Book Review: Brush Back by Sara Paretsky, VI Warshawski hasn't loss her charm, guts and appeal!
Having fallen in love with Sara Paretsky at Theakston’s
Old Peculier crime writing Festival in Harrogate, I was excited to read the
latest VI Warshawski offering from this lovely, humble and talented writer and I wasn't disappointed. Warshawski is as
sexy as ever, as tough as the steak I cooked for last night’s tea and as dogged
as a traffic warden on commission.
Brush Back is as gritty as the coal piles she writes about and as full
of soul and tradition and nostalgia and history as you could hope for.
When an ex-boyfriend whose mother has been released after
serving twenty five years for the murder of his sister asks
Warshawski to prove
her innocence, Warshawski is reluctant to comply. She knows Stella Guzzo as a venomous and violent woman who bad mouthed her family
and she has no desire to help her.
However when Stella accuses Warshawski’s dead cousin Boom Boom of the crime Warshawski is drawn back to
her childhood home in South Chicago with all its complexities.
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| Chicago South side |
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| Chicago |
Paretsky’s undoubted skill lies in getting right under
the epidermis of her characters and teasing out those little nuggets that
exposes their emotions, motivations and flaws.
She is a keen observer of the dynamics that drive relationships and her
dialogue is second to none – witty, poignant , aggressive and emotional in
parts.
Withdelicious observations like ‘her eyes and lips were glistening with whatever deviances she was
about to reveal’ it’s safe to say Brush Back is a delight to read. Paretsky
takes us by the hand and leads us into the world of 1980’s Chicago where
families struggled to escape and hockey and baseball were top escape routes and
blind eyes were turned in exchange for paltry gain
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| Sara Paretsky |
Brush Back, in true Paretsky style is brave thoughtful,
sympathetic and honest and says it
as it is!
Brush Back is available on amazon kindle for £8.88 or HB for £15.68
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