. I get so tired of Vic allowing herself to be castigated by the people around her when she is acting out of honorable principles. But I suppose that is one way to move a plot along.
The Body Artist was interesting, and provided a fascinating side discussion on women's bodies and artistic expression. I wish Paretsky would have spent a little more time on that discussion, as one of the most interesting things about her works are her feminism and class consciousness. That's actually a compliment, as it often results in a book that is more intelligent and aware than most; this time she included a storyline that touched on Iraqi veterans, PTSD and private defense contractors that showed how the cost of joining the military is born by a family. I wonder if she's slowing down; most of her old side characters make an appearance in this book, from Graham to Finchley to Murray to Boom-Boom.
The Body Artist was interesting, and provided a fascinating side discussion on women's bodies and artistic expression. I wish Paretsky would have spent a little more time on that discussion, as one of the most interesting things about her works are her feminism and class consciousness. That's actually a compliment, as it often results in a book that is more intelligent and aware than most; this time she included a storyline that touched on Iraqi veterans, PTSD and private defense contractors that showed how the cost of joining the military is born by a family. I wonder if she's slowing down; most of her old side characters make an appearance in this book, from Graham to Finchley to Murray to Boom-Boom.
August 4, 2012
Saturday, 14 July 2012 12:13
July 14, 2012
I'm struggling to get through this book. I used to really enjoy the V.I. Warshawski series, even though I found the character unlikeable. I haven't read one for a long time and looked forward to this one. But, still, V.I. is as unlikable as ever, really hasn't grown at all. She picks a fight, initiates conflict with, every one she meets within a few sentences and feels justified for doing so but as a reader I don't see or feel the justification so she comes across as a mega pain-in-the ass. For example, a woman is shot and dies in her arms. V.I. is about to pick a fight with the paramedic because he refers to the woman as a "girl". Actually, this isn't the best example because she does control herself but, really? would quibbling over semantics and political correctness even cross your mind under those circumstances?
Also, I'm having a hard time feeling any urgency to the story and I'm half-way through. Forcing myself to finish now. I always try to finish books I've started. And mysteries can often pick up as you go. One last annoyance: Sara Paretsky has her characters cry a lot instead of speak: ie "Blah, blah, blah," he cried. "I'm sorry," she cried. These aren't direct quotes, just an idea to show how she's using the verb. I find it jumps off the page, pulling me out of the story, over and over. Struggling to finish. . . will keep trying...must go on...
Paper Towns John Green
Written by Selaine Henriksen
Monday, 23 July 2012 22:04
July 23, 2012
I enjoyed this story although I found it felt forced. After the opening bit with the discovery of the body I was primed for a different story, I think. And after the pranking night I didn't fully believe in Quentin's ability to make right all these issues at the school (without going into them in detail so as not to spoil the story). I didn't buy the best friend with the hot girl set-up. I didn't buy them all going on the road trip together, although I enjoyed reading it. Characters were moved around at the writer's discretion instead of their actions flowing seamlessly from who they are.
But, this is the first time I've read a book that uses the same plot device I used in "Coincidence Detection". John Green uses the idea of Quentin reading Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" to both provide insight into a missing character and her motives for going missing and as a plot device.
"Unscrew the locks from the doors!/Unscrew the doors from their jambs!" being a quote that lead directly to action and discovery. Whereas the insight into Margo's motivation for leaving comes as Quentin progresses through the poem and Whitman's meditation on self and knowing others. Even the tension of what Quentin might find when he finds her is supplied by lines from the poem. Even being told that he would better understand the meaning of individual lines if he read the whole poem first was used as a plot point (moving the story forward).
It's not one of John Green's best but even so it's a thought-provoking and enjoyable read.
Last Updated on Monday, 23 July 2012 22:23
Body Work Sara Paretsky part 2
Written by Selaine Henriksen
Thursday, 19 July 2012 17:51
July 19, 2012
I finished it. I have to confess I skimmed over the last half just to see what happened.
There was a time, 20 years ago now, when Sue Grafton's heroine Kinsey Millhone and Sara Paretsky's V.I.Warshawski were fresh and new. Tough, sarcastic, smart, independent P.I.'s who took care of themselves. I always had a problem with V.I. being too antagonistic and I had a problem in suspending my disbelief enough to believe she could be beaten up and take it like a man. It may have been realistic but the hard truth is real isn't always best when it comes to fiction.
I created my own heroine in "Coincidence Detection" as a bit of a reaction to V.I.. She's sarcastic but with enough humour(I hope) to leaven the cynicism. I also got tired of always reading that tough, independent women couldn't have relationships so I wanted my heroine to have a strong marriage with a man.
In other words, the original books by these two authors were important and made a big impression on me. Their latest hasn't so much. I'd recommend reading the early works. I should, re-read them, too, and see if they still hold up.
July 14, 2012
I'm struggling to get through this book. I used to really enjoy the V.I. Warshawski series, even though I found the character unlikeable. I haven't read one for a long time and looked forward to this one. But, still, V.I. is as unlikable as ever, really hasn't grown at all. She picks a fight, initiates conflict with, every one she meets within a few sentences and feels justified for doing so but as a reader I don't see or feel the justification so she comes across as a mega pain-in-the ass. For example, a woman is shot and dies in her arms. V.I. is about to pick a fight with the paramedic because he refers to the woman as a "girl". Actually, this isn't the best example because she does control herself but, really? would quibbling over semantics and political correctness even cross your mind under those circumstances?
Also, I'm having a hard time feeling any urgency to the story and I'm half-way through. Forcing myself to finish now. I always try to finish books I've started. And mysteries can often pick up as you go. One last annoyance: Sara Paretsky has her characters cry a lot instead of speak: ie "Blah, blah, blah," he cried. "I'm sorry," she cried. These aren't direct quotes, just an idea to show how she's using the verb. I find it jumps off the page, pulling me out of the story, over and over. Struggling to finish. . . will keep trying...must go on...
Paper Towns John Green
Written by Selaine Henriksen
Monday, 23 July 2012 22:04
July 23, 2012
I enjoyed this story although I found it felt forced. After the opening bit with the discovery of the body I was primed for a different story, I think. And after the pranking night I didn't fully believe in Quentin's ability to make right all these issues at the school (without going into them in detail so as not to spoil the story). I didn't buy the best friend with the hot girl set-up. I didn't buy them all going on the road trip together, although I enjoyed reading it. Characters were moved around at the writer's discretion instead of their actions flowing seamlessly from who they are.
But, this is the first time I've read a book that uses the same plot device I used in "Coincidence Detection". John Green uses the idea of Quentin reading Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" to both provide insight into a missing character and her motives for going missing and as a plot device.
"Unscrew the locks from the doors!/Unscrew the doors from their jambs!" being a quote that lead directly to action and discovery. Whereas the insight into Margo's motivation for leaving comes as Quentin progresses through the poem and Whitman's meditation on self and knowing others. Even the tension of what Quentin might find when he finds her is supplied by lines from the poem. Even being told that he would better understand the meaning of individual lines if he read the whole poem first was used as a plot point (moving the story forward).
It's not one of John Green's best but even so it's a thought-provoking and enjoyable read.
Last Updated on Monday, 23 July 2012 22:23
Body Work Sara Paretsky part 2
Written by Selaine Henriksen
Thursday, 19 July 2012 17:51
July 19, 2012
I finished it. I have to confess I skimmed over the last half just to see what happened.
There was a time, 20 years ago now, when Sue Grafton's heroine Kinsey Millhone and Sara Paretsky's V.I.Warshawski were fresh and new. Tough, sarcastic, smart, independent P.I.'s who took care of themselves. I always had a problem with V.I. being too antagonistic and I had a problem in suspending my disbelief enough to believe she could be beaten up and take it like a man. It may have been realistic but the hard truth is real isn't always best when it comes to fiction.
