Deadlock - Sara Paretsky

“AN ABSORBING, WELL-WRITTEN TALE … A TOPNOTCH MYSTERY.”

—Publishers Weekly
THE CRITICS LOVE
DEADLOCK

“GOOD FUN, PARTICULARLY IF YOU LIKE THE TOUGH
ONES.”

—Chattanooga Times
“A STANDOUT. A RICH AND EXCITING NOVEL.”

—Mystery News
“V. I. WARSHAWSKI IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST AND
PERHAPS THE MOST PERSUASIVELY WRITTEN OF
THE NEW BREED OF FEMALE PRIVATE-EYES.”

—Philadelphia Inquirer“FLAWLESS PLOTTING.”

—Booklist
“SWIFT-PACED AND ENGROSSING.”

—The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
SARA PARETSKY’S INTRIGUING WOMAN P.I. V. I.
WARSHAWSKI IS “THE DETECTIVE MANY MYSTERY
FANS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!”*
“HER WORK DOES MORE THAN TURN THE GENRE
UPSIDE DOWN: her books are beautifully paced and
plotted, and the dialogue is fresh and smart.”

—Newsweek

“TENACIOUS, GOOD-NATURED,IDEALISTIC … V. I.
Warshawski is a pleasure to see in action.”

—Glamour
“BRASH, BREEZY AND IN HER OWN SENSE, HIGHLY
,
MORAL, V. I. Warshawski is the best of the new breed of
female detectives … a tough female detective working
Chicago’s mean streets—a perspective you won’t find
anywhere else.”

—Rave Reviews
“A GRIPPING, ENTERTAINING STORY.”

—Publishers Weekly
“PARETSKY JUGGLESWISECRACKS, TENDERNESS
AND GRIT IN A STORY THAT RETURNS CHICAGO P.I. V.
I.
WARSHAWSKI
TO
HER
SOUTHSIDE
ROOTS … PARETSKY COULD NOT HAVE WRITTEN
THIS ONE BETTER.”

—Kirkus Reviews
“PARETSKY’S NAME ALWAYS MAKES THE TOP OF
THE LIST WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE NEW
FEMALE OPERATIVES.”

—The New York Times Book Review
“V. I. WARSHAWSKI IS … THE TOP OF THE LINE—
ATTRACTIVE,
INTELLIGENT,TOUGH,
AND
VULNERABLE.”

—Chicago Tribune
* Newsweek

Books by Sara Paretsky
TOTAL RECALL
HARD TIME
GHOST COUNTRY
WINDY CITY BLUES
TUNNEL VISION
GUARDIAN ANGEL
BURN MARKS
BLOOD SHOT
BITTER MEDICINE
KILLING ORDERS
DEADLOCK
INDEMNITY ONLY
Edited by Sara Paretsky
WOMEN ON THE CASE
A WOMAN’S EYE

Published by
Dell Publishing
a division of
Random House, Inc.
Copyright ©1984 by Sara Paretsky
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without the written permission of the Publisher,
except where permitted by law. For information address:
Ballantine Books, New York, New York.
Dell® is aregistered trademark of Random House, Inc.,
and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
eISBN: 978-0-307-78128-4
v3.1

For Lucella Wieser,
a lady who sailed these seas
with wit and great courage
for over a hundred and six years.

The Canada Steamship Line very generously allowed me
to get a firsthand look at a Great Lakes freighter in
operation during the fall of 1980.Captain Bowman, master
of their 720-foot self-unloading vessel, the J. W. McGiffin ,
invited me to sail with him from Thunder Bay through the
Soo locks to the Welland Canal. He gave me run of the
ship, from the bridge to the holds. Chief Engineer Thomas
Taylor took me through the engine room and explained the
intricacies of the self-unloader. I wish I could have put his
humor and his love ofmachines into this story. However, no
resemblance is intended between any of the officers or
crew of the McGiffin and those of the ships in this novel.
Nor are the operation of Grafalk Steamship or the Pole
Star Line meant to resemble Canada Steamship in any
way.
A former naval person who advised me on ships and
maritime law and customs also has my heartfelt thanks.

Contents

CoverOther Books by This Author
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29...