Synopses & Reviews
Killing Orders, V. I. Warshawski's third adventure, starts when her great-aunt Rosa summons the detective to her cold suburban home. Rosa made V. I.'s childhood miserable and the detective resents the command to help her aunt prove she didn't embezzle five million dollars from a local Dominican priory.
All hell breaks loose when a mysterious opponent tries to take Vic off the case by throwing acid in her eyes and burning down her apartment. And when a friend who's involved in the case is brutally murdered, it begins to look as if Vic hasn't got a prayer.
But Warshawski continues to follow every lead, even when they point to some pretty unorthodox conclusions: Perhaps the Dominicans are covering up a financial scandal. Maybe the whole conspiracy is under the patronage of an international conglomerate, or of Don Pasquale, king of the Chicago mob. Worst of all, someone who's close to Vic could be involved her darkly handsome English lover, Roger Ferrant, or even Aunt Rosa herself.
Review
"In her third and latest caper, Killing Orders, she bucks the Mafia, the Vatican and an international conglomerate." Playboy
Review
"Sara Paretsky's book is not only a joy to read; it restores politics to its rightful place in the mainstream private eye novel, and in doing so revitalises the tradition." New Statesman
Synopsis
V.I.'s battleaxe Aunt Rosa is under investigation by the FBI and SEC after counterfeit stock certificates were found at St. Albert's Priory, where she serves as treasurer. As malicious as her aunt is, V.I. knows she's not dishonest, so V.I. vows to protect her from taking the fall. But V.I. starts questioning the strength of her family ties when a menacing voice on the phone threatens to throw acid into her eyes if she doesn't butt out. The stakes are high as she begins to sniff out a connection between Chicago's most powerful institutions: the Church and the Mob.
About the Author
Sara Paretsky is the author of sixteen books, including her renowned V. I. Warshawski novels. Her many awards include the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement from the British Crime Writers' Association. She lives in Chicago.