For six stormy weeks in high school, V.I. Warshawski thought she was in love with Frank Guzzo. He broke up with her, she went off to college, he started driving trucks for a living. She forgot about him until the day his mother was arrested for bludgeoning his kid sister Annie to death. Twenty-five years later, Stella is released and Frank comes to V. I., begging the private detective to help find grounds to exonerate his mother from a crime she claims she never committed.V.I. doesn't want to get involved, but life has been hard on Frank. When V.I. agrees to ask a few questions, it's a painful journey to the past for her, to her old neighbourhood and the people she grew up with. And when she gets beaten up after attending a youth-group meeting in her old 'hood, V.I.'s main question becomes whether she will live long enough to find the answers.[Praise]'Sara Paretsky's V. I. Warshawski remains the most distinctive female private investigator in US crime fiction . . . immensely entertaining' Independent 'With the creation of V.I. Warshawski, Sara Paretsky did more than anyone to change the face of contemporary women's fiction' Express on Sunday

Sara Paretsky's V. I. Warshawski remains the most distinctive female private investigator in US crime fiction . . . always exhilarating and utterly involving - Independent (on BRUSH BACK)V.I. Warshawski is the perfect heroine . . . What [Paretsky] brings to the classic private-eye novel is something entirely original; a dry crackle of wit and a deep emotional sympathy with her characters - The Sunday TimesIt's hard not to get caught up in her passion . . . Snappy dialogue, tight plotting and realistic situations make Paretsky's unapologetically politicised thrillers a pleasure to read, whatever your viewpoint. - Daily MailSome crime series grow stale over time, but there's no sign of fatigue here. This is partly because the recurring characters continue to develop and engage the reader, and partly because of the moral intelligence that informs the writing. - SpectatorA daring departure for Paretsky . . . and a career-crowning triumph. - The Sunday Times on CRITICAL MASSParetsky's most ambitious novel so far: interesting, exciting and well worth reading. - Literary Review on CRITICAL MASS