Most of her cases are set in seedier parts of Chicago. Never having been there, I can't say how accurate this fictional Chicago is, but it certainly feels grittily realistic.
Like many fictional detectives, her friends and relations seem to have a worse-than-average time of things, but it is good to see such a character with an extended circle of friends, rather than being a clichéd dysfunctional loner -- despite the obligatory failed marriage. (However, everyone is dysfunctional enough to drive the plot, and to make them interesting.)
Series Rating: 2.5
[ unmissable | great stuff
| worth reading | mind candy | waste of time | unfinishable ]
![[cover]](../p/covers/vishort.jpg)
Rating: 4
[ unmissable | great stuff | worth reading | mind candy | waste of time | unfinishable ]
reviewed 6 December 1996
Nine short stories.
It is difficult to write a good 'puzzle' short story, because there is not enough time for a succession of juicy red herrings. So these stories tend to concentrate on the characters, giving some background to V.I.'s friends, and aren't quite as traumatic as the novels.
![[cover]](../p/covers/viw10.jpg)
![[cover]](../p/covers/10250.jpg)
![[cover]](../p/covers/10772.jpg)
![[cover]](../p/covers/11234.jpg)