Novel, 1984

Second outing for PI VI Warshawski, which manages to make compelling entertainment from freighters operating on the Great Lakes around Chicago. Conscious nods, references and homages to all sorts of literature and the detective genre, from chapter headings to scene set ups and action set pieces. Paretsky squeezes in and builds a convincing picture of the operation of shipping companies into the bargain, so while not an ‘essential read’, this is solid mystery detective stuff. Worth a look for those into the genre, if not a wider audience.