I'm a fan of the V.I. Warshawsky detective novels, and looked forward to this book as it has received some very good reviews. I was a bit disappointed. Too much going on: Sort of quasi religious mysteriosity in one silent and possibly psychotic character who was otherwise not really fleshed out, who was able to in essence raise another one from the dead, seemingly, and change the lives of others simply by touching them, etc. Another character sees the Virgin Mary (also mixed up with the silent charater) in a crack in a building exuding rusty water....and an uncaring grandfather who has somehow alienated all the women in his life except for a strange housekeeper. All in all I found this book distasteful and sophomoric.
Interesting book which is very different from previous works I've read from Sara Paretsky. Nothing like the VI Warshawski novels. While still based in Chicago, this story tells of a family's struggle with teenage angst and identity issues that come with the transition to adulthood. Intermingled are the father's own identity struggles. With twists and turns, you follow the journey of these women's path to enlightenment.
I had no idea what to expect from this book when I started it, only knowing that it wasn't a V.I. story. I was doubtful at first but as I read on I became more and more enchanted. It is not a plumbing of the psychological depths of various realistic characters, but clearly it was not meant to be. Instead it is a kind of morality play for our time, done so skillfully that the story grips the reader and won't let go. Some of the characters are almost caricatures, rather like people in a very old allegory, and the story itself is full of wonderful allusions and layers of meaning--for example, the doctor's name, and that of the catalyst character, Starr. In the end I went away feeling very satisfied and somehow like I had added another layer to my own character. It's like reading a combination of the ancient "Descent of Inanna" and a modern thriller.
This is a very well-written urban fantasy. (It's not remotely horror, by the way).
It's not a mystery. It's about a Goddess returning into urban American life, and the chaos that ensues.
As a reader familiar with Paretsky, I found this story original, well-written, well-characterized and engaging. It draws the reader in and offers both intellectual and emotional interest.
Paretsky fans who are able to step beyond the familiar mystery milieu, and who aren't afraid of a little sensuality, have a treat to read here--and I don't hesitate to recommend the book to anyone!
