Part of V.I. Warshawski, book 5
First published 1989
V.I. Warshawski reluctantly heads back to her old south Chicago neighborhood. She made a promise to Caroline, a friend from childhood, and V.I. always keeps her word. Caroline's mother is dying, and after twenty-five years Caroline wants to know who her father was. V.I. agrees to track down the man Caroline never knew. The investigation takes V.I. deep into buried secrets from decades past. She uncovers more than family history when she discovers where bodies lie hidden. Then she stumbles across a fresh corpse. Her search for one missing person leads her into a dangerous web of corporate power and chemical industry corruption. The closer V.I. gets to the truth, the more toxic the situation becomes. Big business players don't want their dirty secrets exposed, and they'll go to deadly lengths to silence a private investigator who has learned too much. V.I. must navigate the poisonous mix of past and present before she becomes the next victim.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: buried-secrets, reluctant-hero
Setting: South Chicago
384 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Dell