Dead Land

By: Sara Paretsky

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

“V.I. Warshawski is as dogged and ferocious as ever. So is Sara Paretsky, who is at the top of her crime novel game.”
— C.J. Box

Chicago’s legendary detective, V.I. Warshawski, knows her city’s rotten underbelly better than most, but she’s unable to avoid it when her goddaughter drags her into a fight over lakefront land use, in this propulsive novel from New York Times bestseller Sara Paretsky.

Chicago may be the city of broad shoulders, but its political law is “Pay to Play.” Money changes hands in the middle of the night, and by morning, buildings and parks are replaced by billion-dollar projects.

Chicago PI V.I. Warshawski gets pulled into one of these clandestine deals through her impetuous goddaughter, Bernie Fouchard. Bernie tries to rescue Lydia Zamir, a famed singer-songwriter now living on the streets; Zamir’s life fell apart when her lover was murdered next to her in a mass shooting at an outdoor concert. Not only does Bernie plunge her and V.I. headlong into the path of some ruthless developers, they lead to the murder of the young man Bernie is dating. He’s a computer geek working for a community group called SLICK.

V.I. is desperate to find a mysterious man named Coop, who roams the lakefront in the middle of the night with his dog. She’s sure he holds the key to the mounting body count within SLICK. Coop may even know why an international law firm is representing the mass murderer responsible for Lydia’s lover’s death. Instead, the detective finds a terrifying conspiracy stretching from Chicago’s parks to a cover-up of the dark chapters in America’s meddling in South American politics. Before she finds answers, this electrifying novel pushes V.I. close to the breaking point: People who pay to play take no prisoners.

I always enjoy VI Warshawski novels

I’ve read them all. Vic never seems to age. She’s up to anything and this latest doesn’t disappoint.

Something I’ve noticed in almost all her books is that Vic says often in every book that she’s tired, exhausted, panting, so fatigued, etc. Maybe authors get stuck on a theme and don’t realize the repetitiveness in each book and from book to book. As I said, Vic is up to anything. But how can she be that and always tired? This is petty, I know, but I’m always hoping the editors will read reviews and learn the things that readers notice.

The other thing, and I’m sure the author knows this. Paretsky is a Liberal and never fails to tout her Liberal feelings about society when she writes about a situation, be it political or social. Personally, that annoys me. I don’t care about an author’s political feelings and I’m paying for the book to escape CNN, Fox, etc. So spare me, please.

Otherwise, keep up the good work!

Listen at 1.25x

For all those who dislike the narration, listen to it at a faster speed. The producers have started slowing down perfectly good narration to make books seem longer. But Ericksen should definitely learn how to say the word “Chilean.” Otherwise, I thought the story was interesting though I agree with those who say there was too much repetitive introspection by the main character.

Still at the top of her game

Classic Sara Paretsky: intricate plot, compelling tension and a sweet dog as sidekick. Don’t miss this one.

Keep searching - it's not what you think

(as posted in Goodreads)
V.I. Warshawski
I had forgotten how much I liked Sara Paretsky. Her main character (V.I. Warshawski) Is definitely many sided but ultimately and undeniably likable, relatable, and more than a little acceptable. her run-ins With the undesirables start out inconceivable, but it's all answered in the end. And the good guys always win! I had read all of her books through 15 or 16, I think, as they came out, but I've missed the last few. Now I need to go back and read the ones that I've missed.
She is definitely a joy.

Great story, annoying narrator

I have read all V.I. Warshawski novels, except the last two which I listened to on Audible. Needless to say I’m a big fan!
My only complaint is the Susan Erickson’s narration. Her over-emphasized inflections of every word sound so unnatural. Nobody speaks like that, not even stage actors. It grates on me and I think I’ll go back to reading Paretski’s next novel when it comes out.