LEE CHILD says she’s “a genius.”P.D. JAMES called her “the most remarkable” of today’s suspense writers. STIEG LARSSON loved her work so much, he named her in his novels. And now SARA PARETSKY returns with the most extraordinary novel of her legendary career: FALLOUT.Before there was Lisbeth Salander, before there was Stephanie Plum, there was V.I. WARSHAWSKI. To her parents, she’s Victoria … was Lisbeth Salander, before there was Stephanie Plum, there was V.I. WARSHAWSKI. To her parents, she’s Victoria Iphigenia. To her friends, she’s Vic. But to clients seeking her talents as a detective, she’s V.I. And her new case will lead her from her native Chicago… and into Kansas, on the trail of a vanished film student and a faded Hollywood star.
Accompanied by her dog, V.I. tracks her quarry through a university town, across fields where missile silos once flourished — and into a past riven by long-simmering racial tensions, a past that holds the key to the crimes of the present. But as the mysteries stack up, so does the body count. And in this, her toughest case, not even V.I. is safe.
Exciting and provocative, fiercely intelligent and witty, FALLOUT is reading at its most enjoyable and powerful.
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Fallout is the 18th book in the VI Warshawski series written by Sara Paretsky in 2017. The series stars a ~50ish female Chicago private detective and is in the thriller / suspense genre. Each mystery is contained within a single book, but some characters cross over throughout the series in the subplots. In Fallout, VI’s hired by a friend of her niece’s to check into the disappearance of a cousin. When VI looks further into it, she believes he took off for Kansas with an older mentor, helping to film the woman’s life. VI agrees to take the case and heads to Kansas which she hopes is a short trip. Then, the bodies begin to pile up. The story takes on a much darker focus.
Confident the two are in hiding because of a secret they’ve stumbled upon, VI investigates the larger case that she thinks is the way to find them. Nearly 40 years ago, the US government was testing chemical weapons in a small Kansas town. Some locals were involved, and a few families were impacted. VI finds enemies and friends in this small town, and every time she meets with someone, the person ends up dead or almost dead afterward. Who’s following her? What type of bugs have been planted in her cell phone, motel room, laptop, and car? Is the local sheriff on the side of the good guys or the bad guys? All these come to the forefront in this tragic tale.
On the whole, it’s a clever and complex tale. Something like this has probably happened in real life. It’s one of the more tangible and realistic cases we’ve seen VI tackle. I like how the disappearing duo are African American, but that’s pretty much all we handle in this book–meaning… it’s not about race for once. The crime isn’t an issue of black versus white, or poor versus rich side of town, etc. It’s purely a tale of government versus small town, regardless of ethnicity and financial standing. Paretsky usually shines a light on race relations and corruption, so this was a nice change of pace to have a different kind of social crime occurring.
Another thing I really liked was the new locale and cast of characters. While Mr. Contreras is mentioned, and Lotty shows up for a quick minute, we only see Bernie Fouchard appear with VI. Everything is different, and it helped the book feel newer. I still want to hear all about my Chicago friends again soon, but this one was a good change of pace. One thing I didn’t like very much was the disconnect between the missing duo and the actual shenanigans in the town. Yes, they were sorta mixed up in it, but ultimately, they weren’t impacted and I struggled to understand why NOW. Why did the older woman suddenly need to go back home and drag the young kid with her? Sometimes you have to look the other way, which is fine… but I would’ve preferred a stronger connection.
All that said, it’s one of the clearer and easier plots to follow. Somewhere between a 4 and 4.5 stars, but I’ll round down on this one. One more (#19 – Shell Game) to read next week, then I’m current on this series. The next one comes out in 2020, so I’ll get a break and focus on other fave series and authors for the next few months.
Excellent writing and a great story.
A bit silly. Way too many subplots that are just not believable.
great story about a lethal virus – very topical – held my attention during these troubled times. I haven’t read a Sarah Paretsky book in a while but I really do enjoy her writing style and characters.
Always love Sara’s books. Great story teller!
I’m a fan of this series
I like this character , have read many in this series over the years. But this one disappointed.
It felt like a vehicle for the author’s political views.
I think this is her best book yet.
Paretsky’s Chicago detective VI Warshawski stars in her 19th book of the series. VI follows the action from Chicago to Kansas! Great for mystery fans everywhere.
Paretsky is such an inspiration to those of us writing in the genre. I’ve read every V.I book and loved them all. This one was terrific and can’t wait to read her newest!
Good author
Another great VI Warshawski book but this one rakes her away from her normal Chicago beat to the college town of Lawrence Kansas. Very entertaining with some history thrown in besides.
It kept my interest, both times around. LOL.
I love all her books
Moving V. I. Warshawski out of Chicago for an adventure in Kansas was brilliant. So many twists and turns on the path to finding a missing actress and filmmaker make for a delightful and page turning read.
Sara Paretsky at her best!
always excellent
Interesting plot
The main character (V.I.) is getting a bit long-in-the-tooth, but the change in setting from Chicago to rural Kansas freshens things up a bit. The plot is complex with the usual twists and turns and the ever-present uncertainty about who you can really trust.
Not her best. Kind of confusing.