Cover Image: Overboard

Overboard

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Strangely enough I read the first book in the VI Warshakski series recently, and its quite heart warming to see how the investigator has grown and after 22 books in the series, are just as entertaining as the first. Really recommended for anyone who loves a good read.

Was this review helpful?

When V.I. discovers a badly injured teen she is soon racing agains time to find the teen again before the worst happens.
I have read many of the VI mysteries and always come back for more. It is a gritty page turning book, though it did take a little to get going. It was set with the backdrop of the modern Covid conflict, and whilst this did not bother me, it did detract, perhaps as the cosequences of the pandemic are still too raw.

Was this review helpful?

Fast paced thriller,very topical,with interesting characters and a good story. Part of a series but ok as a stand-alone. A good read.

Was this review helpful?

VI Warshawski falls into another dangerous case while out on a run. An emerging lockdown story wrestling with property corruption. I felt exhausted just reading this, Warshawski hardly sleeps and she definitely keeps the mobile phone shops in business. Thank you to Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

I've been reading V.I. Warshawski stories for ages and they were always entertaining, gripping, and compelling.
She's a strong characters and Sara Paretsky a master storyteller that keeps me hooked and guessing.
Great plot, solid mystery, well developed and interesting characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. The latest in a lengthy series apparently, it does work as a stand-alone but I feel I would have benefitted from having connected with the history of some characters more if I had read earlier books! Still it was a very good read with good writing and a good premise. I am sure it will appeal to fans of the genre?

Was this review helpful?

My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
This is the twenty first book in the V I Warshawski series but can easily be read as a standalone story. It's not my first i had previously, more years ago than I care to remember read the first half a dozen books, then for some reason stopped I have no idea why. I even think there are a couple in the to be read pile of boxes in the loft. Did I have any problems returning to this series, NO it's as if we had never been apart, Well written with a number of cases being investigated at the same time, plenty of surprises and twists along the way. Our heroine is still as ballsy brave clever fearless and feisty as I remember with the smart mouth and almost constant wise cracks. I think a visit to the loft to find those books I called for.
Completely recommended.

Was this review helpful?

I've read other books in this series but as standalone books and don't think that spoilt my enjoyment at all. This book was well written with interesting characters. I read it quite fast so I'd call it a page turner. I wanted to know what would happen. In my opinion, even if you haven't read any others in the series, this is definitely worth reading.

Was this review helpful?

I’ve been reading V.I Warshawski novels for many years and I love the fact that the main character has not changed nor aged! She’s still as brave and clever as she was when the author first conceived her! When I read my first novel featuring VI I was amazed to find a female detective who was fearless and ready to jump into action- in those days those sort of heroes were all male.
I’m pleased to say that despite writing about VI for so many years, Ms Paretsky is still able to conceive a good plot with plenty for our heroine to investigate.
I love the fact that all the main characters do not seem to get any older - even Vic’s elderly neighbour who should probably be 140 years old by now. All characters remain refreshingly the same- only Chicago has changed.
In Overboard the author writes about pandemic times but I did not find this intrusive- in fact it was just part of the background as it should be in a good novel.
VI discovers a young girl with burns washed up in some rocks by Lake Michigan. When she disappears from Dr Lotty’s hospital Vic starts to search for her and becomes involved in a complicated plot involving some very violent people including a Chicago cop.
There are some nasty developers who are targeting defenceless people including an elderly home owner and some worshippers at the local synagogue. Vic must defend them all with very little help- all in a days work for our intrepid detective. Police violence, racism and antisemitism are the modern day themes discussed but Ms Paretsky makes it clear that this ugliness has been around for many years- Lotty’s escape from Nazi Germany and Silvia’s escape from Hungry in the 1950s. History is now repeating itself- we only have to turn on our tvs and watch the news..
The characters in the novel are as fresh as when I first started reading them 35 years ago. It is like being reunited with old friends but I must add that the plot itself is right up to date with use of electronics and drones. The author has definitely moved with the times.
Recommended to VI fans but also to anyone who enjoys a high octane crime thriller with a great female lead. Sara Paretsky has definitely trail blazed the way for female mystery authors. Five stars from me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc.

