Critical Mass: A V.I. Warshawski Novel

Paretsky's latest V.I. Warshawski novel (after Breakdown) has her famed private investigator investigating the science behind the atomic bomb. Answering a distress call, V.I. finds a horrific crime scene but little evidence of the woman she seeks. The investigation quickly snowballs as she learns about the connection of the missing woman's family to her friend Lotty Herschel. As a child, Lotty escaped Nazi Austria on the Kindertransport with her friend Kitty Binder; now Kitty's daughter, Judy, and Judy's estranged son have disappeared. V.I. uncovers connections among computer design, physics research, and family secrets that lead to dangerous encounters and the reasons behind their disappearances. She finds decades-old truths hidden in the name of pride, vanity, and capitalism. As usual, V.I.'s quest is fraught with plenty of danger and white-knuckle moments.