Women Sleuths

We need a V. I. (Vic) Warshawski novel every year or two to remind us of how good crime fiction can be. This title—Paretsky’s 22nd in the series—is one of her very best: taut yet complex, fast-paced yet thoughtful. The novel begins as Vic’s dogs, off the leash and exploring Lake Michigan, discover an injured teenage girl tucked between two boulders, barely alive. Through Vic’s efforts she makes it to the hospital, only to disappear soon afterwards. The search for the girl brings us into a classic Paretsky world of Chicago mobsters and lowlifes, some extending back to Vic’s childhood. Just when you think there are too many characters, too much plot, the story falls beautifully into place. Few crime novels seem more of the moment than Overboard, with its depiction of police brutality and of a city chaotically emerging from the pandemic. Longtime fans will enjoy catching up with Vic’s friends, especially her neighbor, the delightful Mr. Contreras. Powerful.

When you hear that a mystery features Queen Elizabeth II as the detective, you probably think it is going to be a frothy, frivolous affair. Indeed, S.J. Bennett’s follow-up to The Windsor Knot is at times droll, humorous, and laugh-aloud funny. But it also takes on some tough topics, including racism and sexual harassment among the Household staff, while the Brexit referendum and the rowdy U.S. elections simmer in the background. Here we have two mysteries, the disappearance of one of the Queen’s favorite paintings and the shocking death of an older member of the Household, found near the Buckingham Palace swimming pool. As in the first book, it’s the Queen’s young assistant private secretary, Rozie Oshodi, who digs deep into the criminal activities, while the Queen ultimately fits all the pieces together—allowing three male members of the Household to believe they have everything under control. From the naughty corgis to the delightful appearances by Prince Philip, and from the tacit feminism to the interior musings of the Queen, this book is an absolute delight.

This standalone novel, a break from McTiernan’s Cormac Reilly series, is proof of the extraordinary depth and breadth she possesses as a writer. Hannah, a third year law student at the University of Maine, manages to bulldoze her way into spending a semester at the University of Virginia School of Law’s Innocence Project, a true-to-life initiative that seeks exoneration for wrongfully convicted people in Virginia. She leaves behind her mother—a fragile alcoholic—as she attempts to thwart one of the Project’s high profile cases: the release of Michael Dandridge, who’s serving life imprisonment for rape and murder. Why does Hannah care? The secret lies in her mother’s 1994 diary, passages of which are interspersed throughout the present-day narrative. Hannah’s efforts to sabotage the case—and the shocking facts she unearths in the process—are the stuff of a classic thriller. But the emotional connections forged throughout the book give it added meaning. For a writer who has seemingly never lived in the United States, the locations, diction, and class signifiers are flawless. This novel can appeal to a wide range of readers, from suspense seekers to fans of legal thrillers to those who just want, as the British say, a cracking great read.