Was this review helpful?

I do love revisiting the involved and nuanced world of VI Warshawski. Overboard is a strong entry to the long running series, it does benefit from having a knowledge of the cast of characters, but there's plenty going on with the plot as well to drive the story. Paretsky brings a strong element of political and social commentary into her books, which I think adds depth to the action of private investigator VI.

Was this review helpful?

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book

well its been a while since i last read a book by this author and they are still crazily good

V.I is out walking her dogs when she loses control of them but when she catches up with them its obvious they have found something, and though its against the law to climb down the rocks that is exactly what she does...

what V.I wasnt expecting was to find a young girl inbetween the rocks and that she was alive...

and so begins V.I next adventure which does see her getting beaten up a few times...

an interesting read with quite a few characters to get your head around...but stick with it as its a brilliant read

Was this review helpful?

I have read the majority of the V.I. Warshawski books by Sara Paretsky but haven't read one in years.

On the whole, I enjoyed the book, with a few reservations, an awful lot of covid references, especially to people not wearing masks, etc, felt like an agenda was being pushed. Swearing, especially the 'C-word, I get it, I'm old and a fuddy-duddy, but I don't need to see it in books I am reading. Police acting like they have their own army, may have been the case years ago, but times have changed, people are more alert and the majority have mobile phones, does brutality still happen, absolutely but can people get away with as much, I like to think not!

A solid read, if a bit long in parts.

Was this review helpful?

This is a welcome return to the world of PI VI Warshawski and is set against the background of the Pandemic .

Finishing off a night surveillance job, VI takes her dogs to Lake Michigan for a run where Mitch finds an injured young girl who manages to utter just one strange word to VI before being taken to hospital.
When the young woman disappears from hospital before receiving medical help it soon becomes apparent that someone is after her - a brutal , corrupt cop being foremost - just how does he manage to stay in post ?
On top of this puzzle Vi is drawn back into her past and old neighbourhood as she has been asked by Brad Litvak to look into a conversation he has overheard when his father was on the phone - his parents are in the middle of an acrimonious divorce - what is going on ?
VI is soon drawn into a world of organised crime , corrupt cops , where greed is dominant - can she find the young woman before her own life might be forfeit

This Author manages to produce work of such a high standard in this long running series - a great read

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Was this review helpful?

This is legendary crime writer Sara Paretsky's latest outing for her iconic feminist Chicago PI VI Warshawski, who once fights the good fight against injustice despite all the cost to her now ageing body amidst the background of the pandemic. Aiding her are the, by now, delightful well established supporting cast of characters that include her heroic dogs, Mitch and Peppy, that she shares with her pugnacious elderly neighbour, Mr Contreras, Dr Lotty Herschel, lawyer Carter Freeman, the Streeter brothers, Lieutenant Terry Finch, keen reporter, Murray Ryerson and archaeologict boyfriend, Peter. Finishing off a night surveillance job, VI takes her dogs to Lake Michigan where Mitch takes off, finding a injured and unconscious young teenage girl with a faint pulse who gets taken to hospital, she says only one strange word to VI that makes absolutely no sense.

The unidentified girl disappears, despite still needing medical care, it soon becomes she is in danger from powerful forces seeking an item they believe is in her possession, they include a brutal and violent corrupt CPD cop operating out of the notorious Homex Square police station, Scott Coney, with the catalogue of complaints against him, yet continues to remain in post. Another young teenager, Brad Litvak needs VI's help, his family are well known to her from her childhood in the poverty stricked district of South Chicago. He relates his worries over his father, Donny, after an overheard telephone conversation, his warring parents are in the middle of an acrimonious divorce. Additionally, VI is doing her best to support the fragile and vulnerable Dona Ilona and Emilio Pariente and protect the the Jewish temple Shaamar Hashomayim from vandalism, hateful graffiti and from those with a nefarious agenda.

