lisaarnsdorf's review against another edition
2.0
This was my first Paretsky. I had banked on the fact that most authors recap who their characters are and what the background stories and connections are. No such luck. This wasn't a bad read - it definitely kept my attention for the 45 minutes it took me to get one mile down the road this evening.
I found the amount and recurrence of injuries to Vic to be over the top and unbelievable. And the romance felt like the author thinking, "Oops! It's almost over and I forgot to include some romance!" Barring those two things, which play heavily in the end and are thus on the top of my mind, I enjoyed it.
I found the amount and recurrence of injuries to Vic to be over the top and unbelievable. And the romance felt like the author thinking, "Oops! It's almost over and I forgot to include some romance!" Barring those two things, which play heavily in the end and are thus on the top of my mind, I enjoyed it.
claudiafp's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nocto's review against another edition
5.0
I know loads of people can't stand VI but I love her and I'm glad to see her back. I was disappointed by the first half of the book but the second half was very intense and the only book so far this year (2000) to keep me up all night when I really really needed to be sleeping.
jodi_b's review against another edition
4.0
If I were to teach that class I loved in college, gender and detective fiction, I would include this book. Prison industrial complex, violence against women, media, fast fashion, worker exploitation, and more with V. I. Warshawski, a mistake making, never give up, idealistic, feminist detective.
anna_hepworth's review against another edition
This is the first full length novel featuring V.I. Warshawski I've tried reading, and I did not enjoy the experience. I lasted until page 38, at which point I decided that the police harassment of the protagonist, the multiple reflections on how expensive and awful things were, and the general nastiness of the majority of the characters was too much. It was heading into farce with murder, and I'm really not that motivated to read something that just repeats how awful men are to women, and how messed up the American medical and police systems look, particularly when caricatured, as they are here.
[This book was given to me by a friend downsizing their library; I won't be keeping it, as there are too many books I enjoy reading for more than 'so how does the writer get there from here' type questions. ]
[This book was given to me by a friend downsizing their library; I won't be keeping it, as there are too many books I enjoy reading for more than 'so how does the writer get there from here' type questions. ]
bdplume's review against another edition
4.0
Her novels keep getting richer as they progress. New twists on the supporting characters and new trials for VI keep the pages turning.
bjerz's review against another edition
4.0
Sara Paretsky is high up on her soap box in Hard Time, preaching (to the choir in this case) about the evils of corporate-run prisons and political influence. Her wonderful character, V.I. Warshawsaki, comes out beaten but unbowed, having vanquished several modern dragons. Paretsky and Warshawski just keep getting better. An intense, addicting read from beginning to end.