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Sometimes, a case falls into a detective's lap. In BODY WORK, Nadia Guaman literally dies in the arms of VI Warshawski outside a Chicago nightclub. Ironically, VI is hired to clear Chad, an Iraqi War veteran accused of shooting Nadia before he botches a suicide attempt. Or did he do either? Because Chad is in a coma, he cannot help VI's investigation. Chad and Nadia seem to have no connection, other than their interest in the performances of a body artist, who asks the audience to paint her flesh. In an interesting departure from her previous novels, VI rounds up a posse to help her. Her much younger cousin Petra, who too coincidentally works at the body artist's club, provides some comic relief as she fumbles through her part of the investigation. Is VI about to train a successor? Two Marine pals of Chad add muscle and hacking power. And, of course, there's Sal, VI's overprotective neighbor. In an earlier review for RTE, Yvonne Klein covered most of the plot and themes, but there is one additional element that warrants discussion. VI's Chicago seems to be suffering from a conflict between the values of the older Eastern Europeans, many of whom have now lived in Chi-town or Skokie for generations, and the new wave of immigrants from Ukraine and other parts of the former Soviet Union. While the earlier arrivals, like VI's and Chad's families, rose up through hard work, the Ukrainian thugs in BODY WORK represent organized crime networks that have sprung up in many American cities. While this easy cliché of Soviet-style organized crime syndicates has become a staple on crime shows like LAW AND ORDER, it was a bit surprising to find Paretsky echoing this stereotype. As Klein points out, they are part of a changing Chicago landscape that VI cannot help but notice; however, in the real world, the vast majority of new immigrants are much more like VI herself. The audio versions (there is also an abridgment available) are narrated by Susan Ericksen, a veteran performer of many of Paretsky's works. She is dead-on with her rendition of VI's dry wit, sometimes frustrating personal life, and exhaustive (and exhausting) investigative skills. Petra raises her voice at the end of every sentence into a half-question. It's an all-too-real speech pattern among some young adults. For some odd reason, Sal Contreras sounds like Jimmy Durante. Ericksen does an excellent job with the Ukrainian accents and individuates all the minor characters. She reads clearly, and at an good pace. Overall, her performance is excellent and will add flavor to the novel for audio enthusiasts.. BODY WORK is overlong and could have used some judicious editing—for one thing, there might have been fewer trips to the club. The abridged version might be perfect for those who prefer more action. Both versions offer Paresky fans an enjoyable audio. § Karla Jay is a legally blind audio book addict, who lives in New York City, where she is Distinguished Professor of English and Women's Studies at Pace University.
Reviewed by Karla Jay, September 2010
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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