Paretsky writes a compulsive and suspenseful addition to her stellar series, with VI operating in a Chicago in the aftermath of the pandemic, a city that is as politically divided as the rest of the US, with its extreme poverty and deadly health inequalities, corporate corruption, and which reflects the troubling and brutal policing seen across the country, particularly illustrated here with Homex Square police station which does, unfortunately, actually exist. This is, as usual, a wonderful and gritty crime read, in which the disparate threads become slowly and masterfully drawn together and connected, leading to a thrilling finale. A brilliant read and highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Waited so long for this book and it didn’t disappoint.. Vic doing what she does best - trying to protect the innocent from harm despite the violence she suffers.
Vic’s mother and her beloved cousin Boom Boom are there to lend a helping voice.
Mr C must be 150 by now but who’s counting.
Very enjoyable and recommended

Was this review helpful?

It's been a while since I read a VI Warshowski novel and it was riveting. Paretsky crafts a sharp story of corruption and greed and VI is there to keep people accountable. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

So where the hell have I been living to have not come across Sara Paretsky & her famous character D. I. Warshawski!!! Clearly under a rock!

Finished in a day, this book was fast paced, intriguing and jam packed with damn right devious characters. I loved how it was set with the current pandemic in mind as let's face it wearing masks and risking infection has been our reality for 2 years! I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. Warshawski is a sh*t hot heroine! Talk about saving the day and not just for one person!

I can't wait to read more already!!

Was this review helpful?

More than twenty novels into the series, the VI Warshawski stories are as compelling as ever. The latest instalment sees the Chicago PI stumbling into a complex case when her dogs find a badly injured young woman. Vic takes her to hospital but no one know her identity. And so the hunt begins ...

Warshawski finds herself enmeshed in family squabbles over a mansion, uncovering connections to characters from her own past and tangling with a brutally corrupt Chicago detective. Set against a backdrop of a city recovering from the pandemic, Vic's inherent drive for justice carries her ever closer to the truth.

Overboard is another excellent novel from Sara Paretsky. With a large cast and a complex plot, it intrigues and entertains, as a top class storyteller pulls the reader into her world. All of the characters we have come to know through the series play their parts, but it is VI who is right at the centre of events.

Was this review helpful?

My oh my but what a good read this book was, kept me glued to it throughout and I didn’t want to leave it down at all….

Was this review helpful?

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of Overboard, the twenty first novel to feature Chicago PI V. I. Warshawski.

Vic is chasing her two dogs in the rocks at Lake Michigan when she finds a badly injured teenager. The girl says one word with no apparent meaning before losing consciousness. As Vic tries to establish the girl’s identity she slips out of the hospital and disappears. It soon becomes clear that Vic is not the only one looking for the girl, but she’s the only one looking to protect her, everyone else wants her dead and Vic too if she gets in the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Overboard, which is another fine addition to a very readable series. It is told from Vic’s first person point of view so the reader can get absorbed in her world and ride the roller coaster of her investigation. This works well as she has a compelling voice and her thirst for protecting the underdog pits her against formidable adversaries and always involves plenty of drama and action.

The plot is complicated with Vic not only looking for the missing teenager, but helping out some elderly Jews whose synagogue is under threat from developers and another teenager who wants help protecting his dad, an old nemesis from Vic’s childhood. There is, therefore, a large cast of characters, various nefarious motives and all sorts of initially inexplicable actions on the part of the bad guys. It takes a high level of concentration to keep up and sort through each strand, but it’s definitely worth it as the denouement is a masterclass in weaving the threads together in one big twist. I’m in awe of the skill involved.

As ever the novel revolves around greed and corruption. It seems that Chicago can’t outrun its past and its historic skills are still alive and kicking. There is an out of control police lieutenant running some kind of shady, unaccountable department that I thought was fiction until the author reveals in her afterward that the department exists and she’s taking the rumours around it as truth. It’s not unbelievable in this day and age. Then there are the rich guys who think they can get away with murder, because their wealth and status insulate them from the law. Now, where have I seen this before? At least Vic is there to do her small bit, often at great physical cost, to right some wrongs. That ending, can’t get over how satisfying it is.

Overboard is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Was this review helpful?