HARD TIME

Sara Paretsky's latest adventure has the witty Warshawski entangled in a mystery she almost literally trips over. After attending an entertainment industry party honoring her friend, V.I. Warshawski stops to help a woman she sees lying in the street and is thrown into another mystery. Jean Smart really seems to have fun with this role, infusing Warshawski with caustic zings and a conversational tone that draws readers closer to the story and the characters. Credit is certainly due to Paretsky's easygoing style of dialogue, but it takes a perceptive performer to hone in on a heroine's human aspects. R.A.P. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 00]