Rating: 
Summary: Once More with Feeling
Review: Once more Ms. Paretsky has given us a book peopled with characters that we can feel about. There are those who we can love, hate, feel sorry for. The story is great and is told in such a way that I did not want to put the book down. I wanted to keep reading to know what would happen to V. I. and the other characters.Beyond the story and characters is a tale that should raise the social consciousnous of the readers. Hopefully all prisons are not like Coolis...but I do wonder how much of this kind of thing might be going on and wonder what I could do to help if it is. All and all, a first rate novel. I worried that we might never read about V. I. again, but am glad that Ms. Paretsky took her time and came out with a great novel...instead of trying to come up with any old thing just to have a book to publish each year. I hope there is another V. I. book in the future...I will be waiting.
Rating: 
Summary: Good dogs ,smart women, and good detecting
Review: Having enjoyed most of the V.I. Warshawski stories I looked forward to this long awaited novel.I couldn't put this book down and lost most of a night's sleep.This reader identified with the angst of aging,desertion of friends when needed most, and the companionship of two great dogs.The P.I.comes across a body in the road,and subsequently all sorts of strange things happen to her. She is harrassed by the police,deserted by her assistant,framed, and eventually meets someone to help her.This is quite an adventure;some of the jail scenes are out of the believable range. I found this one of the best reads this year. I thought that some of the excessive feminism of earlier novels had disappeared. Now V.I. express insecurities and doubts,strengths and weaknesses,loss and gain. A very good story with plenty of action.
Rating:
Summary: A dog-loving middle aged broke private eye?
Review: Well, just like me, except for the private eye part! This was one of the most fun tapes I have listened to in quite awhile. The reader did a superlative job, and made everything quite believable, even though it was certainly not. What a treat to find someone with dogs instead of kids. I am in constant search of such books. More of her work should be put into unabridged audio!
Rating:
Summary: Worth the wait !
Review: Just when I thought Sara Paretsky would never write another V.I. Warshawski novel "Hard Time" hit the stores. It was one of the best mysteries I read in 1999. I hope Ms. Paretsky's fans don't have to wait so long for V.I.'s next adventure.
Rating:
Summary: I really loved this book
Review: I just want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I like reading about the good fight V. I. is fighting and all the hardships she has to endure. My life is quite tame so that makes it all the more interesting for me to read about it in a book. I couldn't put this book down; I found it to be adventurous and suspenseful. I've read all the V. I. books and this one is my favorite. I'm so glad she's back!
Rating: 
Summary: In Search of More Poetic Prose in a Thriller
Review: I am an author and I love thrillers. My biggest disappointment in today's world of adventure fiction is the inability to find a mesmerizing adventure constructed with poetic and living prose which allows me to feel the southern Louisiana heat, smell the toasted bagels in a Manhattan deli or wince along with the facial expressions of a lawyer caught ambulance chasing in the hospital room of a critically injured patient. While a better yarner than Turow, this author's works lack the sort of living color which fiction demands. I recently discovered an author who accomplishes this and a thriller in which he does it. The author is Gary Wickert, and the book is DARK REDEMPTION. I didn't find it yet on Barnes & Noble, but it has just been released and it is available on Amazon.com. If you like this author's storylines, but want to be riveted to and made love to by the prose which are the building blocks of any piece of fiction....READ 'DARK REDEMPTION'.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been so much better - but generally enjoyed.
Review: V.Warshowski really puts her aging body to the test in this one. How she survived strains credulity. The point that she has to do "everything herself" is reinforced somewhat excessively. And one really wonders why she won't listen to ythe wonderful Lottie, but lets so many of her other friends (especially Murray) insult, abandon, or betray her. This would have been alot better with more character development. I got caught up early on watching this interesting character age, but then she seemed to relapse to the "he-man" style of immaturity. The author might have lessened some of the physical assaults and challenges, and focused more on the mental and emotional challenges of being an aging, female detective. It started out that way and really was an interesting focus. But then the character seemed to resort to old habits and physical stuff, and I began to wonder about her intelligence. Too bad. In fairness, however, I listened to it on audio, and I do not think that Jean Smart was a good choice as reader- I began to perceive VI and her friends as southern, fast-talking whiners. Not a Chicago kind of presentation! Wish I had read the book instead of listened to it on tape.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Surprise
Review: I bought Hard Time on a whim having dimly remembered the Kathlene Turner movie. I was expecting a standard tough cookie woman detective novel and instead got a great read. The book starts off with VI almost running over the body of an "escaped" woman prisoner and rapidly develops into a complex web of Chicago politics, media scheming, and win at all costs capitalism. All without Paretsky losing her lightness of touch and humorous prose. Although the final third of the novel becomes rather uncomfortable because of the unremitting terrors of the womans' prison scenes, the book achieves important social commentary without being exploitive or in your face. As VI points out, this is an area of society that we non criminals never think about and if we do we reflexively agree that it should come with truckloads of punishment. The key villain and wife, Eleanor, seem too evil to be real and the final confrontation in church is a little too contrived and symbolic. Overall though I gave it five stars for being a real page turner.
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Summary: Jean Smart Does Credit to Great Story
Review: As a devotee to unabridged audio editions of my favorite authors, the choice of who reads their books is critically important. Jean Smart, who reads Paretsky's latest book HARD TIME,could not be a more perfect match. She captures the nuances of each character, but especially of the 40+ Warshawsky. The story addresses Vic's increasing physical limitations as she ages, though at the same time, it gives other 40-and-older females a cause for rejoicing -- Vic is still a force to be reckoned with. The most meaningful outcome of this story is that, using the bounds of popular mystery fiction writing, Paretsky has exposed to millions of readers the savage inequalities of the prison system toward its women prisoners. The book is her best so far.
Rating:
Summary: good, but strains credulity
Review: This book started out a great read, but like most of the Vic series, evolved into a formula. Vic doesn't have a paying client, yet she perserveres and in the end, like all good movies, everything turns out fine and she ends up with a fat check from a grateful person, who is only peripherally involved in the story. The plot turned far-fetched when Vic elected to stay in prison for an additional two weeks to solve the case, for which she was not being paid! Why do I stay with this series? Because I like Mr. Contreras and the dogs and I keep hoping Vic will show something like compassion and love. She;s not an easy character to like!
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