Deadlock (V.I. Warshawski Series #2) » (Reprint)

Sara Paretsky is credited with breaking the gender barrier in detective fiction with the creation of her hard-boiled female detective, V. I. Warshawski. In mysteries that have been translated into more than 20 languages, the no-nonsense and sexy V.I. keeps her eye on the city of Chicago, distributing justice to everyone from corporate crooks to government phonies and street hustlers.

V.I. Warshawski, the feminist sleuth who specializes in corporate crime, returns in "Deadlock," a topnotch mystery that critics say ever surpasses Sara Paretsky's first novel, "Indemnity Only."

The smart young detective becomes suspicious when her cousin Boom Boom, a former ice hockey star, drowns in a questionable dock accident. As she explores the cargo shipping world, Vic uncovers a murderous rivalry between shipping magnates.

Paretsky, who holds an M.B.A. and works for CNA Financial Corporation in Chicago, brings eyewitness authenticity to this thriller - she spent several days on a freighter to get the feel of life on deck.