A review by noonjinx
Bitter Medicine by Sara Paretsky

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

An easy read with great characters and an exciting story, riffing off various cliches that I love; written in the first person by a cynical private investigator digging into a seemingly straightforward death and uncovering corporate corruption and conspiracy.

The twist here is that the PI is a woman and she's definitely a great and refreshing character. A tough, gun toting, progressive, left winger who can hold her own in fist fights with gangsters and who's not embarrassed to describe her messy apartment and sweaty armpits.

I've read conservative reviews complaining about the politics and even though I agree with Paretsky's views i did find her a bit preachy. Also, the end was a bit drawn out, plot based and too neat.

These are minor quibbles and i would read more though.
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