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Deadlock (V.I. Warshawski #2)
by
Sara Paretsky (Goodreads Author)
When Chicago Black Hawks hockey legend Boom Boom Warshawski slips off a wharf and drowns in Lake Michigan, cousin V.I. questions the report of accidental death and rumors of suicide.
V.I. searches for leads and finds a trail of violence and corruption. It takes her to the center of Chicago's powerful shipping industry. There she ferrets out her cousin's killer -- but nearly...more
V.I. searches for leads and finds a trail of violence and corruption. It takes her to the center of Chicago's powerful shipping industry. There she ferrets out her cousin's killer -- but nearly...more
ebook, 320 pages
Published
February 9th 2011
by Dell
(first published 1984)
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Deadlock by Sara Paretsky is a nice little detective story set among the Great Lakes shipping industry (of the early 1980s). V.I. “Vic” Warshawski is a private detective who is troubled by the death of her favorite cousin (“Boom Boom”) who “slipped” off the dock one day and was killed by a freighter. She soon learns that her cousin’s death was more than a simple accident.
We, along with Vic, investigate surprisingly cutthroat world Great Lakes shipping industry (of the early 1980s). She intervie...more
We, along with Vic, investigate surprisingly cutthroat world Great Lakes shipping industry (of the early 1980s). She intervie...more
Dec 16, 2012
aPriL MEOWS often with scratching
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mysteries-suspense-thrillers
Loved it. A fantastic read, exciting and difficult to stop after a few chapters each time I picked it up.
This time V. I. Warshawski is too emotional to be reasonable, and when she is emotional, she gets coldly angry, a deadly combination. Her favorite cousin, Boom Boom, an ex-Black Hawks hockey player, falls off of a Chicago dock and drowns. The problem is several clues are pointing to murder - a enigmatic phone call, strange rumors being passed around by Boom Boom's new co-workers at Eudora Gr...more
This time V. I. Warshawski is too emotional to be reasonable, and when she is emotional, she gets coldly angry, a deadly combination. Her favorite cousin, Boom Boom, an ex-Black Hawks hockey player, falls off of a Chicago dock and drowns. The problem is several clues are pointing to murder - a enigmatic phone call, strange rumors being passed around by Boom Boom's new co-workers at Eudora Gr...more
2 likes · like · see review
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I note with interest that this is one of ten novels with the same name. I am still n my Paretsky kick, I guess, and still very much enjoying the adventures of private-eye V. I. Warshawski, back in the days before she moved her office into a warehouse and hired a secretarial assistant; in fact, I note that other reviewers have identified this as the second book int he series (which, of course, the publisher did not do). Her favorite cousin, a hockey-player who had to retire after he fractured his...more
This is the second book in the V.I. Warshawski mystery series. It was published in 1984. I am going to try to read the fifteen book series in order. This copy is a hardcover from Alibris, a relatively well preserved ex-library copy that cost me $3.99 after deducting the standard $1 coupon. I love used hardcover books.
I have been reading some long books recently but this is the second one in a row with only 250 pages. The other one was Blossom by Andrew Vachss. Not exactly a matched set but anoth...more
I have been reading some long books recently but this is the second one in a row with only 250 pages. The other one was Blossom by Andrew Vachss. Not exactly a matched set but anoth...more
How did I miss this V.I. Warshawsky mystery? I thought it was a recent publication, but now I'm seeing that it is only #2 in the series, so maybe I read it years ago and just forgot the story. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of V.I's investigation into the mysterious death (accident or murder?) of her cousin Boom Boom, a former hockey player who had been working in the shipping business. During her investigation, V.I learns more than she knew was possible about grain shipments, types of c...more
This is the second in Sara Paretsky's crazy long-running V.I. Warshawski series. V.I. is a former public defender turned private eye in Chicago with roots in the South Side. I like her because she is pragmatic and believable, smart but not over-the-top tough. She's also serious without coming across as humorless.
In this outing, V.I.'s cousin, a former pro hockey player, dies under mysterious circumstances at the Chicago shipyards and she delves into the complexities of Great Lakes shipping and N...more
In this outing, V.I.'s cousin, a former pro hockey player, dies under mysterious circumstances at the Chicago shipyards and she delves into the complexities of Great Lakes shipping and N...more
Apr 03, 2012
Martha Bullen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
mystery readers
Fun to read one of Sara Paretsky's earliest V.I. Warshawski novels. V.I. sets out to unravel the mystery of her pro hockey player cousin's death down at the docks. I learned more about the Great Lakes shipping industry than I really wanted to, but enjoyed the plot, characters and gritty Chicago setting. A fun airplane read (but not a beach read, given the various maritime disasters that take place in this book.)
