Every new Sara Paretsky novel is an event, the chance to reencounter her beloved heroine V.I. Warshawski — "a private eye with the sharpest tongue and hardest head in Chicago" The New York Times Book Review — a cause for rejoicing. But Blacklist is something special.

This is a story of secrets and betrayals that stretch across four generations — secrets political, social, sexual, financial: all of them with the power to kill. Eager for something physical to do in the spirit-exhausting wake of 9/11, V.I. accepts a request from an old client to check up on an empty family mansion; subsequently surprises an intruder in the dark; and, giving chase, topples into a pond. Grasping for something to hold on to, her fingers close around a lifeless human hand. It is the body of a reporter who had been investigating events of forty-five years earlier, during the McCarthy era, and V.I.'s discovery quickly sucks her into the history of two great Chicago families — their fortunes intertwined by blood, sex, money, and the scandals that may or may not have resulted in murder all these years later.

At the same time, she inadvertently becomes involved in the story of a missing Egyptian boy whose possible terrorist connections make him very much sought after by the government. As the two cases drive her forward — and then shockingly tumble together — she finds that wealth and privilege, too, bear a terrible price; and the past has no monopoly on patriotic scoundrels. Before everything is over, at least two more people will lie dead...and V.I. might even be one of them. A novel as passionate, complex, and powerfully entertaining as its acclaimed heroine, Blacklist is a stunning achievement.

"With this top-notch offering, [Paretsky] earns another vote of confidence for V.I." Publishers Weekly

"[A] stellar entry in a celebrated series....A tightly woven and thoughtful thriller, this enticing mix of history and mystery showcases sharp, clever, vulnerable V. I. at her best." Booklist

"[A] compelling tale of secrets that can't stay buried." Kirkus Reviews

Paretsky returns with her heroine V.I. Warshawski. This is a story of secrets and betrayals that stretch across four generations — secrets political, social, sexual, financial: all of them with the power to kill.

Sara Paretsky is the author of twelve previous books, including ten V. I. Warshawski novels. She is the winner of many awards, including the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement from the British Crime Writers' Association.