Paretsky is credited with transforming the role and image of women in the crime novel with her female private investigator, V.I. Warshawski. I ‘discovered’ the series in the early nineties and instantly became a fan. The first book, Indemnity Only, was published in 1982, the latest instalment, titled Dead Land (book #20) was released earlier this year.

Love & Other Crimes is a collection of fourteen short stories, eight of which feature Warshawski, including one original story. Written over a period of about twenty years, the common thread is love.

“....we kill out of love—love of money, but also love of family, a desire to protect those for whom we feel responsible.”

If you aren’t familiar with Warshawski, this short story collection is a good introduction to her character. Vic was raised, lives and works in Chicago. Specialising in investigating white-collar crimes, she is often drawn into cases involving her friends, family or vulnerable persons who are victimised by corrupt politicians or greedy businessmen. She is smart, capable and dogged with a strong belief in justice and all these traits are on display in the stories in this collection.

Most of the other six short stories have appeared elsewhere, often in themed anthology’s or magazines, though I was familiar with none. Two of the stories pay homage to Paretsky’s own literary hero’s - Race Williams, who was the first of the hardboiled detectives, created by Carroll John Daly in 1923, Amelia Butterworth, an amateur detective created by American crime novelist Anna Katharine Green. I like that Paretsky includes a note for each story in the collection that reveals the purpose of, or motivation, for the title, it’s a welcome glimpse into her authorial process.

Somewhat surprisingly I enjoyed every story in this collection, though I remain partial to those which involved V.I. Warshawski, reminded of what a great series it is, and to move Dead Land up my TBR list. ( )

Love & Other Crimes: Stories by Sara Paretsky is a highly recommended collection of fourteen short stories written from 1996 to 2018.

Paretsky, a master of crime novels featuring compelling plots and nail-biting suspense, showcases her talent for short stories in this collection. One story is a new V.I. story while the rest have been previously published other places. About half are V.I. Warshawski stories. All of the stories feature people who kill for love, many of them for family.

The collection includes: Love & Other Crimes; Miss Bianca; Is It Justice?; Flash Point; Acid Test; Safety First; Trial by Fire; Murder at the Century of Progress; The Curious Affair of the Italian Art Dealer; Wildcat; Death on the Edge; Photo Finish; Publicity Stunts; and Heartbreak House. Of all the stories, Miss Bianca, featuring a ten-year-old girl who loves a laboratory mouse, was my favorite. Two stories reflect the crime fiction of the late-Victorian and early-twentieth-century eras: "Murder at the Century of Progress" and "The Curious Affair of the Italian Art Dealer."

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2020/07/love-other-crimes.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3420748209 ( )