Reviews

Blacklist by Sara Paretsky

namnam84's review against another edition

2.0

I normally enjoy reading Paretsky, but this one left me a bit underwhelmed. I actually skipped a few chapters towards the end and did not miss much.

The plot is interesting enough and I won't go into details apart from saying that it's a serious indictment of the aftermath of what happened in the US post-9/11. However, the romantic subplot was dragging the story, especially in the beginning, and Paretsky takes some time getting into the action.

I will recommend the book to Paretsky fans, but if you're looking for a pacy read for a train/ plane journey, then this one may not be the best choice.

shazzab39's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.5

I found the character pool a little to large to keep on top of but that may just be as I took a little longer to read it than usual . 

amyharman70's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

lavoiture's review against another edition

2.0

Meh, it was ok, maybe a 2.5 rather than a 3.

lazwright's review against another edition

4.0

It's really interesting to see how VI has developed as a character, especially as technology has advanced. Paretsky also incorporates real-world events, such as 9/11, to add a layer of complexity and "realism" to the story.

marie_gg's review against another edition

4.0

One of my favorite mystery writers!

smemmott's review against another edition

3.0

I wasn't much interested in V.I.'s love life, but it was easy to focus on the mystery, which was pretty good.

argeraint's review against another edition

It went on for too long and I was really busy.

hellkitty915's review against another edition

4.0

I've been a fan of V.I. for many years now. None of the books disappoint me and this one was right on the money.

It moves quickly and, even though V.I. has gotten older, her wits and one-liners are as sharp as ever. Ms. Paretsky does an excellent job of blending the political situation and general atmosphere after 9/11 into the plot and bringing in the McCarthy era past as well.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was the obvious plot devices and 'coincidences' that happen too regularly. But, if one can overlook those, it's a great read and a lot of fun.

nocto's review

4.0

VI was the first detective I fell thoroughly in love with almost ten years ago and it's her fault that I've been reading up on every female detective out there and generally haunting the mystery world ever since. So I come at these new books thrilled that they are still going and fearful that they won't live up to that first magic feeling that they induced in me when I read the whole back list back to back and was still hungry for some more.

VI went into exile for a while in the latter half of the nineteen nineties and came back two books ago as a slightly older and wiser version of herself but still throwing herself into scrapes as much if not more than ever. This though was the first book where I've felt that VI has actually slowed down a little and she doesn't have to defeat the criminals by brawn alone. And on the whole I was pretty pleased with this book. I didn't find it as exhilarating as some of the earlier books and I could put it down to go to sleep but I thought that the plot was just as interesting as ever and I didn't have to get too annoyed at VI for trying to be superwoman too often (she is superwoman of course and I like her that way, I just like superwomen who know their limits and run into them sometimes.)

This is very much a story set in the aftermath of September 11th 2001 and deals with a Muslim boy who is suspected of terrorism as well as linking in a plot that goes back to Communist activities in nineteen fifties America and VI has plenty to say on the state of modern America at the moment. I love having VI in the very present day and hope she stays around for a long time yet.