Burn Marks

"Sara Paretsky is a legend . . .If you haven't read her yet, now is the time." —Harlan Coben

A knock at the door in the middle of the night pulls Chicago private investigator V.I. Warshawski into a web of crime and corruption in this steely New York Times bestseller.

V.I. "Vic" Warshawski's hard-drinking Aunt Elena has been burned out of the run-down SRO hotel she called home. Now she's on Vic's doorstep with a strung-out friend in tow and nowhere else to go.

Vic vows it will be a short visit. But she's soon hired to investigate the fire, and before long she's on the trail of an arsonist. The twists and threats come fast: her aunt disappears, and her aunt's friend is found dead at a construction site, carrying Vic's driver's license.

Despite being warned off the case by both a high-ranking police officer and a major Chicago developer, Vic plunges into the dark world of the city's unhoused population, and into the even darker world of Chicago's wealthy and powerful. After three terrifying attempts on her life, Vic still doesn't know who's after her.

In her sixth investigation, Vic is headed for a showdown in which the line between friend and enemy will be redrawn to frightening effect.

"An author of matchless intelligence, craft, and power. This is why Sara Paretsky reigns as one of the all-time greats." —Karin Slaughter

"One gritty good read . . . V.I. is a worthy heir to Marlowe." —New York Daily News

"Fast-paced." —The New York Times Book Review

"V.I. Warshawski is good company." —Los Angeles Times