I created my own heroine in "Coincidence Detection" as a bit of a reaction to V.I.. She's sarcastic but with enough humour(I hope) to leaven the cynicism. I also got tired of always reading that tough, independent women couldn't have relationships so I wanted my heroine to have a strong marriage with a man.
In other words, the original books by these two authors were important and made a big impression on me. Their latest hasn't so much. I'd recommend reading the early works. I should, re-read them, too, and see if they still hold up.
October 10, 2012
This was my first foray into V.I. Warshawski’s world, and she’s a heroine worth getting to know. A strong woman with a strong attitude, she doesn’t back down from any challenge. She explores a seedy world filled with sleazy characters, and she doesn’t mind saying yes even while everyone around her is saying no. Exposing herself in a manner similar to the body artist, Victoria tackles both men and women with only her detective skills and wits to save her.
The plot moved at a fairly straightforward pace, and there were just enough undertones to help readers flip through the pages. If you like tough, independent heroines, then Sara Paretsky and V.I. Warshawski are a couple of folks you’ll want to become more intimately involved with.
The plot moved at a fairly straightforward pace, and there were just enough undertones to help readers flip through the pages. If you like tough, independent heroines, then Sara Paretsky and V.I. Warshawski are a couple of folks you’ll want to become more intimately involved with.
August 12, 2015
When I read that one of my favorite authors, Sara Paretsky, had a new installment of her series featuring private investigator V.I. Warshawski (Brush Back, released in July, I rushed over to Amazon.com to learn more. When I got there, a more unpleasant reality hit: How the bleep did I miss reading not just one, but the previous three?
No satisfactory answer turned up, but not wanting to tackle the most recent entry without reading what came before sent me hustling to get my hands on those, starting with this one (the 14th). I was a little worried that I wouldn't remember much, but almost immediately a couple of characters from past books -- notably Warshawski's elderly and very protective neighbor Mr. Contreras -- made an appearance and eased my mind.
One I don't recall is her niece, Petra - and quite honestly, she turned out to be so annoying that I'm hoping she'll find something to occupy her time halfway around the world and never be heard from again. The argumentative, petulant young wench added nothing of substance to the story that I could find. That, and a few more errors that I'd expect from a writer of this caliber (a woman frightened out of her wits described as having "blenched," for instance) are the primary reasons for knocking my expected 5-star rating down by one.
Do not, however, take that to mean I didn't enjoy this book; as long as I skimmed over Petra's parts (thus keeping in check my intense desire to smack her upside the head), I found it really hard to put down and finished it in record time.
Actually, it was Petra who got the whole thing rolling (though not in a good way); her aunt was trying to keep tabs on her after she took a job at an artsy, sleezy club in Chicago. A woman known as the Body Artist was performing; totally unclothed except for a tiny G-string and layers of paint, her "art" is inviting audience members to paint her body. After watching a young woman paint a winged design, Iraq war vet Chad Vishneski goes ballistic. A couple of days later, the young woman is murdered, dying in Warshawski's arms, in fact - and the vet, who is suffering from PTSD, is the prime suspect.
His parents believe he's innocent, as parents are wont to believe, and they ask Warshawski to clear his name. Since there are a number of inconsistencies and unanswered questions (what, for instance, do the strings of numbers mean that one rather nasty audience member regularly paints on the Body Artist's back?), Warshawski agrees to take the case. Almost immediately, the plot thickens; the Body Artist pulls a disappearing act, it comes to light that the young vet brought back secrets with him from Iraq that some very bad people don't want revealed and Warshawski finds her own life in danger.
No satisfactory answer turned up, but not wanting to tackle the most recent entry without reading what came before sent me hustling to get my hands on those, starting with this one (the 14th). I was a little worried that I wouldn't remember much, but almost immediately a couple of characters from past books -- notably Warshawski's elderly and very protective neighbor Mr. Contreras -- made an appearance and eased my mind.
One I don't recall is her niece, Petra - and quite honestly, she turned out to be so annoying that I'm hoping she'll find something to occupy her time halfway around the world and never be heard from again. The argumentative, petulant young wench added nothing of substance to the story that I could find. That, and a few more errors that I'd expect from a writer of this caliber (a woman frightened out of her wits described as having "blenched," for instance) are the primary reasons for knocking my expected 5-star rating down by one.
Do not, however, take that to mean I didn't enjoy this book; as long as I skimmed over Petra's parts (thus keeping in check my intense desire to smack her upside the head), I found it really hard to put down and finished it in record time.
Actually, it was Petra who got the whole thing rolling (though not in a good way); her aunt was trying to keep tabs on her after she took a job at an artsy, sleezy club in Chicago. A woman known as the Body Artist was performing; totally unclothed except for a tiny G-string and layers of paint, her "art" is inviting audience members to paint her body. After watching a young woman paint a winged design, Iraq war vet Chad Vishneski goes ballistic. A couple of days later, the young woman is murdered, dying in Warshawski's arms, in fact - and the vet, who is suffering from PTSD, is the prime suspect.
His parents believe he's innocent, as parents are wont to believe, and they ask Warshawski to clear his name. Since there are a number of inconsistencies and unanswered questions (what, for instance, do the strings of numbers mean that one rather nasty audience member regularly paints on the Body Artist's back?), Warshawski agrees to take the case. Almost immediately, the plot thickens; the Body Artist pulls a disappearing act, it comes to light that the young vet brought back secrets with him from Iraq that some very bad people don't want revealed and Warshawski finds her own life in danger.
August 2, 2011
Sara Paretsky and VI Warshawski are back again. Reading a VI Warshawski novel is comforting to me; it's nostalgic in a way as I've been reading this series since the '80s, and reading them brings back memories of meeting Paretsky at Denver's Tattered Cover book store and the late lamented Rue Morgue in Boulder years ago. But even then, in Boulder, Paretsky discussed the dilemma of continuing such a series with the same character over the years. What does she do with the character as the years pass? Does she age her? Does she age her with each actual year? Does she do it more slowly? Does she keep her in the past, as Sue Grafton did with her detective series.
In this book, Vic confesses to being 50. Paretsky discussed the limitations involved with an older detective: can Vic still be as physical as she ages? Vic certainly still pulls no punches, but she bruises and certainly feels pain much more than she used to when she was younger. I can identify.
The plot concerns a body artist, a woman who allows others to paint on her nude (well, mostly nude) body on-stage. But there's more to it -- and Paretsky is able to make comments about civilian agencies with government contracts in Iraq and how they're making money. Various threads come together eventually, but it makes sense. Vic needs a bit of luck here and there, but it's believable, and I'm happy that Vic is still out there detecting at age 50. After all, I'm 50 -- and I'm not dead yet. (I'm also pleased to see that Vic is so computer savvy. :)
In this book, Vic confesses to being 50. Paretsky discussed the limitations involved with an older detective: can Vic still be as physical as she ages? Vic certainly still pulls no punches, but she bruises and certainly feels pain much more than she used to when she was younger. I can identify.
The plot concerns a body artist, a woman who allows others to paint on her nude (well, mostly nude) body on-stage. But there's more to it -- and Paretsky is able to make comments about civilian agencies with government contracts in Iraq and how they're making money. Various threads come together eventually, but it makes sense. Vic needs a bit of luck here and there, but it's believable, and I'm happy that Vic is still out there detecting at age 50. After all, I'm 50 -- and I'm not dead yet. (I'm also pleased to see that Vic is so computer savvy. :)
February 28, 2011
I'm trying to find a reason that I didn't like this book, other than the fact that the detective/protagonist is a woman, but I come away almost as disappointed in myself as I am in this piece of detective fiction. I don't think my problem is with female authors of genre fiction: I loved Kate Atkinson's "When Will There Be Good News" and read all the Ripley novels in one sustained binge.
The problem, from the very outset, was credibility. You might assume that my first credibility issue was with the flying fists and fashionable footwear of the lady-detective protagonist, V. I. Warshawski. Not so.
