Fire Sale by
Sara Paretsky
hbk out March 06
Published by Hodder
at £12.99
What is there new to say about this, the twelfth V I Warshawski book, that hasn't
been said before? If by some strange quirk, you have not read Paretsky before, let me
tell you she was born in Iowa, and grew up and was educated in Kansas, where she
obtained a degree in political science at the University. Ultimately she moved to
Chicago, and this became the home of V I Warshawski, a character she created in the first
in the series in 1982, the same year a woman became a Chicago cop for the first time.
Paretsky is said to have created V I because until then women in American crime fiction
seemed to be either evil or powerless. In this book she brings her character back to her
roots in rough and depressed South Chicago.
After her cousin had been murdered there fifteen years previously, V I had not
returned to South Chicago. But now Coach McFarlane is dying of cancer, and wanted
V I to stand in for her as coach of the girls' basketball team. This puts V I in contact with
old school friends, and enemies. One of her girls, April, is the daughter of one-time
school Romeo Bron Czernin, who married Sandra Zoltak. And Sandra and V I had had a
falling out over V I's cousin. Reluctantly, V I gets dragged into the private business of her
girls' parents. Josie wants her to help her mother Rose find out why nasty things are
happening where Rose works. The Fly the Flag company is run by Frank Zamar, but
someone wants to ensure it fails, and ultimately the factory is fire-bombed and Zamar
dies. In the mean time V I is getting mixed up with the business affairs of By-Smart
supermarket chain, as she tries to get sponsorship money out of the elderly but still spry
owner, Buffalo Bill Bysen. He runs a strict ship, and requires management to attend
religious services as part of the start of their day. At least V I has an ally in Buffalo Bill's
grandson Billy.
Then Billy disappears with Josie, and all hell lets loose. A long-time journalist
friend of V I's latest man is found close to death near the body of 'Romeo' Czernin. And
everything seems to revolve around the Bysens and their business.
Paretsky carries out a lot of ground research for her books, and for this one she
attended storefront churches to get into the world of her character, Pastor Andres. Her
experiences can spill directly into her books. The incident where V I places a $20 bill in
the plate at the church and is offered change, is drawn from real life. In fact Paretsky
does not stint in including her own personal views on social issues in her books. This is
no exception, and some may think the story slows alarmingly as it develops a view on
poverty and big business. James Patterson this is not, and you must take Paretsky and V I
Warshawski at their own pace. This is the formula as before and naturally, V I comes in
for her usual share of beatings and life-threatening situations. Have no fear, Paretsky has
apparently consulted medical advice to make sure that V I wouldn't have got punch-
drunk. If you love V I, then you will love this story and want more. The character does
develop and age through the books she has appeared in, but there is more mileage in
her yet.
(
Ian Morson
Author of Falconer books and short listed for 1999 Ellis Peters Historical Crime Dagger)
Fire Sale by
Sara Paretsky
