Vic is one of my favorite literary characters of all time. I adore her no nonsense toughness. She has been much criticized for her lack of humor, lack of friends, and her approach to life, which to me make her a unique character in the world of the fuzzy warm soft hearted female PIs. Vic takes nothing off of anybody, and I love her for it! Carry on Sara Paretsky...I hope Vic gets tougher and tougher and time goes by.