My initial problem has a much less macho derivation. I found the depiction of performance art to be silly. I've got an MFA in playwriting, so I've suffered through and inflicted on others all kinds of avant garde performance dreck. Mea Culpa. The "Body Artist?" Maybe in 1986. Just read dumb to me.
But back to my sexism. Can my patriarchal mind simply not accept that a female detective can be as hard-bitten, haunted, cynical, bedraggled, drunken, smart-assed and violent as my favorite detectives? Probably not.
Maybe someone can suggest the Anti-Miss Marple, so I can come correct on my femme noir?
The problem, from the very outset, was credibility. You might assume that my first credibility issue was with the flying fists and fashionable footwear of the lady-detective protagonist, V. I. Warshawski. Not so.
My initial problem has a much less macho derivation. I found the depiction of performance art to be silly. I've got an MFA in playwriting, so I've suffered through and inflicted on others all kinds of avant garde performance dreck. Mea Culpa. The "Body Artist?" Maybe in 1986. Just read dumb to me.
But back to my sexism. Can my patriarchal mind simply not accept that a female detective can be as hard-bitten, haunted, cynical, bedraggled, drunken, smart-assed and violent as my favorite detectives? Probably not.
Maybe someone can suggest the Anti-Miss Marple, so I can come correct on my femme noir?
January 23, 2011
I was...disappointed, which surprised me, because I normally really enjoy the V.I. novels. It failed on three points:
* The plot was simply implausible. There ended up with three distinct storylines that came together on one central character; and it was simply a stretch.
* There was way too much moaning and groaning about her aging. I appreciate it when an author acknowledges that a character is aging; it adds a nice touch of realism to a long-running series. But this was just boarding on morbid. Think the latter Lethal Weapon movies.
* There was a fair number of misspellings/grammer/factual and continuity errors that showed both that author and editors were simply sloppy. Inexcusable. I don't care how strong of an author Paretsky is; you don't let stuff like that slide. It annoys readers.
Oh, and Paretsky? On NCIS: Timothy McGee would be the one going through the paperwork and financial, not Abby. Geesh.
* The plot was simply implausible. There ended up with three distinct storylines that came together on one central character; and it was simply a stretch.
* There was way too much moaning and groaning about her aging. I appreciate it when an author acknowledges that a character is aging; it adds a nice touch of realism to a long-running series. But this was just boarding on morbid. Think the latter Lethal Weapon movies.
* There was a fair number of misspellings/grammer/factual and continuity errors that showed both that author and editors were simply sloppy. Inexcusable. I don't care how strong of an author Paretsky is; you don't let stuff like that slide. It annoys readers.
Oh, and Paretsky? On NCIS: Timothy McGee would be the one going through the paperwork and financial, not Abby. Geesh.
October 14, 2010
it was nice to get into V.I. Warshawski's life again and does she ever get into trouble!. The Body Artist allows her audience to use her naked body as a canvas for their impromptu illustrations. One woman's sketch causes a violent outburst from a man at a nearby table--an Iraqi war vet. Days later a woman is shot outside the club and dies in Vic's arms. The vet is arrested but his family hires Vic to clear his name. Her investigation leads to involvement having to do with money laundering and the manufacturing of war supplies.
Along the way Vic has the help of her neighbor, Mr. Conteras, some vets who are friends of the accused, the care of her young cousin (using her as an aide--to keep her out of trouble) and the healing services of her Aunt Lotty the surgeon.
As usual, when Vic gets involved, I don't want to stop reading.
Along the way Vic has the help of her neighbor, Mr. Conteras, some vets who are friends of the accused, the care of her young cousin (using her as an aide--to keep her out of trouble) and the healing services of her Aunt Lotty the surgeon.
As usual, when Vic gets involved, I don't want to stop reading.
December 17, 2010
Think page-turner with this new V.I. Warshawski novel. It hits the ground running from the very first page where we find Vic with a dying woman in her arms. Paretsky then shows us how she got to that point and continues with the investigation of not only that woman's death, but her sister's.
It's a complicated story and it's filled with interesting characters not the least of which is Vic herself. I've been reading this series from the beginning, but the last few books weren't quite as intense and tightly packed as this one. I literally could not put it down. Even though I knew the real mystery before the end of the book, it didn't really lessen the enjoyment. Paretsky's books aren't as much about the mystery as the characters.
If you like strong female characters, a solid plot, and great writing, this book is for you.
It's a complicated story and it's filled with interesting characters not the least of which is Vic herself. I've been reading this series from the beginning, but the last few books weren't quite as intense and tightly packed as this one. I literally could not put it down. Even though I knew the real mystery before the end of the book, it didn't really lessen the enjoyment. Paretsky's books aren't as much about the mystery as the characters.
If you like strong female characters, a solid plot, and great writing, this book is for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2021
The Body Artist is the latest sensation on the Chicago club circuit. Naked aside from a thick layer of make-up, against a background of shocking imagery focusing on violations of the female body, the mysterious performer invites members of the audience to use her skin as their canvas. One young woman named Nadia paints the same designs, night after night � a girl’s face surrounded by flames and fleur de lis emblems. For some unknown reason, the painter’s work enrages Chad, an Iraq veteran, to the point that his soldier buddies have to restrain him. When someone shoots the painter and leaves her lying in a pool of blood in the alley behind the club, the police arrest Chad as the most likely suspect, having found the murder weapon in his apartment. He can’t defend himself, though; he’s in a coma from a drug overdose that police assume was a suicide attempt. Sure their son is innocent, his parents hire private investigator V.I. Warshawski to try and clear his name.
The scenario described above barely hints at the complexity of the plot in Body Work. Corporate corruption, money laundering, drug dealing, computer hacking, prostitution � the network of crimes and relationships that Sara Paretsky’s P.I. must untangle would be enough to discourage almost anyone. V.I. “Vic� Warshawski isn’t optimistic that she’ll succeed, but she’s also not a person who gives up, especially when faced with an obvious betrayal of justice.
Body Work follows V.I.’s stubborn, persistent and occasionally reckless efforts to unravel the mysteries that swirl around The Body Artist. The deeper she delves, the more desperate and violent her opponents become. She’s badly beaten in a street fight and wounded in an arson attempt. As she comes closer to working out the truth, she knows that she’s endangering the innocents in the sordid affair: Chad’s and Nadia’s families, including Nadia’s precocious teenage sister Clara, and her own niece Petra, who worked at the club where The Body Artist performed. But people are depending on her � and more people may suffer if she backs down.
Sara Paretsky does an excellent job pulling together the myriad threads in the tapestry of her mystery. However, I don’t read her books for the plot, but for the characters and the atmosphere.
There’s a reason that V.I. Warshawski has featured in twenty successful novels since 1982. She’s so fully fleshed that it’s difficult to believe she’s a fictional creation. (Her Wikipedia article comprises multiple pages.) The product of a dangerous childhood on the rough streets of south side Chicago, she’s tough, intelligent, resourceful and as unrelenting as a bulldog when she’s trying to bring a measure of fairness to an unfair world. Sara Paretsky has chosen to age her heroine over the course of the series. In this book, written in 2010, Vic is in her late forties, and feeling the effects of middle age. There’s a world-weariness in her that rings true. She recognizes that she doesn’t have the same level of energy as in the past � but that doesn’t stop her from pushing herself to edge of endurance and beyond. She’s hardly perfect, but her strong moral compass makes her truly heroic.
The other characters, both recurring and specific this novel, are equally rich and distinctive. I particularly liked Chad’s Marine friend, Marty Jepson, and the spunky, quick-thinking Clara.
