text: This was the first VI Warshawski book I ever read, and it did an excellent job of whetting my appetite for more.  I think Paretsky did an excellent job of drawing me into VI's world, which is rich with unique characters.  VI comes across as individualistic and principled, and I like how Paretsky resisted clich? temptation on several counts: the complex issue of chemical responsibility is not wrapped up in a tidy bundle by the end of the book, and there is no "obligatory sex scene."  Not that sex scenes don't have their places, but I just hate it when I'm reading along and I can almost hear the agent say, "Okay, author, you need to steam this up a bit right here if you want to sell this book."  In this story, VI is all business, which is a delightful change of pace
  