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lynguy1's review against another edition
4.0
DEAD LAND by Sara Paretsky is the twentieth book in the V.I. Warshawski private detective series and the ninth book that I have read by this author. This book is set in Chicago and in Kansas. V.I. Warshawski gets involved with a case through her goddaughter who tries to rescue a singer-songwriter, Lydia Zamir that is living on the Chicago streets. Lydia’s life changed when her partner was murdered during a mass shooting at an outdoor concert in Kansas. Along with this, there seems to be some political shenanigans going on with a park proposal. The more V.I. digs into the situation, the more complicated and involved they become.
The author has done a great job of developing competing and sympathetic characters that felt real and three-dimensional. Their motivations seemed believable and well-drawn. The stakes were high and the pace accelerated throughout the book. The prose was well-written, engrossing, and compelling. The plot was moving, powerful, thought-provoking and complex. There were several twists and turns and surprises as V.I. unravels the mysteries in this novel.
Overall, this was a complex, compelling, and suspenseful read. Themes include murder, attempted murder, mass shooting, international politics and history, political corruption, and much more. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow and Sara Paretsky for a complimentary ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
The author has done a great job of developing competing and sympathetic characters that felt real and three-dimensional. Their motivations seemed believable and well-drawn. The stakes were high and the pace accelerated throughout the book. The prose was well-written, engrossing, and compelling. The plot was moving, powerful, thought-provoking and complex. There were several twists and turns and surprises as V.I. unravels the mysteries in this novel.
Overall, this was a complex, compelling, and suspenseful read. Themes include murder, attempted murder, mass shooting, international politics and history, political corruption, and much more. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow and Sara Paretsky for a complimentary ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
mhoffrob's review
4.0
Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski books are always a delight to read. Well plotted with wonderful characters and interesting story lines, Dead Land does not disappoint on any level.
jill24's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
Dead Land by Sara Paretsky is a multi-layered mystery. Although this latest release is the twentieth installment in the V.I. Warshawski series, it can be read as a standalone.
Private detective V.I. Warshawski accidentally becomes involved in an increasingly complex missing persons case. Following a mass shooting four years earlier in which her boyfriend Hector Palurdo was murdered, singer Lydia Zamir disappeared from the public eye. That is until V.I. and her goddaughter Bernadette "Bernie" Fouchard stumble across Lydia living in the streets of Chicago. Warshawski is worried about Lydia since she is obviously malnourished and clearly suffering from some kind of mental illness. Lydia is fiercely guarded by Coop who is well known for his anger issues but little else. V.I.'s search for the missing woman takes her to Kansas where someone makes it very clear they do not want her poking around in the mass shooting case.
As V.I. tries to locate Lydia, Bernie's boyfriend Leo Prinz is murdered following a community action group's meeting about an upcoming Chicago Park's project to add a beach to a local lakefront. V.I. is upset the local police are not taking Leo's death more seriously so she takes matters into her own hands. She is very curious about Leo's interest in a map that he caught a brief glimpse of not long before his murder. V.I. is very concerned when she discovers another person from the community action group is missing. But before she can look into his disappearance, Coop leaves his dog Bear with her and vanishes. Her efforts to find Coop lead to an alarming discovery.
Warshawski's investigations become very convoluted as she searches for answers about where Lydia might be and what is going on with the beach project. Why have two people involved with the proposed project been murdered? Why is Parks Superintendent Gifford Taggett hostile when she questions him about the project? Where is Coop? And does he have anything to do with Lydia going missing? Some of the answers to these questions are rather shocking and take V.I.'s hunt for the truth in very unexpected directions.
Dead Land is a complicated mystery that is interesting but sometimes a little slow-paced. V.I. is a tenacious private investigator who does not give up even as her investigation turns puts her in danger. The plot is intriguing and takes several seemingly unconnected turns. However, Sara Paretsky expertly weaves the various story arcs together into a stunning conclusion that neatly ties up all of the disparate threads. This latest addition to the V.I. Warshawski series will delight old and new readers of this wonderful series.
Private detective V.I. Warshawski accidentally becomes involved in an increasingly complex missing persons case. Following a mass shooting four years earlier in which her boyfriend Hector Palurdo was murdered, singer Lydia Zamir disappeared from the public eye. That is until V.I. and her goddaughter Bernadette "Bernie" Fouchard stumble across Lydia living in the streets of Chicago. Warshawski is worried about Lydia since she is obviously malnourished and clearly suffering from some kind of mental illness. Lydia is fiercely guarded by Coop who is well known for his anger issues but little else. V.I.'s search for the missing woman takes her to Kansas where someone makes it very clear they do not want her poking around in the mass shooting case.
As V.I. tries to locate Lydia, Bernie's boyfriend Leo Prinz is murdered following a community action group's meeting about an upcoming Chicago Park's project to add a beach to a local lakefront. V.I. is upset the local police are not taking Leo's death more seriously so she takes matters into her own hands. She is very curious about Leo's interest in a map that he caught a brief glimpse of not long before his murder. V.I. is very concerned when she discovers another person from the community action group is missing. But before she can look into his disappearance, Coop leaves his dog Bear with her and vanishes. Her efforts to find Coop lead to an alarming discovery.
Warshawski's investigations become very convoluted as she searches for answers about where Lydia might be and what is going on with the beach project. Why have two people involved with the proposed project been murdered? Why is Parks Superintendent Gifford Taggett hostile when she questions him about the project? Where is Coop? And does he have anything to do with Lydia going missing? Some of the answers to these questions are rather shocking and take V.I.'s hunt for the truth in very unexpected directions.
Dead Land is a complicated mystery that is interesting but sometimes a little slow-paced. V.I. is a tenacious private investigator who does not give up even as her investigation turns puts her in danger. The plot is intriguing and takes several seemingly unconnected turns. However, Sara Paretsky expertly weaves the various story arcs together into a stunning conclusion that neatly ties up all of the disparate threads. This latest addition to the V.I. Warshawski series will delight old and new readers of this wonderful series.
mbondlamberty's review against another edition
3.0
I like Warshawski as a character but wasn't crazy about this series or book.
I finished it so not terrible but not great.
I finished it so not terrible but not great.
rodhunt's review against another edition
4.0
Skilful weaving of plots, history and place. VI is older and wiser but still the sharpest, most energetic and creative PI you ever need.
annarella's review
5.0
It's quite a long time since I read a Sara Paretsky's novel and now I have to add a lot of books to my TBR as I fell in love again with this story.
It's a gripping and entertaining story with a complex plot and a lot references to local and international politics.
Ms Paretsky is an excellent storyteller and I read this story till late in the night because I wanted to know what would happen.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing, the characters are intriguing and well thought especially Vi.
I loved everything in this story, especially the empathy of the author toward the victims.
It was an excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's a gripping and entertaining story with a complex plot and a lot references to local and international politics.
Ms Paretsky is an excellent storyteller and I read this story till late in the night because I wanted to know what would happen.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing, the characters are intriguing and well thought especially Vi.
I loved everything in this story, especially the empathy of the author toward the victims.
It was an excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
cathy1665's review against another edition
3.0
This author needs a better editor. There were at least two glaring errors. VI took the dogs with her when taking Bernie home but then proceeded through the day without them. Maybe there was too much going on with the story to make it believable.
mlbenners's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first Goodreads giveaway win and it was a wonderful read! Very well-written with an engaging story. I especially loved the characters. I definitely plan on picking up more books in this series. Thank you to Goodreads, HarperCollins, and especially Sara Paretsky for giving me the opportunity to read this book before the publication date!
sankitch87's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75