The other thing I love about the V.I. Warshawski stories is their distinctive sense of place. All of them (or at least, all that I’ve read) are set in Chicago, with its myriad neighborhoods and ethnicities. The descriptions of the city don’t burden the plot, but they add to the realism, and often, the mood. This novel takes place in the winter. The frigid temperatures, icy streets and blustery winds represent realistic obstacles to V.I.’s investigation, but they also create a sense of bleak hopelessness that pervades the book.
Body Work is a dark book. Although Vic manages to solve the multiple crimes and expose the evil doers, not all of them suffer the consequences of their actions. Meanwhile, the dead remain dead. This is not romance, and there’s no HEA. Still, the book concludes on a note of hope. As a reader, you have to believe that fighting for what’s right is worthwhile, that it adds to the universal balance of good.
The scenario described above barely hints at the complexity of the plot in Body Work. Corporate corruption, money laundering, drug dealing, computer hacking, prostitution � the network of crimes and relationships that Sara Paretsky’s P.I. must untangle would be enough to discourage almost anyone. V.I. “Vic� Warshawski isn’t optimistic that she’ll succeed, but she’s also not a person who gives up, especially when faced with an obvious betrayal of justice.
Body Work follows V.I.’s stubborn, persistent and occasionally reckless efforts to unravel the mysteries that swirl around The Body Artist. The deeper she delves, the more desperate and violent her opponents become. She’s badly beaten in a street fight and wounded in an arson attempt. As she comes closer to working out the truth, she knows that she’s endangering the innocents in the sordid affair: Chad’s and Nadia’s families, including Nadia’s precocious teenage sister Clara, and her own niece Petra, who worked at the club where The Body Artist performed. But people are depending on her � and more people may suffer if she backs down.
Sara Paretsky does an excellent job pulling together the myriad threads in the tapestry of her mystery. However, I don’t read her books for the plot, but for the characters and the atmosphere.
There’s a reason that V.I. Warshawski has featured in twenty successful novels since 1982. She’s so fully fleshed that it’s difficult to believe she’s a fictional creation. (Her Wikipedia article comprises multiple pages.) The product of a dangerous childhood on the rough streets of south side Chicago, she’s tough, intelligent, resourceful and as unrelenting as a bulldog when she’s trying to bring a measure of fairness to an unfair world. Sara Paretsky has chosen to age her heroine over the course of the series. In this book, written in 2010, Vic is in her late forties, and feeling the effects of middle age. There’s a world-weariness in her that rings true. She recognizes that she doesn’t have the same level of energy as in the past � but that doesn’t stop her from pushing herself to edge of endurance and beyond. She’s hardly perfect, but her strong moral compass makes her truly heroic.
The other characters, both recurring and specific this novel, are equally rich and distinctive. I particularly liked Chad’s Marine friend, Marty Jepson, and the spunky, quick-thinking Clara.
The other thing I love about the V.I. Warshawski stories is their distinctive sense of place. All of them (or at least, all that I’ve read) are set in Chicago, with its myriad neighborhoods and ethnicities. The descriptions of the city don’t burden the plot, but they add to the realism, and often, the mood. This novel takes place in the winter. The frigid temperatures, icy streets and blustery winds represent realistic obstacles to V.I.’s investigation, but they also create a sense of bleak hopelessness that pervades the book.
Body Work is a dark book. Although Vic manages to solve the multiple crimes and expose the evil doers, not all of them suffer the consequences of their actions. Meanwhile, the dead remain dead. This is not romance, and there’s no HEA. Still, the book concludes on a note of hope. As a reader, you have to believe that fighting for what’s right is worthwhile, that it adds to the universal balance of good.
January 26, 2011
There is a body artist who works in a Chicago night club. She permits customers to paint her naked body on stage. Her image is posted on a web-cam and she later sells the images to the public.
V.I. Warshawski witnesses an ugly incident when a young painter creates intricate designs on the body artist. An intoxicated man makes accusations and is asked to leave the club. There is a second argument outside the club, also witnessed by Vic.
Later, that woman is murdered and the man, Chad Visneski, is accused and arrested for the crime.
Chad is a veteran who fought in Iraq. His father tells Vic that Chad suffers from PTSD but Chad's father doesn't believe that his son would kill an defenseless woman and hires Vic to clear his name.
Vic finds that the owner of the club was having financial difficulties and borrowed from Anton Kystarnik who used the loan to gain interest into the club.
Vic turns up a lead on the body artist, Karin Buckley. She wants to find out what Karen might know about what went on at the club.
The plot is complex and tightly connected so that the reader will be entertained.
Spoiler (Vic hires a number of vets from the Iraq war. The story takes an interesting turn as events that happened in Iraq are detailed. There is a question that U.S. contractors might have been issued faulty equipment and their employees also sold some of the equipment to the U.S. government. Then the company tried to bribe the families of fallen employees so they wouldn't discuss what went on in Iraq.)
The minor characters are also appealing such as one of the Iraq vets, staff sergeant Marty Jepson, who seems like every reader's ideal son, so that the reader is interested in his actions. Another old friend of Vic's makes an appearance as Mr. Contreras enters the story. His manner adds a realistic and personal touch to the story. Also, young Clara Gauman, is a character who develops through the telling of the story.
The novel is overly long and could stand tightening up but I enjoyed the interwoven plot and engaging characters very much.
V.I. Warshawski witnesses an ugly incident when a young painter creates intricate designs on the body artist. An intoxicated man makes accusations and is asked to leave the club. There is a second argument outside the club, also witnessed by Vic.
Later, that woman is murdered and the man, Chad Visneski, is accused and arrested for the crime.
Chad is a veteran who fought in Iraq. His father tells Vic that Chad suffers from PTSD but Chad's father doesn't believe that his son would kill an defenseless woman and hires Vic to clear his name.
Vic finds that the owner of the club was having financial difficulties and borrowed from Anton Kystarnik who used the loan to gain interest into the club.
Vic turns up a lead on the body artist, Karin Buckley. She wants to find out what Karen might know about what went on at the club.
The plot is complex and tightly connected so that the reader will be entertained.
Spoiler (Vic hires a number of vets from the Iraq war. The story takes an interesting turn as events that happened in Iraq are detailed. There is a question that U.S. contractors might have been issued faulty equipment and their employees also sold some of the equipment to the U.S. government. Then the company tried to bribe the families of fallen employees so they wouldn't discuss what went on in Iraq.)
The minor characters are also appealing such as one of the Iraq vets, staff sergeant Marty Jepson, who seems like every reader's ideal son, so that the reader is interested in his actions. Another old friend of Vic's makes an appearance as Mr. Contreras enters the story. His manner adds a realistic and personal touch to the story. Also, young Clara Gauman, is a character who develops through the telling of the story.
The novel is overly long and could stand tightening up but I enjoyed the interwoven plot and engaging characters very much.
October 28, 2010
Sara Paretsky continues to compel her readers to confront uncomfortable truths about American society. In Body Work, she takes on the evils of war, corrupt corporate scheming, PTSD, and the exploitation of women. VI is hired by the father of an Iraq combat veteran, accused of murdering a young woman outside a seamy nightclub. Vic's cousin Petra has taken a job there, and Vic's familiar with the current act, in which patrons are invited to paint upon the body of a naked woman. The investigation is perhaps the toughest she's ever encountered, but lies, cover-ups, and chicanery always bring out her tenacious side. Petra, now a recurring character in the series, is her typical petulant self, complicating Vic's efforts, but she also manages to save Vic's life. This is an intelligent but complicated plot, with scenes that evoke visceral reactions, so it's not an easy book to read, but it is a rewarding one. The denouement is particularly surprising, as VI takes an risky step out of her personal comfort zone. Another first rate novel from Paretsky.
August 11, 2022
When a young artist is murdered outside a nightclub, the finger of suspicion points to a young vet, psychologically damaged by one too many tours of Iraq. Famed private investigator V. I. Warshawski isn't totally convinced however and is soon engaged by the suspect's parents to try to clear his name. The ensuing trail goes from provocative performance art to dodgy corporate shenanigans by way of a bit of legalised loan-sharking.
