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First Sentence
LACEY DOWELL CLUTCHED her crucifix, milky breasts thrust forward, as she backed away from her unseen assailant. Read the first page

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Concordance

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt

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Customer Reviews

63 Reviews

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

Average Customer Review

3.8 out of 5 stars (63 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars As good as ever, Jul 13 2004

By	William Tegner (Brisbane, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hard Time (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a good read in the Paretsky/VI tradition: plenty of pace, readable, and gripping. The author has lost none of her touch, and the characters, not least VI herself, come across as very real. To take one example, VI has to earn a living, and so we get a detour to Georgia. Also, the prison scenes are vivid and well drawn, if very disturbing.

Note the emergence of the "wise priest" figure at the end: and VI becoming a regular attender at mass. Are we to expect a Chesterton/Graham Greene/Piers Paul Reid type of scenario in future?

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4.0 out of 5 stars Hard... to stop reading, Nov 6 2003

By	Ricardo Garcia Mainou (Queretaro, Mx) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hard Time (Mass Market Paperback)

Starting the V.I. Warshawski Series from the last entry has been very interesting. My first contact with Vic was that strange but effective mixture of hardboiled mystery with World War Literary Drama.
On that matter HARD TIME is very different. For instance it focuses only in Warshawski investigating an apparently no-brainer hit and run death.
Paretski manages to write a very compelling novel, where many storylines collide into one big conspiracy (a bit far-fetched one may say) buy thrilling enough to keep me awake long hours to reach the end.
HARD TIME is far from perfect, it keeps emphazising certain "clues" that have very predictable outcomes (that folder badly labeled, those unbelievable cameras, Mr. Contreras' imprudence, etc). But nevertheless it manages to seduce you by pure force of Vic's well written personality.
At the end I feel it is a fuller and more rewarding novel than the average mystery. I'll keep reading Paretski.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Dubious ideas, Oct 9 2003

By	Veta "Veta" (Vernon Hills, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hard Time (Mass Market Paperback)

I liked some things about this book, however I am astonished by liberal ideas that Paretsky tried to squeeze in. Why is being rich bad? Why should everyone help an illegal immigrant? Why should we support illegals? Half of prison contingent is illegal, so let them work, they came to this country, broke our laws, and why should they not be punished for it? How come good neighborhood and beautiful houses are shameful, but criminally entering this country and stealing from people are not shameful? I think that Paretsky has some perverted sense of justice. I did not like a lot in this book, and I think that maybe better editing was needed. This was not supposed to be a book with social doctrines and divide and split ideas. It was supposed to be easy mystery/detective story.

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Good reading but dubious issues
I liked some things about this book, however I am astonished by liberal ideas that Paretsky tried to squeeze in. Why is being rich bad? Read more

Published on Oct 9 2003 by Veta

3.0 out of 5 stars Breaking rocks
It has been a while since V. I. has been working the streets of Chicago. She hasn't gotten any smarter or mellowed in her time away. Read more

Published on Dec 24 2002 by Sam15

4.0 out of 5 stars First half-too long...2nd half - fantastic!
Hmmm...Paretsky's been around for a while. I haven't picked up one of her books for probably two years. Read more

Published on May 7 2002 by K. L Sadler

4.0 out of 5 stars She's at it again.
Finding a near dead woman in the street sets our altruistic, idealistic detective off on a trail which sees her left for dead in the same way. Why does she do it?? Read more

Published on Dec 23 2001 by Barry Allan