When Sara Paretsky introduced V.I. Warshawski in Indemnity Only she set the parameters for the feminist PI tradition. V.I., or Vic, represents the generation of women who conquered roles in the workplace not open to them previously. The daughter of an opera singer and a policeman who died young, V.I. resists sacrificing her independence for romance, something well understood by confidant Dr Lotte Hershel, an Austrian refugee. Other recurring characters in the series are Vic’s neighbour Mr Contreras, a retired machinist, and Police Lieutenant Bobby Mallory, a friend of her parents. All of her cases explore aspects of white-collar crime - senior executives preserve their position or bolster their companies without regard for less powerful people. Toxic Shock (Blood Shot in the US) won a CWA Dagger.
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