This was my first Paretsky, though the 14th in the series, and I enjoyed it a lot. I didn't feel lost, as can happen when you jump into a series midway through, and I was soon caught up in the story. Vic is an engaging protagonist/narrator and there's a nice range of secondary characters. The plot was sufficiently intriguing while staying the right side of baffling.
This was my first Paretsky, though the 14th in the series, and I enjoyed it a lot. I didn't feel lost, as can happen when you jump into a series midway through, and I was soon caught up in the story. Vic is an engaging protagonist/narrator and there's a nice range of secondary characters. The plot was sufficiently intriguing while staying the right side of baffling.
January 25, 2018
V.I. gets involved with trying to prove that a Ex GI with PTSD is not guilty of murder and runs into trouble form two sides, a large corporation that provides personal armor for the troupes trying to prevent a secret from getting out and another shady company looking to keep their secret illeagal dealings secret. AS usual V.I. charges ahead foll bore and bears the bumps and bruises to show for it before the case ends.
October 24, 2010
V.I. Warshawski, Sara Paretsky's Chicago private detective, is one tough woman. Those bad guys who try to intimidate her soon learn that such tactics only strengthen her resolve. She takes a licking and keeps on ticking, and she never, ever gives up on a client.
The opening of this latest book finds V.I. at a club in Chicago where a performance artist who bills herself as the Body Artist is doing her thing. Her "thing" involves appearing naked on stage and allowing members of the audience to draw or write on her body. Everything proceeds about as you would expect in the circumstances until a young woman who is obviously a talented artist starts to draw. What she draws is a woman's face surrounded by flames and by an enigmatic symbol. Her drawing seems to enrage a young Iraq War veteran in the audience who reacts violently before his friends can calm him. A few days later, the woman who drew the picture lies dying in the alley near the club, after having been shot. She is cradled in her dying moments by V.I. Warshawski.
Soon, the police go to arrest the young man who had been disturbed by the drawings. But when they get there, they find him unconscious with a gun that proves to be the murder weapon on his pillow. He remains unconsious and is taken to the hospital under police custody. Did he try to commit suicide or was he deliberately poisoned, causing his coma? And did he kill that woman or has he been framed? If the latter, why?
The man's parents believe he would have been incapable of shooting the woman and they hire V.I. to prove that. As she digs into the case, she finds that the woman who died had an older sister who died in Iraq while working for one of the contractors there. Was there a connection between this older sister and the suspect in the sister's murder?
Things get more and more complicated when Warshawski uncovers evidence that the death in Iraq may not have been what it first seemed and she finds that the dead sisters came from a dysfunctional family that has suffered multiple tragedies. Were they all somehow related?
This is a complicated story that seems ripped right out of today's headlines about the Iraq war and the role of contractors in it.
Paretsky and her alter ego Warshawski have a strong interest in and concern about issues related to women, especially violence against women, and that concern is woven through this story. Paretsky skillfully keeps the reader guessing until very near the end and then she brings all the disparate strands of the story together to create the complete picture.
The problem is that the bad guys here are very rich people and very rich people tend to buy their way out of trouble. In the end, Warshawski is able to serve her client well and bring about a kind of justice, but not enough. One is left not really wanting the book to end and wanting very much to know what Warshawski's next case will be.
The opening of this latest book finds V.I. at a club in Chicago where a performance artist who bills herself as the Body Artist is doing her thing. Her "thing" involves appearing naked on stage and allowing members of the audience to draw or write on her body. Everything proceeds about as you would expect in the circumstances until a young woman who is obviously a talented artist starts to draw. What she draws is a woman's face surrounded by flames and by an enigmatic symbol. Her drawing seems to enrage a young Iraq War veteran in the audience who reacts violently before his friends can calm him. A few days later, the woman who drew the picture lies dying in the alley near the club, after having been shot. She is cradled in her dying moments by V.I. Warshawski.
Soon, the police go to arrest the young man who had been disturbed by the drawings. But when they get there, they find him unconscious with a gun that proves to be the murder weapon on his pillow. He remains unconsious and is taken to the hospital under police custody. Did he try to commit suicide or was he deliberately poisoned, causing his coma? And did he kill that woman or has he been framed? If the latter, why?
The man's parents believe he would have been incapable of shooting the woman and they hire V.I. to prove that. As she digs into the case, she finds that the woman who died had an older sister who died in Iraq while working for one of the contractors there. Was there a connection between this older sister and the suspect in the sister's murder?
Things get more and more complicated when Warshawski uncovers evidence that the death in Iraq may not have been what it first seemed and she finds that the dead sisters came from a dysfunctional family that has suffered multiple tragedies. Were they all somehow related?
This is a complicated story that seems ripped right out of today's headlines about the Iraq war and the role of contractors in it.
Paretsky and her alter ego Warshawski have a strong interest in and concern about issues related to women, especially violence against women, and that concern is woven through this story. Paretsky skillfully keeps the reader guessing until very near the end and then she brings all the disparate strands of the story together to create the complete picture.
The problem is that the bad guys here are very rich people and very rich people tend to buy their way out of trouble. In the end, Warshawski is able to serve her client well and bring about a kind of justice, but not enough. One is left not really wanting the book to end and wanting very much to know what Warshawski's next case will be.
February 21, 2017
Quite the slog for me to get through this one. The story was one convoluted mess dotted with dog walking, a whiny relative, unrealistically shoddy police work (I hope police don't investigate like that anyway), and body painting.
To unravel the murder mystery Warsharwski constantly reviewed the facts in evidence. It became annoying that she always seemed to get the facts right despite the many different trails that could have been taken. She seems to be able to uncover facts that the bumbling police force is unable to find while falling head long into stupidity in other situations. There were way to many side stories and rabbit holes for this story to find any sort of focus. I found it difficult to like ANY of the characters in this book except for Warshawski's new boyfriend who wisely caught a flight out of town.
To unravel the murder mystery Warsharwski constantly reviewed the facts in evidence. It became annoying that she always seemed to get the facts right despite the many different trails that could have been taken. She seems to be able to uncover facts that the bumbling police force is unable to find while falling head long into stupidity in other situations. There were way to many side stories and rabbit holes for this story to find any sort of focus. I found it difficult to like ANY of the characters in this book except for Warshawski's new boyfriend who wisely caught a flight out of town.
January 15, 2022
Taking place in Chicago in the early 2000s, Body Work is Book 14 in the V.I Warshawski series by Sara Paretsky. Warshawski (only her closest friends call her Vic) is a law school graduate now self-employed as a private eye. She is one of the first female private detectives in Chicago (and in the world of crime fiction, for that matter). She is smart, tough and (mostly) fearless.
The story involves a young veteran of the Iraq War who has seen 4 tours of duty and came back with a lot of anger. He frequents Club Gouge, Chicago’s edgiest nightclub. The Club is not only edgy, it is dangerous. Its performer, The Body Artist, appears nude and allows patrons to paint on her body while she chatters on. One patron paints a series of numbers and letters on her backside nightly. Is it a code or a message? Or is it just his chance to paint on a naked lady? Chad reacts violently whenever a female patron, Nadia, paints on The Body Artist, “Are you dissing me bitch? Are you dissing me?� Nadia paints the same design, night-after-night and no one understands what it means. All of this builds the audience into a frenzy that needs only a slight bump to push everyone over the edge.
When Nadia is shot outside of the Club, Chad is charged with murder. His father hires Warshawski to clear his son. Oddly Nadia died in Warshawski’s arms moments after being shot. Warshawski was at the club keeping an eye on her little cousin Petra who is waitressing there. In order to determine who shot Nadia, Warshawski must also determine why she was there and why what she painted on The Body Artist sets off Chad the way it does.
