Part of V.I. Warshawski, book 19
First published 2018
V.I. Warshawski receives urgent news that Felix Herschel, nephew of her dear friend and mentor Lotty, has become a murder suspect. Police discovered Felix's contact information on an unidentified victim, though Felix claims no knowledge of the dead man. Warshawski begins investigating and learns the victim was fixated on Middle Eastern archaeology. This detail opens a path into a labyrinthine case involving stolen artifacts and international crime networks. The situation grows more desperate when Reno, Warshawski's long-lost niece, vanishes without a trace. Reno carries a dangerous secret that threatens her survival. Warshawski feels time slipping away as she searches frantically for her missing niece while working to exonerate Felix. Her investigation expands to encompass Russian mobsters, ISIS financial supporters, corrupt ICE operatives, predatory corporations targeting vulnerable populations, and elaborate schemes involving securities fraud and antiquities theft that span from Chicago across to the East Indies and Middle East. Warshawski refuses to abandon either case until she uncovers the truth.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, investigative-journalism
Setting: Chicago, East Indies, Middle East
Period: Contemporary
402 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence