Sara Paretsky

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Sara Paretsky, 2009

Sara Paretsky (born June 8, 1947 in Ames , Iowa ) is an American writer, who became known with the crime novels about the private detective VI Warshawski.

Life

Sara Paretsky grew up in the US state of Kansas and studied political science at the University of Kansas in Lawrence . In 1977 she completed both an MBA and a PhD in history from the University of Chicago . For the next ten years she worked in marketing for a Chicago insurance company.

Sara Paretsky wanted to be a writer as a child, but did not start writing until she was in her mid-thirties. Every other year since 1983, a novel has been published with her protagonist, the tough private detective VI Warshawski. In 1986 she founded the organization Sisters in Crime together with other crime and thriller authors . A German-speaking section Murderous Sisters has existed since 1996.

Sara Paretsky's life partner was physics professor Courtney Wright from 1970 until his death in 2018, with whom she has three children. She lives in Chicago.

VI Warshawski

Emergence

“I loved detective fiction, but I was troubled by the way women were traditionally portrayed in that genre - they always seemed to be either evil or powerless. I thought it was time for a tough, smart, likable female private investigator, and that's how VI came to life. "

“I liked detective stories, but I didn't like the way women are traditionally portrayed in this genre - they always seemed either evil or powerless. I thought the time was ripe for a tough, clever and lovable private investigator, and so VI was born. "

- Sara Paretsky

The figure

The main character in the Warshawski franchise is VI Warshawski, who runs a private detective agency in Chicago. In order not to be underestimated as a woman from the outset, she does not use her maiden name Victoria. She is proficient in karate and can handle the firearm perfectly, a skill she learned from her late father, a police officer.

Unlike her tough male colleagues, she is able to form strong bonds, the most enduring ones with a Jewish doctor. Their partner Max is also a constant figure in the novels, as is Mr. Contreras, an older neighbor who takes care of Warshawski and her dogs Peppy and Mitch in emergencies. In some novels she has a male partner in Morrell who works for a human rights organization.

Works

The VI Warshawski series

  • Indemnity Only (1982)
  • Deadlock (1984)
  • Killing Orders (1985)
  • Bitter Medicine (1987)
  • Blood Shot (1988 / British title: Toxic Shock )
  • Burn Marks (1990)
  • Guardian Angel (1992)
  • Tunnel Vision (1994)
    • Engel im Schacht, German by Sonja Hauser, Piper, Munich / Zurich 1995. ISBN 3-492-03574-4
  • Hard Time (1999)
    • The Missing Woman, German by Sonja Hauser, Piper, Munich / Zurich 2001. ISBN 3-492-04092-6
  • Total Recall (2001)
  • Blacklist (2003)
  • Fire Sale (2005)
  • Hardball (2009)
  • Body Work (2010)
  • Breakdown (2012)
  • Critical Mass (2013)
  • Brush Back (2015)
  • Fallout (2017)
  • Shell Game (2018)
  • Dead Land (2020)

Other novels

  • Ghost Country (1998)
  • Bleeding Kansas (2008)

Volumes of short stories

  • Windy City Blues (1995 / British title: VI for Short )
    • Windy City Blues, German by Sonja Hauser u. a., Piper, Munich / Zurich 1997. ISBN 3-492-25650-3
  • A Taste of Life and Other Stories (1995)

Non-fiction

  • Case Studies in Alternative Education (1975)
  • Writing in an Age of Silence (2007)

As editor

  • A Woman's Eye: New Stories by the Best Women Crime Writers (1991), including Eye of a Woman (Introduction) and Settled Score by Sara Paretsky
  • Women on the Case (1997; British title: Woman's Other Eye ), with an introduction and the story of Publicity Stunts by Sara Paretsky
  • Sisters on the case . Celebrating Twenty Years of Sisters in Crime (2007), with an introduction and the story A Family Sunday in the Park by Sara Paretsky

Awards

Film adaptations

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Paretsky, Sara
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American crime novelist
DATE OF BIRTH June 8, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Ames, Iowa