Rating: 
Summary: strange storyline
Review: Paretsky seems to have dropped interesting characters in favor of a convulted, unbelievable storyline. Having V.I.'s boyfriend on his way to report on the dangerous Taliban turns out to be the most believable part of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Character Development
Review: The girl with the Polish last name but speaks fluent Italian strikes again. There originally seemed to be several plots going at the same time but Paretsky effectively intermingles the action. This story introduces us to Lottie Herschel's history, her escape from the advancing Germans to London during the war. The action is continuous, V.I. is a very active girl. I was able to identify the actual villan before V.I. did but that in no way detracted from the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Readable, but logically flawed
Review: I found the basic premise of this Warshawski installment interesting: a man believes that, through hypnotism, he has discovered that he was a Holocaust orphan. A disturbed individual, he attaches himself to V.I.'s friends Max and Lotty and their families. Meanwhile, an insurance scam unveils itself...Unfortunately, the most interesting factor here, recovered memory, is never really explored. We don't learn very much about the character's real history, and (to my recollection) no one is ever hypnotized "on screen". So an opportunity for some new and different scenes is lost. Another issue I have with this book is a logical one. "Paul Radbuka", Max, Lotty, and others are, or are of an age to be, Holocaust survivors. Since the book is set in the present day, that makes these people in their 60's -- at least. Yet none of them have any health problems, and all are employed -- Lotty as a surgeon, which certainly requires steady hands and clear eyes. "Paul" zips around town on a mountain bike. While certainly many people at the characters' age are active, healthy and vital, it strained my disbelief that they *all* act like people in their 40's. Otherwise, I found this readable and basically enjoyable, but not up to the standard of Hard Time or to Paretsky's wonderful urban fantasy Ghost Country.
Rating: 
Summary: A complex and moving story
Review: After being somewhat disappointed in Tunnel Vision and Hard Time, I thoroughly enjoyed Total Recall. The story centers on Vic's longtime friend, Lotty Herschel, who plays a minor but important role in the other Warshawski novels. Here we learn how Lotty escaped from Austria to England during the German occupation. The other major thread of the books complex plot is the controversial psychological practice of "Recovered Memories." I feel that Paretsky challenges herself as a writer in this novel. Her characterizations, typically strong, are effective. The outcome is somewhat predictable and there are a few loose ends left hanging.
Rating:
Summary: Total Satisfaction
Review: After I stayed up to finish this page-turner, I started it all over again, just to savor the clever ways Sara Paretsky builds a story and the rich interplay between the characters. Like her gutsy detective V.I. Warshawski, Paretsky is not afraid to take risks. The risks pay off in this tightly plotted tale in which characters drive the story. From the first novel in this series, Paretsky has given the supporting cast of characters around V.I. life and depth. Gabriella and Tony Warshawski, Mr. Contreras, Murray Ryerson, Bobby and Eileen Mallory, the guys down at the police station, mean-spirited Aunt Rosa and daffy Aunt Elena, even the valiant golden retrievers Peppy and Mitch enrich these mysteries with their human (and canine) quirks. V.I.'s friend, mentor and mother-figure, Dr. Lotty Herschel, a solid, opinionated and compassionate little woman, takes center stage with great presence for part of this novel, allowing Paretsky to show us the background of this complex character. We got more hints about Lotty and Max in Paretsky's short story collection "Windy City Blues." This is an even more satisfying study of character, though it is certainly not lacking in action. While giving us strong characters, action and intricate plots, each of Paretsky's books also explores challenging moral ground. Her mysteries are literature. I buy each one in hard cover, because I know my grandchildren will enjoy them fifty years from now as classics.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: Total Recall is a really good book. I enjoyed the Lotty/VI interplay as well as how the story zigs and zags around alot of different topics. Good story.
Rating: 
Summary: Unbearably Boring!
Review: I am a fan of Sara Paretsky and have read all of her previous
books with great enjoyment....not so this one! It is a rambling, boring narrative of a story in which I kept waiting for
something meaningful to happen. It certainly cannot be defined
as a "mystery" or "detective" story. It was very difficult
to remember who all of the characters were, but then, most of
the time, I really didn't care! I know she's written quite a
few books....maybe it's time to call it a day!
Rating:
Summary: Sara Lost her way
Review: I've read all of her prior books and have always found V.I. to be an engaging and believable heroine/detective. In this book, the combination of holocaust memories and a current problem simply is never engaging or believable. The villains are simply unbelievable. The "coincidence" that links the two threads of the plot was contrived and had a real world probability of zero. If Ms. Paretsky wants to write novels of social importance she needs to abandon the detective format and write a novel not a detective story.
Rating:
Summary: Looking forward
Review: Though it may seem ludicruous that I'm writing a review when I haven't as yet read the book, please bear with me! Ms Paretsky's warmth and compassion for those who are "different" or "disadvantaged" has been a constant in all her books. The topic she has chosen is not surprising, coming as it does from a writer who is very much aware of the physical world she inhabits and the injustices of that world. Some reviews on this page have said that the book was hard to get into. Well, my dears, some things are worth a little effort! I look forward immensely to reading this next book, and so do my friends, in a series that has always been, not just an exciting read, but also contains a little bit of social justice education <smile>. The world needs more writers like Sara Paretsky! We shouldn't always have to read a scholarly tome to learn about the world we live in.
Rating:
Summary: Preposterous
Review: Huh? That's what I kept saying about every 50 pages. There are gaps of information that the reader simply can't fill in. For example, within the first chapter or two we are told about a man who may have suffered as a child at a Nazi concentration camp. Within a few pages, Lotty and Max and Vic are all wringing their hands over whether or not he is a relative of theirs. Huh? How does the reader make this leap of faith? You gotta give us the info, Sara. We readers can't read your mind.
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