There are many times when you will be certain that you know what is going to happen next but, trust me, you are wrong. One of her best mysteries to date. A real page turner. One of the most unique and best things about this series is how Paretsky weaves issues of current events and history into her stories. They’re always well-paced and engrossing mysteries. Although it may be ideal to read the books in order, it is not critical, Paretsky does an excellent job of giving a bit of background on each character and his or her place in the storyline. A fast, enjoyable and addictive series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#EmptyNestReader #instagram #BodyWork #crimefiction #VIWarshawski #Book14 #SaraPatetsky #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #SeptemberReads #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #ebooks #librarybooks #annarbordistrictlibrary #aadlgram
The story involves a young veteran of the Iraq War who has seen 4 tours of duty and came back with a lot of anger. He frequents Club Gouge, Chicago’s edgiest nightclub. The Club is not only edgy, it is dangerous. Its performer, The Body Artist, appears nude and allows patrons to paint on her body while she chatters on. One patron paints a series of numbers and letters on her backside nightly. Is it a code or a message? Or is it just his chance to paint on a naked lady? Chad reacts violently whenever a female patron, Nadia, paints on The Body Artist, “Are you dissing me bitch? Are you dissing me?� Nadia paints the same design, night-after-night and no one understands what it means. All of this builds the audience into a frenzy that needs only a slight bump to push everyone over the edge.
When Nadia is shot outside of the Club, Chad is charged with murder. His father hires Warshawski to clear his son. Oddly Nadia died in Warshawski’s arms moments after being shot. Warshawski was at the club keeping an eye on her little cousin Petra who is waitressing there. In order to determine who shot Nadia, Warshawski must also determine why she was there and why what she painted on The Body Artist sets off Chad the way it does.
There are many times when you will be certain that you know what is going to happen next but, trust me, you are wrong. One of her best mysteries to date. A real page turner. One of the most unique and best things about this series is how Paretsky weaves issues of current events and history into her stories. They’re always well-paced and engrossing mysteries. Although it may be ideal to read the books in order, it is not critical, Paretsky does an excellent job of giving a bit of background on each character and his or her place in the storyline. A fast, enjoyable and addictive series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#EmptyNestReader #instagram #BodyWork #crimefiction #VIWarshawski #Book14 #SaraPatetsky #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #SeptemberReads #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #ebooks #librarybooks #annarbordistrictlibrary #aadlgram
March 22, 2011
I love Sara Paretsky's V. I. Warshawski series so a warning is in order that you won't read anything bad in this review. I've read every book in the series, and it just gets better and better. They're set in Chicago, a city I love, and I only wish there was a little more Chicago in the novels.
For one thing, V.I. is maturing, begrudgingly and full of complaints, but maturing anyway. She's around 50 now, but that isn't stopping her from trying to do everything she did 20 years ago. V.I. is tough as nails, but she is loyal to her friends and family and determined to keep them safe. Her downstairs neighbor, Mr. Contreras, and her doctor and friend, Lotty, do their best to keep V.I. safe but it's an impossible mission. I must say V.I. is a little less reckless than she used to be, but she still barges in where anyone else would think "wait a minute, I shouldn't do this."
All of the books have their funny moments, partly because V.I. can see the humor in situations, but this one is totally wild in many places. For instance, after V.I. is injured by the bad guys, she wants to retrieve an item from a man who is sort of an unknown quantity. Her protectors won't let her do it alone, so she shows up with Mr. Contreras, her cousin Petra, the dogs (Mitch and Peppy), the sister of a murder victim, and a couple Marines. It's like a three-ring circus. The neighbors also get involved and they're a bunch of characters. By the end of the scene I was in stitches.
The story centers on a body artist - a woman who appears on stage nude but covered with paint and wearing a very skimpy thong. (Actually I supposed there isn't any other kind.) She allows people in the audience to paint whatever they want on her body. The show is a huge hit but the woman is a mystery right up until the end of the story. Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and several other types of people are also involved. Sounds confusing but this is a story that is not only mysterious, it also brings up important issues about our veterans.
One change in V.I.'s life is that she has a boyfriend that seems to be a keeper. He is a musician who lives in her building and so far he seems perfect for her, except that he can't stand the sight of blood.
I highly recommend Body Work as well as the rest of this series.
For one thing, V.I. is maturing, begrudgingly and full of complaints, but maturing anyway. She's around 50 now, but that isn't stopping her from trying to do everything she did 20 years ago. V.I. is tough as nails, but she is loyal to her friends and family and determined to keep them safe. Her downstairs neighbor, Mr. Contreras, and her doctor and friend, Lotty, do their best to keep V.I. safe but it's an impossible mission. I must say V.I. is a little less reckless than she used to be, but she still barges in where anyone else would think "wait a minute, I shouldn't do this."
All of the books have their funny moments, partly because V.I. can see the humor in situations, but this one is totally wild in many places. For instance, after V.I. is injured by the bad guys, she wants to retrieve an item from a man who is sort of an unknown quantity. Her protectors won't let her do it alone, so she shows up with Mr. Contreras, her cousin Petra, the dogs (Mitch and Peppy), the sister of a murder victim, and a couple Marines. It's like a three-ring circus. The neighbors also get involved and they're a bunch of characters. By the end of the scene I was in stitches.
The story centers on a body artist - a woman who appears on stage nude but covered with paint and wearing a very skimpy thong. (Actually I supposed there isn't any other kind.) She allows people in the audience to paint whatever they want on her body. The show is a huge hit but the woman is a mystery right up until the end of the story. Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and several other types of people are also involved. Sounds confusing but this is a story that is not only mysterious, it also brings up important issues about our veterans.
One change in V.I.'s life is that she has a boyfriend that seems to be a keeper. He is a musician who lives in her building and so far he seems perfect for her, except that he can't stand the sight of blood.
I highly recommend Body Work as well as the rest of this series.
September 27, 2010
In Sara Paretsky’s newest novel, she brings her private eye V. I. Warshawski back to her readers in an edgy mystery that seemingly centers around a Body Artist performing at a Chicago club called Club Goudge.
The artist is a mysterious woman whose true identity seems unknown; her body serves as a canvas on which others convey their own artistic renderings, including one that is made up of numbers only. One such artist is a young woman, Nadia, who is gunned down outside the club one night when V. I. is there. Chad Vishneski, a young vet is later arrested for the crime, primarily because of some angry outbursts he had directed at the artist. When his parents hire V. I. to find out what really happened that night, our detective pulls out all the stops.
Her investigation leads her on many winding trails, from Chicago’s South Side to Iraq and back again. In the process, she is stalked, beaten up, and others who happen to get caught up in the fray are also targeted.
What strange messages are being conveyed via the Body Artist, and what connection do they have to the events in Iraq? What really happened to Nadia Gauman, and to her sister Alexandra, who died in Iraq under mysterious circumstances? And why do all connections seem to begin and end with the strange Body Artist, Karen Buckley, whose name is really an alias? What are her secrets, and how does her mysterious disappearance tie in to all the events that keep happening?
As usual, the characters were richly detailed and believable, with all the quirks and flaws of real people. I love the way we can visualize the lives of the characters through the detailed context built around them. I’ve always admired the character V. I., because even when she might be afraid or worried, she pushes forward and doesn’t let anything or anyone stop her. She is fiercely loyal to her family and friends. Another character I love is her downstairs neighbor, Mr. Contreras, who is like a father figure. He tries to look out for V. I., despite her attempts to manage without his assistance.
Body Work (V.I. Warshawski Novel) earned five stars from me. I can’t wait for the next mystery for V. I. Warshawski to solve!
The artist is a mysterious woman whose true identity seems unknown; her body serves as a canvas on which others convey their own artistic renderings, including one that is made up of numbers only. One such artist is a young woman, Nadia, who is gunned down outside the club one night when V. I. is there. Chad Vishneski, a young vet is later arrested for the crime, primarily because of some angry outbursts he had directed at the artist. When his parents hire V. I. to find out what really happened that night, our detective pulls out all the stops.
