Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Overboard by Sara Paretsky Narrator: Susan Ericksen
Series: V.I. Warshawski #21
Published by HarperAudio on May 10, 2022
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 400
Length: 14 hours, 41 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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On her way home from an all-night surveillance job, V.I. Warshawski’s dogs lead her on a mad chase that ends when they discover a badly injured teen hiding in the rocks along Lake Michigan. The girl only regains consciousness long enough to utter one enigmatic word. V.I. helps bring her to a hospital, but not long after, she vanishes before anyone can discover her identity. As V.I. attempts to find her, the detective uncovers an ugly consortium of Chicago powerbrokers and mobsters who are prepared to kill the girl. And now V.I.’s own life is in jeopardy as well.
Told against the backdrop of a city emerging from its pandemic lockdown, Double Dirty lays bare the dark secrets and corruption buried in Chicago’s neighborhoods in masterly fashion.
I have read and loved the V.I. Warshawski series for a looooong time, since it started in 1982! Each book is another case, so you could read them out of order but I wouldn’t. I enjoy the progression of the characters and they are all great to read.
Every story in this series has a civil rights kind of issue. They are often not connected with the regular work Vic does but with her efforts to help her friends or the innocent. In Overboard, Vic tries to help a couple of teens in bad situations and some elderly being abused.
The situations end up having some odd connections, but the root is from old mob to new mob. The brutality of the police seemed unrealistic but maybe it is not. Vic is a white female but anyone threatening the greed or power of old white men can be in great danger. She is only able to help by doing some unorthodox things with some help from good friends. Her escapades were exciting and a bit terrifying.
I really enjoy the way Vic gathers information using her legal and financial skills but also her knowledge of old Chicago and criminals. Vic risks a lot to help these innocents and protect them. Technology today makes it too easy for the bad guys to track people. Luckily, Vic was able to use it to her advantage too.
Narration:
Susan Ericksen is an excellent narrator and the voice of the V.I. Warshawski for me. Vic is our point of view and the story is in her stream of consciousness. The dialogue is handled well for both male and female voices, including for different ages and ethnic varieties. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
About Susan Ericksen
Susan Ericksen is a Renaissance woman. In addition to being an Earphones-winning audiobook narrator and director–she’s a writer, an amateur linguist, an actress, a mother, and a wife. In the 1980s she joined former classmate David Colacci in western Michigan, where he was artistic director for the Hope Summer Repertory Theater. Twenty miles away, a fledgling audiobook publisher called Brilliance was looking for narrators.
Susan has recorded around two hundred audiobooks for Brilliance, BBC Audiobooks, Tantor, and Hachette. “It was a natural step. As repertory theater actors, the whole point is to be able to do Shakespeare one night, a musical the next night, and Noel Coward the next. So you have multiple personalities and multiple character voices and physicalities. These are such valuable skills for doing audiobooks.”
About Sara Paretsky
Sara Paretsky is a modern American author of detective fiction. Paretsky was raised in Kansas, and graduated from the state university with a degree in political science. She did community service work on the south side of Chicago in 1966 and returned in 1968 to work there. She ultimately completed a Ph.D. in history at the University of Chicago, entitled The Breakdown of Moral Philosophy in New England Before the Civil War, and finally earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Married to a professor of physics at the University of Chicago, she has lived in Chicago since 1968.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 22-COYER
I didn’t know Susan Ericksen narrates these books! Glad you’re still loving the series after over 20 books, Anne💜
Thanks Jonetta. I only recently tried the audio version since I’ve read them well initially all in print. But this is the reason I can’t listen to Erickson for In Death because she sounds too old for Eve and perfect for Vic. Stupid but my head sometimes does that. I can’t listen to Mercy Thompson either because I hear Charley Davidson.
Completely understand. I can’t listen to In Death either because I’d read 35 books before I discovered the audio versions and had created my own voices.
Well that might be the issue as well. I’d read like 50 before I tried the audio.
This sounds fun but the title just makes me think of that movie.
This one was a bit crazy and a lot dangerous. But who’s going to help teens being starved or beaten up by their parents / guardians? Or the elderly who are robbed? They often don’t have money or power.
Sounds like it has been a solid series over the years. I like that it tackles social issues blended with the mystery.
yes, I enjoy that aspect. Of course, I also know and enjoy many of the regular characters making up Vic’s friends and neighbors and her 2 dogs.
Wow, 21 books is a long series! It must be an amazing series to last this long
I have a lot of these old mystery series I’ve read a long time which are similar.
I haven’t read a V.I. Warshawski mystery in years! Which is sad, because I really do enjoy these books. This one sounds especially good. I definitely need to check it out. 🙂
She’s modernized her books as the world has modernized.
This is an author that I have always wanted to read. I had no idea that this series was so long though. Great review!
Well I’ve loved it but it is longer now. For maybe 10 years she didn’t have new books and now she is again every year or two. Vic has aged from 30s to 50s in the series and now the technology is up to date. The earlier ones will feel dated by technology but still great stories.
This sounds really interesting. I like that the cases revolve around civil rights issues.
Many of her books do from the beginning in the 80s.