Every time I read one of Sara Paretsky's I wonder if it will be the last. VI Warshawski has been around for 40 years and at least two age-retcons, but I still look forward to her appearances. In Dead Land, VI is once again dragged into the mystery by her goddaughter Bernie. On an ice hockey scholarship in Chicago, Bernie is supporting herself over the summer by coaching youth sports and VI is supporting her when she attends a local committee meeting where Bernie's charges are receiving an award. The main agenda item is redeveloping the beach along Lake Michigan and when a low-level staffer (and Bernie's sort-of boyfriend) gets flustered and drops some papers, it leads the two women into VI's speciality, corrupt politics. This ties in with a second plot involving a socially conscious musician who's been homeless and emotionally fragile since her husband's politically motivated murder. The two plots developed along parallel tracks and while they connected at the end, this is one of Paretsky's less satisfying books. Mediocre Warshawsky is still entertaining and thrilling, though, and I'm happy to see that there's a new book coming out next month.
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