Her investigation leads her on many winding trails, from Chicago’s South Side to Iraq and back again. In the process, she is stalked, beaten up, and others who happen to get caught up in the fray are also targeted.
What strange messages are being conveyed via the Body Artist, and what connection do they have to the events in Iraq? What really happened to Nadia Gauman, and to her sister Alexandra, who died in Iraq under mysterious circumstances? And why do all connections seem to begin and end with the strange Body Artist, Karen Buckley, whose name is really an alias? What are her secrets, and how does her mysterious disappearance tie in to all the events that keep happening?
As usual, the characters were richly detailed and believable, with all the quirks and flaws of real people. I love the way we can visualize the lives of the characters through the detailed context built around them. I’ve always admired the character V. I., because even when she might be afraid or worried, she pushes forward and doesn’t let anything or anyone stop her. She is fiercely loyal to her family and friends. Another character I love is her downstairs neighbor, Mr. Contreras, who is like a father figure. He tries to look out for V. I., despite her attempts to manage without his assistance.
Body Work (V.I. Warshawski Novel) earned five stars from me. I can’t wait for the next mystery for V. I. Warshawski to solve!
August 28, 2010
Final Grade: 93/A
REVIEW: V.I. certainly does know how to find trouble (or does trouble just find her?) and this time is no exception. An evening at a club leads Vic into a murky and dangerous case involving an angry Iraqi veteran turned scapegoat for a back-alley murder. Chad, the accused vet, is in a coma and his father hires V.I. to prove his son's innocence.
What makes this series so enjoyable is not just the twisting mystery (which I can never seem to figure out). The characters are fantastic--diving into a V.I. Warshawski novel is like returning home to visit old friends with Vic as the driven, hard-boiled detective; Mr. Contreras as the nosy yet helpful neighbor; Lotty as the doctor who always patches Vic up; and who can forget the two dogs, Mitch and Peppy, who help keep V.I. sane and in shape (good dogs!).
But Vic's getting older and getting beat up isn't like it used to be. No knock-down, drag-out fight one night and easy bounce-back day the next for her anymore. And she's found herself a nice, musical boyfriend who gets queasy at the sight of blood. I kind of got the impression he'd be much happier if she didn't do what she does, especially when she comes home to him covered in bruises or bleeding.
Plus, she has to deal with her super-annoying young cousin, Petra. Petra bugged the crap out of me. If I were Vic, I would not be nearly as tolerant with her whining and manipulating. I think I would have kicked Petra to the curb. But that's not V.I.'s style. She's all about reforming the un-reformable and helping those who can't help themselves (or just don't want to help themselves), one of the reasons she's such a sympathetic main character. On the outside, she's a tough nut but inside, she's got a soft heart.
Sara Paretsky keeps V.I. working hard and spins a great mystery, proving there's nothing stale in BODY WORK, the fourteenth novel of this series.
REVIEW: V.I. certainly does know how to find trouble (or does trouble just find her?) and this time is no exception. An evening at a club leads Vic into a murky and dangerous case involving an angry Iraqi veteran turned scapegoat for a back-alley murder. Chad, the accused vet, is in a coma and his father hires V.I. to prove his son's innocence.
What makes this series so enjoyable is not just the twisting mystery (which I can never seem to figure out). The characters are fantastic--diving into a V.I. Warshawski novel is like returning home to visit old friends with Vic as the driven, hard-boiled detective; Mr. Contreras as the nosy yet helpful neighbor; Lotty as the doctor who always patches Vic up; and who can forget the two dogs, Mitch and Peppy, who help keep V.I. sane and in shape (good dogs!).
But Vic's getting older and getting beat up isn't like it used to be. No knock-down, drag-out fight one night and easy bounce-back day the next for her anymore. And she's found herself a nice, musical boyfriend who gets queasy at the sight of blood. I kind of got the impression he'd be much happier if she didn't do what she does, especially when she comes home to him covered in bruises or bleeding.
Plus, she has to deal with her super-annoying young cousin, Petra. Petra bugged the crap out of me. If I were Vic, I would not be nearly as tolerant with her whining and manipulating. I think I would have kicked Petra to the curb. But that's not V.I.'s style. She's all about reforming the un-reformable and helping those who can't help themselves (or just don't want to help themselves), one of the reasons she's such a sympathetic main character. On the outside, she's a tough nut but inside, she's got a soft heart.
Sara Paretsky keeps V.I. working hard and spins a great mystery, proving there's nothing stale in BODY WORK, the fourteenth novel of this series.
Read
October 1, 2010Body Work, by Sara Paretsky, A. Narrated by Susan Ericksen, produced by Brilliance Audio, downloaded from audible.com.
Vic goes clubbing one night at a new edgy Chicago club called Club Gouge. The novelty act is a person, Karen Buckley, who sits on a stool on stage totally naked, inviting audience members to use her body as a canvas. Nadya, a trouble soul but a very good artist, paints things on her body everyday. The portrait seems to be of a strange and beautiful woman. There is also a rough-looking off-duty policeman who always paints numbers on Karen’s rear end. Karen collects each night’s portraits on a web cam and puts them on her web site. Various people show up to see this art show: Russian mobsters, contractors for the military, and a table of Iraq vets. One vet in particular, Chad, is very upset at Nadya’s drawing. Then Nadya is murdered. The police immediately believe it is Chad, this vet with PTSD, because he’s found with the smoking gun in hand. But he isn’t kept in the prison hospital because he is in a coma which may have been induced by drugs. Vick is hired by Chad’s parents to prove his innocence as they, and Vick can’t believe he actually shot or murdered Nadya. Nor can they believe he took drugs to commit suicide afterward. Vic’s cousin, Petra, is also working at Club Gouge as an employee, and Vic is very concerned about her working conditions. This book is enthralling and includes the usual characters we can’t live without: Vic, Mr. Contrerez, Petra, the two dogs, and Max and Lottie. Vic still gets lots of body damage but we see her getting older, in her 40’s now, and not taking injuries so well. It’s a very good book involving some secrets that go to the Iraq war and include more family members than just Nadya.
Vic goes clubbing one night at a new edgy Chicago club called Club Gouge. The novelty act is a person, Karen Buckley, who sits on a stool on stage totally naked, inviting audience members to use her body as a canvas. Nadya, a trouble soul but a very good artist, paints things on her body everyday. The portrait seems to be of a strange and beautiful woman. There is also a rough-looking off-duty policeman who always paints numbers on Karen’s rear end. Karen collects each night’s portraits on a web cam and puts them on her web site. Various people show up to see this art show: Russian mobsters, contractors for the military, and a table of Iraq vets. One vet in particular, Chad, is very upset at Nadya’s drawing. Then Nadya is murdered. The police immediately believe it is Chad, this vet with PTSD, because he’s found with the smoking gun in hand. But he isn’t kept in the prison hospital because he is in a coma which may have been induced by drugs. Vick is hired by Chad’s parents to prove his innocence as they, and Vick can’t believe he actually shot or murdered Nadya. Nor can they believe he took drugs to commit suicide afterward. Vic’s cousin, Petra, is also working at Club Gouge as an employee, and Vic is very concerned about her working conditions. This book is enthralling and includes the usual characters we can’t live without: Vic, Mr. Contrerez, Petra, the two dogs, and Max and Lottie. Vic still gets lots of body damage but we see her getting older, in her 40’s now, and not taking injuries so well. It’s a very good book involving some secrets that go to the Iraq war and include more family members than just Nadya.
April 30, 2022
When V.I. "Vic" Warshawski decides to take an evening off to go clubbing, a woman is shot and dies in Vic's arms in a back alley in 's .
