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(3.01) - 1,434 listener ratings
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A strange crime gets V.I. Warshawski involved with some of Chicago’s most rich and powerful players in this thriller from New York Times bestselling author Sara Paretsky.
When a group of Chicago tweens holds a ritual in an abandoned cemetery, they stumble on an actual corpse—stabbed through the heart in a vampire-style slaying. V.I. Warshawski arrives on the scene to escort the girls home–but protecting them places her at the tangled center of the investigation. And the girls include daughters of some of Chicago’s most powerful families: the grandfather of one, Chaim Salanter, is among the world’s wealthiest men; the mother of another, Sophy Durango, is running for the United States Senate.
For V.I., the questions multiply faster than the answers. Is the killing linked to a hostile media campaign against Durango—or to Salanter’s childhood in Nazi-occupied Lithuania? As V.I. struggles to find an answer, she finds herself fighting enemies who are no less terrifying for being all too human.
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"V.I.'s hard edges grate more with her friends than they used to, and there is a sense the world has gotten nastier in this book. From the super-powerful liar who mesmerizes the thoughtless via mass media to the little girls who are enthralled with the shape-shifting novelmania of the moment, V.I. travels through a very complex maze of holocaust horror and present-day criminal escape via scapegoating. The sense that the bad guys are really more powerful than we are is stronger than ever from Paretsky, but that is just being realistic, isn't it. I was actually crying at the end, a first for all Paretsky's novels. Somebody has to do the digging to keep us safe from the Big Bad Guys who use money + the media to warp and twist our whole society, and I felt grateful to V.I. Her time with Jake is lovely but very short and not entirely redemptive. Pockets of love and loyalty from Jake, Lotty, Max and Petra are hopeful things, but the overwhelming feeling that the Bad Guys are winning hurts. Very well-paced book, moving at a fifty-year-old's pace? Satisfactory, as Nero Wolfe would say."
— Kay (5 out of 5 stars)
Breakdown Listener Reviews
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" I loved this book SO much that I read and listened to it, years apart. Once again, V.I. Warshawski is tangled up in something, and it's not good. She gets through it and even manages to save a few other people. However, the rollercoaster in this book takes her and the reader to places that strike at her heart - mixing teenage girls who love vampires and possible Nazi war criminals. Not everyone can pull this off, but Paretsky does, in her usual rich, elegant style. "
— Twigsy, 4/3/2017 -
" This installment in the V.I Warshawski series is far from Paretsky's best effort. The plot is full of holes and many, many unlikely happenings. The characters are mostly caricatures and the political ranting is annoying and not relevant to the story. Diehard fans of the Warshawski series will find reasons to finish the book (as I did), but others are advised to skip Break Down and wait for the next installment. Readers who are new to the V.I. Warshawski series should start with one of Paretsky's earlier efforts. "
— Eric, 2/1/2014 -
" This is the second V.I. Warshawski book I got recently. Cousin Petra is involved in this one, too. She calls V.I. for help when the pre-teen girls in her book club become involved in emulating a character in one of the books they've read involving vampires and shape-shifters. V.I. discovers the girls dancing on a grave in an old abandoned Jewish cemetery. She manages to get them out of the cemetery before the cops get there to investigate the newly dead body lying on an adjacent tombstone. More murder and intrigue follow until V.I. manages to solve the case. "
— Sandy, 1/21/2014 -
" As a guy, I often get bored with Vic's wardrobe woes, but this is more than made up for by her attitude. She doesn't take crap from anyone. This is a typical book from this series. Vic somehow finds herself involved in a case she really doesn't want, then stumbles along thinking she's not making any progress while all the time making progress. By the end, she ties up all the surprises, loose ends, and twists into a package as neat as a professionally wrapped Christmas gift. "
— Jim, 1/17/2014 -
" I always enjoy how well Paretsky interweaves social and political issues into V.I.'s cases, and here she does an absolutely spot-on job with the intersection of politics and the rise of hyperpartisan news media. While it takes a long time for the disparate pieces of the puzzle to come together, it's always a pleasure to ride shotgun on the Ryan with Warshawski. "
— Jessica, 1/16/2014 -
" Paretsky's Warshawshi is in vintage form in this novel, and is able to solve the case with her usual flair. A very good read. And completely nails the stupidity of teens all over America, today, spot-on. "
— Stephanie, 1/14/2014 -
" This is by far the best V.I. book yet. Loved it. "
— Lori, 1/12/2014 -
" This Paretsky started slowly for me. I struggled through almost half, but because I have enjoyed the author for so many years, I stuck it out. Was glad I did. The last half raced by! A good read, but not for the conservative-minded -- but neither is V.I.:) "
— Sandra, 1/6/2014 -
" Another terrific book by Sara Paretsky , this one about the state of political discourse in the United States, the 24-hour news cycle, and the depths people will go to to suppress - and uncover - buried secrets. "
— Tammy, 1/4/2014 -
" Absolutely fantastic. May be her best yet. "
— Beth, 12/3/2013 -
" Great story in the tradition of V. I. Warshawski. The tale was woven well, but the ending seemed trite and anitclimatic. "
— Pat, 11/28/2013 -
" One of her best. Really enjoyed it. "
— Helen, 11/6/2013 -
" Great book! This was classic V.I. Warshawski. I love the lengths that V.I. will go to discover the truth. This book revisited many of Vic's family and friends, and there were lots of potential bad guys as well. But most of all, this was lots of fun to read! "
— Carrie, 11/3/2013 -
" It dropped from 3 or 4 stars to two with how she chose to explain the plot at the end. "
— Lynne, 8/21/2013 -
" not the best -- VERY complicated plot -- well done but too much "
— Julie, 8/19/2013 -
" Quite disappointing. Seemed formulaic and a bit incoherent. The ending was dire and pretty implausible. "
— Sc, 7/11/2013 -
" Reading a V. I. Warshawski novel is like coming home -- the characters, the Chicago landscape, the local politics -- it's all there. I've read a lot of Sara Paretsky's novels in this series and I've enjoyed her character. Keep them coming. "
— Barbara, 5/14/2013 -
" I thought this held up very well for the 15th book in a long running series. So many of my favorite authors have fallen by the wayside as their stories became weaker with each new book. "
— Nancy, 2/5/2013 -
" Sara Paretsky has done it again. Great book, I didn't figure out who the bad guy was until I was nearly done with the book. Fun. "
— Lynne, 10/5/2012 -
" Dreadful. A political rant that tries to wrap itself inside a mystery. I used to love this author & this series. I actually regret purchasing the book. "
— Denise, 4/6/2012 -
" I support no one, fiction or non, who supports illegal aliens. "
— Linda, 3/1/2012 -
" I always love to spend time with VI Warshawski. This fun book is no exception "
— Robyn, 1/30/2012 -
" I love all Sara Paretsky's books. Her female character is feisty and memorable. A good read. "
— Joan, 1/4/2012
About Sara Paretsky
Sara Paretsky is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous previous novels, including the renowned V. I. Warshawski series, of which Blacklist won the Dagger Award. She is one of only four living writers to have received both the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and is also the recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award given by the British Crime Writers’ Association. She is credited with transforming the role and image of women in the crime novel.
About Susan Ericksen
Susan Ericksen is an actor and voice-over artist. She has been awarded numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. As an actor and director, she has worked in theaters throughout the country.