It’s strictly Friends & Family as V I Warshawski, “the detective mystery fans have been waiting for†(Time), makes return appearances in a collection of stories that brings new meaning to “ties that bind.†Decked out in her silk shirts and no-nonsense Attitude, V I is out to make a living—by the skin of her teeth.
In “Grace Notes,†V I has barely finished her morning coffee when she sees an ad in the paper asking for information abut her own mother, long dead. The paper leads V I to her newfound Italian cousin Vico, who’s looking for music composed by their great-grandmother. What’s the score? Clearly it’s something to kill for….“The Pietro Andromache†find V I ’s friend Dr. Lotty Herschel with motive and means to dispatch her professional rival and steal his priceless statue. Lotty didn’t do it—but does she know who did? V I soon cuts to the art of the case—and it’s not a pretty picture at all!
In “Strung Out,†love means nothing and V I ’s quick to learn the score as her old friend’s tennis-champion daughter is under suspicion for strangling her father with a racket string. And there’s more, nine stories in all, in this masterful collection of short fiction starring V I Warshawski.
