The first Warshawski novel and a fresh on the hard boiled exploits of Sam Spade and, particularly, Phillip Marlowe. This is a book where situations and dependencies are more nuanced, with a female protagonists noticing and building around psychologies of attraction and networks, rather than just falling foul to, or using them. The plotting and set-ups are reassuringly noir-ish, with a lively cast of crooks, errant family members, establishments and the odd shoot out here and there. For the detective enthusiast, a joy to read.