Sarah Paretsky. Guardian Angel (1992)

     Sarah Paretsky. Guardian Angel (1992) Victoria Warshawski drifts into investigating a disappearance for her friend. It turns into a murder investigation, then widens to include corporate fraud and junk bonds, and scamming the elderly out of their savings. She’s nearly killed, has several run-ins with her ex, and so on. Nicely plotted, with characters you care about. Chicago feels like any other modern city with its rotting centre, decaying former suburbs, gentrification of run-down neighbourhoods, and glitzy new-money properties on the fringes. Not a keeper, but worth getting more of (at yard sale prices, that is). **½ (2004)