Part of V.I. Warshawski, book 8.5
First published 1996
V.I. Warshawski sips her morning coffee when a newspaper ad stops her cold. Someone is seeking information about her mother, dead for years. The ad leads her to Italian cousin Vico, who searches for music their great-grandmother composed. But people are willing to kill for whatever that score contains. Nine cases pull the Chicago private investigator into webs of deception. Her friend Dr. Lotty Herschel becomes the prime suspect when a rival dies and a priceless statue vanishes. An old high school friend drags V.I. into a deadly game involving the FBI and gambling bosses. A relaxing facial turns fatal, leaving V.I. eighteen hours to clear an innocent beautician. A loyal dog leads her to a killer, while a tennis champion faces murder charges for strangling her father with racket strings. Each investigation tests the bonds that tie people together, whether family, friendship, or professional loyalty. V.I. discovers that the closest relationships often hide the darkest secrets.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: deception, found-family
Setting: Chicago, Italy
Period: Contemporary
352 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Dell