Although I liked the adventure and the Chicago setting, I felt like at times this got a little bogged down in details or description of the ships, shipyards, and cargo. I found myself skimming those parts as they were probably necessary, but not fun to read. I still enjoyed V. I. Warsawski though, and this series of mysteries is a nice break in my day.
I like the prose and style, but I agree that Warshawski is a little flat. Pretty typical feminist lead. She still is a strong character, though. When reading this volume one has to consider how much more difficult it was to be a self-employed woman in the 80s than today.
I just finished my first Sara Paretsky (V.I. Warshawski) mystery. Thanks to you all who have talked about them. I really enjoyed it, read it in 3 or 4 days. I will get others. This one was Deadlock and told me way more than i wanted to know about freight shipping on the Great Lakes, but the tidbits of info were - in the end - interesting. I'm always interested in learning about something i've never tho't about before
I like having a series to go to that I know I will enjoy. It is comforting to get to know the characters and know you can read the next book and what you will get. It's like going to Coldstone...you know what you are going to get consistently.
Liked it. After having seen the movie, I wanted to see how many books it took to make one movie. Now I wish it had been a show like "Spencer for Hire". I liked that show and I think this would have been a great show too.
I really liked this book. I have always like Sara Paretsky, but lately she has felt the need to add her own personal political diatribe to each book. I find it irritating and not needed to move the story.
It was a nice book indeed, the female protagonist is very interesting and the plot's twists were thrilling enough. A good book but not the best in its category. Good for one read though
Maybe it is because she is sassy, maybe it is because it is set in Chicago or maybe it is her weakness for Black Label. I'm not sure, but I enjoyed this book. I am glad to know there are more of these. They will go into the category of fun palette cleanser.
V.I. Warshawski, a private detective in Chicago investigates the death of her cousin Boom Boom found drowned in the shipyard. The story is fun, and fast paced. A good escape.
I'm on a bit of a VI kick - trying to read them in order - most are re-reads for me but I'd never read this one before. Typical of other books - fast paced, easy read mysteries.
This book was hard to get through. It went on and on about the locks and the shipping canals. I didn't need to know all that stuff about the shipping industry on the Great Lakes.
I love the main character, V.I. Warshawski -- a strong, humorous female private detective. More gritty than Kinsey Milhone but less vulgar than Stephanie Plum.
Not sure I fully understand the financial details, but a good story nonetheless. V.I. is a fun character. Just don't rely on the movie they made to judge the books.
May 09, 2012
Kelly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-thriller,
own-kindle
This book has an unusually complex storyline with a lots of research into the shipping industry, or certainly more research than the average mystery seems to have. I like the Chicago setting, and will definitely have more V. I. in my future.
I like the V.I. Warshawski as it takes place in Chgo and I like knowing the areas and places she is talking about. Not a great book but I liked it
Oct 03, 2011
Suz
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
loved-the-movie-too,
mystery
I loved the movie, so I decided to read the books. As usual, some things were changed in the movie version, but I still enjoyed the characters.
It is so strange. I barely remembered this book. I liked it, of course, and I like VI, but it felt convoluted. And the information about shipping and freighters was boring. Oh well.
A good murder mystery from Sara Paretsky, as always, but not one of her best. We learn a lot about the great lakes shipping industry, but there is not a great deal of suspense in this novel.
Feb 15, 2010
Sharon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
private-investigators
A great look at dockside life in Chicago. The character's memories of her murdered cousin give a great sense of family.
My eyes glazed over a bit at the shipping industry details, but still pretty enjoyable. Moving on through the series.
Nov 18, 2010
Laura
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Laura by:
Bettie
A Hero's Death: At the funeral of her ice-hockey hero cousin, private eye VI Warshawski suspects that his death was not an accident. Stars Kathleen Turner.
I somehow missed this book when I began reading Paretsky some years ago. It is an interesting plot. I always enjoy a mystery written by a good author.
I've read this book before but, thanks to a poor memory, didn't remember the ending. I like following the stories I'm reading on maps of the area and have had a great deal of fun using Google maps with this book. How things have changed in the port areas of Chicago and Thunder Bay over the last 30 years!
The book kept me interested throughout and I heartily recommend it.
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Sara Paretsky is a modern American author of detective fiction. Paretsky was raised in Kansas, and graduated from the state university with a degree in political science. She did community service work on the south side of Chicago in 1966 and returned in 1968 to work there. She ultimately completed a Ph.D. in history at the University of Chicago, entitled The Breakdown of Moral Philosophy in New E...more
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