Part of V.I. Warshawski, book 2
First published 1992
When former Chicago Black Hawks legend Boom Boom Warshawski slips off a wharf and drowns in Lake Michigan, the police call it an accident. Others whisper about suicide. V.I. Warshawski refuses to accept either explanation. The private investigator knows her cousin too well to believe he would kill himself, and the circumstances surrounding his death raise too many questions. Armed with her Smith & Wesson and a bottle of Black Label, V.I. plunges into Chicago's shipping industry to uncover the truth. Her investigation leads her through grain elevators and massive freighters, into the world of ruthless businessmen and beautiful ballerinas. As she gets closer to the killers, the attempts on her life become more elaborate and dangerous. V.I. must navigate this maze of corruption and violence with her trademark grit and humor, determined to expose Boom Boom's murderers before they silence her permanently.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, action
Vibes: fast-paced, gritty, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, investigation
Setting: Chicago, Lake Michigan
320 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Dell
Content warnings: violence