V.I. has decided that if "Doctors take days off, why not PIs?" Her cousin Petra (introduced in ) has started working at Club Gouge, an edgy new nightclub. A new act at the club, the Body Artist, a woman who allows people to paint on her naked body, has created quite a stir, increasing the crowd at Club Gouge. When one painter's drawings on the Body Artist cause anger in an Iraqi war vet with PTSD, and the painter is subsequently murdered, the police figure it's an open-and-shut case. The vet's parents, however, don't think their son did it, and hire Vic to prove his innocence.
At first, Vic isn't sure what to make of the murder; she had seen the vet's anger. But she agrees to sort out the facts of the case.
As she gets closer to finding out who really shot Nadia Guaman, and the threads connecting the vet, Ukrainian mobsters, an angry off-duty cop, and others, V.I.'s life is in jeopardy.
While this 14th book in the 's V.I. Warshawsky series might be a little difficult to get into, it is well worth the reader's time, and won't disappoint.
V.I. has decided that if "Doctors take days off, why not PIs?" Her cousin Petra (introduced in ) has started working at Club Gouge, an edgy new nightclub. A new act at the club, the Body Artist, a woman who allows people to paint on her naked body, has created quite a stir, increasing the crowd at Club Gouge. When one painter's drawings on the Body Artist cause anger in an Iraqi war vet with PTSD, and the painter is subsequently murdered, the police figure it's an open-and-shut case. The vet's parents, however, don't think their son did it, and hire Vic to prove his innocence.
At first, Vic isn't sure what to make of the murder; she had seen the vet's anger. But she agrees to sort out the facts of the case.
As she gets closer to finding out who really shot Nadia Guaman, and the threads connecting the vet, Ukrainian mobsters, an angry off-duty cop, and others, V.I.'s life is in jeopardy.
While this 14th book in the 's V.I. Warshawsky series might be a little difficult to get into, it is well worth the reader's time, and won't disappoint.
May 7, 2013
It is not a good sign if you are reading a mystery novel and when the plot approaches its conclusion, you get bored and put the book away to do the dishes, scrub the floors, and dust the house. Unfortunately, this is what happened to me when reading Sara Paretsky's "Body Work".
I have read 8 mysteries by Ms. Paretsky that feature the famous V.I. Warshawsky and most of them would earn at least three stars from me, which is a pretty high rating. I do not think "Body Work" is on the same level. Yes, it has Victoria Ifigenia as the heroine, but the plot is just not interesting and I have found it hard to focus on reading.
Some aspects of the premise are crazy enough to be entertaining: a performance artist, the self-proclaimed Body Artist, has her naked body painted by members of audience during the performance. Information is sent via messages encoded as series of numbers that are painted on the woman's buttocks. OK. Cool. Now add some serious issues - Iraq veterans, corporate greed, corruption, nanoparticles, etc. Not cool anymore. Ridiculous. Not 'funny ridiculous' but mind-numbingly ridiculous.
Ms. Paretsky's writing is not as excellent as in the previous books. The novel has precious little of the local Chicago flavor that makes her other novels stand out. Some scenes, for instance the visit to Frannie Pindero's place or the street battle with the bad guys, feel awkward to read; their implausibility is neither whimsical nor charming.
I still have 10 pages to read, but can't get myself to do it. If they change how I feel about the book, I will rewrite the review. My rating below is based on Ms. Paretsky's competent writing and on V.I.'s character that I know from the previous books.
Two stars.
I have read 8 mysteries by Ms. Paretsky that feature the famous V.I. Warshawsky and most of them would earn at least three stars from me, which is a pretty high rating. I do not think "Body Work" is on the same level. Yes, it has Victoria Ifigenia as the heroine, but the plot is just not interesting and I have found it hard to focus on reading.
Some aspects of the premise are crazy enough to be entertaining: a performance artist, the self-proclaimed Body Artist, has her naked body painted by members of audience during the performance. Information is sent via messages encoded as series of numbers that are painted on the woman's buttocks. OK. Cool. Now add some serious issues - Iraq veterans, corporate greed, corruption, nanoparticles, etc. Not cool anymore. Ridiculous. Not 'funny ridiculous' but mind-numbingly ridiculous.
Ms. Paretsky's writing is not as excellent as in the previous books. The novel has precious little of the local Chicago flavor that makes her other novels stand out. Some scenes, for instance the visit to Frannie Pindero's place or the street battle with the bad guys, feel awkward to read; their implausibility is neither whimsical nor charming.
I still have 10 pages to read, but can't get myself to do it. If they change how I feel about the book, I will rewrite the review. My rating below is based on Ms. Paretsky's competent writing and on V.I.'s character that I know from the previous books.
Two stars.
March 9, 2016
Let me get a few things out of the way up front. I have no problem with either a female lead series, or a female action hero. JD Robb's Eve Dallas is a favorite character of mine, among others. If I've read this far in the series, I clearly don't have a huge issue with the author or concept.
I do have a problem with the way some female characters are written, and Ms. Warshawski is sometimes one of them. She's smart and tough, I like that. What I don't like is that she's perpetually short tempered, spewing abuse on everyone around her, but somehow or other still has friends. Maybe they think the abuse is part of her charm.
Now, I don't want to paint VI in a wholly negative light. She's smart, committed, good at what she does. She acts in a compassionate manner, she just manages to not do most of the other things associated with compassion. And I do enjoy Sara Paretsky's stories.
In this case, VI tries to take a night off. This never goes well for the star of an action series (or there wouldn't really be a story). She goes out clubbing, and manages to be in just the wrong place at just the wrong time for a woman she's never met to die in her arms after being shot.
There's an obvious suspect who the police glom on to. VI knows better and keeps digging. She uncovers ties to local gangsters and the military in Iraq as the case goes on. Her cousin Petra manages to keep getting herself in trouble, too.
It was a good story with a decent central mystery. I just find VI Warshawski to often be an annoying character. That was the case this time around. Judging from the other reviews I'm seeing, I'm not the only one to think this way. I do intend to read the next in the series, and I hope it's back to the writer's usually higher standards.
I do have a problem with the way some female characters are written, and Ms. Warshawski is sometimes one of them. She's smart and tough, I like that. What I don't like is that she's perpetually short tempered, spewing abuse on everyone around her, but somehow or other still has friends. Maybe they think the abuse is part of her charm.
Now, I don't want to paint VI in a wholly negative light. She's smart, committed, good at what she does. She acts in a compassionate manner, she just manages to not do most of the other things associated with compassion. And I do enjoy Sara Paretsky's stories.
In this case, VI tries to take a night off. This never goes well for the star of an action series (or there wouldn't really be a story). She goes out clubbing, and manages to be in just the wrong place at just the wrong time for a woman she's never met to die in her arms after being shot.
There's an obvious suspect who the police glom on to. VI knows better and keeps digging. She uncovers ties to local gangsters and the military in Iraq as the case goes on. Her cousin Petra manages to keep getting herself in trouble, too.
It was a good story with a decent central mystery. I just find VI Warshawski to often be an annoying character. That was the case this time around. Judging from the other reviews I'm seeing, I'm not the only one to think this way. I do intend to read the next in the series, and I hope it's back to the writer's usually higher standards.
July 28, 2010
This series has gotten better as it's gone on, with the last 3 books being absolute 5 star reads. Some consider the series "political", but that's one of the things that I think draws me to it. I like a book that makes me think, and the last few in the series have done that in spades. In this one Vic has been hired by the family of an Iraq war veteran who's suffering from PTSD. He's accused of murdering a woman outside a nightclub where a performance artist known as "The Body Artist" is igniting controversy. The dead woman has been painting the same thing on the "the Artist" over & over and the soldier has been returning every night and getting worked up over what the woman has been painting. He's found in his bed with the murder weapon and he appears to be an attempted suicide. The family doesn't think he killed the girl and wants Vic to find out who did. This story has far reaching implications and is extremely well told. It'll be on my top 10 list for this year, I'm sure. Kudos, Ms. Paretsky! Great story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 466 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.