reddybeast's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
rclz's review against another edition
3.0
These are starting to have a sameness about them. I think I'll wait awhile before I read the next one.
ncrabb's review against another edition
3.0
It’s best if you start this series with the first book; I didn’t, and it turned out ok because Paretsky gives you just enough information that you’re not feeling lost, but not so much that you’re bored if you’ve read books prior to this one.
Some Chicago officials are on the take, (no news there), and the scam involves old buildings. V. I. Warshawski, a tough female detective who insists on embracing the city, grittiness and all, gets involved when her booze-saturated aunt shows up at her door one early morning, having been burned out of her shabby residential hotel.
Why are buildings burning in the city? And why don’t the politicians and even the cops want Warshawski involved?
Tension grows as Warshawski discovers the body of a drug addict friend of her aunt’s in a burned-out construction site. It’s up to her to figure out who’s on the take to such a degree that committing murder makes sense.
As is true with all of these books, you get such a vivid portrait of Chicago in the 1980s and 1990s. I always expect Mike Royko to make a cameo appearance in these books so vivid is her description of the city. He never does, of course, but if he did, you wouldn’t be surprised or wonder why he’s in the book.
Some Chicago officials are on the take, (no news there), and the scam involves old buildings. V. I. Warshawski, a tough female detective who insists on embracing the city, grittiness and all, gets involved when her booze-saturated aunt shows up at her door one early morning, having been burned out of her shabby residential hotel.
Why are buildings burning in the city? And why don’t the politicians and even the cops want Warshawski involved?
Tension grows as Warshawski discovers the body of a drug addict friend of her aunt’s in a burned-out construction site. It’s up to her to figure out who’s on the take to such a degree that committing murder makes sense.
As is true with all of these books, you get such a vivid portrait of Chicago in the 1980s and 1990s. I always expect Mike Royko to make a cameo appearance in these books so vivid is her description of the city. He never does, of course, but if he did, you wouldn’t be surprised or wonder why he’s in the book.
claudiafp's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
koshkemeow's review against another edition
4.0
This book was okay, it is part of a series but the prof wanted these one to be read for my "Crime, Mystery and Detection" class. I can't tell you rather I like it or not. It did make me want to possibly one day go and locate the first one and work my way through them but I am not going to lose sleep over them. Good story, good red herrings, way too many charactors. I am not even sure I could name all of them and how they work into the plot.
bdplume's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad, but not as good as other VI books I've read. It takes a long time setting up an end that seems inevitable and obvious.
minsies's review against another edition
3.0
I like finding detectives that work for me, and Warshawski certainly does. The thing is that I don't really find crime novels all that riveting, so while the ones I like are a step above OK, there's nothing to elevate them past that.
And that's fine with me - I don't need to have srs bsns reasons for everything (or anything) I read. I do like being able to articulate what I like, though, and the most I can say for crime novels that work is that they're not especially gross (where especially gross varies according to my mood, but anyway).
This is not especially gross! There's a dog who makes it through the book unscathed! I don't like everything about Warshawski, but I do like most of it! The racist bits are kept to a relative minimum!
So, yeah. A step above OK.
And that's fine with me - I don't need to have srs bsns reasons for everything (or anything) I read. I do like being able to articulate what I like, though, and the most I can say for crime novels that work is that they're not especially gross (where especially gross varies according to my mood, but anyway).
This is not especially gross! There's a dog who makes it through the book unscathed! I don't like everything about Warshawski, but I do like most of it! The racist bits are kept to a relative minimum!
So, yeah. A step above OK.
bjerz's review against another edition
5.0
Sara Paretsky never disappoints, and Burn Marks is another great read. V.I. Warshawski's friend asks for her support as she runs for office in Chicago, while at the same time her alcoholic aunt shows up at her doorstep asking for help. Somehow both stories intertwine and V.I. is almost killed, again. Very gripping.
koshkemeow's review against another edition
4.0
This book was okay, it is part of a series but the prof wanted these one to be read for my "Crime, Mystery and Detection" class. I can't tell you rather I like it or not. It did make me want to possibly one day go and locate the first one and work my way through them but I am not going to lose sleep over them. Good story, good red herrings, way too many charactors. I am not even sure I could name all of them and how they work into the plot.
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