Mystery

Librarians are heroes ( )

V.I. is hired to find a missing person. When she goes to Nebraska she stumbles upon dead bodies. Every step leads to more secrets. The current story is linked to a secret from the past. Really enjoyable. ( )

Oh, the joys of returning to an author you once loved after a long break and finding that she hasn't lost her touch! [b:Fallout|31214805|Fallout (V.I. Warshawski, #18)|Sara Paretsky|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492763684s/31214805.jpg|51869860] is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Warshawski is away from her beloved Chicago in this volume, having traveled to Kansas (where Paretsky grew up; she works in a passing reference to her father's work as a cell biologist at the University of Kansas). Characters who typically have prominent roles in the Warshawski novels are in less evidence here, while Peppy the golden retriever, who Vic brings along for company, serves as her emotional support and sounding board.

The plot is vintage Paretsky, with the sins of the past coming back to haunt the inhabitants of the present. Vic's original quest is sidelined as she stumbles on seemingly inexplicable events both old and new, annoys or converts the locals, and eventually ties everything together. Foreshadowing and red herrings are handled deftly.

The characters include a diverse mix of the good and the bad dispersed across genders, races, ages and even national origins, with a very contemporary feel. Tensions and plot lines arise from the relationships between the city of Lawrence, the University, the economic, racial and cultural frictions within the city, the effects of industrial agriculture, and oh, by the way, the presence of the military.

Vic remains what she has always been - independent, smart-mouthed, loyal, and compassionate. I was glad to be in her company again. ( )

I listened to the audio book and enjoyed it a lot.

V.I. Warshawski is hired by two college athletes to find their missing trainer, August Veridan, a young African American man. She learns Veridan left Chicago with an aging actress to go to Kansas to film the actress' origin story. VI tracks then to Lawrence, Kansas but loses the trail. She runs into old mysteries involving a long ago protest at a nearby missile silo. A distinguished scientist, a decorated army colonel and the head of a big Ag company all seem determined to stop her. She finds two dead women & rescues a third woman from certain death but may be the next dead woman.